camping in France

[Bettersleepoutdoors]

Hi. I am looking for advice from more experienced campers.
I bloody love camping.
Managed to get the family liking camping in the UK.
Holidayed in Southern Brittany last year and it was sooo disappointing.
I mean, actual France was lovey of course but:

1. Did not camp near to beach. I think that camping very close or even closer to a beach is the ideal. Will endeavour to fix this.
2. camping pitch was dry and scrubby ( and a bit too small really) so ground was dreadfully uncomfortable. I had not expected this and it made the trip bloody miserable.

DCs and DH are now not wanting to go to France.
I would LOVE to camp in the Vendee or similar and take the DCs to the beach every day (They love the beach, I love the beach, the beaches in France are, IMO, better than many of our UK beaches and less crowded.)
So where do we go?
PLease take pity on me and give some advice. Share your stories of lush coastal campsites a'la France.
TIA

Hi. Campsites near beaches tend to be much smaller in pitch size than those a bit inland but say a twenty minute drive to the beach. Look at Castels sites as they usually have enormous sized pitches. If you go a bit further south to the Vendee and look at Camping La Guernee (may have spelt that wrong) or La Garangeore or Le Pin Parasol all are based in St Julian des Landes and the beach is twenty minutes drive at Bren Sur Mer. dunes 1 or 2. (Go to ?dunes 2 as lovely snack shack there with really good baguettes. Car park is free but get there by 11.45 to park, eat lunch in creperie or at shack then spend afternoon on the beach. Bloody lovely. Going to miss it this year.

Also, if the ground is uncomfortable, do you need better airbeds or summat?

Ah thanks.
Will look at those

We've just booked bonne anse plage camping in Charente maritime, near La Rochelle. It's got direct access to beach and is a siblu one.

Oh basket that looks nice.

flyingpretty the ground was awful. I thought it would damage the tent floor and even with a "carpet" it was uncomfortable to walk barefoot in the tent.
I had only ever camped in the UK before and the ground was always scrummy and grassy.

We camp every year in France, usually further south in Aquitaine. There are loads of campsites within walking distance of beaches. Many sites are very sandy so you avoid the hard floor but be prepared for sweeping sand out the tent. I found that an easy way to find a site is to look on google maps. Find an area you want to visit and then just pan around the map looking for campsite symbols.

We went to Ile D'Oleron a few years ago and stayed on a camping indigo site. Beaches there were fantastic.

Castels or Huttopia sites are nice. Indigo seems to have changed to Huttopia.
Also look where Eurocamp/Canvas go and look at prices for camping yourself, it's usually loads cheaper but you know the sites are going to be good quality usually with a nice pool/small bar etc.

Thanks so much for all the tips. I am feeling much more positive now.