Month in France.

[WelshMoth]

We're planning a mammoth camping holiday this year and I'm looking for a plan! I quite fancy 5-6 days on Noirmoutiere but we're otherwise open to suggestions. Dover Calais prob.

Any advice?!

Am thinking of spending some time on Noirmoutiere. Any thoughts?

I don't know France well but would love to do this too so bumping for you. I do know that Il de Re is lovely and has great campsites on the south coast if that's any help!

Thanks Time. Have been to Il de Re already and it was fab. Keen to explore more now!

What sort of things do you like to do on holiday?

Bonne anse plage. . Les Mathes. . Fab campsite. .

We love cycling, general outdoor larking around, swimming, canoeing etc. Camping is fab and we've stayed in some lovely sites. We like Castels but also like smaller independent sites.

We've spent a month in France a few times now. We always plan to go somewhere new but always end up in the Alps. We tend to book 3 different sites and spend 7 to 10 days in each with an overnight stop both ways. The best thing about being away for so long is it takes the pressure off. It doesn't matter if it's rainy one day. Or you do nothing but watch DVDs in the tent one day. Because you've got so much other time. It ends up being less of a holiday and more like you're living in France. If that makes sense!

We thought using campsite toilets for so long would be annoying but it wasn't. The biggest issue we had was food. It does get tiresome planning especially if you are restricted in shops etc

And one more thing! Check your house insurance to see how long you can leave it unoccupied.

Henry that's fab advice. Thanks!
We've got the option of buying an extension for our tent too for more relaxing space. Can't wait!

Have you looked at going to Annecy? There's been some good threads on ukcampsite recently about where to go in France and Annecy always seems to come out tops. We've been 5 times now....

Enjoy the planning

Ooohhh we were there 2 years ago - left on August 1st as they were preparing for their firework festival celebrations- we were gutted to leave! Didn't we much of the town either which was disappointing. I'd love to return.

Any suggestions with regards to the campsites?

The site we go to isn't the best so wouldn't actually recommend it! La Ravoire is where we would go if we needed another site but I think it depends on what you want really. Have a look at the reviews on ukcampsite. Last year I left the family on the campsite and cycled into Annecy on my own for the day. Lots of shopping, a cafe for lunch and then I stopped on the way home for a paddle in the lake. Will definitely do the same this year!

Sounds a good plan. I may see you there!

We stayed at Domaine Le Midi in Noirmoutier last Summer, great site right on the beach, and cycleable to the Passage du Gois which is fun.
Do visit the Puy du Fou if in that area, it is so worth it and has its own Aire as well for an overnight stop.
Camping la dune des Sables is another beachside site on the Vendee, we asked for a site near the beach and got one with just the picket fence between us and the sand.
Our favourite site of that trip was Camping Beausoleil, Charente Maritime region. Walkable to the town and beach, and a zoo, and loads of cycle paths on your doorstep.

For canoeing I would highly recommend Camping Port du Limeuil, right on the river banks and you can just jump on a lilo and float down the river and barbecue on the beach.

A cheap stopover in the Loire is a campsite (Camping Amboise) on an Island a few minutes walk (over the bridge) from Amboise, with a chateau and loads of shops and restaurants.

If you have the time, another region worth visiting is Port Grimaud, a beautiful mini Venice and you can get a boat trip to St Tropez or drive to Monaco from there.

Annecy is on our list to do soon!

Another vote for les Mathes here. Have a look at I'll D'Oleron too, nearby but a slightly more rustic version of I'll de'Re. We have a mobile in La Pignade which is mobiles only but lots of tent sites around. Love the area.

Another recommendation for Annecy - loads to do, beautiful scenery, mountain air. We've stayed at La Ravoire and Camping Les Fontaines - would recommend either of them.

South Brittany is beautiful - just a massive gamble with the weather. If I had a month in France I'd probably head down to the far south west - Beziers area - I love it there. Can't help with campsites there though, sorry!

And another vote for Annecy. We go to a different area of France every year and the Annecy area is my favourite (although we haven't been everywhere... yet). We loved doing day trips and going on luge runs and Chamonix and the Mer du Glace was a highlight. We also did a day trip to Geneva. We stayed at L'Ideal campsite but there is also one right on the lake although it may not have a swimming pool.

I have stayed on lovely campsites in Kersiny in N Brittany (walking distance to Audierne which is a fishing village with restaurants by the harbour) and on Ile d'Oleron (Camping le Sous-Bois - medium size but quiet campsite).

I'd happily go back to either of these and would heartily recommend Oleron to anyone.

I much prefer Oleron to Ile de Ré which is Oleron's richer, more touristy neighbour. I spent a week on Ré in September and although the far end of the island has some lovely bits, the capital St Martin has basically transformed should be a fantastic historic walled town into Bicester Village (I'm not really exaggerating - its all high-end shopping with top-end international brands where everyone wears white jeans and ray-bans and sips overpriced drinks outside umpteen soulless bars).

The cycle paths on both Ré and Oleron are fantastic (but much quieter on Oléron).

We are going here in the summer www.camping-die.com. Recommended to us as being "the best campsite ever" by people who know these things. Also the kids are highly amused by being able to shout dramatically "we're going to die!"

We are caravanners but all sites we stayed have camping. We also take our own canoes.

We have stayed at camping le bohat near Sarzeau on the Morbihan peninsula in S Brittany. Lots to do in the area as the peninsula is between the gulf of Morbihan and the sea, plenty of canoeing places and good cycling.

As a stopover in Loire, Camping Château des Marais at Muides sur Loire is nice, very close to the Chambord chateau and almost on the river itself.

We have also enjoyed the Dordogne, staying at a quiet site, south of Sarlat, but close to the river, but it maybe a little too far east from where you will be on the Vendee coast.

Thanks to everyone for your fab suggestions. Going to sort this Easter. DH really didn't like Il de Ré so is digging his heels in a bit re Oleron and Noir moutier. Not sure on crossing yet either - I find the Calais drive south to be a killer.

We love the west coast and usually head for the overnight from Portsmouth.

Love Noirmoutier. Love the camp sites south of Arcachon in the dunes. Love the coast towards Biarritz. Direct sea access is always on my checklist.

(Looking forward to checking out the other suggestions on this thread)

another, yes I love coastal France too, but DH loves rural. I thought Noirmoutier would be a compromise.

I also love checking out the tiny and old, beautiful little villages - can't remember the website that lists them all but It's my mission to try and see them all

Plus there's something about foraging for shellfish to cook which really really appeals to me so I'm digging my heels in about Noirmoutier .

If you like rural and are heading through Brittany, have a look at La Pointe .. A lush site run by a lovely British couple Marcus and Julie. It's all fairly low key, non commercial and peaceful. Walking distance along a canal to a very untouristy town with plenty of great food shopping. The site is by a little river and has lovely flat terraces and mature trees .. An indoor barn room in case of v bad weather, charming washrooms and a vegetable garden .. We ordered a basket of freshly picked salad, which was delivered to our tent. They have a crepe night, but that's about the extent of the 'entertainment '. Beaches are a schlep by car and are quite wild and windswept. If you want a moderately sized town site with great facilities in Provence , I'd also recommend Camping Monplaisir on the edge of St Remy .. An extremely beautiful town, south of Avignon and a fair old drive to the Med. Nice pool, cafe, bar and shop and lovely owners. Mostly gravelly pitches, some with shade. It's very popular and prob essential to book ahead