Hi grumoy59
I wish we lived so close to crossings! We have 340 miles to travel to home from Dover!
It's 580 miles to site from Dunkirk and you will need to leave early to get here before 11pm as barriers closed from 11pm-8am, if you arrive after 11pm you have to park on overnight car park. It took us 7hrs to get to Orleans for overnight stop then another 6hrs from Orleans but we were towing at 60mph and our girls are only 7&8 so we had lots of toilet stops.
We plan to do it next year with just one stop in France and not staying at Dover as we only have two wks, been lucky this year had 3wks off.
Your welcome I don't mind, the wifi is good on this site it's 20euros for a wk but we've gone halves with our friends. You can only use one device at a time.
I'm sure you will have a good time and we've been here 13days and today is our only cloudy cooler day, it's rained during the night but been very hot during the day, we've just watched the tennis so I'm glad it's been overcast or we would have missed it!
We dont want to go home :-(
Hi cheryl.mark
Thanks for the information.
We are currently on the overnight ferry from Ireland to Cherbourg, on our way to this years site in the Vendee.
As Val says the private facilities were little pods at the back of the pitch with shower, toilet and handbasin in. Just outside the pod there was your own wash up area with a fridge underneath. There was also a picnic table on the pitch.
We were in a tent and there was no shade in the afternoon on the pitch we were on but we just walked down to the lake to find some shade if we were at the site in the afternoon.
It certainly saved some space in the car because we normally take a fridge and we didn't need to a table with us.
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Hi he naw nee naw
Hope you had A good crossing and journey to site. We've had rain today but it's cleared up now and sunny again. Supposed to be getting up to 34c again tomorrow and hotter by end of wk. it's been more bearable at 24c as last wk it was topping 36c and I hate to admit it but I found the heat too much in a van, even with fans we struggled as were not used to it!
Just sitting outside with my glass of red wine listening to the hustle and bustle of the site, we love it here and understand why families come back every year.
I'm going to be crying thurs when we leave, I feel lucky to be able to come here and thank my lucky stars that we took the plunge and came to France.
Enjoy the vendee and let us know what the sites like that your staying on as we fancy the vendee when we tire of the dordogne (doubt that's ever gonna happen!)
retruned from 2 weeeks at this site last night.very hot with the odd cloudy day to get us off site to visit castles ,caves,resturants etc
Site has just been awarded 4 stars they (the family )were very proud and we had a evening partry.
some of the pitches have steep acesse but they used a tractor to take carvans to to top of the site(we are tenters so know little about towing.The shop sells very limited items but shops are close buy by car.the restturant/takeawy takes orders untill 9pm
little shade on the private pitches but used lake or back terrace backing on to woods.
Many return bookings we have made oursfor next years.The private pitches are nearly all reserved for 2013.we have used standard pitches and they are good too more shade.
I tried booking through eurocamp independant (soleil plage)today for a pitch from the 19th to 26th august, but nothing available. Really dissapointed! I know that I've left it too late, but was hoping that at the end of august we could have got a pitch there. Oh well, will continue searching for that illusive week in the sun!
It is a long drive we stay overnight in a budget hotel,but even so it is long.used a miture og motorwayand non motorway stopped off at Futurascope which my family enjoyed immesley.(we are not into thrill ridesand the park was very spacious and we had no ques......
We are not good at sleeping ina moving car ,so could not do it in one hit ,although many do.
Quote: Originally posted by GRUMPY59 on 07/8/2012
I tried booking through eurocamp independant (soleil plage)today for a pitch from the 19th to 26th august, but nothing available. Really dissapointed! I know that I've left it too late, but was hoping that at the end of august we could have got a pitch there. Oh well, will continue searching for that illusive week in the sun!
Have you tried directly with the site? Sometimes the 'tour operators' have a specific allocation of pitches, and once those reserved pitches are full, then they say 'No availability' but by trying directly with the site you may just be lucky. Otherwise try next door at La Bouysse which is similarly situated on the river.
Although not on the Dordogne, a lovely riverside site, is Les Peupliers at Riviere sur Tarn in the Gorges du Tarn area - which does have emplacements free when you want to go - direct with the site, though, not through Eurocamp Independent.
Hi nee naw nee naw
We didn't book with tour operator why don't you contact site direct and check if pitches available? I booked it dec and iv already booked for 2013 as they give priority to existing customers, they let you choose your own pitches once you've been, there's people here been coming for ten years plus! I booked ferry with norfolk lines then site direct, we paid 53euros a night for pitch and ferry was £112 rerun. I think it goes quieter mid August so you may get a pitch direct? I would only stay on the river side of the touring area, we've just been for a good look round and not keen on the side near the bar. Weather still boiling hot, it's our last day tonorrow, we leave Thursday. Will be very sad to leave its been a fantastic holiday.
Hope you get sorted with a holiday in the sun.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Off to Les Valades (Dordogne) soon...
. Really dissapointed! I know that I've left it too late, but was hoping that at the end of august we could have got a pitch there. Oh well, will continue searching for that illusive week in the sun! 
