My boys and I love camping but my wife is not at all keen hence I am looking for somewhere special to try and convince her. Can anybody help/advise. I am looking for a quality campsite either in the South of France or on the West Coast which is far South enough to ensure sun and close to the beaches (sea or lake). Ideally the site would not have loads of statics of holiday lodges contained within it. I have two young boys so we need a swimming pool but we do not need one that has lots of slides and we do not need any organised entertainment. Being able to sleep in a tent with familly, BBQ in a beautiful location with access to the beach and sea sounds just wonderfull to me. Every site I look at however seems just a bit too commercial, It is so difficult to tell what a place is really like. Spotless loos are also essential. Any recommendations!
Post last edited on 22/12/2008 19:03:18
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I have stayed many times at Soleil Plage on the banks of the Dordogne and never had anything other than a first class experience - its not the cheapest but I don't think its charm/location/services can be bettered. How old are the boys? - not that it matters they can graduate from paddling with the toddlers on the beach to setting off with friends wading upstream. The heated pool is better than most inland sites [which tend to be smaller than seaside]
On the coast we like le Soleil at Argeles sur Mer [med]- cos our teenagers adore the hustle and bustle - its not the quietest but the location just out of town next to a beach with a view across the bay to the mountains is rather good. I also like the look of Bois de Valmarie just south of Argeles but I've not stayed there - and i think its all mobilehomes
If heading to the west coast the best weather is to be found around Royan - not the most interesting area IMO - but if you are only going to hit the beach then there are many fine beaches. I've not been there for several years so I couldn't give up to date info on any site
The big problem with your requirements is that the best sea and lakeside beaches are mostly adjacent to the larger more commercial sites - because everyone is looking for sun, sea and sand - and these tend to then be 'taken over' by mobile homes and chalets which offer a better return than a camping pitch. You may well be better off looking at some of the wilder river areas in France, such as the Tarn or the Dourbie - where you get a river to play around in, and yet beautiful unspoiled scenery. Val de Cantobre is in a 'can't be beaten' setting, in a beautiful part of the Dourbie valley, with abundant wildlife, and is not too commercialised (no madcap evening entertainment, just low-key quizzes, films, etc).
There are so many campsites in France - over 11,000 I think now - that there's probably your ideal site out there somewhere. Try the www.campingfrance.com website - it lists everything from the larger all-singing, all-dancing sites, to those with pitches tucked into a corner of an orchard. The 'A la Ferme' sites might be just what you're looking for - and many now offer a pool. You can select by 'criteria' or by geographical area.
Try the 'Cool Camping' guide - it's supposed to feature more traditional campsites in beautiful locations, with something 'extra' - although some do seem more 'mainstream' to me. The 'Huttopia' chain also is said to be more 'back to nature' but does offer some 'cabins' amongst the pitches on some sites - but I'm not sure about beachside! We did an overnight at the Huttopia at Rambouillet and though it was a nice site, I'm not too convinced that the promotional material actually reflects reality.
Rather than a broad sweep of 'South of France' you may be best picking a much smaller area that you would really like to visit, and, having narrowed down your choice of sites, look in more detail at all the sites in that area.
Time of year is relevant. South of France is OK, but in recent times, even down south there has been rain in many places-----It's just warmer rain in the south. You don't say if you are familiar with France, but the south is a long way to go if Mrs Pm is going to be miserable
A bit out off your spec. but N Brittany can be equally sunny (if you are lucky), and Port L'Epine http://www.camping-port-lepine.com/ is a smaller site in a very nice setting. From memory pitches 13/14 are overlooking the sea, and give wonderful evening sunsets etc. (You can book by number but you do pay a small supplement which is well worth it). If you do decide, ask the site to confirm the numbers. Personnally it is the ideal place for a cosy tent and a BBQ
Depends how old the lads are, but Perros which is close by, and the caost to the west have much to offer by way of beaches and play areas.
Best of luck. FM
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Thank you for input it is much appreciated. I recognise that my requirements are not easy to meet I was just sort of hoping that someone may have come across a site somewhat like what I am looking for. I will use the Christmas vacation to crawl over the internet.
Have a look at the Castels chain of campsites. They seem to be a bit more upmarket than your average French campsite,most based in the grounds of Chateaux,hence the name. They have restaurants for fine dining and decent wine bars as well as pools etc. A word of warning about BBQing though. Most sites in the south of France (Med) ban BBQing in the summer due to fire risks. They do provide communal BBQ's in a safe area but its not the same as setting up outside your own tent.
I think a site called Le Haras in the south nr Argeles may well fit your bill. It is a small site set back from Argeles( which is extremely busy) in a quiter village, yet it is nr enough to the beach and town (2km)for you to visit when you want.They do not have entertainment at night as such, the swimming pool has no slides, yet the quality,tranquility and overall value of the site are second to none.
As the site is on the south coast of France near to Perpignan and Spain, the water is calmer for your children and the sun much more predictable than other parts of France.
I hope that this helps.
Dawn.
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One of the lovely things about France is that holidays don't necessarily mean seaside and some of the best sites are inland.We have been several times to Les Peupliers , just outside Poitiers. It's not near the sea, but it is on a little river. They do have flumes and the pool is open till midnight, but it's full of sporty teens playing water polo. I feared the worst the first time we went but have never seen any drunken chavs in the pool, day or night. There's a little low-key entertainment but nothing you'd want to join in if you're over about 10. We always go right at the far end of the site and keep ourselves to ourselves. Teenage son is one of those sporty youths in the pool.
I just love camping, we used to camp out in the garden when son was little, now it's just me camping in the garden on my own. How sad is that! We have a "high" airbed, proper down sleeping bags. When we go away I take my own toilet. I've stayed in 5-star hotels with hard sheets and stained blankets and someone elses hair on the bath. What's not to like about taking your own (clean!) bedding, cooking up a storm and chilling right out beside a stream somewhere? I was one of those kids who liked camping even in the girl guides, but it's way more civilised now.
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: Quality/France/Beach/ Tents/Tourers
