Is Camping Le Plan D Eau child friendly?

YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities

Does Camping Le Plan D Eau have a swimming pool?

YES, there is a pool on site View all facilities

Where is the nearest shop to Camping Le Plan D Eau?

There is a shop on site View all facilities

1 Reviews of Camping Le Plan D Eau , Saint Privat, Rhone-Alpes Campsite. Review score 8/10

Date of Visit: July 2016

Unit: Tent

Nights stayed: 10

Travelling as: Mature couple

Reviewer: Bridgeywidge

27 reviews from this member

My OH and I (early 50s but active) stayed here for 12 nights in early July, in our lovely frame tent Esther the Estoril.

The site is very near Aubenas but, far enough out to avoid lots of traffic yet, close enough for the supermarkets/shops and to the main routes down to the honeypot of Vallon Pont d'Arc and up into the quieter reaches of the Ardeche/mountains. The nearest 'village' is St Privat, which is on the other side of the river to Aubenas and eventually runs into other hamlets such as Ucel that run along this stretch of the Ardeche to Vals les Bains. This is where our nearest shop was - a Petit Casino - and a rather lovely bakery across the road, next to a cafe where we spent a pleasant time watching time go by (they don't mind you buying food from the bakery to eat - I recommend the apricot and custard pastries!). You could walk it from the site, but it would be about 30 minutes each way - quicker by car or bike if you have one with you. The walk itself if quite pleasant mainly, past flat allotment-like land with lots of butterflies, figs and other greenery. We also visited the 'biscuiterie' which makes and sells chestnut flour goodies - a couple of which are gluten free (great for FIL who is a coeliac); and you get to taste them too.

Back to the site itself. Located under a west-facing cliff /hill on a bend of the Ardeche, it is generally very well shaded and not large. There is a main 'road' through the site off which are short cul de sacs, some with cabins, some for tents/caravans etc. There is a mix of site sizes, from standard 90m2 approx, to XL which are over 10m2, and all are very level. They do vary in shape somewhat and, if close to the cliff, can be very shady, as we were (XL75). This had pluses and minuses - it meant we didn't get morning sun until late (so kept cool and darker for longer but felt a bit gloomy) although it kept the tent cooler. On reflection, I wish we'd asked to move to a site further from the cliff but for reasons I wont' go into, we stuck with what we were allocated (I'd booked but not pre-selected a pitch). We possibly needn't have booked at that time of year, as the site was far from full and we noticed people choosing their pitch.

There are a few river facing pitches but not many; the majority are under trees with hedges delimiting each. The trees are pretty much deciduous so no issue with tree sap from our point of view.

Please note, you will benefit from rock pegs - the soil is stony and rock solid, unless there is rain.

There is only one 'sanitaire' block but this has three sections; male, female and, a unisex one that opened during our stay. They were pretty much impeccably clean (no loo rolls) and we always had hot water in the shower (perhaps a bit too hot sometimes, for children, as there was no temperature control).

In addition, there is a washing up area with taps to fill bowls with hot water, and only cold at the sinks: I think this is a great idea and stops people wasting such a valuable resource. There is a laundry area with sinks and machines but didn't use them.

The reception team was very helpful and friendly and put up with my bad French - but also mainly spoke good English when needed, including booking trips like canoeing or canyoning. This is also where you take blocks to freeze - without charge. The usual tourist info leaflets can be found here also, and a few basic groceries/supplies: it's not a proper shop (which is why I've rated a bit lower as for the ££ I might have expected this).

There is a pleasant, shaded, bar area (where we watched the Euros at a soiree convivial): we didn't eat there other than this, but plenty did, although we did have a few beers. The prices were the same as off-site, so not a rip-off despite being a distance from the nearest bar. This is also where you order your morning 'flute' or journaux.

The site has a pool but, we never used it, preferring the river. It looked fine, with umbrellas etc, but a rather high fence surrounding was a bit off-putting from the outside. For children, there's a play area, and in the height of summer a relaxed programme of activities.

If you're active, there's a volleyball style sanded area near to the river. We didn't use that either.

The river is accessible from the edge of the site, down some steps and across some biggish boulders. Most people, however, walked a little further out under the cliff (there is a warning about rockfalls) where there is a platform of rock to sit on or jump from. Some people did wade across to the other side where there is a small beach. The water here is deep enough for swimming, with quite a current that gushes over the low 'waterfall'. Beyond the bathing area, the river becomes rocky but was fun to walk along and very tranquil. The water itself seemed really clear and warm and with fish of all sizes. We loved listening to the frog chorus in the evening. The big rock cliff glows orange at sunset:quite a spectacle to sit and watch the sun go down with nature sounds and the river symphony. Lots of butterflies here too, and birdsong (don't always seem to get that in France); the cigales were very chilled also, nowhere near as 'vibrant' as they were in Provence (A Good Thing).

The site is part of the Flower Campings marketing group and has an eco-rating - and it seems one does pay for this. The price of our XL pitch with electricity was quite a gulp (41E per night for our second week), and more so in the highest of the high season. Maybe that's why it wasn't full.

It was a good choice all in all: it offered the tranquility and natural feel we wanted, had ample clean facilities (only a short stroll at night), a bit of life with the laid-back bar, and within easy access of routes to the main sights up and down the Ardeche. I just wish we'd had a slightly sunnier spot - but that was our fault for not asking. I would recommend due to its location but maybe wouldn't go back, as there are so many other places to explore. We were sad to leave.

Reviews of Camping Le Plan D Eau

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