I know many sites dont allow charcoal of any kind, we will be checking at each site as we go along before we use our Cobb.
I asked at our site on the Ile de Re if we could use it on the beach, they said no? It's not a private one.
I know some people dont always extinguish coals correctly and of the fire risk etc - we always keep a bucket of water on standby, just to cool and reuse the heat beads mainly :)
I'm wondering whether to leave it at home, or is it possible we may get some use out of it? We are heading to Ile de Re, Hossegor, then to Grenoble, Anncey and then back to Brittany via the Loire Valley. Would appreciate any tips and guidance from your experiences.
Thank you :)
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These regulations aren't usually of the campsite's own making, but are guidelines from the local town hall, and obviously the fire risk in dry seasons is huge - hence the 'rules' can sometimes change from season to season, or site to site, or Departement to Departement.
No one can say whether it's worth your while - certainly we rarely barbecue at all, so we never take one with us, occasionally when we feel like frazzling something we will use the site communal barbecue if there is one. Would this not be a compromise - barbecue using site facilities if there is one, and if not cook by a different method?
I've been to quite a few sites that don't allow disposable barbecues. Can't remember staying anywhere that didn't allow charcoal of any kind. We've mainly camped in Northern France though. Maybe they're edgier about burning things in the south.
Hi
Thanks for the replies. It's not so much a BBQ but our cooker/oven/grill. We rarely BBQ it's just using charcoal for the cooking process. Shall try and make do with the van cooker when not allowed. :-)
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I would - whilst you probably use your Cobb safely, you've only to see the results of devastating fires in the wooded areas to see just what can happen with a stray spark in a dry 'tinderbox'.
We were very near a fire a few years ago, and it was a scary thing as though we were safe, you could smell the smoke and hear the roar of the flames. Many hectares of beautiful woodland was destroyed.
We've used our Cobb quite a few times over a number of years. We've never had a problem. I've always had it on the table when weve used it as well. it doesn't look like a normal bbq.
------------- Fab time in France again.... Roll on next year!
Use it and you are breaking the law.The use of fires and bbq are controlled by Arrete prefectorals and the dates change year to year depending on the weather.
The best way to check is the departements web site for the Arrete.
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