[Closed] 2 weeks on a French euro style camp...

It depends what you want, we stayed on one in Brittany for a week this year, but other than sleeping and a couple of trips to the pool we spent very little time there as we were out and about every day!

a French euro style camp…

*s****s*

two weeks in one on the ile de re is definitely do-able.

but you don't have to stay in one location. Do a week in La Rochelle area, then motor up to Brittany for another week.

This ^^

We flew into La Rochelle, did a week on Ile de Re (fab wee place) and a week about an hour or two up the coast. Great holiday, kids about 7 and 5 at the time. 👍

went to a few of these when i was about 13/14.  Loved it. We could just maraud around, playing football with the other kids and drinking a sneaky beer from the shop, parents could chill out knowing we were in a safe environment. But we probably spent the majority of days going on days out here and there.  There was one near St Jean de Mont that was quite good i seem to recall...

Yep, we're currently 5 days into a 2 week stay at St Avit Loisars near la Bugue in southern France.

We went to a different one just south of Orlean last 2 years but decided we needed a change.

We have two girls (7 + 11) who'd happily spend 8 hours per day in the pool/waterpark but we usually drag them out to something cultural every 3rd day. It is an easy holiday which our kids love. I can see us doing it for another couple of years whilst they still love it.

We take the bikes and I nip out on the road bike early in the mornings.

You own a pair of speedos right op?

Owning a pair of speedo style swimming garments is one thing - wearing them is another !!!

…the boss thinks that next year we should have a 2 week holiday on one !  Looking at the west coast of France, La Rochelle area

No idea about the euro camp bit but the correct answer to the "La Rochelle area" bit is, as above, Ile de Re.

I spent a very pleasant fortnight camping on Ile de Re. The kids loved it.

Don't know if the big camping companies are on them, but we thought Oleron and Noirmoutier were both nicer than Re. Not that Re isn't nice, mind. 🙂

Did it for the first time this year.....  the kids, 8 and 10 loved it while the tattoo/football shirt index is extremely low.

Have fun

Camping Hourtin: right next to the sea (red zone gives nearest access) so no driving and parking hassles, surf, cycle, good cheap eateries, supermarkets short drive, near to the Medoc for vineyard visits and purchases. Nice mid-tide warm pools for the really little kids to splash about safely. Bit of naturism there up the beach. Drivable in a day from the ports.

Ile de Re is also a good one, nice to cycle round and ace for oysters. Surf a bit calmer.

Just done ten nights at a Eurocamp Le Pin Parasol at La Chapelle- Hermier which is a bit further north. But the 2 kids 15 and 4 loved it. 4 pools, water slides, couple of onsite parks and restaurants and a even a couple of fun singletrack loops around the Lac du Juanay. Got press ganged into it but as family holidays go, pretty good

Depends. Depends on the campsite facilities and what’s going on the the surrounding area. It’s no different to holidaying anywhere else. Personally i couldn’t stand the thought of spending a holiday traveling around, I like to have a base, decent facilities on hand and things to do in the nearby surrounding area. We’re currently on a 2 week holiday on a campsite in the Loire. It’s a brilliant site, our third time here loads of stuff for the kids to do, and two weeks here is a doddle. However there isn’t much to do in the surrounding area so i’m personally getting a little bored, (brought the bike but roads are boring and flat and it’s way too hot - been well into the 30’s since we’ve been here!), but so long as the kids are having a blast and the wife isn’t complaining then all is good In my world.

i’ve talked the wife into heading somewhere else best year with a bit more to do in the surrounding area (thinking the Dordogne with rivers and gorges) even though the campsite will probably not be a patch on this one, which will be hard to beat.

Its certainly more doable than 2 weeks in an all inclusive hotel.

but if you like moving around then it obviously won’t do it for you.

As a kid, went most years in France from about 5 to early teens (couple of UK camping trips in between), and the last few were in caravans rather than the default Eurocamp green tents. Loved it, kids club most mornings then afternoons of swimming, riding bikes about or doing other stuff on site alternated with trips out to see or do things. My parents liked not carting a load of camping gear down and getting a nice mix of relaxing and active family time.

A couple of times we split between two sites for a week each, sometimes it would be further south and we'd stop over in a hotel and have a day out before pressing on.

My own kids are coming up to the age where it would make sense, my parents are retired and have a motorhome so thinking about trying a week or two within a few hours drive of Calais where we can all go away next year.

