Camping France, going mad!

[wiltingfast]

ok, have v fond memories of the ferry/camping holiday as a child. Have talked dh into it and have booked ferry into Cherbourg 3 Aug back 16 Aug BUT I am finding it SO hard to get a campsite.

we've left it late so choice is limited.

Anxious to get sun but don't want to have to drive loads as this is our first time and we've only got 14 days. I think 5-6 hours is the MAX we'd want to travel. Also we've 2 small kids (3y and 5y)

Tents seem to be gone which is v disappointing to me. Not a mobile home fan.

Anyway, after DAYS of scouting websites have found maybe 3 options, have researched Tripadvisor but opinions are so diverse I'm v confused. How much weight do people give to it?

Have any mumsnetters experience of the following campsites?

1. Le Clarys Plage near St Jean de Monts (www.canvasholidays.ie/france/ven ... b=overview)

1. La Dune des Sables near Sables d'Olonne (www.allcamps.ie/camping/france/v ... ype=search)

1. Sequoia Parc near Maronnes (www.allcamps.ie/camping/france/s ... ype=search)

I've looked at www.canvasholidays.ie, www.allcamps.ie, www.eurocamp.ie. also Siblu and Yelloh Villages.

So opinions, thoughts other suggestions all welcome.

TIA

st Jeans de monts site is popular on mums net, good area to be and only a 2-3 hour drive at most from ferry.

La Dunes I have seen a long time ago - it will be a further drive and is an area full of tourists at the bottom of the vendee

have stayed in Yelloh camps and they are good

Sequoia Parc - BIL goes there every year and we almost booked there too. Castels is generally a nice company with great sites and there's plenty for DC to do.

I stayed in several Yelloh campsites last year and found the standard good - none of those you have mentioned though. I think from the Vendee down should be sunny and warm.

Not sure if it fits your brief but we had a lovely time at this tiny campsite in Brittany Bellevue. Are you taking your own tent? It may be worth checking as they were not fully booked when we were there a couple of years ago.

Oh, thank you everyone, events overtook us and we ran out of options, had to books Pointe St Gilles in Brittany in Benodet, Looks lovely but am a bit worried about the weather, at least the pool is partly indoors... kids crazy about the pool...

anyone been there?

Not brave enough to tent it ourselves pootlingalong! Maybe next time...

Not camped in benodet but close by and it is LOVELY! Really good area for little ones. Close to concarnaeu which we all adore. Enjoy!

Benodet is lovely. We went when our DC were small, so before the new pool was built at Pointe St Gilles. There was a tourist train into town from the site, or it's a nice walk along the beach.

Pointe St Giles has a great pool..favourite of my kid's of the sites we've been to

Don't know the campsite but southwest Brittany is gorgeous. We enjoyed a drive out to the far west coast and beautiful beach at Baie des trespasses and walking round the battlements at Concarneau. If you do decide to go tent browsing there's a big Decathlon in Quimper!

And a chocolate museum in concarnaeu and a river boat trip up to qui per which is lovely. Ooh I want to go

Stayed at Le Clarys Plage last year and it can't be faulted. Great swimming pool with lots of slides for all ages, lazy river and a spas section with jets etc. The beach is a short walk or drive down the road and the rest of the facilities are good. It takes about 4 hours from the ferry depending on traffic of course. Would definitely recommend it for families our kids are 10, 5 and 4 and they all had a brilliant time.

We went last summer with kids exact same age as yours. It was great. The pools were fun (though v deep at times), the site was busy but not overcrowded and the kids loved scooting and cycling round it. They also loved the kids disco twice a week- cheesey but perfect for them. Benodet was lovely - nice beach with ice cream parlour there. There are great places round about eg Concarneau to visit. Really well organised site I thought. Have fun!

We stayed at château des ormes in Brittany. Half an hour from St malo with an overnight ferry crossing. It was great. We stayed in a mobile home booked through lifestyle holidays as it was tons cheaper than eurocamp, but there were tents there in nice hedged off bays.

Lots of positivity! I can't wait now , thanks for all the tips...

Try camping du letty, right in it's own little cove. Indoor and outdoor pool, it's in Benodet

Or this year we are off to les mouettes which is a yelloh village campsite so bigger

We normally go to at jean de mint but last year we had passport problems so ended up with less time so stayed in brittanny and the weather was fantastic, beaches are beautiful.
I book mine in about February cis the best sites get booked up quickly.

That was a lot smarter than us Ledkr

Sorry I didn't mean to sound smuggy, I was the same last year it books up pretty quick so hard to get the dates you want.

Sequoia parc is lovely the pitches are lovely and private. We went with canvas a couple if years ago. Pool area is gorgeous and like one which you would get in a Spanish hotel resort. Found staff really friendly too .

We're off to a yelloh site for the first time this year so glad to hear good reports about them...

You do not sound smuggy at all Ledkr, I am just laughing at my naivety and relieved we seem to have found a good site despite it! I'd should have known that france in august would be busy!

Hi were going camping in france in august too....booked about two months ago (incredibly early for us) and many sites were already booked. I think from your post you have had to take a mobile home....if so from my memory clarys,plage got good reviews, but it got bad reviews from those in tents because of noise.

We've been here three times. Weather always been good ( a bit of drizzle at night at worst). Friendly owner, he has a few posh tents and it's a short walk to St Pabu beach which is vast an uncrowded. It's less than an hour from St Malo.