Morning and sorry for the title but I ran out of characters.
Can anyone please recommend, with preferably 1st hand experience (We have trawled the reviews on this site along with elsewhere), a campsite on the coast around Les Sables-d'Olonne (from say Noirmoutier-en-l'Île down to La Rochelle (we did Ile de re last year and LOVED it)).
We are a pair of 40/50 year old DINKs in a 8m motorhome but do have bikes and like nice flat safe cycling.
We are going for 2 weeks This monday (June 2023) so looking preferably to stay a week somewhere and just relax/sunbathe.
We need a pool as we are not beach people
Also, and this is a big ask, if the pitch has private shower on pitch then that would be a bonus
We stayed here last year and planning on going back sometime in September
Yes, I can wholeheartedly recommend Sandaya Le Littoral at Talmont St Hilaire. We're there now actually.
I've just submitted a review (submitted early for your benefit), so hope this helps. Here's what I said:
Our hearts sank on approaching this site, after seeing the large road frontage, suggesting a huge commercialised campsite. But, we wanted to stop so decided to check k it out and just do an overnight if we weren't keen. We're now four days in and we'll stay until at least the middle of next week (I'm doing this review early because someone on the message threads has requested recommendations for sites in this area).
Firstly, the staff on reception speak good English (though I did try my best to communicate in French first - it's always best to show willing). We received a warm welcome from cheerful and smiley staff who have us a campsite map showing available pitches.
There are lots of cabins on site, it has to be said, and these far outnumber the camping pitches. However, the pitches are all together in a very nice area, hedged and with a good degree of privacy (depending on how you pitch, of course). Most are level and flat, grassy, with varying degrees of shade. There is water and electricity on pitches and picnic benches are an added bonus. All are close enough to the sanitaires.
The sanitaires are quite recent and are top class. They're cleaned several times a day so are spotless.
The pools are superb (one outdoor, heated, one indoor - very warm - with jacuzzi etc, a paddling pool and 3 slides which enter their own area (not the main pool). There's also an indoor splash pad for the littlies. There's a lifeguard on duty. The pools close for an hour at lunchtime. No baggy swim shorts are allowed (we saw someone challenged the other day and told he must not go in the pools). There are loungers aplenty.
There's a small shop on site (currently closes at just after midday but may remain open for longer in High season?). There's a bar / snack bar near the pool area and all looks clean and well-run.
There are children's activities galore, from bouncy castles to basketball court and everything on between, so caters from little ones to teens (not many kids here at the moment as it's not the school hols, thankfully!).
There's access to a rocky 'beach' from the site. It's a very dramatic, rocky coastline around here but if you go up the coast a bit beaches become more sandy. There's great cycling from the site and you can use cycle lanes along the coastal path for miles so it's very safe and scenic.
There's a very good Super U supermarket, Marie Blachère and McDonalds a 10 minute drive away, at Château d'Olonne.
What else can I say? There's currently no evening entertainment that I know of (low season) so it's absolutely peaceful and very relaxing. The fantastic weather is the icing on the gâteau and it's apparently forecast to remain hot and sunny for the next week or more.
So, this is a GREAT campsite which is cleN and tidy and well run. It's securely fenced (20 euro deposit required for a key fob to open the main barrier). The gate to the beach requires a code.
Highly recommended. We will return (especially when it's such brilliant value on ACSI - 23 euros per night).
Another which is attractive for motorhomers is Camping Bel at La Tranche - because you can park tne motorhome on site and walk or cycle to shops, town and beach.
Quote: Originally posted by lidds0 on 01/6/2023
Yes, I can wholeheartedly recommend Sandaya Le Littoral at Talmont St Hilaire. We're there now actually.
I've just submitted a review (submitted early for your benefit), so hope this helps. Here's what I said:
Our hearts sank on approaching this site, after seeing the large road frontage, suggesting a huge commercialised campsite. But, we wanted to stop so decided to check k it out and just do an overnight if we weren't keen. We're now four days in and we'll stay until at least the middle of next week (I'm doing this review early because someone on the message threads has requested recommendations for sites in this area).
Firstly, the staff on reception speak good English (though I did try my best to communicate in French first - it's always best to show willing). We received a warm welcome from cheerful and smiley staff who have us a campsite map showing available pitches.
There are lots of cabins on site, it has to be said, and these far outnumber the camping pitches. However, the pitches are all together in a very nice area, hedged and with a good degree of privacy (depending on how you pitch, of course). Most are level and flat, grassy, with varying degrees of shade. There is water and electricity on pitches and picnic benches are an added bonus. All are close enough to the sanitaires.
The sanitaires are quite recent and are top class. They're cleaned several times a day so are spotless.
The pools are superb (one outdoor, heated, one indoor - very warm - with jacuzzi etc, a paddling pool and 3 slides which enter their own area (not the main pool). There's also an indoor splash pad for the littlies. There's a lifeguard on duty. The pools close for an hour at lunchtime. No baggy swim shorts are allowed (we saw someone challenged the other day and told he must not go in the pools). There are loungers aplenty.
There's a small shop on site (currently closes at just after midday but may remain open for longer in High season?). There's a bar / snack bar near the pool area and all looks clean and well-run.
There are children's activities galore, from bouncy castles to basketball court and everything on between, so caters from little ones to teens (not many kids here at the moment as it's not the school hols, thankfully!).
There's access to a rocky 'beach' from the site. It's a very dramatic, rocky coastline around here but if you go up the coast a bit beaches become more sandy. There's great cycling from the site and you can use cycle lanes along the coastal path for miles so it's very safe and scenic.
There's a very good Super U supermarket, Marie Blachère and McDonalds a 10 minute drive away, at Château d'Olonne.
What else can I say? There's currently no evening entertainment that I know of (low season) so it's absolutely peaceful and very relaxing. The fantastic weather is the icing on the gâteau and it's apparently forecast to remain hot and sunny for the next week or more.
So, this is a GREAT campsite which is cleN and tidy and well run. It's securely fenced (20 euro deposit required for a key fob to open the main barrier). The gate to the beach requires a code.
Highly recommended. We will return (especially when it's such brilliant value on ACSI - 23 euros per night).
Just to add:
The “Accueil Vélo” label
Located beside the Vélodyssée cycle route, the Sandaya Le Littoral campsite has been awarded the “Accueil Vélo” label for its bike-friendly services.
P.S. Online reviews suggest that Super U at Talmont-St-Hilaire is closest. We've been there this morning and it took longer than going to the one in Château d'Olonne (there's also a Marie Blachère, McDonald's and Lidl adjacent to the one in Château d'Olonne).
We've stayed at Les Pirons on the Talmont side of Les Sables (near the zoo) a few times and always enjoy it. It's in a little village called Pironniere which has its own shops, a bus to Les Sables, nearby supermarket and a few good restaurants. Good pool with small slides, a takeaway and a boules pitch. Not an ACSI site though. https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/details.asp?revid=9524
Just to update/close off this thread...... thanks for the Sandaya Le Littoral tip lidds0.
Of the 4 campsites we stayed on it was probably the best.
For some strange reason it was busy with people from southern Ireland enjoying their own separate holidays.
We couldn't work out why as we deliberately went out of school holiday time, maybe someone can shed light on this?
I will post reviews of the sites we stayed on.
Thanks once again
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
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: recommendation for Les Sables-d`Olonne ?
via mobile 01/6/2023 at 3:43pm
