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Has anyone stayed at the L'Hippocampe.  We've got two small (7 and 4 yrs old) children and are probably looking at doing a couple of weeks next Summer - there's an awful lot of choice in that broad area of France (Ardeche, Dordogne, Provence etc).

Any thoughts/ideas gratefully received (we had a great time in Italy last Summer thanks to various Forum members comments)

Thanks

David

We did, years ago, if it's the site on the side of the River Durance.  We weren't impressed - although some of the pitches were lovely, like little walled gardens.  We felt some bits of the site were rather run down - the washing up sinks, for instance, just didn't feel clean because the taps were really old and the sinks just on concrete blocks.  The toilet blocks, although kept quite clean, were quite outdated.

The thing that really put me off, though, was the river.  Despite the fact that we love riverside sites it just wasn't a 'friendly' river, being dark grey green in colour, not clear so you could see the bottom, and rather fast flowing past the site and definitely not a river for 'messing about on'.

I was hoping to like the site, as it's an area we really wanted to explore, but we left after a couple of nights.  We liked Sisteron, though, and bought some lovely wine from the cave in the centre of town.

It is a while ago though - probably ten years, and it may have improved since then - though the pool area looks much as it did when we were there, on the website.

Thanks for the feedback, really helpful - where did you move on to and was it any good? as we definitely want to visit the region but need to get a site that's right (am not too concerned about being alongside the river, particularly if un"friendly" :-))

DC

We didn't like the next site we'd highlighted, either - and that's a site which has now become part of the Indigo chain, at Forcalquier.  We didn't choose to stay there, and we moved down to the coast where we have friends.

After that we moved back up to the Ardeche and stayed on one of our favourite sites, which was L'Ardechois at Vallon Pont D'Arc - where the river is 'friendly' (apart from the number of canoes, which has increased recently). We've been to the Ardeche area many times (before and since) and still go back regularly as we love it so much.

We tried another site, a few years later, at Regusse - Camping International, but didn't like that one either!   Provence is still an area we'd like to explore in more detail, so I'm as interested as you in reading people's recommendations! 

Perhaps it's worth another post asking for site recommendations for Provence.

Alan

Guess we want it all (who doesn't!!) - we have small children (7 and 4) so reasonable pool/complex a must with some playground and (if possible) entertainment for kids.  That said we don't like noisy sites with entertainment that goes on till the early hours.

We're camping so shop and restaurant/takeaway helps but not a deal breaker.  Otherwise reasonable size level pitches and EHU.

Any ideas/thoughts gratefully appreciated - something about this current weather makes me want to book some sunshine now for the Summer!!

Thanks Alan - Vaison, as you say does look good _ I've contacted them for more details.

The other site which I've been recommended (and seems reasonably featured by Alan Rogers) is Camping Monplaisir in Saint Remy de Provence - anyone heard/been?

Main question on this one is "Will it be predominantly Dutch families?" - our kids are only small and whilst the German/Dutch families are always very friendly my daughter particularly struggles with communicating (she has basic French now which is good)

Thanks

DC

Very fair point Alan - my wife is also a teacher and is regularly amazed at the level of spken/written english in our continental cousins.

Last year we were in N Italy and our daughter (then aged 6) made friends with a german girl - she came back to the tent one day with a written translater from her friend of the numbers 1-10 and days of the week in German.  Her response (bless) was to do the same but for the alphabet...

Thanks for your advice

David