We are fairly newish to camping- have camped in the UK and have been to France (but not camping) and want to go for a 2 week stint to France in August with our 2 kids aged 3 and 4. We have previously camped for long weekends only
A part of me thinks maybe we should do the long stint in August here in the UK but I kind of want good weather especially with the kids and a feeling like we "got away" - nice food, wine, differetn place.... Ive looked at the Loire Valley and Vendee as possibilities and am going round in circles at whether to choose a massive site complete with waterslides etc - or a small site that might be more personal/picturesque/quieter for the kids. Which area to pick with weather, distance from Calais and things to do for kids (we are not bothered about historic sites but want to go out and about)
We dont want to be bored, we want the kids to be happy, lots of fresh air - dont want rain (of course) - can anyone please help or advise on possible campsite and areas in France ( or wether we should just stay here??). Dont want a treacherous journey either with two young kids in the car.
Ive looked at Ferme de Prunay in Loire, Huttopia Rille and Le Chant d'Oiseau in Loire.
Please please help
Angela
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
With kids that small you can take advantage of the cheaper prices outside the school holidays. In late June or early July the weather will be as great as you need it to be with very small children i.e. not totally baking but just hot enough.
We didn't go to the big sites with water parks until our lad was in secondary school. Till then he was perfectly happy just running about and playing.If you pick an area like the Vendee there will be plenty to do, beaches to visit etc and France is full of little roadside attractions that you don't really see in the UK. Small playgrounds, little lakes where you can hire a rowing boat etc etc
The roads are great too, so don't worry about a treacherous journey!
We started camping in france when our children were 4+3 then our youngest came at 4months and has gone every years since and she is now 7, so by my calculations we have been doing this for 9 years now.......
We are lazy and always go on a western channel crossing and head for Southern Brittany or the Vendee, we have been to the dordogne and provence, but both are long journeys and i don't believe necessary when the kids are that small.
What i really love about going away is that the kids have freedom to play with other kids in a relatively safe environment. We have let all or ours from around 5 go off to the park by themselves, go to the shop for bread and now that the eldest is 12 to the swimming pool.
Our family like the beach so we have always headed to the coast, although i would be more than happy to go the loire.
Have a look at these sites and see what you think, all of them are no bigger than 450 pitches, have a small number of tour operator pitches (keeps the kids happy) swimming pools. We hate noisy karokee type entertainment and have never yet been subjected to it. If you are going the first two weeks of August you may need to book.
Les Menhirs carnac
La plage trinite sur mer
La baie trinite sur mer
Kervillor trinite sur mer
grande metarie carnac
atlantique fouesnant
oceano dor jard sur mer
le littoral talmont
les dunes la trance
les dunes bretignolles
acapulco st jean de monts
Vote for camping atlantique fouesnant....Easy drive from Roscoff so they wont get bored and a brilliant place for a jollyday with kids...Great, safe beach too just a 5 minute walk from the campsite.
I'd lean towards a slightly smaller site. With a pool etc, but a big waterslide complex / discos etc are more likely to be a negative with small children.
If weather is very important to you then I'd recommend heading at least 3 - 4 hours south, otherwise there's a good chance it will be similar to Cornwall. In rough terms aim to be south of Nantes.
Culturally and scenery-wise however pretty much the minute you cross the channel there are some lovely bits of Northern / NW France. The weather however can be mixed....even in July and August.
We going on a much longer trip than usual this year and are spending 8 days at La Ravoire, which I've only heard good things about, and I'm delighted to see recommended again above. Possibly a bit of a trek for you for a fortnight with 2 little ones.
Thank you everyone. I think I am leaning towards smaller sites as I dont want the little ones to be competing with older kids for eveything and also we prefer smaller sites.
We are looking at sites in the Loire Valley - will the weather be that much better a little more south or is the Vendee better?
What would you regard as a smaller site in terms of number of pitches? Do you think La Gutonierre will eb too busy and more for older kids?
