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Booked to go to Les Ecureuils next august - any reviews (camping virgin)

Do a search Vanessa. I'm pretty sure someone else asked the same question not long back and got some good answers.

Carol

Thanks Carol do you know where about i would find it i have had a quick look and still not found it

Vanessa

Hi Vanessa

Go to search and type  -  Les Ecureuils into the search box.  Select  - Camping and caravanning abroadas the place to search. Then select -  Topic Headings. This should bring up half a dozen threads. Hope they help.

Carol

Hi,

Who did you book it with by the way as its my top park so far for next August.

Scott

Hi Scott

we booked with camping and caravan club but they are in a couple of brochers

just realised that there are two les ecureuils  one in st hilaire de riez and one in jard sur mer.  We have booked for the jard sur mere

Hi Vanessa,

We went to Les Ecureuils in Jard last August. Lovely pool, (and an indoor one as well if you need it) nice little shop - fresh bread & croissants etc. every morning but they sell out so buy what you need for the day. Small take-away and modern bar. The ice creams were expensive. Decent toilet and shower facilities.

The pitches are very variable in standard but mostly pretty large and I think all have shade. If you get a choice avoid the ones nearest to the toilets and next to the footpaths that go from the pool  up to the top of the site - they're very exposed to staring eyes. We were on a very nice one down a dead-end track. Nice and secluded and no passing cars. Just be careful on the main tracks because there are a lot of children on bikes haring around at great speeds!

There's a bike hire centre there but if you want to hire do it as soon as you arrive. We tried to book a few days into our two week stay but there was nothing available until after we left. You might be able to book in advance if you contact them direct.

Their website is http://www.camping-ecureuils.com

Jard is nice and the harbour area is 10 minutes walk away - a fairly typical seaside town with plenty of places to eat and you can stroll out along the sea wall in the evening. Most nights there were street entertainers that kept the children happy for quite some time - even if it was only in French! It's certainly a very French resort - not much English to be heard, which we thought was nice. The main town is a bit more inland but worth a car ride in for interesting shops and a huge market.

The beach in Jard village is nice for walks but not so good for bathing as a lot of it is quite rocky. You're better to head up the coast to Plage de la Mine - nice sandy beach with surf board hire, cafes and toilets (not particularly nice, but better than nothing!) and a large car park behind the nature reserve that backs onto the beach. Look at http://www.ville-jardsurmer.fr/v_gb/planVille/frameset.htm for an interactive map of the town - you can find the site and beaches on this map.

We had a lot of rain and thunderstorms when we were there, but still had a lovely holiday.

Hope that helps!

Jane

We went to 'the squirells' in Jard this summer, we loved the place. It's a nice site in a great location with clean spacious beaches within 10min walking distance.

The only thing that is a bit annoying is all the dust and sand in the pitches. We longed for a grass pitch at the end of our 2 weeks.

Anyway, don't tell too many brits about this site, we don't want the area ruined with fish & chip shops, fat women, noisy footy hooligans and bratty kids everywhere!!

Lets hope it stays french...and yes I am english! 

Yes Vanessa, Liz is right -  La Rochelle is lovely and it also has an aquarium - good for rainy days, but get there early or the queues can be horrendous. It takes longer to get there from Jard than you'd think but is well worth the effort. Lovely harbour, old town, shops etc. I've been three times now over the years and would gladly go back again.

I'd forgotten about La Venice Vert - I went there 30 years ago when camping at La Tranche with my parents. We hired a rowing boat on the little canals and I remember it being lovely and peaceful, and so green (of course!)

La Tranche in those days was a small, very French resort - just a seaside village. The only other English voices we heard there the first year we went were the friends who had recommended it to us. We met them there by chance - we hadn't actually known they were going to be there the same time as us! We camped at the Vieux Moulin campsite which was huge and in the dunes and pine trees, and only had cold showers and continental toilets.

We went back a couple of years later and it had changed a lot - more English, more buildings and part of the campsite had been sold off for building holiday homes. It just wasn't the same! We drove through when we were staying at Jard last year and it was completely unrecognisable. I really don't think it would suit me at all the way it's changed, particularly as I have such memories of the place from way back when. I don't even think that campsite exists any more - not under that name at least.

Jane