# Travelling West Coast of France this Summer - need to book?



## doesie (Sep 15, 2010)

Hello there; I am travelling down from St Malo to Bilbao this Summer with the kids - do I need to book camp sites ahead?? I don;t want to do it this way, but I don;t want to be stranded with the kids with nowhere to stop in the motorhome. 
I looked at camping and Caravan Club sites - they want booking in advance + minimum days' commitment - I want greater flexibility than this. This will be first trip (other than a week-end away in England so far) so don;t want to mess up and give the kids a miserable time as result!
Thanks for any help anyone has on this.


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

if it's in the main French holidays (august) you may find that the "full facility" sites - with pools, kids activities, directly by the sea etc - would be quite full, but away form these there should not be a problem. Obviously you would have to pay the full going rate, being high season.


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## doesie (Sep 15, 2010)

bognormike said:


> if it's in the main French holidays (august) you may find that the "full facility" sites - with pools, kids activities, directly by the sea etc - would be quite full, but away form these there should not be a problem. Obviously you would have to pay the full going rate, being high season.


Thanks, that's helpful - best facility for my kids is the sea - which is free!
Is there a good guide to French camp sites available??


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

How long do you intend taking and where do you want to stop?

If its after 14 Juilllet the west coast will be very busy.

If I were doing this I would have thought a couple days at or near La Rochelle or Chataillon sur Plage or on the Ile de Re or Ile d 'Oleron would be a good first stop over, but they will be very busy, and you must book ahead.

Then somewhere off the N10 on a side road to the coast at the Landes/Etangs area would be a second point, but it is quite a detaour off route, or in the Landes national park

I assume that you will be travelling to St Malo overnight, so that you can arrive at location 1 by mid day or early afternoon and will set off early on transit days, again so as to arrive at subsequent destinations by lunch or early afternoon

You might find www.motorhomingfrance.co.uk worth joining for its on line list and detailed descriptions of Aires and campsites, which in the French fashion are indexed by Department

Going down the coast from about Nantes they are

85 Loire Vendee
17 Charentes Maritime
33 Acquitaine Gironde
40 Acquitaine Landes
64 Pyrennees Atlantique

Google search for the web site of each department and then search the departnment sites for camping sites.


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## doesie (Sep 15, 2010)

Thanks for the info.
I am travelling arriving 8th August in St Malo, then coming back from Bilbao on 30th August. So just over 3 weeks and peak holiday time - but c'est la vie, that's when the kids are off school.
We all love the sea and swimming and I want to cycle as much as poss once the van is parked up - we are all cyclists ans swimmers, although my little boy is just 6 so not as capable as me and my daughter - he can manage a good 2-3 miles by bike though.
My little boy loves woodlands.
So, less resort type stuff, more sea and forests + French picnic grub is what we're after (kids eat anything and everything) + hopefully some other kids to meet on their travels.

I do hate the idea of booking in advance, but sounds like "needs must" that time of year. Don't know the area at all, but do speak French and will have PC connection via mobile connection as we travel.

Thanks again.


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## doesie (Sep 15, 2010)

Should have said also - want to avoid main roads, quite happy taking time pootling along and taking a more scenic route - want to follow the sea as much as poss.


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

Good to see you've subscribed, Doesie 8)  

If you want to pootle along near the coast you should be able to find somewhere. The Michelin camping guide is good for most types of site - including municipals. And of course you could find some good aires along the way. Also try MHF's sites guide; there's a USB stick that should be available shortly so you can have the details on a laptop.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

What Mike said, plus the Caravan Club book "Caravan Europe 1" is pretty good - in fact it's one of the best.

Dave


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

It is a gamble really and some people worry about finding a place to stop. I have been Motorhoming for more than thirty years and have never booked up and so far never failed to find a place. The variety of possibilities is huge for you to select from. Vicarious books are a very good start if you want the best selection of sites.
If ever you felt that you were 'stuck' without a place to stop, most if not all campsites have a late arrivals space, where either for no charge or a nominal charge you can stop outside of the campsite. These are often well used by Italians for some reason.
You have a large number of Aires in all their various guises.
French Passion is another choice.
I have camped at the time you intend to travel all along the route you are taking where there are more camping sites than you can shake a stick at. As for the most suitable with best facilities for kids, there is an element of pot luck here.
Last year we stayed in Montalivet on the Gironde at an Aire, by the beach, with street markets and cafe's 200 metres away for 6 euros a night.
If you do choose this place it may be cheaper to drive to Bordeaux and back up than the quicker route via a ferry at 45 euros.
Have fun
Alan


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## ralph-dot (May 10, 2005)

we do have a campsite database

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Campsites&file=map


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

*Re: Travelling West Coast of France this Summer - need to bo*



doesie said:


> we are all cyclists ans swimmers, although my little boy is just 6 so not as capable as me and my daughter - he can manage a good 2-3 miles by bike though.
> My little boy loves woodlands.


He'll love the Les Landes area around Bordeaux- miles of cycle tracks in among the pine forests. There are masses of campsites of all sizes in that area. We love Arcachon- the beach is stunning.

http://www.tourisme-aquitaine.fr/en...m1_4C00454,coastal,cycling,tracks,france.html

Take them to the Dune de Pylat too. There is an aire there so you can overnight and see the dune before and after the tourists do. Stunning by moonlight It's a huge aire and I'd be very surprised to find it full at any time of the year- and if it was, there is all the car parking area there too.

