Les Valades round up

[profpoopsnagle]

Thought I'd start a fresh thread.

Had a brilliant time and overall the weather was fab. Nice to meet Hillbilly in person and I think I may have spotted Hairy. Despite going to the lake loads we tended to use the flatter chalet route than past the lower pitches. I'm glad you got a hammock millimat. We almost contemplated placing a sign up outside our pitch saying because of all the looks we got as people trudged up the hill from the pool.

The campsite was very quiet after about the 17th- little bit sad really. We had a few more nights near Paris and are currently on the ferry home.

Didn't get to many places again as we just felt like resting, never felt bored though. Miss the lake, the fresh croissants, using my bad Holiday French, the atmosphere very much. We probably aren't Valading next year but we will return one day.

[millimat]

Well it's a month since we arrived there and I'm reminiscing. I had huge reservations about this site as I expected our children to be bored. We'd hoped to go to Soleil Plage but it was booked up. How glad am I now that it was!!
Loved the site and although it was a trek down to the lake we would probably choose the top pitches if we went again. I was happy for dcs to go off and explore on their own. Lake was so clean and the inflatables were a huge hit- only once did I have to go over and get some teenagers who were hogging them to let my children on. I didn't think they'd want to use the pool with it being so basic but it was a big hit too as they enjoyed being able to dive in and play with a ball. I loved how clean it was.
We explored lots in the area, probably to the extreme as out ended up not relaxing. Canoeing on the Dordogne was the best thing we did, but we also explored the light and sound caves and the prehistoric ones too. We went to Rocamadour which wasn't worth the long drive that it ended up being.
I was very impressed with the owner although he never seemed to stop, if he wasn't on the reception desk he was being the chef!! He also dealt very well with the fire opposite us. Which one was that - Jean Charles or Lawrence? Who was the other owner?
So now we need a similar campsite somewhere else please?!!!

[hillbilly]

Been meaning to post on here for the last couple of weeks so Millimat thanks for bringing it up back to the top again. We had a very relaxing 3 weeks there and were completely lazy! Loved hanging out at the pool and canoeing in the lake.

We loved pitching by the pool and would send the kids up to reception in the mornings to collect bread and croissants.

My criticisms this year would be that the paid for internet access on the pitch was poor which was irritating as we were still working whilst away.

Last year they had said that they would have a food market on during August but that did not materialise. Neither did the weekly campfire by the lake which was disappointing. And during the 3 weeks we were there there was only entertainment one of the Thursdays which was so much fun it would have great if it had been on every week.

Jean Charles and Laurence (his wife) are amazingly hard workers as are all the staff. They toilets were kept impecably clean although I found it
annoying that there was no hand soap. When i asked about it (2 years ago) they said it was because it ended up all over the floor because of children messing about. I'm sure a solution could have been found.

We totally love Les Valades but having been there for the last 3 summers I think we might be ready to try somewhere else :-)

[millimat]

Ah so Laurence is his wife- the blonde lady? I thought it was a gay couple and my thoughts on impeccable cleanliness in the toilets confirmed this or so I thought!!
I was disappointed by the lack of campfire, something my children were really looking forward to.
We were only there for one Thursday and that was one of the cancelled entertainment evenings.
Definitely a few mumsnetters on the site - someone near me had a bell tent with fairy lights and bunting

[Blu]

Fire?

I think I saw you talking about that in another thread. Sounds terrifying!

I am always very jealous of the Les Valades trips. Would it be a good site to take 15 yo boys to?

Do you all have the individual toilet and sink huts?

[profpoopsnagle]

MM that's interesting about Rocamadour as that's a trip we meant to do. Our favourite trip was a night out to Belves when they had the evening food market.

I think they couldn't have campfires as it was so dry and we hoped to do the supper by the lake but that was cancelled due to the weather. It would be good if they could run it up at the terrace but I guess there's not enough space. We did get Pascal (sp) the singer the week later but as the camp had started to empty people seemed reluctant to dance (not me! ). My sister who stayed on said there was another singer the following week.

I agree with the hand soap but they do stock loo roll- so many other campsites don't do that and that really is a PITA. I think the owners are brilliant, they let you practise French on them and don't laugh, and Jean Charles would always wave as he zipped past on his buggy.

Blu if you want a private pitch then you need to book asap, I tried to book one first week of January but was just pipped to the post. But I have read that they can be a bit isolating too as you don't have to communally wash up etc. And walking up and down to loo blocks = daily croissant.

Not sure of plans yet for next year DH fancies a Welsh tour, so we might do 3-4 sites around there, 3 short stays of 3-4 days followed by a week at FForest Fields. I've been checking out Duinrell too, as I think my kids are of the age they'd appreciate an on tap theme park and water place - I wouldn't have had it down as our bag but it's important to try anything once! Then there's a possible River Dart trip, or we might do a week in Northumberland...>

[millimat]

I fancy Duinrell as well for our children, but not sure I could cope with the lack of sun for a main holiday.
Was the weather this year typical for the Dordogne? When we arrived it was scorching to the point that we didn't do anything. 2 days in and there was that huge thunderstorm then a couple of rainy days. I expected it to warm up more than it did after that tbh, as although it was warm enough to swim in the lake and pool, it wasn't exactly boiling sunbathing weather.