We fancy something different this coming year and have toyed with going with eurocamp. Anyone used them, good for young kids? What sites did you visit? Generally, would you recommend them for a holiday?
Cheers

They’re ok,but usually it’s cheaper to book direct with the campsite and arrange your own ferry.The French sites are usually very good especially for kids,very good sports facilities,excellent pools etc.We like a chain called Yelloh,but there are lots of others i.e.Siblu.Toget an Idea of the facilities,we liked this one lots.
http://www.yellohvillage.co.uk/camping/le_ranolien
They have about 40 sites in France mostly,we’ve been to 7,and enjoyed them all.
HTH,Ian

We Eurocamped every year when I was younger. The French (and Swiss) do campsites amazingly well.

We’ve now got kids and have been for 3 of the last 4 years (including with a 6-week old).

Depends what you like but favourite sites include Pyla sur Mer (take a sledge for the sand dune), Chateau des Ormes (massive, with boats, golf, tennis, waterpark) and Lauterbrunnen for the mountains. There’s one at Bourg d’Oisans too – I’m negotiating taking a road bike next time…

Canvas is cheaper than Eurocamp and also worth a look.

I did a couple of seasons for Canvas Holidays, so I’m duty bound to piont you towards them as the originators of the genre, rather than any of these other Johnnies-Come-Lately. 🙂 As a company they were just fantastic to work for, and I WILL go one of their holidays one day. If you like camping then I think they’re a brilliant idea to take young kids to, all the fun and none of the hassle. Their website will tell you all the gubbins – some sites will be more geared towards children than others. On the bigger sites, the camping companies will have organised activities for them too, so you and Mrs Steviegil can have a bit of respite.

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Looked at booking with Eurocamp a few years ago, but in the end booked with Yelloh. We had about 10 days at Serigan Plage on the Med coast and then stopped off for 4 days in the Parc du Val de Loire in the Loire Valley on the way home. The accommodation at Serigan Plage was amazing (probably one of the best places I have ever stayed) We went at half term when the prices where fairly sensible, however we have now started taking holidays during the summer holidays and the prices for the nice accommodation really jumps in the summer.

Having walked around the two sites the Yelloh owned caravans where generally in better locations and looked nicer than the other companies who use their sites.

Have used Canvas holidays for last 3 years staying in Brittany & Vendee in mobile homes and wooden lodge, always wait till 2 weeks or less to go and get good deals. Always best to ring them rather than on-line booking as they can sort ferries via other ports & they will be open to offers if short notice – managed to get 6 of us in our van with 10 nights away all in with return ferry for a grand, on-line price was double that. Scottish tele staff are really friendly and site staff great too. Go for a bigger mobile home, the 2 beds are too claustrophobic despite saying they are 6 berth, wouldn’t use the tents, Stayed in lodges a couple of times, look nice but get bloody hot and very noisy floors.
Kids really like Domaines des Ormes near Dol, I like St.Cast. Le Ranolien has some good photo-shopping on the promo pics, the pool etc is much smaller than it looks, great rocky scenery there though. Fast ferry via Cherbourg good. Look for a list of Vides Greniers near where you are staying – these are car boot sales with decent stuff cheap and not full of scratters and tat you get here. Wish I had a bigger van, could have brought loads more back. Already looking forward to next summer over there for longer & will use canvas holidays again.Hope this helps.

Cheers guys.
I’ve been scouting canvas, lifestyle and eurocamp sites for the perfect campsite – at the moment we’re not sure what exactly we’re after. The easy choice would be the beaches of the vendee, but I reckon I would get bored going to the beach everyday, plus if it’s right on the doorstep the kids wouldn’t want to leave!
Teaboy, des ormes is one if the ones I’ve been looking at, my only concern is the size if I’m honest, but it ticks every other box we require.
Another consideration is, we’re travelling from ecosse, so with having a fairly long trek to the ports, I’m considering a Brittany ferry crossing and getting a cabin to kip in overnight…but they seem to be a bit eye watering price wise 🙁
Once again, cheers for info 😉

Avontyrrell that’s great, cheers 🙂

considering a Brittany ferry crossing and getting a cabin to kip in overnight…but they seem to be a bit eye watering price wis

for years I got to go that way knowing that it wasnt that much dearer than the Dover / Calais when all weighted up.

Last time we did it, the overnight ferry was that dear I couldnt justify it to Mrs coolhandluke so off we went, drive to Dover – night in hotel, drive to ferry, into france, drive for hours paying tolls, hotel then off on travels again to Vende. it was a bit of an orderal, 3 days of driving! same on the way back which sotr of spoiled the holiday for me.

I got mrs coolhandluke to add up the costs, fuel, hotels food, tolls etc and it was about £50 less than the overnight ferry would have been! 👿

She vowed we’d never do that again….

it was a nightmare too. Still, at least I got to prove my point.

Stayed at one in Picardie for 3 nights on the way back (to Scotland) from a French summer road trip last summer – family of four with 8 and 5yo boys. We had a static caravan thing with 2 rooms and a balcony, was good for what we wanted (pool, space to play, loads of riding nearby, close to Calais etc). Not sure I’d fancy a fortnight there (you are very close to other people and its not the cheapest) but it was good for a short stay.

Another good thing was the discount on the channel crossing – we booked Eurotunnel, which I’d do every time now. Premier inn type place in the SE of England with a Eurotunnel crossing the next morning (if you miss your booked one, they put you on the next available one with no hassle) was way better than a cabin on a longer ferry crossing IMO and quite possibly cheaper. Depends where you’re ultimately heading though – we were going to the Alps, so a Calais crossing made most sense.

Have tried long haul driving, overnight ferrys, flights. Best way was always easyjet and car hire. Keycamp are practically identical too, same sites most of the time. Also, tents don’t keep the rats out. No reflection on the sites, I’ve seen them in the tent at Keswick.

I couldn’t imagine staying in one site for 2 weeks either, prefer to move about and try others every few days. Hate overnight ferries too, always look for the shortest crossing, love driving in France unlike here. We have accommodation available cheap, 20mins from Poole and 45mins from Pompey ports if anyone ever needs an overnighter, anyone who’s been to the Big Bike Bash should know it

Cheers guys.
I’ve been doing a bit of reading over on UKCAMPSITE and I haven’t read much about rat issues in the pre erected tents – not my idea of fun sharing a tent/caravan with rats! 🙁

After a quick look around we’re leaning towards crossing via tunnel then 4-5 night around Paris to incorporate Disney, followed by a week over in Brittany, with des ormes being one of the contenders, then use a western ferry crossing to start the trek home..