hi everyone
we are struggling this year to find a site that has activities for a 17 year old boy and 14 yr old girl, with pool and slides, canoeing from the site or very close and activities like football, volleyball etc. we will be stopping off in Saumur on the way so within a days drive of there would be perfect. has anyone any recommendations? looking to go in August. many thanks x
------------- Ness
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
If you want canoeing you need to go further south - the rivers in the middle of France are mostly wide, were industrial and some still have very large barge transport, and not the sort of thing I'd enjoy canoeing on. We like rivers with places you can pull in and stop, villages to canoe through, and plenty of wildlife. The Dordogne is where the rivers start to be canoeable.
I would suggest Soleil Plage - but I don't think you'll get in there in peak season as it's a very popular site. There are other sites on that section of the river, which is very canoeable in that area, so it may be worth looking on the campsite search on this website.
Otherwise, the Ceze (as Warbis recommends), the Ardeche , or the Tarn will all fit your bill - and plenty of sites to choose from. Perhaps the Tarn area will be the quietest and easiest to find a pitch.
Hi, we had the same problem. We have kids the same age and have picked the Castels site L'Ardechois, in Vallon Pont d'Arc. It has good reviews, and the big plus point for our 17 yr old is the free wifi.
We have a couple of inflatable kayaks and with this site being right next to the river it's ideal.
All I need to do is find an overnight stop, half way between Calais and the campsite
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
We use inflatables and bikes, so always looking for sites by the water and cycle tracks.
If you care to browse some of my site reviews, you'll find several that will answer your requirements ... though, I have to say, for us, big pool complexes aren't a big draw ... if you are next to a river, do you need a man made enclosure when nature has supplied a bigger one?
You'll find that you'll spend hours and hours looking for a 'perfect' site with slides next to a river. We used to, went to Les Peupliers and they only used the pool a couple of times. Spending all their time swimming and jumping in the river.
Millau and the Tarn Gorge is a good day's drive from Saumur but worth the effort. Les Peupliers has the activities you seek but you might find your 17 year old shows more interest in the Dutch girls if it's similar to when we were there!
------------- Ollie
2016
Monplaisir - Provence
Camping Les Gorges du Loup
Quote: Originally posted by OliverDay on 26/3/2014
You'll find that you'll spend hours and hours looking for a 'perfect' site with slides next to a river. We used to, went to Les Peupliers and they only used the pool a couple of times. Spending all their time swimming and jumping in the river. Millau and the Tarn Gorge is a good day's drive from Saumur but worth the effort. Les Peupliers has the activities you seek but you might find your 17 year old shows more interest in the Dutch girls if it's similar to when we were there!
I agree with Ollie - my teenagers were happiest on sites with a great river, and plenty of other teenagers. This was often on the Ardeche, at either L'Ardechois, or Ranc Davaine on the Chassezac, occasionally the Dordogne, and sometimes on the Tarn or the Dourbie - as mentioned, all great rivers for canoeing. They didn't spend a lot of time in the pool but did spend a lot of time chatting up Dutch girls.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!