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I don't want to start a riot but I have travelled extensively in france - as a child  - but I too found Brittainy and Normandy ok but I agree Brittany is definately a mini Britain. I was disappointed but loved the mountainous regions of France/Germany and Switzerland, however this was many years ago and I am somewhat coloured by early experience. I have found it amazing that when I have been looking at the extensive sites, they look so much like rows of vans/tents one after the other - I feel claustrophobic just looking at them! Do the spacious sights actually exist? Can I find one with beautiful views where we are not in rows and within a reasonable drive from Calais or are we asking the impossible?

Loving the advice by the way guys and I will check the suggested sites out!

M+P

I think that we all equate beautiful views with long distance views of hills/mountains/castles in the background - and there aren't that many high enough hills in Northern France to put many beautiful views of that sort on the horizon!  I'm sure there are some, but perhaps fewer and further between than in the south! 

There are campsites where tents and caravans are all in rows - but few amongst the links that people have already provided.  I do see what you mean though,  if you've been using the campsite search on this website, for the Loire Valley - where most of the sites listed seem to be the bigger places. 

Why not search on the Bienvenue a La Ferme website - lists farms with campsite facilities, where you might find the space you're searching for - if not the long range views of the mountains!   We found a beautiful farm site in the Ardeche where we shared the pool with the owners and were the only people there - but that was many, many years ago!  It may take some searching through, but perhaps somewhere might be the ideal place you're looking for.

The alternative is to be a bit 'radical' (by British standards) and just do as my friends and lots of others do, and tour around - that way if one site isn't ideal, you may find it the next day or somewhere just over the hill!  In France, on the smaller sites, you don't need to book even in high season during school holidays - you just need a comprehensive campsite guide. Le Guide Officiel Camping Caravanning is one which lists almost all the 11,000 campsites in France - the missing ones are often British owned, which for some reason don't feature much. 

Val - just trying to look at the Bienvenue la Fferme where do I go for the campsites - it's all in french - oh lala  quelle surprise ..... ;-)

Mazpaz

I've just done a long reply, which disappeared!

The link I gave takes you to the English version of the website.  At the side are buttons - click the ACCOMMODATION button and select 'Camping on the Farm' then search.  It will show a map of France with flags indicating the number of farms in that region.  Clicking on the flag will show a list of the farms.  If there are a large number then you'll zoom in on the map until you get individual flags.

The farm websites are likely to be in French.

You may find that having driven six hours, driving in France is not so bad.  You might even consider an overnight stop somewhere, and that would allow you to get to the Dordogne, Lot, Auvergne, Burgundy, and even further south, where beautiful views, and space, abound!

Bless you - thank you, I am finding the sites in french but they are looking like the rural type more than any others I have found - I just need to work it all out now. Many thanks

Mazpaz

Thanks Neliz18 - I don't have any concerns about driving as have done it alot in the past. My only concern is how far to go. Firstly the pooch needs thought so long long rides aren't really do-able and secondly I don't want to keep putting the tent up and down as it does take a good morning to do - we do tend to glamp so we have a big tent and lots of comfort stuff, plus the job I do is very tiring so by the time we break up for summer I am usually exhausted! But it will be our main holiday so I want to get it right.

We have spent the last few years doing more "unusual" hols and travelled extensively including the jungles of Venezuela, Bali, Sri Lanka, safaris and so on, many of these hols have been put together by ourselves, but finding a campsite right for the dog and us is proving much harder! :-)

Pazmaz