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Hi there

we are thinking about going to france camping for the 1st time we have two young children who love the beach and we are after any advice possible regarding ferry crosses to campsites

Regards

Paul

Paul - when do you want to go, and how far are you willing drive when you get to France - also what sort of site do you prefer - somewhere with a kid's club, pools and slides, or just a pitch in the quiet corner of an orchard somewhere???

Peak season in France is very short - about four weeks from mid-July to mid-August, then the following two weeks of August become quieter, and if you can go outside that peak period you probably don't need to book - you can just book your ferry and drive as far, or as little as you want before finding a site.  You can even find ACSI card sites, which offer a pitch for a family with young children from just 10 euros per night!  (www.campingcard.co.uk for details - I have a list of the 10 euro sites and dates).  There are lots of small sites in France where booking isn't necessary, or even possible, too, so if you want quiet and out of the way, then you'll easily find somewhere without booking in most parts of France.

There are lots of ferry options - the short routes from Dover to Calais or Dunkerque are the cheapest, Eurotunnel is more expensive, and then the crossings become more expensive as you go west.  Many people choose the cheaper crossings and then a drive, but others prefer a longer crossing and shorter drive.

There's a good general post - Advice for Continental First-Timers - which was written some time ago but contains a lot of useful information and is 'pinned' at the top of this thread.

OurdayoutMick:

You'll find municipal sites, which are generally small, and in villages, nearby shops and bars - so perhaps not what you're looking for.  I know there are some on here who holiday in July and manage to find smaller farm sites and Aire Naturelles, but you'll need a good campsite guide such as Le Guide Official Camping Caravavanning which is available from Vicarious Books in Folkestone

There's also Campingo or Eurocampings (websites) and both those contain many details of all different types of sites.

The Vendee is very nice and has some great beaches.... however with young children I think that the Med is hard to beat. Firstly the weather is much better close to the Med (although it can be windy close to Perpignan). The water in the Med is significantly warmer than the Atlantic - I can windsurf in the Med all day without a wetsuit, even 1 mile off shore, finally the Med is much calmer than the Atlantic.

I prefer the Northern Med coast in Spain, 30 minutes accross the French boarder. The Bay of Rosas is fantastic, with a wonderful uncrowded sandy beach, and sea which is very shallow for approx 50m from the shore, mean that it is ideal for young kids.

There are several campsites located right on the beach, all superb quality, some bigger with more facilities, some smaller and more young family friendly

Clearly the downside is the drive down. It is a 12 hour drive, excluding breaks and traffic from Le Harvre, add an extra 2 hours from Calais. I tow a Trailer tent, so could be a little faster not towing. It is a comfortable drive with one overnight stop in Clermot Ferrand - even with younger children