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Could someone please help with advice on how to use Camping Cheques.

Although my family and I have enjoyed several Camping holidays, in France, over the last few years we have always travelled in the School Summer Holidays and pre-booked our pitch direct with the Campsiteand have never used Camping Cheques. However this year I am planning a short, week long break during the Spring Bank Holiday, in the Champagne region.

My questions are, if we plan to buy and use Camping Cheques how would we go about booking a pitch or is this not necessary for this time of year? Would we still be able to reserve a pitch if we plan to use Camping Cheques? and how much of the cost of the pitch is covered by the Camping Cheques?

Also, even though we have all our own kit, I'm considering hiring one of the sites own mobiles as the cost difference (pitch + extra ferry cost with trailer V's Mobile Home)is only around £150.

A Camping Cheque covers the whole cost of the pitch for one night, and this also includes two adults, a car and tent, or car and caravan, or motorhome, awning, and electric hook-up (and a dog if you have one!), and each Camping Cheque costs £13.95.  A site doing 7 for 6, will take six Camping Cheques but give you seven nights on the pitch.  You pay supplements for any children - but would pay this anyway, even if you were paying the normal site tariff.  So, at Lac D'Orient for example, you'd pay 6 x 13.95 = £83.70 for seven nights.  The normal site tariff per night would be 25 euros for the same package of pitch, two adults, etc, so you'd be saving around £70.00 on your week!  Child supplements would be 3 euros under 7's, and 6 euros over 7's, per night.  There really is no catch!

You won't need to reserve a pitch at Spring Bank Holiday - it's when we always go, and sites are never full.  We've always used Camping Cheques for the last fourteen years, and never had a problem finding a pitch.

Carol, jaymac & Val,

Thanks very much for your very helpful information.

Yes you're right I was considering Lac 'Orient (& also Lac de la Liez), have any of you stayed at either of these sites or know what we could expect, weather wise, in this region at this time of year?

I think, after Val's explanation, I'm goin to go ahead and order some camping cheques and book my ferry (on the Norfolk line deal) for Spring Bank Holiday.

Lee.

Hi L33s,

We have stayed at both but not at that time of year. Can say however that we much prefer Lac d'Orient of the 2. Couple of photos attached. The new shower block is one of the best you will come across and there are some lovely drives around the lakes which are very big. Lovely walks along the lake front and a couple of nice restaurants nearby. Free wifi at the bar as well. Drawback, nearest large supermarket is towards Troyes (21km rings a bell) although there is a much smaller one closer. Both sites have indoor pools.

Not decrying Lac de Liez as the lake is nice but much smaller and Langres is very nice. Seems to us much more of an overnighter however and overall the area we don't find as nice. (Think I may have a couple of photos of the lake, if I can find them I will post those on as well (in the interest of fairness).

Wherever you go, have a good trip and enjoy.

Should read your post more carefully. For some reason I thought you were going at Easter rather than Spring bank Holiday. We have been to both places around that time and had generally good weather. This of course by no means guarantees its going to be the same but having been in France a number of times at that time of year and usually on our way south have generally had fairly good weather. You will probably get a far better idea following the thread ValA has posted.

Had a look through my photos and realised that almost all the best ones of Lac de Liez were taken prior to my conversion to digital and therefore don't have them on the computer. Attached 1 for you though which is a general shot of the lake.

Wow, thanks jandjstott & Val (once again), for your prompt replies.

Having looked at the surounding area and some of the things on offer (walks, cycling, fishing, bird & other wildlife spotting, chillin!) then Lac'Dorient sounds like it would make an ideal short spring break (with Camping Cheques!)

Lee.

We went to Lac D'Orient last year and it was lovely.  The indoor pool is like a hot bath, if a little small and even in relatively overcase weather the outdoor pool was just about bearable.  (Sort of temperature where you wince when you get in, but once you are in its ok).  Kids loved the slides and it seemed to have good areas to play.

We had a lovely meal at the restuarant just across from the entrance, overlooking the lake.

We only "stopped over" so we didn't really see the area, but would have no hesitation in recommending the site or the area - it looked great.

It was an easy drive from Calais and even though we got delayed on the tunnel and didn't leave till UK about 12.30pm we were setup in good time to go for dinner (admittedly just the tent, beds and a picnic mat to sit on cos we were only there for one night)

The only downside was the child who bit my son to the point of bleeding & whose nutter father then slapped my son when he tried to shake the kid off - and I reckon you could get that anywhere.  The campsite dealt with it very efficiently - within 45mins the family were off the site and we were told they would be banned from all Kawan sites across France.

Christine

PS You shouldn't have any trouble not booking - we travelled without a booking on the first Saturday of the main English school hols and just phoned them when we were a couple of hours away

We always use Camping Cheques.  Most sites do charge a small tax, which varies between regions, but is fairly little extra.  Also, the standard EHU for Camping Cheques is 6 amps.  Some sites do have 10 or 16 amps available, but many charge extra for this upgrade.  We tend to manage with what's available as standard.  We also take two 10 kilo gas bottles, so that we have plenty of gas to cope with a low amperage.

Bertie.

I've been to both, don't think I'll be going back to Liez but our three night stay at D'orient was entended to two weeks! There's a bird watching area near the lake - out of the site and along to the right somewhere. Chantecoq is lovely but I wouldn't bother going for a day out, you're already staying by a lovely lake.

Essoyes is worth a visit, Renoir is buried there,lovely place.