Anyone been to Chateau de l'Eperviere; Chateau du Boisson; or Domaine de Chalain?

[snowgirl1]

We're going on holiday to France in August - driving. Taking Eurotunnel and driving down to Chateau de l'Eperviere (in Burgundy) for 3 nights); then down to Chateau du Boisson (in the Ardeche) for a week); then Domaine de Chalain (in the Jura) for 3 nights on the way back.

We're staying in Canvas pre-erected tents at each campsite. I just wondered whether anyone had been to these sites and had any recommendations on things to do (or not do!) nearby etc.?

We've been to Chateau de Boisson a number of times and are going back again this year. Keep thinking we ought to go elsewhere, but it's so relaxing there, we end up booking to go back.We have our own tent, so stay on one of the touring pitches by the chateau. It's quite a low-key site, not much in the way of entertainment, but that's the last thing I want on holiday, so it's perfect for us. Dc love the indoor and outdoor pool; we like chilling in the bar by the pool with a glass of wine , doing a bit of walking and exploring local villages/markets.

You don't say how old your dc are, or whether you want activities, villages or historical sites, so I'll just list the things we've done/enjoyed.

Pont du Gard - don't miss this, it's fantastic. Take a picnic and swimming gear and you can swim in the river (they don't really encourage you to do this, but lots of people do).
Amphitheatre at Nimes - fantastically well preserved, Nimes is a lovely town to wander around, there's also the Maison Carre and covered market, loads of nice places for lunch. About an hour from Boisson.
If you want to go further afield, Avignon, Arles and Aigues Mortes are well worth a visit but maybe keep those for a return trip as there are a lot of things to see that are closer
Markets: Uzes on a Saturday is heaving, but the biggest in the area, people come from miles away - go early as parking can be a mare. St Ambroix market on a Tuesday, it's the local town, not touristy, but we always go there, great olive stall!; Barjac market on a Friday, lovely little town for a wander, go back for lunch on a non-market day
Villages in the area to explore: Lussan, Barjac, Montclus, Banne, Roque sur Ceze, Rochegude (down the road), Vezenobres
Activities: canoeing - Ardeche (under the famous Pont d'Arc), Gardon (you can canoe under the Pont du Gard if you prefer to see it this way), locally you can canoe the Ceze at St Ambroix and stop for swimming at the Moulin (see below). Indy-Parc is great if you want a tree top climbing/Go Ape style activity.
River swimming - try the Moulin du Roc Tombe just before you reach St Ambroix, or you can go to St Denis; there is also good swimming at Frigoulet, near Goudargues. Also Roque sur Ceze, if you can park there - it gets VERY busy
Walking - loads of walks in the area, you can pick up a map at the tourist office in St Ambriox for about 5 Eu, There's also a nice walk up to the ruined chateau on the hill behind the campsite, takes about 40 mins, well worth exploring one evening, and then sitting with a bottle of wine to enjoy the view. If you want to drive somewhere with a view, Mont Bouquet is a great place to watch the sunset, about a 15-20 min drive from campsite.
If you want something a bit different, the Bambouserie at Anduze is a great place to visit; you can combine it with a trip on the steam train if you want.

Phew! That should keep you occupied!!

stringbean thank you so much! Low-key sounds good - I avoided the sites that sounded too rowdy!

Thanks for all the suggestions on things to do in the area - that's brilliant.

Out of interest, do you drive down in one go? How long does it take?

DD is 5.

We always stop overnight on the way down; too much of a faff to put up the tent for one night, so we go to a hotel on outskirts of Dijon. It's about 5 hours drive (plus stops) to there from Eurotunnel and another 5-6 hours or so from there to the campsite. Lyon can be very busy on a Saturday.

The site is definitely not rowdy; I think people may have found it TOO quiet if anything. There's usually a weekly disco, and a weekly event in the bar area by the pool. There's night swimming once a week which is fun. The kids club doesn't run every day, but is run by a husband/wife team who do magic. Our dc went some years ago and spent a happy morning making props for a little show that they did to the parents at the end of the morning.

I'm not sure I would recommend the Ardeche for canoeing if your dd is 5 - I don't think they recommend for under 7s. Can be quite fast flowing and easy to tip over through the rapids. The Ceze is a lot more gentle. Indy Parc has a tree walk for age 4-7 which our dd did when younger and really enjoyed. There are also some lovely caves at Cocaliere which your dd would probably enjoy as well. You can do horse-riding locally as well - keep meaning to do that but never got round to it!

Is domaine du chalain the yelloh site? We stayed there a few years ago.

Stillwaiting I don't think Domain de Chalain is a Yelloh site now - but it might have been previously. It's on a big lake if that helps?

Stringbean driving times sound in-line with what I was expecting - which is a relief. The quietness of the site sounds just perfect for us. I'll check-out the Ceze for canoeing. Indy Parc sounds like something DD would love. Thanks for all the information - really helpful.