To ask you to save me from DH’s holiday choice?

[JontyDoggle37]

He is usually the one who organises holidays in our family, he enjoys trawling through loads of options and I don’t. However, the option he has just shown me is like driving all the way to south-west France to end up in Southend-on-Sea (and I can say that because I live in/near Southend!) for anyone who doesn’t know Southend, think mini Blackpool...perfect in its time and place but not what I want for our main holiday..
So, lovely MNers, I’m looking for a location that suits the following:

• West France, south enough to be at least 25 degrees in July
• Large village/small town location with emphasis on traditional French style rather than a ‘new built’ town
• Sandy family-friendly beach (DS4 is the sandcastle king)
• Campsites that accept motorhomes within walking distance of the beach
• some seriously good local restaurants- we both love our food and wine

Please tell me somewhere lovely to go and save me from going to Southend!!!! 🙏

S of Arcachon will be cheaper, Mimizan, Biscarosse etc, loads of campsites on the lakes, & stunning beaches

Canvey?

I was going to say ile doleron
Stayed there twice and loved it

Omg ...maubisson was the worst place we’ve stayed
Was 25 years ago..so hopefully it’s improved

Yes, look at the Vendee. Lots of campsites near the beach. We had a great holiday near Biscarosse. You'll be fine in a motorhome - I found camping in a tent on sandy soil a bit much but it was a great beach holiday.

Normandy.

Pretty much any one of the resorts from Cabourg to Honfleur.
Beautiful sweeping beaches and lots of history.

Straight off the ferry at Caen.
Some beautiful places there like Deauville.

if you aren't sure, and don't want to go that far, try Brittany.

Benodet (for the beach)/Quimper/Pont Aven/Concarneau.

easy ferry to Roscoff. No more than 100 miles to drive in France.

If the place your DH likes is Biarritz then you are mistaken, it’s a gorgeous place.

St Jean De LUz...Bidart...stunning quite a trek but worth it,

Camping Itsas Mendi and Camping Inter Plages

I really love Bidart.

I was going to say St Jean de Luz too. Lovely place.

I assume husband had suggested Biarritz?

When we have gone to Biarritz/ Bidart we have taken the ferry to Santander. But there is an airport at Biarritz too.

I can see it's been mentioned before, but I would also recommend I'll de Re. We've been twice and it's great!. Beautiful beaches, water sports, and great campsites!

The driving into Spain from Biarritz is fine. You don’t need a carnet. We did it with a campervan last year. Loved that corner, actually. I know you say you’re not keen on going that far, but Bordeaux/Biarritz/San Sebastien/Bilbao was a brilliant couple of weeks. Guernica was also worth a stop on a travel day too - interesting town, and a big mural copy of Picasso’s Guernica too.

We found some lovely sites through the ACSI books, and went along as far as Santiago de Compostela. Don’t stay at the ‘central’ Bilbao site though - it was expensive, not very clean/modern, hardly any hot water in the AM, and still about 25 mins on the train. We wish we’d stayed out at the beach instead.

Anyway - maybe further than you wanted to go, but didn’t want you to be put off by the suggestion of the carnet thing. Not even a border that you could see.... we just drove through. Well, for now. After Brexit fiasco, who knows....?

Ps. The ferry to Santander is ridiculously expensive with a campervan..... (I see you say you’ll be travelling in one.) We’re also in Scotland, so it’s a longer journey, but after lots of ‘playing about’ with routes, we tend to stick to Dover -Calais/Dunkirk. Stop at Deale before crossing over, and then once or twice on the way south through France.

Biarritz is a combination of affluent and surfie. Really nothing at all like Blackpool or Southend. There’s a great beach, lovely shops, lots of interesting arcitecture, nice bars and places to eat. There are loads of nearby resorts and villages, each with their own character, a short drive away. There are mountains and great scenery and the climate is basically like a really really nice English day.

I thought Biarritz was lovely when we went.

Why are we assuming that is where the OP's DH has suggested? Is it there OP?

I second St Jean de Mont.
The beach is beautiful and gently sloping.
Lovely seafront area with great restaurants, all lit up at night, very holiday-ish.
Fairly near to Planet Sauvage and Zoo des Sables for days out. There's also a chateau nearby which does some sort of show thing, but I'm a bit vague on that.
Pine forests along the coast for exploring.
Actually, I think there is a campsite with a direct path through the forest onto the beach. Sure we stayed there about 10 yrs ago but can't remember the name.
I'd steer clear during August but July should be manageable.
If we're heading that way we take an overnight ferry to one of the western ports and hit St Jean by the afternoon.

Biscarosse was lovely and classy but was modern, we stayed at La Rive campsite which had a beautiful lake.

The whole of the Dordogne is beautiful with quaint villages so you can't go wrong with that. Canoeing down the rivers there is great.

Normandy is too cold, Biarritz is too far and too hot, you can't move on the île de Ré in the summer - even the cycle paths are chock full! and the toll is 16€ (return as they only collect it on the outward crossing).
La Rochelle is lovely for a day trip (or a special restaurant meal) but not for the kind of holiday you describe.
Ile d'Oleron, perhaps, but don't try to cross the bridge on a Friday or Sunday evening - it's a nightmare - nose to tail from halfway across the island and all the way to Rochefort (the bitter voice of experience speaking there).
For all these reasons I'd go with the Vendée coast - miles and miles of beaches and pine forests with plenty of campsites. Anywhere between St Jean de Mons and La Faute / l'Aguillon sur Mer, really.

I presume the place @TarragonSauce means is le Puy du Fou: an incredible day out but don't try to do the park and the show the same day with small children as the park is exhausting in itself.

www.puydufou.com/en?language_content_entity=en

I'll de Re / I'll D'Oleron BUT you cannot guarantee 25 degree weather, in fact it can be utterly shite. We have a mobile home down there.

If you want the weather you need to go further south,

and I totally agree about the traffic. Horrendous.

We went to Pornic last year and it was gorgeous. Loads of different beaches to go to, lovely harbour full of restaurants and bars.