Pin Parasol in Vendee - any advice?

[Diorissimo1985]

After MUCH deliberation I have booked Pin Parasol in the Vendee in June, staying in a safari tent. We are complete novices with the whole Eurocamp experience and I'm excited but slightly tentative!

Does anyone have any tips for making the most of the campsite and surrounding area? It will be me, DH and DD 18 months.

Already praying for good-ish weather

Also can anyone advise what the food places are like on site?

We catered for ourselves during most of our holiday. The bar had a menu of hot food, salads and sandwiches. We ate here twice and, while the food was good, it took an extraordinarily long time to arrive at our table. The longest we waited was an hour and there were only a few other families eating at the time. My advice would be to stock up at one of the large supermarkets in Bretignolles-sur-Mer (20 minutes away) or Brem-sur-Mer (15 minutes away), or visit one of the daily local markets. The onsite shop had basic cupboard supplies, milk and fresh bread, but there was no barbecue meat, fruit or veg.
We stumbled upon the beach at Olonne sur Mer– a nature reserve with woodland, edged bya very long sandy beach. We loved it so much we visited twice, with only a few surfers for company.

Excellent thank you - I read a trip advisor review about the wait for food too.
Thanks for the beach tip - I will check it out

There are lots of good supermarkets near by St Gilles. You have to visit Patisserie Fred's in St Gilles. It's on the roud near the river on the opposite side to the main bit of the town. It has the best patisserie ever - beautiful cakes. Go at about 2.30 and have afternoon tea.

Patisserie in St Julian is fab. Walks round the Lac de Jaunnay is good.

Best beach is Dunes 2 at Bren Sur Mer. Has a fab food shack. Make sure you get to park early - go for about ten, park, bit of beach, lunch, bit more beach (all the French arrive). Get back to site for three.

Also there are really good creperies around. St Gilles is nice for a potter around but does get very busy and I'd avoid at a weekend. Wouldn't bother with Roche. les Sables de Olonne is nice for a day out but get there early to park.

I've not stayed at Pin but at another site locally but we nosied round Pin and it looked nice. I think it is on a bit of a hill, which is nice and is very close to the lac.

Vendeen history is very interesting. They rebelled against the revolution so much of the vendee was razed to the ground and many killed. They haven't got over it at all and visiting some of the historical sittes is good - there is a General's chateau about an hour away plus a museum.

If you want something utterly bonkers, very French and like nothing else you will ever see go to the mechanical animals place on the outskirts of Nantes. The walking elephant is huge. Kids can fly up in the mechanical birds. Utterly utterly bonkers but amazing. Elephant might be scary for littlies though.

Thanks so much @flyingarcher - the mechanical animals sound weirdly brilliant! Maybe worth a look?

Do you know anymore about the general's chateau? Whereabouts it is or even the name? That is totally up DH's street as he loves military history and is a huge Francophile!

www.lesmachines-nantes.fr/en/. This is the Isle des Machines near Nantes

I'm sorry but I can't remember the name of the General's house but there will be loads of leaflets at the campsite.

We stayed for years at La Garangoire so have done most stuff!

Thank you! Ah I was too late to book La G - maybe next year if I get myself organised! It looks fabulous

What I suggest you do is go and look at La G. Have a mooch and pick up a brochure. Ask for 2020 booking form and go round and select your preferred pitches/lodges. You select 6 , hand it in and then in November they tell you what you got. People book as they leave. Do you camp, caravan or static?

Wow I didn't realise you needed to book that early! We camp in ready tents so it would need to be Canvas or Eurocamp I presume

If you go anywhere go to Puy du Fou. It’s the most amazing place and only an hour away. We’ve been 4 times and stayed at the Roman Villa overnight one year so we could do everything including the nighttime cinescope. Just incredible place. You’ll never find anywhere better.

www.puydufou.com/en

Puy du Fou looks incredible but I wondered if it might be wasted with DD being only 18 months? Perhaps better with older children?

Ah maybe! We took ds when he was 3 and he loved it! With mil too who also thought it was incredible. It’s still ds’s favourite place. Plenty of time to do it in the future.