Camping in France

[PavlovtheCat01]

I am looking into camping in France next summer holidays. Quite fancy the Vendee area, but also would like to travel around a little.

Family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children 8/12), with our own tent possibly, but would consider renting a bungalow tent type set-up, definitely taking our car from Plymouth to Roscoff on the ferry.

I don't really want to do eurocamp. I would like to do a municipal site, with a pool ideally. I don't need big clubhouses, or restaurants, but would like to be able to hire bikes, and have a beach within walking distance for one of our stops. We would like atmosphere and cleanliness but don't need lots of frills.

We are thinking of staying at two different locations, maybe three over two weeks.

Has anyone here booked independently from the major places like eurocamp? Any recommendations for routes? places to stay? I have found one place that I really like in Saint Hiliare de Riez but am stuck on any others to compare this to, or as a second place to stay.

We've been to the Vendee twice, the first time I was quite poorly so we didn't end up doing an awful lot, but we returned this year and had a great time.

The first time we stayed here which is a much more municipal type site]].

This year we stayed at Ferme du Latois which was a slightly bigger site but not on the scale of Eurocamp etc. It's a Dutch run site, so animations are geared to Dutch speakers but there was about 10% British folk on site. Low key- for example the children/teenagers arranged a football match most nights on the sportsfield and whoever arrived (and whenever) during the evening were absorbed into a team and played together.

They were both well placed for the beach and getting provisions from supermarkets etc.

We enjoyed bodyboarding and the seaside towns, Apremont castle and lake, going across the Noirmouiter causeway and a trip to Puy du Fou which if your children are into history I would heartedly recommend.

We usually do a 2/3 site trip, but I'd recommend a completely different area for your second as most of the Vendee is easy enough to drive from a well placed site.

If you'd like a 10% code for the ferry give me a PM-the drive from Western ports to the Vendee is a dream.

If you fancy going a little further South to the Charente (much better weather and beaches for not too much more driving) we lived camping Beausoleil which is walkable to a fab beach, a cycle route and small town of La Palmyre with a Carrefour cite supermarket and several bars and restaurants etc, and also walkable to La Palmyre zoo. We cycled to other towns from here.
We booked via ACSI in Early July so it was very cheap. The onsite restaurant and shop is tiny but does great food or takeaway (it's literally a shed with a few tables outside) and there is a tiny pool, but it was perfectly placed for us.

There are sites right on the beach on Normoutier (we have stayed at Camping Le Midi) and we stayed in the beach at La Chaume at Camping Dune des Sables. Both quite big but chosen for location and ACSI discounts as we go outside main holidays.

Hi. We've camped at two wonderful municipal sites recently- camping Le Remondeau on the Ile de Re - no swimming pool but pretty much on the beach - and Camping Municipal St Justin-de Die just south of the Alps. Much amusement from the kids (We're going to Die in the summer!). Bit of a drive to this one but the kids spent hours playing in the river and the local town is gorgeous.

Last time we went to this area we happened (not planned that way) to stay in all Yelloh sites, all very different but the standard was good. We have never done eurocamp or its like but brought our own tent and stayed every few days in a chalet/mobile. The site we liked most was Les Mathes and least was La Sylvamar. (smaller, plainer seemed a better option for us)