Message Forums

spent many hours with friends trying to decide where to go next summer. Normally go to Brittany but fancy a change.4 famillies with mixed aged children.Looking at loire but not sure about area? is it too quiet/enough to do.As not near beach need areas where can swim in rivers/pools etc Dont want to travel too far south as travelling from northumberland.Any suggestions on areas would be appreciated.Probably travelling through tunnel.

nicky

Ooooooooooooh gotta be Saumur then!!!  

Namely L'Etang de la Breche!!! Fabulous site - near the best zoo in the world - ok, in Europe then - and in between two other theme parks,......Futuroscope and Puy du Fou, Plenty for adults...if you want REAL French, then real French you'll get.

Loire has it's own micro-climate too.....we had virtually wall to wall sunshine last August when everyone else had rain.

Join us!! xx

If you go to the Loire visit the Zoo Parc du Beauval at St Aignan. It is fantastic -  a cross between a zoo and a safari parc. You walk everywhere but the animals have loads of room and are very well cared for. On our first visit my eldest son stood beside a lion with only glass between them. Very safe but fantastic photo op!

They have regular feeding times and chats about the animals. In french though. A good sealion and falconry display and some unusual things too - Lamontines- which are wierd.
We've been three times now and for me its the only reason to visit the Loire ( we go further south and try to avoid the brits). Last year we even got to watch penguin sex which was interesting. All I can say is I'm glad I'm not a penguin!

Happy New Year all,

Someone else planning on the Loire Valley..... I have never been and although not our first experience of driving abroad, it is the first in a camper, no kids, just me, Hubby & Billy the pup (well 3 actually but he hasn't realised it yet!)

I would welcome any tips on the region, camping at aires or sites.  We are going to go Dover to Calais. I have been going through the prices and this seems to be the cheapest, P&O being the best. Someone told me Sea France were but I'm not finding that. I am also noticing that some of the best times (cheapest) apart from the dead of night seem to be disappearing from the list, so intend to book tomorrow. Then book the vet.

We are going in June before the school hols, hoping that it will be less busy and easy on Billy, his first time too.

Soooo excited!

We have stayed at L'Etang de la breche twice and had wonderful stays. I think that it would be good for a mixed group of children but aware that the management do shoo the children back to their tents from the play areas at 10pm! There is a good children's room just around the corner from the bar / restaurant so the children are chose at hand but feel independent.

The area around is lovely, Saumur chateau should now be reopened after the emergency repairs to stop it falling down the hill onto the town. The two things that our children loved doing were Le Parc Mini chateau which is a complete scale model of the Loire valley including the chateaus, railways, rivers etc - although teenagers may find this terribly dull. We bought a joint ticket with this to go to the Loire Valley Aquarium which was wonderful and also a nice relief from the heat of that summer. Bear in mind, you can also buy a joint ticket with the Crazy world of Donkeys but we did pass on that one!!!!

Hope that helps

hi all

thanks for all the replies. I feel much better about it now. just sorting the travel out-it makes me realise how far north we are!!! Just looking at stopovers near kent then should be sorted!!!

thanks again for all those who replied-it makes life much easier!!!.