Angela
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
We have been down to the same campsite in the Southern Ardeche, for our fortnight campings this last couple of years.
The campsite, is quite small with some 80 pitch's 40 of which are touring.
For us it's a 1000 mile drive to the campsite, so we do an overnight at Dunkerque and Chalon-sur-Saone each way, using the Premiere Classe budget hotels.
So just another option for you to put into the mix.
We have been down to the same campsite in the Southern Ardeche, for our fortnight campings this last couple of years.
The campsite, is quite small with some 80 pitch's 40 of which are touring.
For us it's a 1000 mile drive to the campsite, so we do an overnight at Dunkerque and Chalon-sur-Saone each way, using the Premiere Classe budget hotels.
So just another option for you to put into the mix.
That site looks superb and right up our street for my 2 young kiddies. How many hours a day do you drive to your overnight stops?
We're off this year just near Carnac, Southern Brittany with our children who will be (just) 3 and 4 1/2. We're going to Camping de la Baie and have been there before. It's wonderful! It's on a peninsula so has beaches almost all the way round, one is more for rock pooling while the other is sandy and even has a few trampolines etc for the children. The site facilities are great, it has a pool and playgrounds etc. It's not a big site but has the facilities and enough people so that you're not conscious of any noise your children make. (although it has a well-adhered to quiet rule between about 11pm and 8am)
We are taking the overnight ferry to St. Malo from where it is only a 2 1/2 hour drive. It costs slightly more but maintaining as much sanity as possible with the children is important/vital to us!
Nearby Carnac is a great beach area with parking right next to the beach where you can also hire small tent-like beach huts as well as spades, diggers etc for the children.
This is our last chance to be able to go during term time so we're going the first week of july. It's a great time as the facilites are all open for the season but a lot of the schools etc haven't broken up so its not too hectic.
Can you tell that I'm excited?!!! Hope this helps.
------------- Easter 2011 - Lincoln Farm Park nr Oxford
July 2011 - Camping de la Baie, la Trinite sur Mer (near Carnac). Yippee!!
Apart from coronation street it sounds great! Do you travel with kids? Mine will be 3+5 so it might take me longer each day, but it looks like a static is favorite for us..
Do premiere classe hotels allow 2 adults and 2 kids? For some reason they won't allow me to check out prices using this option, yet its listed
We used to take our Son (only child), but he is 26 now, and ex-Army, although he want's to catch a lift of us next year with his own kit lol.
Like all the budget hotels, I have seen couples with two or more little ones emerge in the morning, so I don't think anyone is counting, so long as you are discrete.
We have done Formule1, B&B etc in the past, but have found Premiere Classe to suit us best, they are part of the group that owns Campanile Hotel, so you get 10% of your meal in the restaraunt for your evening meal.
Also if you acidently end up in the Campanile instead of the Premiere Classe for breakfast, no one cares, which is good, as there is more choice than in the Premiere Classe.
Of course with us being cheeky Northerners, we fill our cool bag, with goodies for lunch, not to mention topping up the flasks with fresh coffee, which means we spend nowt on the Autoroutes.
Domaine de Gil is the best campsite I have ever been to in France, which is quite a statement, as I first went camping to France in 1962!.
As for Coronation Street, well Mrs Francais is an addict, think RainMan!, so just as well I am a dab hand at setting up a satellite system, for me though I mostly use satellite for the radio, we use walkman type wireless personal earphone system, for the audio, so no disturbance to fellow campers.
The last two years that we have been to Domaine de Gil, we have been the only token brits on site, which just how we like it, the campsite is mostly populated by the Dutch, they just love the place.
In fact we have made good friends with a Dutch couple, who we have met up with each year that we have been, which is kinda squishy.
As for the statics on site, they are real nice, with timber decking patio etc, although at around £800 per week in peak, I am more than happy to be in my tent at £200 per week. happy days.
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: FRANCE WITH TODDLERS HELP
. How many hours a day do you drive to your overnight stops?
