Hi, France is your oyster, so to speak. The big companies are Siblu, Eurocamp, Keycamp - all have sites across France, and most of their parks have plenty of activities. I can recommend the Vendee, and Charente Maritime on the west coast - lovely places, big beaches, plenty to see - the kids will love it.

Are you camping or staying in mobile homes?

DaleyJ wrote:

Hi, France is your oyster, so to speak. The big companies are Siblu, Eurocamp, Keycamp - all have sites across France, and most of their parks have plenty of activities. I can recommend the Vendee, and Charente Maritime on the west coast - lovely places, big beaches, plenty to see - the kids will love it.

Are you camping or staying in mobile homes?

I take it you don't have your own kit
So don't forget Matthews holidays too and make sure you realise that Keycamp and eurocamp are now the same company but trading under two names

We also like to go to the Catalan area of France AND Spain as well as Charente Maritime

If it doesn't have to be the seaside, why not consider my neck of the woods - there's plenty to do for youngsters and it can be very hot. Do have a look at campsites in Alsace, and you're just a stone's throw from Germany's Black Forest and EuropaPark and Switzerland with its lakes and mountains.

Happy to help if you choose to follow up Eastern France!

Thanks for the replies. Will most likely be staying in tents or may stay at 2 parks over the three weeks and try both tents and a chalet. We do not have own camping equipment.

matthewstoner wrote:

Thanks for the replies. Will most likely be staying in tents or may stay at 2 parks over the three weeks and try both tents and a chalet. We do not have own camping equipment.

Have some fun then but by not having your own kit you are loosing out on a huge part of the France experience there are literally thousands of campsites that you've not got access to
once you've been then you will realise that there's just so much to enjoy on some of the smaller sites Doesn't matter where you go in some places the smallest of villages have a campsite and lots of coastal towns can offer some of the best eating at very reasonable prices for next to nothing camping

We have had several good family holidays with Canvas holidays. Thier reps have also always been first class and their kids clubs (if you want one) are very good.

Hi
Why not try 'Holiday Green' in Frejus,its on the Cote D'Azur midway between cannes & St Tropez.
From Calais its 750 miles but i'm not sure where you will be travelling from.
It has lots of activities on site especially during July & August,its got 3 pools,1 is an indoor heated pool with jacuzzi's and slide,the other 2 are outdoor.Have a look at their website:www.holidaygreen.com

We have over the past few years Stayed with Haven Europe (now SIBLU), Keycamp & Thompson Alfresco.

Siblu's accommodation was the oldest but very well presented this was at Les Charmettes on the west coast not too far from La Rochelle.

Last year we stayed at Club Farret at Vias Plage on the South East with Keycamp - a 'Yello' site which was well organised with the benefit of having its own beach and a good pool. There was also a reasonable restaurant around the pool too. In the evening the pool area become the focus for the evening entertainment. There was a well stocked site shop with it's own bakery and butcher. If you are looking for sport there are plenty of facility's for this too. There were kids clubs but we did not use these but what we saw of the facilities they looked claen and well maintained.

We arrived back Sunday.. from the Domaine du Colombier again a 'Yello' site this was in Frejus on the Cote d'Azur. This time we used Thompson - better layout on the unit than the Keycamp in our opinion and also a little more compeitive on price when we booked. The site was very clean but quite quiet, it is also hilly so if walking is an issue it maybe one to think abut. Evening entertainment was not nightly which didn't ruin our holiday but may others... The pool is a good size with slides and also a gym area & jacuzzi for adults only (sanctuary?!!). Watch out for the loungers being 'reserved', lifeguards will remove towels if people are not around. Food and drink on site is also low key there is a restaurant & bar but whenever we ventured up there was hardly anyone else around. The site shop was very small but there are plenty supermarkets within 5 - 10 mins drive

From the 2 area's in the south I would go Cote d'Azur but look for a more lively site.

I hope this helps... If you have any question please feel free to ask & Happy Holidays!!!

Ade

Just a tip about Keycamp and Eurocamp. Although the same company make sure you check the pricing for holidays on both websites as their prices do differ, sometimes as much as £200+

Anna

Just a tip about Keycamp and Eurocamp. Although the same company make sure you check the pricing for holidays on both websites as their prices do differ, sometimes as much as £200+

They may be the same company, but the accommodation is quite different and it's a matter of personal preferences, plus whether you have built up a loyalty discount perhaps.

Peter

The advice given was a generalisation about Keycamp and Eurocamp, not taking into consideration of loyalty bonuses. If you care to check the 2010 online brochure you will find differences in prices, even on a basic tent (of which makes no difference keycamp or eurocamp the layout IS pretty much the same as is the equipment) even the caravans are not too disimilar (having stayed in ALL types of accommodation) The prices on for example the basic holiday vary on the first 3 i checked by as much as £45 and to a family on a budget that's possibily the cost of lunch out. Was just guidance for someone booking for the first time, sorry if you thought I was misleading someone but I did check before I posted.

sorry if you thought I was misleading someone but I did check before I posted.

Never thought that for one minute, but I must repeat that you are not always comparing like with like. There are some things about Eurocamps trailers we personally just don't like, it's a matter of personal choice. Others might well say the same about Keycamps.

