In this video Kathryn Bird explains the common French campsite toilet system known as a "fosse," which is a non‑mains sewage setup that relies on beneficial bacteria to break down waste. She clarifies that antibacterial toilet chemicals are prohibited because they kill these bacteria, and instead recommends using green, bacteria‑friendly products. Kathryn shares her personal experience with the brand Solbio, noting that preferences vary, and encourages travelers to test different green chemicals to find the one that works best for them when touring France. She also points viewers to additional touring information in the video notes.
Chapters
This is a really good question, and it is a very, very common problem in France. So a fosse, if you don't know, is basically a toilet system which is not connected to a mains toilet system. Now, some campsites in France are connected to the mains toilet system, sewage system, and that means you can empty your toilet with your standard chemicals into it and not a problem at all. However, particularly if you were going to be using Aires, or if you were going to be using some of the sometimes more scenic campsites, which might be up in the mountains or away from bigger cities, They will not be connected to the main sewage system. It's really common in France to have a thing called a fosse, and that uses good bacteria to break down all of the waste, and then it all— I don't know the technical bit of it, but it all happens naturally. But the good bacteria is really important, which means that you are forbidden from emptying your toilet cassette with antibacterial chemicals in them down into the fosse because it would kill all the good bacteria off. So you need to use green or bacteria-friendly toilet chemicals. Now, I've been using Solbio for years. I love it. I highly recommend it. But that stuff is like Marmite— some people love it and some people hate it. There are loads of green, good bacteria toilet chemicals that you can switch to, so I highly recommend testing some out, finding which one works for you, and switching if you're going to be traveling in France. If you would like to know more about touring in France, then I will leave the details in the notes for you.
