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  • Bordeaux – recommedations
  • NZCol
    Full Member

    Hive mind: Heading to this area in summer, any campsite suggestion – small child, campervan. Loads of sites just wondered if anyone had any good ones to recommend. Beach sites mainly as we have booked one in the vineyards.

    HansRey
    Full Member

    Lovely area. I’ve been 4 times (twice as a kid and twice during uni). I’ve been to Bordeaux and west towards the coast.

    When camping, i’ve stayed at Camping La Foret behind Dune du Pyla. The cycling is great and the buses are good if you want to get to Arcachon for a night out/shopping/etc. I’d recommend getting up the top of the big dune for sunrise with breakfast.

    Also, look at Cap Ferret. It’s a big spit, with great beaches and some good surf. I haven’t stayed there overnight, but I’ve made plenty of day trips.

    Also, i’ve seen people moor boats on Banc D’Agneau, just off the dune du pyla. If you get a boat and it’s calm, that would be a great place to stay.

    Finally, there are some good sites at Biscarrosse. It’s a lake, with beaches.

    Smudger666
    Full Member

    if you don’t have to be in Bordeaux itself, have a look near Arcachon – just southwest of B.

    huge beaches. huge waves. water park close by.

    never camped in the area but visited it – bordeaux is a short and cheap rail trip away.

    nemesis
    Free Member

    Les Grand Pins, Lacanau has been recommended to me.

    http://www.lesgrandspins.com/fr/

    natrix
    Free Member

    If you’re actually in Bordeaux, check out the fountain at the Place de la Bourse. The children (and childish adults)can run around in the water fountains, just remember a spare change of clothes 8)

    jambalaya
    Free Member

    Massive area very popular with tourists, bit quieter to the north (eg Vendee) and South (eg Lot river valley or around Ile de Re – busy and expensive). Be careful with Bay of Biscay facing beaches as they can be dangerous. River based activities like canoeing etc. Enjoy, it’s wonderful.

    NZCol
    Full Member

    Most excellent advice thanks.

    Pyrennees recommendations ?

    jambalaya
    Free Member

    Pyrennees recommendations ?

    I’ve visited mostly around/inland of Perpignan so other coast but you could consider Toulouse or Carcasonne as an intermediate stop but not really kid friendly destinations IME. Given you are in Bordeaux I’d head for La Rochelle/ile de Re/ Biartiz/Basque county. Only downside is its a long long way back home if you keep heading south.

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    Bordeaux is spectacular, spent 2 very fine years living and working there.

    My advice is head to Arcachon (as mentioned) though in the summer it’s where all the French go on their holidays so be warned of queues of traffic on the E5 and D106, also the ring road (E5) is a total nightmare during peak rush hours.. just factor that in won’t you.
    As for the area I personally like Ares, just a bit north in the Bay and has a slight old fashioned feel to it. Arcachon “centre” is a bit touristy and prices are steep for eating out.
    Lacanau has some great camping facilities, be warned you may have to book in the sites these days only because some are owned by the large family camping organisations.. Just a thought. But TBH it’s a superb area, lots of families head there rather than into Arcachon so you really do get a proper French holiday feeling to the place. It’s my recommendation anyways.
    As far as visiting the area stay clear of St Emillion, whilst it’s bloody lovely and you really can fill your boots with wine again it’s just too packed during holiday season. So head to Montagne or Puisseguin or the outer lying wine/vineyards where you can relax in smaller wine producers regions.. Or head over to Sauternes near Langon which is my favourite area TBH.
    Of course you are not to far from the Southern Pyrenees and should you see yourself going there then factor in the drive time, deceptively long from Bordeaux but thats up to you.
    Other areas, well Mimizan is really nice, don’t forget you are now in flat reedbeds and wilderness but the rivers that cut through the area make for spectacular wildlife watching and the French have this thing about sticking a carpark just off the main routes so you can in reality just pootle around without being too far off the beaten track.
    But my choices are what I like, I’ve done loads of sailing and riding there over the years and my preferred choices will always be on the Girone or in the valley/flood plains area(s) But you have to discover the region, it really is spectacular IMO.
    Bit of a drive from the ferry ports (StMalo) etc (7-8hrs) or you may choose the Santander ferry…

    wittonweavers
    Free Member

    I absolutely love this area of France. It doesnt mtter where you go there will be something spectacular nearby. Unfortunately we didnt camp down there so i cant really offer any advice, but i would regard the Dune du Pyla as one of the best places i have ever been – think we have now been 3 or 4 times.

