Matthews France or Carisma in France - anybody used these?

[oldlady40]

Hello

We have booked our hols with camping indigo but a friend is trying to book on a budget and doesn't want to take her own tent - she has looked at Matthews and Carisma and found them cheaper. I am sure I have seen Carisma mobiles in the past but no personal experience of them. Does anybody have experience of either of these - she is looking at Jard (Vendee)
Thanks

I've been with Matthews and they're great. Their caravans looked more basic than a lot of the others, but we found them absolutely fine and would deffo go with Matthews again. We did opt for their basic van.

You don't get the huge banners and logos and kids clubs like the larger companies, more a post-it on the reps' caravan saying "Surfermum you're in caravan 52, we're at the beach" but that was fine by us.

They were recommended to me by Milliways on here and she's used them a lot.

Hmm I booked a caravan holiday in Britanny with Carisma a few years ago and unless they have sharpened up their act I don't recommend them.

Our caravan, advertised as new and spacious, was old and knackered. There was a free new one on the site but it was apparently broken.

The kids club hadn't started as it was May half-term and therefore too early - not mentioned on any brochures. The pool etc on site had not been finished. (Obv it probably is by now!) but again this was not mentioned beforehand. We went home early as we were fed up with it all, and I wrote a long letter of complaint afterwards whichgot me precsiely nowhere.

The holiday reps did their best but it was all pretty hopeless.

As I say - they may be better now and maybe we just had a bad experience but it succeeded in putting DH off caravans whereas I used to rather like them...

Went with Matthews in 2005 to www.lesormes.co.uk/.

As Surfermum says very basic, and no bells or whistles but exactly what we wanted. We too had the most basic van (focus) but we only had DS1 at the time and he was 22months so was fine. Also it had fly screens and blackouts in the bedrooms which were excellent, and the bigger nicer vans didn't have. The rep was helpful but couldn't offer us much in the way of equipement (have always taken a sharp knife on hols since!!).

Much cheaper than any other alternative I've found, and they give discounts all over the shop so check on here before your friend books as not sure if being reccomended gets you a discount or not.

BR

Yep - we love Matthews!

Their basic van IS tiny but well equipped. Last year we stayed at Bretignolles in their huge Magnum van which was fantastic! (Lovely site as well - right next to beach and walkable to restaurants).

We have also stayed at Les Genets with Matthews.

Carisma restrict (or used to) you to Saturday arrivals - Matthews are flexible.

we are going with Siblu this year as fancied the Languedoc region and Matthews doesn't go there - but I will use them again.