Starting to do some research for next year's Summer jaunt.
As I have a 280 mile journey to Dover I would not be looking to travel much more than 450 miles in France. Would prefer to travel down through France rather than traverse it East to West.
Can anyone recomend a site
in the mountains or with mountain views
near or on a lake
something for teenagers to do (games room, table tennis)
Thanks
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It's 300 miles or so from Calais to Les Peupliersjust south of Poitiers. The swimming pool is open till midnight, which certainly floats my teenager's boat. There's a pool table and arcade games too. And generally a nice set of teenagers, though about 70% are Dutch (they speak English though, insofar as teens can be said to speak at all
And it's just far enough south to make a difference to the weather.
Pager33 should be arriving there any time now, and I'm sure she'll report back too.
La Citadelle in the Loire is lovely and it's an easy walk into town which gives youngsters a bit of freedom. the weather has always been brilliant when we've been there.
We stayed at a lovely site called Le Camping du Fayolan which is on the Lake Clairvaux in the Jura. The lake is relatively small so was very comfortable for swimming even in June. The site has loads of facilites. This is the website
I would thoroughly recommend it in terms of your criteria near mountains, on/near lake, distance about 350 miles. It is also a region with some of the most spectacular waterfalls and many are close by. There are watersports on Lake Clairvaux and more on the large nearby Lake Vouglans.
If Camping Fayolan is not to your liking there are plenty more sites in the area large and small. This linky is to the sites in the ACSI book for starters.
As said we stayed in June, the site was very quiet and peaceful and the lake swimming was beautiful.
I see you don't wish to go East-West, but we've just returned from 3 weeks at La Garangeoire on the Atlantic Coast.
Fantastic site for kids, about 420 miles from Calais. If towing, there's a good overnight stop at Beaumont Sur Sarthe municipal site, but it's motorway all the way, costing about £60 in total on the peage.
So much for kids to do, and only 15-20 mins from fantastic beaches or a lake at Apremont where you can swim or go out on boats/pedallos.
Thoroughly recommend it, but you'll need to contact them early!!
------------- Glyn W.
What if the Hokey Cokey really is what it's all about....?
Or the Auvergne, down below Paris. We loved the area and it is full of rivers, gorges and volcanoes. Hardly any tourists, cheaper than the Alps, lakes to swim in and canoeing to be done. gorgeous area.
We spent a fabulous 2 weeks at Domaine de Chalain in Jura. Right on the lake (read my review) and fabulous mountainous scenery all around. Brill for teenagers.
------------- Claire x
Jan 2013 - Skiing, Kühtai, Austria
May - Swiss Farm
Fforest Ffields
Aug - Saumur, France
Oct - Somewhere...
Jan '14 - Skiing, Les Houches
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Have you considered Lake Annecy ? We have just returned from 2 weeks in France, and spent just over a week close to Doussard on the Southern edge of the lake. It is circa 450 miles from Calais and the lake/area is beautiful, with amazing mountain views. We stayed at Camping L'ideal, and whilst the site was very good, they do cram you in a bit and we were the only Brits on the site for most of the time. We looked at a site close by (La Ravoire) that seemed to have more space for each pitch. We are certainly considering going back next year, but for the full two weeks.
We stopped o/n just South of Reims (about 150 miles from Calais both on the way down and back - our first week was just north of Lyon - at a terrific, small site at Val de Vesle.
Lakes, mountains and beautiful scenery can be found just over the Rhine in Germany in the Freiburg area. We often stay at Bankenhof on Lake Titisee, well recommended.
Go due south to the Auvergne or, across the other side of the rhone there is Drome. I bit less far is the south of Burgundy. All will give you loads of sun.
Quote: Originally posted by scarletsfan on 14/8/2009
Starting to do some research for next year's Summer jaunt.
As I have a 280 mile journey to Dover I would not be looking to travel much more than 450 miles in France. Would prefer to travel down through France rather than traverse it East to West.
Can anyone recomend a site
in the mountains or with mountain views
near or on a lake
something for teenagers to do (games room, table tennis)
We were down at the Southern Ardeche, aprox 750miles from Dunkerque, well worth those extra few miles, superb climate and all the things you ask for, like you we have a 300 mile drive to Dover.