I'm sure that you well travelled lot can help me with this one.
Your brief is to recommend a site where we can experience the real Provence, we have 2 young bairns, need a river or coastal site but apart from that we are flexible.
Here's looking forward to your posts.
Steve
- Have tent, will travel
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Depends when you're thinking of going and how old your youngsters are. Coast will be very busy unless you're going out of season. I'm not sure about rivers, many will be dried up in summer.
We loved Castellane and the Gorges de Verdon, Lac de Ste Croix would make a good base. It's a mighty long drive from Carlisle, though!
Have a look at Ste Maxime and Frejus on the coast, some nice beaches but best avoided July and August. Someone more knowledgeable than me should be along shortly!
I don't think you'll get 'Real Provence' on the coast. It's so busy most of the time that the traffic spoils that 'real' feeling, as although the views are lovely, you're crawling along behind a whole queue of cars!
When are you planning on going? Because having said all that, the crowds are much thinner at the beginning and end of the season.
We like the area around St Remy de Provence - lovely town, with a real Provencal feeling. All the shops, signs, shutters, etc., are painted in a similar range of colours, making it look very smart, but it has a real heart and isn't just a tourist town. The campsite there, Monplaisir, is very nice, but not adjacent to a river or beach.
Another 'real' area is the Valensole plateau, and the town of Riez. We stayed on a site near Regusse, and had an excursion out that way. To me, somewhere like that is the real Provence. We had a picnic near a lovely little nunnery, where the nuns were singing in their chapel - just magical! Wouldn't recommend the campsite though, although they did run some fantastic excursions!
Fontaine de Vaucluse, Ile sur Sorgue, the Gorges du Verdon and even the Peter Mayle villages are lovely outside peak season, as is Rousillon, and plenty of others, but in peak season all these can be a bit of a nightmare.
So, if you can go May/June or late August/September (only possible for those with pre-nursery babies these days!!!) then you can have the best of all these lovely areas!
Selection Camping at La Croix Valmer (near to our friend's house) is near the beach, just a little away from the madding crowd, and at the quieter end of the resort, but defnitely not 'real' Provence.
I would camp just inland. For years we used to use Des Aubredes at Puget-sur-Argens, but the owners have retired this year so no doubt it will be all change. It's not a 'posh' site, but it does have a swimming pool and bar area. Toilet blocks are a biy well worn, but always seem to be kept clean. BBQ's not allowed generally on campsites, but Claudine used to organise a 'communal' BBQ on a Wednesday night, free of charge. Folk used to just take up there own food and BBQ it and take up a table and chairs near the bar area. She used to supply rose wine free of charge - you just helped yourself from the cask.
As regards to the 'real Provence' - the hustle and bustle of the coast and the slightly quieter inland area is all very real!! Just take it for what it is, a busy summer and a quieter out of season is all part of their reality. I wouldn't have it any other way.
P.S. I'd book a site if you are going to coastal Provence, although you copuld get away with it if you wenr the the Vauclause/ Carpentras/ Mt Ventoux area (by the way, if this this the area a reasonable site is Camping Le Bregoux at Aubignan). Both Des Aubredes and especially Le Bregoux are less commercial than others in their respective 'areas'.
------------- David
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Thanks all, unfortunately we are tied to the school holidays as the missus is a teacher. I'll have a trawl through the sites and areas mentioned and will definitely bear in mind the comment about booking this year.
We used this site two years ago ... it's very good and well situated with lots of great places to visit in the surrounding area ... the local town (1 mile), Orgon is absolutely nothing to shout about, though we had a great time in one of the bars and made great friends with real provencale locals! http://www.camping-lavalleeheureuse.com/index.php?params=article/camping
If you're looking for southern culture, might be worth looking at Languedoc. We've spent many happy vacations at Meze near Montpellier - walking distance to great beach on a lagoon, and seafood restaurants by the harbour. Local wine is white rather than pink, but goes well with the food. Try this link.
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Reading this thread with interest. st Remy de Provence looks lovely, but a bit too near our final destination at Agde. Any recommendations for small, friendly sites a bit further away from Agde but still in Provence. Lovely villages, nices walks etc etc. Not all-singing all dancing sites. Thanks
Tina - an excursion to St Remy is definitely worth doing - St Remy itself, Les Beaux, and all the little 'olive oil' villages out that way, but can also be combined with Fontaine de Vaucluse, Ile sur Sorgue, and the Peter Mayle villages, or Rousillon!
David's mum (for her 90th on her first flight to France) was very impressed by St Remy - especially as she was serenaded in the market square by Muriel et Patrice (street singers) who gave her their CD as a birthday present!
I thought the Camping Cheuqe site Les Terrasses Provencales (bit further north near Nyon) in the Drome, looked lovely, and in it's first year as part of Camping Cheques it won a Top Camping award. It looks just our sort of place!
Thanks Val, i've had another look. It might be a good idea to stay there as i could explore Provence from there and also see the bits that might be just a bit far for a day out from Agde e.g Marseille, Arles etc, mmm? Also, I would be taking a different route than if heading straight to Agde so Baie de la Somme aire would be out for an overnight. Any suggestions for an overnight a couple of hours from Dunkerque, perhaps a 9-10 pm arrival? I wouldnt rule out a hotel that permits dogs.
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Most of the budget hotel chains allow dogs - even in the breakfast room! Any of them are OK for an overnight, arriving so late it makes sense as you've no pitching up to do. Soulless but necessary!
Thanks Val. Can you or someone advise on the route, and also where our first stop could be. We are driving straight onto the ferry from our long Scotland drive so 2 hours max for an overnight. Thanks
Hi Ollie
Absolutely no noise from the roads at all ... the site is enclosed by the 'hill' surround. I think that it may have originally been a vast quarry ... though you couldn't tell ... a good range of pitches ... some really big ... the site is divided into about four quite different areas.
It's certainly very peaceful/quiet, with absolutely no traffic noise from anywhere (except arrivals/departures during the day, as usual).
Hi Kelper
Thanks for the confirmation that it is a quiet site. I'll keep it in mind as a back up at the moment as we are currently waiting to hear from some sites which have closed down for the winter .
------------- Ollie
2016
Monplaisir - Provence
Camping Les Gorges du Loup
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Provence
I wouldn't have it any other way.
