Low down on camping in Carnac with 2 and 1 years old please - 4 weeks to go!

[millypip]

So.... 4 weeks to go and I am soo excited! We are taking our 2 1/2 year old and 1 year old camping at La Baie in Carnac (well, Trinite sur Mer). We're going for the Eurocamp tent option. Although we are experienced campers ourselves we have never taken the children before so thought this would be a good way to start.

I have already had some great tips from people here already but am just hoping that there might be some more out there, particularly people who know Carnac. Because of space in the car I am hoping I can pack as little food/nappies etc as possible and buy everything out there - would that work?

Also - we are taking the overnight ferry from Portsmouth and have booked a cabin in the hope that we might all get some sleep, if you have any tips on how to make this easier they would be appreciated too!

Thank you!

[millypip]

Oh, forgot to add although we have ordered a cot there I thought I would take a travel cot for DS in case their's isn't very good. Does anybody have any experience of Eurocamp cots? I have so many questions running through my head but have forgotten most of them now... :-)

[frogthistle]

We've only done Canvas Hols a bit further up the coast (Fouesnant near Concarneau) but did it with a 3 yr old & a 4 month old & survived! We went back the next year.

Don't know La Baie but Carnac is a sleepy little town with small commercial centre. There is a large Leclerc in Hennebont from memory which is handy. You can get anything in a large French supermarket, no probs. Bestest tip for cleaning is to get some of those (non-environmentally friendly) wipes for cleaning surfaces as with small kids it's a bit of a doddle to wipe over the table & chairs after mealtimes & go out again.

Cots are normal ones, maybe slightly on the cheaper side so if you like a softer mattress for your younger one, perhaps worth taking a small cover/duvet to go underneath. I think Eurocamp provide blankets etc anyway so my two are always very toasty in the tents.

I did take a long bungee cord (embarrassed emoticon) & reins for my toddler at that age & she was attached to the tent on a long leash. Not proud about that but she was at an age when she made regular attempts at escape & that kept everyone slightly calmer...

The ferry from Portsmouth to St Malo is brilliant. We always head for the cafeteria option almost as soon as we get on board (dump stuff in cabin first). Then you sit & eat while watching England slip away from you. Not fancy environment but good food, kids happy & as you don't sail until 20.30, they up late so once filled with nosh, you can give them 10 mins in the children's play room & mini cinema ( Jungle Book & Ratatouille last year) before all heading to bed. We've always slept very well, the beds & duvets are lovely. Have you booked a cot on board for the 1 year old? If not, they can be requested onboard at the info desk.

Back to the cafeteria for breakfast & watch all the boats as you come into St Malo.

The way back is more fun, although you do spend most of the day on board (1030 departure from France). The children's entertainment room/cinema/parade keeps ours happy & we booked a day cabin last time (which was vvvvv good idea). We all had a snooze. I took my 4 yr old to watch Indiana Jones in one of the 2 onboard cinemas, there was face painting etc etc.

Normally the campsites have reasonable shops so you can get the absolute basics for the morning without having to rush off. At an augmented price though.

Hope you have a great time.

[millypip]

Thank you Frogthistle! I particularly appreciate the tip about the cot on the ferry, I didn't know you could do that. I've no idea what I was planning to do - hold on to him all night? That is definitely not condusive to a good night's sleep for anybody. Thank you, I will definitely request one! :-)

[pinksancerre]

We stayed when dd was 5 and ds was 2 at the sister campsite over the road La Plage. We stayed in a eurocamp tent. Can't advise on ferry because we did Dover - Calais. Trinite sur Mer is lovely and Carnac although small is great. Beaches are good. The Quiberon peninsula also makes a good day out. There is also a great place nearby which is a huge play area with great inflatables.

Can't advise on the cot as ds was in a bed from 15months due to being great escape artist from a cot

We have just come back from France last week and with the pound - euro so crap it was obv more expensive. ie 4 icecreams over 10 euros, beer at the campsite bar 4 euros So if you are on a budget I would advise taking what you can, espec if you are planning to cook yourselves, take food prep basics. .