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Campsites&op=display_results&csid=1067

G


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## stec (Apr 17, 2011)

I'l be following this thread, just got our motorhome and are planning almost the exact same route with three kids aged 4, 7 and 12 at the same time because we both work in schools. With it being the first motorhome weve had il be interested in any information posted here


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## doesie (Sep 15, 2010)

Thank you everyone for some really very helpful - and reassuring - posts. Can't wait! 8)


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## me0wp00 (Jun 2, 2010)

we have two kids 6 and 3, last august we went to ile d'oleron 7th August for a week, the municipal aire at route de huitres is 8e a night including electricity, across the road is the sea and the oyster van comes every morning, Super U and the town is close by, bus takes you to other parts of the island, it was busy when we arrived but you can camp on the car park and play spot the one that's moving, we moved about 4 times in the week.
Les Landes is beautiful and i've only stayed in the siblu sites with a mobile home but am planning a trip during the school hols....
Ideally as already said, if you can get away 2nd July for a fortnight the places won't be really busy, alot of the french have august off.


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

me0wp00 said:


> we have two kids 6 and 3, last august we went to ile d'oleron 7th August for a week, the municipal aire at route de huitres is 8e a night including electricity, across the road is the sea and the oyster van comes every morning, Super U and the town is close by, bus takes you to other parts of the island, it was busy when we arrived but you can camp on the car park and play spot the one that's moving, we moved about 4 times in the week.
> 
> .


damn you - got me drooling again - Oleron is super, the beaches on the atlantic side are brilliant, and the oysters & mussells from the east - lovely! try moules a L'eglade 
see the video
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4ubb0_l-eglade_people

8) :wink:


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## shirleydeputy (Jul 31, 2009)

Hi

I noted your August holiday dates.....you might well be pleasantly surprised how easy it is to get a site from the 15th August onwards. As an ex teacher I was always condemned to the main holiday season and the first two weeks of the school hols are very busy everywhere in France! 
I used to book for at least the main site we had in mind. 

However, the last two weeks of August were always a lot easier! Maybe we were just lucky but some sites even reduced their fees on 15th August. 
Best of luck. 
Shirley


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

If I had those three weeks I would look to spend 

Week 1 in Brittany and Normandy 

take the kids to Caen for old churches and castles and William the Conqueror stuff, maybe the stoneage monuments near l'Orient, much bigger and more impressive than Stonehenge in their scope. Lots of lovely places to stay and see and cycle as well as stunning beaches. Other sights could include the WW2 German submarine pens at St Nazaire and the tidal power generation barrage at La Rance.

Week 2 Ile d'Oleron area

Ile d'Oleron is ideal for kids, flat, lots of cycling and beaches. A light house to climb and maybe a trip out to the Napoleonic Fort. The bridge to the mainland is an experience, day or night, but lit up at night it is amazing. On the way south from Brittany/Normandy stay a day in the Poitevin Marshes south of Niort, they are a green Venice low lying many canals and waterways and flat a different place for the kids to experience and cycle


Week 3 the Landes

and divide time in the national park, inland, and on the coast. Many inland sites are on rivers or lakesides and thre will be so many miles of track and beaches you will be able to find spots all to yourself during the day

But don't forget Bilbao, try to get them to the Guggenheim and maybe try and take the cross river cable car


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## me0wp00 (Jun 2, 2010)

Bognormike 
love the video.... Oleron is super, planning another week or so this summer holidays. Maybe even venture on the petit train this time around


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## chrisgog (May 17, 2005)

As a teacher I have no option but to go in August. Arrive by 12 and you should get a space. I never ever book now.


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## mandyandandy (Oct 1, 2006)

We have stayed at this place a few times now and my chlidren have loved it.

http://www.ville-marans.fr/voir/hebergement/camping/

Pool is separate price but not expensive. A teens tent near the entrance for them to hang around doing their thing.

English speaking and very helpful owners.

Next to canal system where you can hire a little powered boat for the afternoon and tour the area, my children loved this and my 8 year old had no trouble driving it.

We do all school holidays and not a problem, we do Aires mainly and love beaches, try looking at St Georges beach you can park along the edge and you have a huge beach to go at. Get anywhere you are heading before lunch and you should be ok.

Have a great time we are heading down that way end of July .

Mandy


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## ojibway (May 9, 2005)

Hi Doesie,
Looks like you are planning a lovely holiday in a lovely area.

Remember 'aires' are used extensively by the French and, of course the English, Dutch, Belgiums and Germans, so if you can't get into a campsite you can always use one of these. Some are free, others charge up to about 10euros. A few have individual electricity points. This one is a great example at MORTAGNE SUR GIRONDE. There is even wifi.
See - http://www.campingcar-infos.com/index1.htm - click 'chercher/ajouter une aire' and choose the region.
Or you can get the Vicarious Books "all the aires".
Departement 17 will show all the aires on the Ile de Re and Ile d'Oleron
Aires are busy too, especially on weekends but if you get there earlyish you should be ok.

Mike and Annie


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## doesie (Sep 15, 2010)

mandyandandy said:


> We have stayed at this place a few times now and my chlidren have loved it.
> 
> http://www.ville-marans.fr/voir/hebergement/camping/
> 
> ...


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