They are great if you have children as they can be left to their own devices and make plenty of friends, but will only be uk or Dutch as few French go on holiday to these sites. Some sites are better than others and there are plenty to choose from!   Castell and Camping brand is a good indicator of quality but you will feel like you're on holiday with most of middle class England. We have stayed on loads over the years and have just returned from La Garangoire site in the Vendee which is inland 10k away from the mayhem of the beaches. We tend to do a week in a gite followed by a week on a site to get best of both worlds.

problem with a site is that you have very little control over your emplacement and sometimes that can spoil a holiday - we rejected our first one this year and ended up with a fantastic one but you can't always do that - we were lucky.

i’ve talked the wife into heading somewhere else best year with a bit more to do in the surrounding area (thinking the Dordogne with rivers and gorges) even though the campsite will probably not be a patch on this one, which will be hard to beat.

wobbli, we stayed here:  http://la-parenthese-camping-les-ormes.com in July for a couple of weeks. Just over the border from Dordogneshire in Lot et Garonne. It’s independently run by two families rather than a Eurocamp type affair. Choice of self-pitch, cabins or Safari type tents (with proper beds) on wooden decks with varying levels of comfort and pricing. Was a very good site. Cool Camping has a pretty good report on it.

EDIT: took my road bike - plenty of nice cycling on rolling terrain and some lovely shady descents into and through little river valleys - best between 0700 and 1000ish while sun is still low and anything at the side of the road provides shade.

Two weeks on one? I could live on one.

Darcy - another idea is the Ardeche. Again, rivers and gorges, great cycling. We stayed for nearly two weeks here:

https://www.campingderetourtour.com/en

Dreadful website, great campsite.

We had our first experience of eurocamp a few weeks ago. Stayed at Les Alicourts near centre of France for 2 weeks. OK, we were lucky with the incredible weather, but we left thinking it was one of the best holidays we done as a family. We have 2 kids (10+2), so waterpark+swimming pool were essential. The regular footy games kept my lad happy, and the play park+water kept my little girl happy. Took our bikes, to make it easy to get around and did a few cycle rides too.

We'll be doing these for a few more years, just varying the resorts.

EDIT: took my road bike – plenty of nice cycling on rolling terrain and some lovely shady descents into and through little river valleys – best between 0700 and 1000ish while sun is still low and anything at the side of the road provides shade.

Yeah I did that recently in the Black Forest. Afternoon temps were high 30s so too hot for anything except jumping in the pool or lakes. Managed to bag a couple of cols by heading out early.

Yeah I did that recently in the Black Forest.

Oooh, I had a few rides in the BF around 5 years ago while on holidays there. The roads were so lovely. Swoopy and smoooooth. 🙂

Speaking of Cols, I bagged a KOM on a short climb close to our campsite in France- was delighted until I looked and realised no one else had ridden it (on Strava anyway). Ever.

wobbli, we stayed here: <span class="skimlinks-unlinked"> http://la-parenthese-camping-les-ormes.com</span>  in July for a couple of weeks. Just over the border from Dordogneshire in Lot et Garonne. It’s independently run by two families rather than a Eurocamp type affair. Choice of self-pitch, cabins or Safari type tents (with proper beds) on wooden decks with varying levels of comfort and pricing. Was a very good site. Cool Camping has a pretty good report on it.

Good call - booked a week for August 2019 ! now all I have to do is find a week some where 3 hours away from cherbourg for the following week

week one some where near La Rochelle  eurocamp style place need to book

week two <b>  http://la-parenthese-camping-les-ormes.com - </b>glamping for the sake of £120.00 don't have to set/take  a tent and all the other paraphernalia </span>

week three -  somewhere 3 hours drive from cherbourg so dont have a long drive to the port ! either apartment or another eurocamp place </span>

Its great organising a year in advance ! Just back from 16 days in S France and in 2 weeks going nera to Soissons for a few days.

I like france- just not the french....

geezer, if you want, drop me an email next year before you go and I can give you the lowdown on La Parenthèse - it’s a lovely site. We’re almost definitely going back. But if you need some tips etc on the site and local area, I’ll happily advise.

geezer, if you want, drop me an email next year before you go and I can give you the lowdown on La Parenthèse – it’s a lovely site. We’re almost definitely going back. But if you need some tips etc on the site and local area, I’ll happily advise.

great stuff - thanks

Did you camp or glamp ? I feel a bit of a fraud glamping, taking tent etc just takes up masses of room, will have 4 or 5 bikes as well !!!

Deadly Darcy:  thanks for the recommendation, will definately look into it.

forgot to say on my original post, although i’ve Nothing against Eurocamp the company, unless you think you will make use of their services then you’re better off just booking direct with the campsite. It’s a lot cheaper, often their chalet’s / static vans are better and you can get your choice of pitch if you book early enough. We booked 2 weeks at our current site, just a pitch as we’re in a campervan and chose our own pitch and it came in a lot cheaper than booking a static through Eurocamp...I mean like less than half.

we’re at Les Alicourts in the Loir. Thoroughly recommend if you just want somewhere to plant yourself for 2 weeks as the campsite is great. Like I said for us (me really) the surrounding area is a bit bland, but lots of big chateau’s to go around if that is your bag. We did a couple on our first trip here, but for us if you’ve seen one big chateau you’ve seen them all. Planning a trip out to Chartres during this holiday as it looked interesting during this TdF coverage.

Le Clarys Plage in Vendee was brilliant with the kids in tow.

It is on the Bay of Biscay, so the weather is oceanic and can stay set for a week, though.