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I have finally (I think!!!) convinced OH that we should camp in France next summer.

Have read the first time thread and am now starting to research sites etc, but there appears to be SOOOO much choice.

Can anyone help point me in the right direction?

OH doesn't want to drive too far, but he'd also prefer not to have an overnight stop ( don't want much does he?)

Ideally close to a beach, with pools and entertainment ( have 4 kids and by then 3 of them will be teeangers) and of course not too expensive!!!

So can you save my sanity and help me go TA-DA to OH when i appraoch him with the choosen site?

hi shelly

i was in the same position as you a few weeks back.

i havent been as yet go on 24/07/08 to normandy. 4 hours from calais cos we got 25 pound return ferry. you can get best ferry options around jan time. we also booked flights with ryanair from leicester or bristol to dinard airport which is 1 hour 1/2 from our campite for my teeneagers.

the site we are going to is chateau lez eaux in normandy. i suggest you get the france map book AA guide to france. I wish i had earlier so i get a good idea whatis where and travel options etc.

i canemail you photos on return. when i asked this site for advice it came back to try to get a castels site for your 1st trip.

any questions just ask

cheers

kerry

Look here

Just found this one, hope it is some help to you.

If you're in search of sun then you may have to consider a longer drive unfortunately. Brittany is lovely but a very long way from Calais and there is no guarantee of sun even in August - it's similar to Devon/Cornwall. We have had some lovely, sunny holidays there and some cold, wet ones.

If you weigh up the cost of the longer ferry crossing against a drive and over night stop, there's not much in it. Over night stops don't have to mean setting up your tent etc- there are some very good, affordable hotels which make the longer journey more enjoyable.

Whatever you decide France is a lovely country and great for camping!

Have fun planning!

If you're not needing wall to wall sunshine Normandy is lovely, we stayed at Le Brevedent year before last (3 hours ish from Calais) and this year we've been to L'Etang des Haizes (5 1/2 hrs ish, but only about 30 mins I think from Cherbourg)

What you don't realise when looking at maps is the size of the country, it's huge and take the times given on viamichelin etc with a pinch of salt cause they always take longer.

Quote: Originally posted by shelldean on 14/7/2008

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I have finally (I think!!!) convinced OH that we should camp in France next summer.

Have read the first time thread and am now starting to research sites etc, but there appears to be SOOOO much choice.

Can anyone help point me in the right direction?

OH doesn't want to drive too far, but he'd also prefer not to have an overnight stop ( don't want much does he?)

Ideally close to a beach, with pools and entertainment ( have 4 kids and by then 3 of them will be teeangers) and of course not too expensive!!!

 

So can you save my sanity and help me go TA-DA to OH when i appraoch him with the choosen site?

---

Hi - i'm in exactly the same position - i think i've convinced hubby France Summer 09 is the way to go but he just wants me to organise it and tell him what days to book off work Which is fantastic for me, we get to go where i want and when i want, the only problem being if the site isnt great or anything goes wrong he has someone to blame!!!!

We hads been looking at Normandy / Brittany so as to avoid too much driving over night stops etc but i'm now thinking that if we're making it our main holiday and we're going to go for a fortnight or more then i want some sunshine!!!

Can anyone tell me if the weather improves considerably by moving towards the Vendee area or would going as south as Bordeaux etc be the better option? If Bordeaux is the better option how long should we be allowing as journey time from Calais and how many over night stops would we need?

Thanks

Quote: Originally posted by shelldean on 14/7/2008

---

I have finally (I think!!!) convinced OH that we should camp in France next summer.

Have read the first time thread and am now starting to research sites etc, but there appears to be SOOOO much choice.

Can anyone help point me in the right direction?

OH doesn't want to drive too far, but he'd also prefer not to have an overnight stop ( don't want much does he?)

Ideally close to a beach, with pools and entertainment ( have 4 kids and by then 3 of them will be teeangers) and of course not too expensive!!!

 

So can you save my sanity and help me go TA-DA to OH when i appraoch him with the choosen site?

---

I know you are looking a France with no overnight stop, but how about Northern Spain?

It was the teenagers that I was thinking of, we are going to Eldelfin verde, the site is on here.  It is a fantastic site for teenagers we don't see our's from about 11am (when they get out of bed) and they are back at midnight so much to do, direct beach acsess and loads of sun and they met loads of friend's oldest son has stayed with a girl he met last year who lives down south and she came to stay with us.

My lot only come back for food, that's boys for you lol they have walkie talkies so we can all keep in touch without paying for mobiles.

We had never driven in Europe before, been load's of times on a plane but never hired a car so wasn't sure what to expect, it was so easy we have been back 4 times in less than a year lol

For our overnight stop we just took a small tent and used that saved unpacking the car and stayed in an F1 hotel on the way back, prefered the tent lol

For me it's all in the planning as it's a day's drive for us to get the eurrotunnel before we get to France so we have to plan overnight stops.

Hope you find what you are looking for

 

Quote: Originally posted by pumpkin503 on 21/7/2008

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Quote: Originally posted by shelldean on 14/7/2008

---

I have finally (I think!!!) convinced OH that we should camp in France next summer.

Have read the first time thread and am now starting to research sites etc, but there appears to be SOOOO much choice.

Can anyone help point me in the right direction?

OH doesn't want to drive too far, but he'd also prefer not to have an overnight stop ( don't want much does he?)

Ideally close to a beach, with pools and entertainment ( have 4 kids and by then 3 of them will be teeangers) and of course not too expensive!!!

 

So can you save my sanity and help me go TA-DA to OH when i appraoch him with the choosen site?

---

Hi - i'm in exactly the same position - i think i've convinced hubby France Summer 09 is the way to go but he just wants me to organise it and tell him what days to book off work Which is fantastic for me, we get to go where i want and when i want, the only problem being if the site isnt great or anything goes wrong he has someone to blame!!!!

We hads been looking at Normandy / Brittany so as to avoid too much driving over night stops etc but i'm now thinking that if we're making it our main holiday and we're going to go for a fortnight or more then i want some sunshine!!!

Can anyone tell me if the weather improves considerably by moving towards the Vendee area or would going as south as Bordeaux etc be the better option? If Bordeaux is the better option how long should we be allowing as journey time from Calais and how many over night stops would we need?

Thanks

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wonder if our OH are related LOL cos thats what will happen here too!!

am really in a quandry as I would love some sunshine, but I know for a fact he won't do an over night stop. oh what to do????maybe a cheap hotel is the way to go????

Hi Shelli

If we overnight anywhere my plan will be to hotel it or buy an extremely cheap 'pup' style tent... there is no way i'm messing about unloading and reloading the car for one night!!! I just really dont want to spend months planning and saving to get no better weather than we would get in cornwall - not that there is any thing wrong with cornwall, far frpm it, but to go for more than a week i want to guarantee the sunshine as much as i possibly can....i've had Campanile hotels recommended as a good and inexpensive overnighter....and there seem to be loads of them about.

Happy Planning xxxx