Hi Chris, and welcome aboard the good ship CA.
I can't help on the student ticket - I didn't know there was such a thing - mainly because it's a long long time ago since I was a student!!
About the camping - are you driving there?? Each camp site ticket allows entry for one vehicle regardless of the number of occupants. So if you are not taking a car, you can just walk on to any site and pitch up. For most of the (better??) camp sites, yes, you have to book up very early - some people are booking their tickets now for 2007. You can forget Houx - that was sold out months ago - unless you can pick up a spare ticket on this site or elswhere. I don't know about Chappelle and ticket availability - I think that the only site left with space is Beausejour. I've never stayed there, but several CA members have and say it is a good site. The main drawback is that it is a long hike from there to the centre of the action in the Village.
Whatever, email or call the ticket office - the details are in the first thread in this Help forum - and ask what is available. The girls there speak English and are very helpful.
Hope this helps, and, as you may have gathered from this site, you better start planning for 2007 because once you've been, you will want to go again.
When do you hope to get there - all I would say is that the earlier you get there, the more fun you will have. Most of the regulars are all in place by Wednesday, and others (including myself this year) will be there on Monday.
All the best
Del
