camping in france?any advice!

[pinkcowprint]

hi,apart from skiing in france,i have never had a beach holiday,but with a 3 year old now i am looking for cheap hols!found a campsite in the vendee area,st hilaire de riez,looks fab and cheap flights,but,is it expensive to eat and drink out?can you usually walk out into townand will it be hot (hot enough to go in pool)at end of august? thanks any help appreciated.

[pink-kittens]

http://www.tripadviso...Pays_de_la_Loire.html

We camp often in France
Can be expensive to eat out or can be cheap, rather like the UK :)
Water on the site will be fine to drink (laws cover the water on camp sites in France)
Weather will be good or as good as it can be in August; much the same as ours

What site are you considering?

[pinkcowprint]

hi,anywhere that we can still have a walk out to restaurant,bars,don't want to be cooped up in camp all the time!sola go go,camping la plage,on vendree we have been looking at but availability is limited,can you suggest anywhere else?

[puzzled54]

How about Brittany? Lots of good camp sites, beaches, childrens play areas on site. You won't be "cooped up" in a camp site! Have a look at the holiday sites like Keycamp, canvas or Eurocamp for ideas.

[jg96]

We have had several campsite hols in the Vendee over the years at several different sites around St Jean de Monts always had great weather in the summer months. As someone else as said eating out is the same as here as cheap or expensive as you want it to be. Brittany is lovely too but the climate can be a little too like home unfortunately. I've just noticed you're flying are you going to hire a car I would strongly advise you do We have always driven there you can then take as much junk with you as you like.

[pink-kittens]

http://en.camping-plage.net/
This site gives a really excellent 360 degree tour.

A whole list here
http://maps.google.co...:16503504583740345136

I've never stayed in the Vendee area so cannot personally recommend any sites

[pink-kittens]

I agree with the car hire as well
A must for discovering the area you are in

[ojread2]

see if you can find anything here for ideas

(Also a great site for booking - they are cheaper than the likes of Keycamp etc plus the ferry is included in the price unlike Keycamp etc)

[ojread2]

*ahem* http://www.vacansoleil.co.uk/#/portal/

[jomifl]

I live in France and have the following advice.
1. Car hire is very expensive in the holiday season, at least double the normal rate.
2. It may well be cheaper to drive than fly and hire.
3. The Vendee is about as far as you would want to drive from the channel ports if you have children.
4. Consider a ferry cabin overnight as you will be much fresher for the drive and choose a ferry for it's departure and arrival times rather than price.
5. Don't avoid the autoroutes because of the tolls, they can halve your journey time and save hotel bills. Also they have 'aires' or rest areas every 30k which have toilets, picnic areas and often children's play areas as well as less frequent food outlets and fuel. Some have a max speed of 80 mph. A sat nav is very useful.
6. Get a new road atlas on arrival
7.If you are new to driving in France, Cherbourg and Caen are easy to get away from as they have excellent road access to the ferry terminals.

8. The vendee is popular because it is the sunniest part of France after the Cannes / Monte Carlo area and has excellent beaches.
9. There is a lot of prepared food available in supermarkets and markets.
10. Shops are mostly shut on Mondays and at lunchtime between 12.30 and 14.30
11. If you want to eat in restaurants they are a lot cheaper at lunchtime and most offer a 'plat du jour' where there may or may not be choices but they will be the best value you can get. (£10 for a 3 course meal wine often included)
12. Go for the restaurants that the locals and tradesmen use. (white vans parked nearby are a good guide)

[pinkcowprint]

hi,hanks for everyones views,we just want a cheap quick getaway so don't want to drive,we can fly to nantes for all 3 of us for £120,cost more in petrol,ferry etc,also we would be going 30th august,do oyu think the weather would be warm enough for the pools?

[jomifl]

I would be amazed if it wasn't, we are a couple of hundred miles further south but at the moment it is 30 C outside

[pinkcowprint]

great!! i think i'm going to get it booked then,thanksor all yor advice,france here we come!x

[ojread2]

We are near Dover and it was 32.5 yesterday =) and is already 26 today
Another scorcher
How far from Nantes are you willing to travel?

[ojread2]

http://www.nantes-tourisme.com/en/index.htm

http://www.france-voy...epid=loire-atlantique

[pinkcowprint]

just found a campsite called acapulco,st jean de monts,llovely,going to book it now,bargain!!

[laura89]

I went camping in france with my family (Upper Normandy) last year. You can definitely find relatively cheap and clean campsites, especially if you are backpacking in France. when we went, we booked most of the places well in advance. I used this website: http://www.europe-cam...e.com/en/list/france/ but sure there are many more others. gd luck with ur travels!

[laura89]

I went camping in france with my family (Upper Normandy) last year. You can definitely find relatively cheap and clean campsites, especially if you are backpacking in France. when we went, we booked most of the places well in advance. I used this website: http://www.europe-cam...e.com/en/list/france/ but sure there are many more others. gd luck with ur travels!