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Thank you Stellafiona (long name that is?! LOL) My DH is really really keen on the Black Forest I must admit. My concern is that whilst my French is fairly adequate, my German consists of 2 years worth at school 20 years ago, and my DH can order "zwei bier bitte" -what a waste of three years there in the Army that was!!

I've been sent a load of bumf by the German tourist board, all very badly translated into English, which makes me wonder how widespread English is spoken in the Black Forest region and if we will struggle linguistically! I think that is the main thing that is putting me off which is silly really as I have been to Spain and Greece etc in the past with no knowledge of the language at all.

Ho hum, the search continues........

Amanda x

Hi,

I know it's not abroad but it can feel like it sometimes, Salcombe in South Devon is lovely, has good beaches for children and plenty to see and do (and you don't need to speak German).

Hi again

The site I recommended www.clairvacances.com in Alsace (Colmar) is only a few miles away from the Black Forest.  We enjoyed very much our visits to Germany last June but we were very glad that we stayed in France as there seemed to be very few tourists in Germany. Maybe July and August it would be different. 

Thanks Marz. I have emailed that site to see if they can accommodate our large tent. It does look nice there.

Amanda

How about the Auvergne?  We had a lovely time there in the summer of 2005, it was early thirties mid June for the whole of our fortnight!!

We stayed at Camping de la Filature which has had mixed feedback on here, mainly the loos and showers are a bit dated but were always clean in our experience and the owners a bit offhand.  But off season they do a meal deal which is 20euros for a pitch, 2 peeps and 2 evening meals which were fab.  We would go back as it suited us just fine.

Not coastal but all gorges, mountains, volcanoes etc.  Plenty to see and do.  The best bit?  Hardly any Brits and indeed any tourists of any sort.  This year we did the Alps and in contrast it was expensive and very busy.

Ali

Hi Amanda

We would strongly recommend Camping Du Letty, Benodet in Brittany.  Du Letty was the first campsite that we stayed at on our first visit to France about 12 years ago.  At that time we were tenters with a large Cabanon.  Our 5 children were then aged 14, 12, 10, 8 and 6.  The weather was generally hot and sunny and there are loads of things to do off site and a superb safe beach adjacent.  The site is clean, well-run and ideal for families.  You  can read our extensive review, and others too, on this site at

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/reviews.asp?revid=5461

We have returned many times over the intervening years, latterly as caravanners, and always had a super time.  Even  now our youngest 2 would still come with us if we agree to going to Du Letty!!!!

Best wishes.  Hope you find a super place for your hols.

Tim

Quote: Originally posted by exessexmum on 29/9/2006

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...I am looking at the Vendee again, however pretty much the only sites I can see are ones with lots of entertainments and kids clubs, none of which we will use...

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I am sure there are sites for all tastes. The big ones near the sea will inevitably have all those facilities/entertainments. 

But if you look for municipal ones just a few miles inland (there's a British-owned one near Apremont, for example), or maybe for the "camping a la ferme" ones with maximum of 6 tents/caravans, maybe those might suit you better?

Angela

Though it lacks the beaches the Ardenne Forest region in southern Belgium is beautiful. Small towns and villages, plenty of local flavour, canoeing on the Semois and a stones through from France and Luxembourg if the mood takes you (Luxembourg has some of the cheapest petrol in Europe). Popular with the Dutch (is it compulsory for every Dutch car to be fitted with a towbar?) but we seldom see many Brits down there. It's not a long drive down there on free roads and well worth a visit. This is the link to the Belgium Tourist Office website;

 http://www.belgiumtheplaceto.be/?gclid=CMbj1sDv5ocCFSlbEQodGhZsgA

OOps! Sorry, the correct link is;

www.belgiumtheplacetobe.be

Arghh! Actually its;

http://www.belgiumtheplaceto.be/