Hi my family and I are thinking of travelling to france next summer - we have a 1 year old and our own tent etc but wondering whether to stay in a pre-erected tent or to take our own things with us....
also I am looking for a smallish site with good facilities where we could stay for 10 nights or so....i have been scrolling through the sites on the camp site search but nothing has taken my fancy yet.
anyone been on a eurocamp trip? they seem really expensvie!
Post last edited on 12/07/2010 13:55:24
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
If you're considering a set-up tent (Canvas or Eurocamp) try May or June, it's often cheaper than taking your own equipment. School holidays are really expensive though.
If you want smaller sites, and are on a budget, then take your own equipment, definitely. If you can go towards the end of the school holidays (last two weeks in August) then prices generally come down a little - but on some sites you can save quite a bit.
We use Camping Cheques, which cost £13.95 for a pitch for two people, car and caravan (or tent or motorhome), awning, and electricity. I have a list of campsites which accept them during the latter half of the school holidays, and this can make a real saving. Email me if you'd like a copy.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Try Vacansoleil, which is a Dutch (?) version of Eurocamp without the expensive week at half term May/June. You can use it with or without your own crossing. If you do Tesco you can use your vouchers to pay towards the tunnel. £10 voucher = £40 of tunnel and so on.
The Whitsun holiday is usually pretty cheap, esp. with Canvas we've found, and sometimes the last week of the school hols.
Otherwise in the summer I'd recommend you take your own equipment and if you want small and relatively quiet the municiple sites are usually great value.
TBH, I think you're best taking your own kit. We went to the Vendee last year in our van, but there were loads of the Eurocamp tents, and i thought they looked horrid! Very dark, and heavyweight material that can't have been very comfortable to be in with the heat.
Best off taking your own stuff, and saving some pennies for spending on you!!
------------- Glyn W.
What if the Hokey Cokey really is what it's all about....?
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
many sites also rent out chalet type accommodation, don't know what prices are like but on the sites we've stayed at the provided accommodation look pleasant
certainly better than Eurocamp -
We have two children 5 and 3 and we have stayed for the last two years with Eurocamp on the Vendee (West Coast), in La Tranche and Les Sables. We stayed in a pre erected tent which was superb for a young family. The childrens clubs are excellent (5 hours a day), with loads of activity, both my children loved it!
My wife is also in education so like yourself we are tied to school holidays. We have just booked for the first two weeks of August in 2011, which cost £1150.00p for the 4 of us accomodation only.
We choose to travel by eurotunnel which we use our Tesco vouchers to pay for. It saves alot so makes the holiday manageable.
Every year since 2006 we have stayed in a mobile either with Eurocamp, Siblu or Canvas with prices ranging from a bargain £250 (including ferry) for a week at the end of Aug/beg Sept to £1250 for a four site 18 night trip during August. Every mobile home we've stayed has had something wrong with it or something missing or just wasn't right but it hasn't put us off going to France. I even booked this years holiday with Keycamp but at £2000 for 2 weeks I decided to cancel and we're taking our own kit this year saving us £1500 and we're also getting an extra 4 nights in. I think if you've got the kit use it, it'll save you money plus you've already got whatever you need to have a great holiday
------------- -x- Diane -x-
May 13 - Cala Gogo, St Cyprien (didn't go, hubby too ill to travel)
May 14 Ranc Davaine
August 14 Les Sablons
August 13 - Camping Playa Brava, Pals
We have camped with these companies for many years with our four kids, even though we do have all our own kit. It is just so much easier having comfortable beds, fridge/freezer, proper tables, chairs and sunloungers - and having it all set up when you arrive.
One advantage of the design of the Canvas Holiday tents is the way that the kitchen area is partitioned off if you want to with a stair-gate so that you can easily keep toddlers out of the kitchen area.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
We have also been with many of the companies many times over the last 18 years. Out of school hols they do work out a lot cheaper. June in the Vendee is usually quite warm too. You will also find at this time that the price for tents and caravans is not much different. Don't be put off with the reports of faulty units above. Usually if there are issues these are minor amd for most people would not have any real effect on the hol.
It's not a small site but I would recommend Le Croix Du View Pont (or something similar) out of season. Though large the actual pitches are very peaceful with lots littl parks dotted about the place, lovely grounds to walk in, a play beach (really a small lake with sand) ad nice facilities. Out of main season you will find mainly preschool children and people whose children have now grown up.
The vendee does have loads of family friendly sites too and is quite quiet in June after half term. Though slightly dearer than taking your own unit you can save in petrol/fuel if pulling a caravan/FC etc and if you normally take a tent, think of the spare room you will have!
We mainly did Eurosites (now gone) and Eurocamp but Canvas hols look cheap and we did do a short break with Mathews Caravans which were smaller than Eurocamp but still perfectly fine. First 3 weeks in May and June are your best bet to keep costs down, or alternatively prices go way down come sept.
Sorry just seen the education work post. Should check before I reply. Last week in August the prices do come down by quite a lot and for 8 years we were tied by my education job plus the kids being older teenagers so did do school hols at the end f august. In fact this is the first year since the kids were small that we are not tied to school hols so are hoping to go September.
Try all the companies as they seem to vary in price despite being on the same sites. Eurocamp has some special offers on at the moment for this year and these all seem to be at quiet sites. It is possible to book caravans direct with sites too and then book your ferry separate. Have done this too once and at the time was cheaper but you really have to trawl all options as things change all the time.
I would recommend taking your own equipment and going somewhere like Soullans in the Vendee. Beautiful site [municipal]and only 8.50 eurines with leccy. Superb showers grassy large pitches and 400 metres from small supermarket. 10 Km from St. John-de-Monts which has lovely quiet beaches. I worked 6 yeays for holiday companies mainly in the Vendee and have just spent a month on that site.
------------- She says She does sex and cooking and I do everything else
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: camping in Brittany/Vendee