The discounts are significant and if you are a regular very quickly bind you to one or other of the companies.

For example our discounts for this last September -

Discounts - Second Holiday Offer £-162.00
Discounts - Loyalty Main Brochure £-20.25
Total £-182.25

Peter

All said and done, personally speaking, I found both Keycamps and Eurocamps to have gone downhill dramatically in recent years, the seating in the caravans is tired and sagging, windows are ill fitting, and cleaning far from up to scratch just 3 examples. It really is disappointing when before you can enjoy your holiday you either have to complain and try to get a clean caravan or wait for it to be cleaned, usually more of a put up and shut up system and clean it yourself. Not what I pay for nor do I expect but it's not a one off, many people at the last one I stayed at also had to complain.
If that's what you enjoy , or enjoy complaining, good luck to you and happy holidays.

Hi Peter of York you make the point of loyality discounts, but £20.25 is not much of a discount when you can save much more booking independently. Granted the owners accommodation is not as good in most of the campsites that I have researched, but sometimes you can get independent owners who rent out their mobiles and they are of as good if not a better standard. We have experienced this on 2 different occassions in the past and have made savings of more than £182.25 withouot having to take a second holiday.
This is not an attack on your view as those discounts do help and if you are taking the ferry and take more than one holiday in the summer then this can be a deciding factor. Due to our location we do the fly/drive thing so we find it necessary to find the best price to compensate for having to fly

Been reading this thread as it progresses with interest as I do not need to hire equipment as I tug my own caravan to where I want to go, not just where these companies have pitches on sites.

I have found that they do service families far more than couples (that's us now) but they do seem to be like Thom son and other holiday companies with their welcome meeting trying to fleece the holidaymakers -unless they are regulars then they get wise.

I have done the fly/drive bit to France but I actually PREFER to drive down through France over a couple of days this gets me in the mood of being on holiday it tweaks my brain to start speaking French again and it allows me to find a little corner where I may not have been. We always tend to find a different site to stop-over each year although doing this sometimes can be a little taxing when you find a site where they are geared to charging as much as possible (Les Vagues springs to mind ) for sub standard camping.

What always amazes me is how much some folk put up with when they go camping or in a static when they would have raised the roof if they had been treated the same way in a hotel. Personally I would not give time of day to Keycamp/Eurowotsit or any other company selling to the UK - likewise we tend now not to use package holiday companies either.

We've been with Keycamps on a self drive basis, twice a year at least since 2004, travelling Hull - Zeebrugge, and never had any problem or cause to complain.

Indeed, every aspect of the holidays has been good.

but they do seem to be like Thom son and other holiday companies with their welcome meeting trying to fleece the holidaymakers

This doesn't relate to anything I've experienced with Keycamps, and Eurocamps operate the same as Keycamps. What welcome meetings?

but £20.25 is not much of a discount when you can save much more booking independently.

And then, lacking the buying power of Keycamps or Eurocamps, you end up paying over double what we pay on the ferry crossing. We've costed this and can't believe the saving.

It's swings and roundabout in a way, but we know we are the ones winning.

Peter

Hi Peter you seem a little defensive on your stand with Keycamp, people are only pointing out other options and what they have found. I did point out that I did not take the ferry crossing into account. The main point that is being made here there is more than one option, and if you find Keycamp discounts and cheaper ferry crossing suit you kep using them. I have used them and would use them again if they suited.
If people are flying then ferry crossings don't come into it and if you can make a greater than £20.25 saving on your first holiday by booking independently well then why not?

Ferry crossings Dover-Calais are inexpensive to book independently anyway, as for Hull-Zebrugge I cannot say, but Dover Calais 2 weeks end of June returning 2 weeks later in July 2010 is only £65.

That is inclusive of 4 passengers and the car.

Peter of York wrote:

We've been with Keycamps on a self drive basis, twice a year at least since 2004, travelling Hull - Zeebrugge,

This doesn't relate to anything I've experienced with Keycamps, and Eurocamps operate the same as Keycamps. What welcome meetings?
Peter

OK so they've dropped the welcome meets -- it has been a few years since we paid their huge prices
I have no problem if you like their style of holidays we do not we prefer to be flexible in fact we do not usually pre book anything other than the ferry, which having our own caravan means we can be more flexible for example

This year we travelled to 5 sites in France AND Spain over 22 days as well as a stop over in the UK we paid
£110 for the ferry - Car + Caravan return
£175 for campsite fees ( we went June July and we took advantage of Camping cheques as usual)
£120 for tolls + £350 diesel that's only the towing fuel we also had an extra tank (€35) for touring round
we spent around the usual €20 a day for the two of us to eat --this included eating out regularly at around €45-€50 a time

WE used to spend far more than this doing Eurowotsit for 2 weeks

here's what I mean - Eurocamp quote
Campsite Brasilia in Canet en Roussillon= £2,055.50 for 2 people for 21 nights and thats only the accommodation I crashed out of the search at that as it was more than we spent for the WHOLE holiday this year

I chose Canet as we regularly visit the town and use it as a base for visiting Argeles, Colioure, Valras or Perpignan so can compare the site next year when we go there