Canvas/Keycamp etc - The Definitive Hints & Tips List

[ChippyMinton]

mildmanneredjanitor asked for tips for this type of holiday (she's off to Italy, I'm off to the Vendee) so i thought I'd start a new thread.

Please stick all your best tips here.
I'll start:

Take clothes pegs and a bath mat
Pack lightly as you may spend most of your time in a swimming costume
Other people will let their children stay up late - adjust your bedtime accordingly.

oh very good

Chippy, are you at La Garangeoire? There are at least five of us there the first week in July (here)- maybe it's time for a mini-meet-up...

Some sites don't let you hang lines off trees but they usually have a fold out airer - the pegs come in useful on windy days though!

You need far fewer toys than you think.

You will end up in the same few items of clothing as they are easy/quick drying/simple to wash.

Have spare snacks as kids all end up playing together so you'll probably have some visitors to your tent/caravan.

If taking a baby (or toddler that hates showers as one of ours was!), take a universal plug (one of those fits-any-hole rubber plugs for a couple of quid) as I have found sites with big sinks for baby bath but no plug.

Message withdrawn

MrsB we're off to Acapulco

(that's camping acapulco in St Jean de Monts) Wanted to be able to walk/cycle to the beach & town, so thought we'd give it a try.

More tips needed!

We were at Siblu's Bois Masson a few years ago, but not been back since. Are you thinking of St Gilles Croix de Vie, which is very close, and has fishing harbour etc? Really looking forward to it as the DC are old enough to enjoy going out to eat in the evenings. And I want to take them to Puy du Fou, to see the romans and knights.

I will be taking a wheeled bag of some sort, for the walk to the beach. Any ideas, other than a tartan shopper?

Asda do a wheeled bag which is insulated so would double as a cool bag. About £15. CM - yopu'll love Acapulco!! For Puy de Fou check the opening days/times if you're not going in Jul/Aug as a family at Acapulco drove all the way there 2 years ago only to find it was shut!! They were not impressed!

don't assume you get much in the welcome pack - just enough water for a family to brush their teeth.

Take a very old towel to act as a bath mat which you can throw at the end of the holiday....it willget very dirty and almost impossible to clean.

You have an airer, take some clothes line

If you are going in a tent, take your own loo roll and a wash bag with soap and a hand towel for trips to the loo

will look in Asda for bag, thanks
MB old towel is a great idea (on the same principle, DH takes old undies & throws them)

Puy du Fou brochure is spookily similar to the Playmobil catalogue - the DC pore over both.

Puy de Fou is fabbo but take hats, sunscrean and lots of water as it can get VVVVV hot, and some of the venues have little shade. Roman thing and medaeval show were astonishing, helps if you have a little french but awesome anyway. Didn't do the night thing, kids too small for it to be worth it

was going to post to say don't bother with the welcome pack - it's rubbish, but see barbiehouse's beaten me to it!

If you have a freezer, fill it with lollies from the supermarket - you will get a whole box for what they charge for one in the bar.

Cheap but recognisable flipflops to wear to the pool, as you will have to take them off & leave them with a thousand other pairs outside the gate.
Do go early to the pool (during the adult only session) and baggsy the sunbeds with towels shameless

If using the couriers' kids club in high season, sign your DC up the night before.

Buy your barbie charcoal etc at the hypermarket, not the camp shop. Or crawl around looking under vacant vans for charcoal that's been left behind.

Wear flipflops in the communal showers.

Remember to take you E111 forms.

That sort of thing?

Can you guess what kind of holiday we had? Actually it was great, apart from DH splitting head open at the waterpark.

If you could strap bikes for the children to the car they are sometimes useful.

Small cereal variety packs are good.

take teabags
buy tinfoil to line grillpan BBQ etc and save all the scrubbing

use via michelin for driving directions. It tells when & how much the motorway tolls are.