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Quote: Originally posted by lyanabint on 25/7/2011

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Chateau des Marais in Chambord, almost in the grounds of the Chateau. This is lovely campsite, and ideal for toddlers. It has plenty of shade and is also fairly flat, so ideal for cycling.

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I would agree, we stayed there on our first trip to france 4 years ago the ages of our children then were 15, 10, 4 and 18 months all loved it, a beautifully maintained site, lovely pitches and as Lyanbint said excellent for cycling.

The Chateaux de Chambourd (10 mins drive) was stunning and I love the center of Blois(30 or so mins drive).

Hope you have a great time wherever you end up.

I've stayed at Chateau des marais & agree a nice site, plenty on the site when i had a young family. I have also stayed at Le Château de la Grenouillèree. I thought the first was better.

Last year however we stayed at the municipal at Bracieux for a few nights. Just turned up, didnt book. Didnt want to pay 50 euro or so a night!

Big site for a municipal. Clean. Free to use the municipal outdoor pool (on site). Far less expensive than somewhere which the tour operators use. And the cycling was wonderful. Fantastic car free routes. The best of course about 5 miles, well marked through forest to Chambord. Have a look at a web site called Loire a velo for cycle routes. If you have never been to the Loire it is THE chateau to go to. The woodland is free to access and the chateau is realatively inexpensive should you fancy a look inside. As you can tell I love it!!! 

Quote: Originally posted by Val A on 26/7/2011

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Quote: Originally posted by joelewes on 26/7/2011

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Do NOT go to the site on the island in the Loire opposite Saumer.  It cost us €31.50 for one night in a mobile home.  The site was grubby, grit got everywhere and some of the toilets were not worthy of a third world slum.  Horrible place!

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Which site is this?  You can't mean Ile d'Offard - my sons were there last year, and thought it was lovely.  They're experienced campers, and have stayed on lots of other sites, but recommended this one to me if we went back to the Loire area.

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Lot's of good ideas offered. Lots of sensible priced ones too.

 I realise the problem of moving a tent +equipment, but I'd be bored with a fortnight at any one place on the Loire. I'd want to see other towns, other markets, other gardens, and other vineyards, and two weeks at any one of these nice places would be just too much.

When our sons were younger we tended to stay in one place - because they made friends, we could relax, and we always chose areas where there were plenty of things to do and see.

Now we're older and on our own, we like to move on a bit more - and how often depends on mood, the weather, the things to do around the site, and just the ambiance on the site itself!  We've been known to wake up one morning, and just decide 'Today is the day' and quickly packed away (it takes no time at all these days) and moved elsewhere.  Sometimes we may move only an hour or so away - sometimes much further.  Equally, sometimes, we've stayed for the whole two weeks on one site - when everything just suited us and when we felt totally relaxed.

How lovely that your first trip turned out to be so fantastic!  Are you going back next year, like so many of us on here?  Where for 2012?