    The first time we went we more or less stumbled on it – unaware it was a huge sand dune – we were just looking for a beach. We followed signposts and parked up in a forest (no sign of the sea). Typically British, we unloaded the car with all our beach gear and started a flip-floppy walk, following the signs.

    Something felt wrong though. We were walking up hill – to the sea? Everyone else had hiking boots and trainers on, or at least it felt like it! It was memorable though. We climbed the stairs to the top and ran down the other side to the sea before scrambling back up. Quite an ordeal but one we will never forget.

    Enjoy it, its fab! 😀

    thekingisdead
    Free Member

    Nothing specific to add but 2nd much of what’s been written, was there in April. Lovely area of France. Did a good ride from Cazaux (good lake / beach ) to Cap Feret round the bay (and back again as Mr Ferry man takes 2 hours for lunch :-\)

    Konastoner
    Free Member

    Here’s one I recommend, free mini bus into St Emilion too! Ive been going 2 or 3 times a year for the last 6 years for wine & work purposes so know the area well. I really rate Bordeaux as a city, the vibe is chilled and relaxed with culture in abundance. Libourne has a direct rail connection.

    Yelloh Campsite St Emilion

    BillMC
    Full Member

    Hourtin has a campsite close to the beach so you do not have to drive and park like most of the beeches from here to San Sebastian. There’s surf there too. Visit the Medoc for wine.

    Mackem
    Full Member

    If you going to travel around a bit then Bayonne is worth a visit. As is Larun for the train to the top of the mountain.

    mikerc
    Free Member

    Have been to this area a number of times stayed at Hourtin Plage to the west of Bordeaux , Camping Cote Dargent, superb place all the facilities excellent and a great beach. You can have some real big waves. Easy distance to Lacanau-Ocean nice town with beach and good surfing.

    mugsys_m8
    Full Member

    Just wrote a load about our thoguhts after a weeks touring there with the kids. But deleted it by mistake. Will wirte more later, if I forget hassle me!

    mugsys_m8
    Full Member

    Right. I woould avoid the Bassin d’Arcachon like the plague. Last year we toured with our 6 and 4 year old down immaculate ribbons of tarmac in the pine forests from Parentis en Born (freshwater lake) to Biarritz, then got the train upto Arcachon and biked back to our car at Parentis (it was a campsite that agreed for us to leave our car for 2 1/2 weeks) hence why we didn’t start in Arcachon.

    For my money it is Hossegor or Cap Breton where you want to be based, or one of the inland lakes.

    Coming from the S. Alps we were disappointed with the campsites in general. But that was partly due to the fact we were touring and moving on most days if not every 2nd or 3rd day. Campsites full of interesting types. In one we had to get the campsite security involved at about 3 am in the morning (one of the sites behind the dune de Pyla.

    It’s a great area, not really our place being montagnards, but worth seeing. Bassin Arcachon though is a tourist trap with one or 2 hidden gems: oyster fishing harbours tucked away from the roads and fisherman’s cabins etc). <shhh> Port de Biganos.

    The bike lanes are great. You can ride to some of the more ‘remoter’ beaches rather than having to drive. Lacked a bit of adventure touring there as a family after 2 years in Denmark.

    BillMC
    Full Member

    Château Poujeaux
    Address: 450 Avenue de la Gironde, 33480 Moulis-en-Médoc, France

    …is a place I would seek out. I was taken there by an oenologist mate on a trip around 20 estates. Their wine is very good and very good value. Twice I have got back to the UK and regretted not buying twice as much.

    natrix
    Free Member

    Personally I quite like Bassin d’Arcachon area and often stay in Andernos les Bain.

    However, if you do ever visit Andernos les Bain, do not be fooled by the ‘Parc VTT’ marked on the map. It is the most sorry excuse for a trail centre that I have ever seen.

    Worth being in France on 21 June for Fête de la Musique, lots of free music gigs all over the place.

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