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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Vendee - any tips?

26 replies

adifferentwoman · 13/06/2011 19:12

Off for a week beginning August to Vendee. Staying in a gite in St Hilaire de Riez - would appreciate any holiday tips...where's best in the day and any good places for early evening meals out with kids? Thanks......

OP posts:

ChippyMinton · 13/06/2011 19:16

If your DC are 5+, a trip to Puy du Fou is a must.

Try a quick search of old threads - masses of good info about the Vendee. I think half of MN have holidayed there at one time or another.

bibbitybobbityhat · 13/06/2011 19:17

Avoid St Jean de Monts.

bigTillyMint · 13/06/2011 19:20

St Gilles croix de Vie. There is an ice cream shop on the road where all the restaurants are (and main carpark) which does the most enormous ice creams with a mammoth selection and is very good value. Yum!

And Puy du Fou is fab!

midnightexpress · 13/06/2011 19:25

Just marking my place - we're off to the Vendee on Saturday .

I've been before a couple of times, pre-DC, and did the night-time show at Puy de Fou. Which was OK, but I don't think I'd take younger children there, from what I recollect. Do recommend the Venise Verte - we hired punts and had alovely day gliding down the waterways, twas lovely.

I've bought the book suggested on another thread, which seems to have lots of useful information. Link here

Have fun!

FriedaRoam · 13/06/2011 19:30

take warm clothes and rainwear

ChippyMinton · 13/06/2011 19:33

Hire those four-wheeler multi-seat bike things and have a whirl along the prom in St Jean de Monts. 30 minutes is enough!

That Angela Bird book is good. We pottered inland one day to visit a chateau and also went up a water tower. Apremont

mustdash · 13/06/2011 19:38

Another vote for Puy de Fou. We don't often go to places like that, but the DCs (then 5,7,9) and the DCs of the friends we went with (4,8) all loved it. It was very hot at the Gladiators though - 40deg because of the design of the auditorium, and we didn't get to the Vikings, because of the queues.

Lots of time on the beach, and a day trip to Ile de Re too.

chibi · 13/06/2011 19:44

What's wrong with st jean bibbity?

bibbitybobbityhat · 13/06/2011 19:45

Have you been there?

Its like Blackpool or Southend or Skegness or any other horribly tacky seaside town.

chibi · 13/06/2011 19:50

I have, though not in august. It didn't seem bad, though admittedly there aren't tacky seaside towns where i am from so i am not the best judge

I do find as i age i am happy just to go away, as long there isn't raw sewage flowing past my holiday chalet for example i am probably chipper and happy to be there

bigTillyMint · 13/06/2011 19:51

I've been there, I think, but I don't remember and amusement arcades, etc.

TBH the Vendee isn't really my cuppa - the beaches are a bit boring. My fav is Brittany, but we are going to below La Rochelle again this year where the weather is more reliable and the beaches not so just wide and flat.

pointydog · 13/06/2011 20:03

St Jean is nothing like Blackpool! Heavens above.

We loved puy du fou too. And the Olden Days Day in Challans. It takes place on a few Thursdays, I think, so check if it's on during your week. You'll be in a big holiday area so lots of places to eat out with kids.

bibbitybobbityhat · 13/06/2011 20:26

Point taken - I've never been to Blackpool but St Jean is what I imagine Blackpool to be like! Full of tattoo parlours, doughnut stands, over-developed, overcrowded, lacking in soul, lacking in beauty, etc.

Original poster

adifferentwoman · 15/06/2011 10:27

Thanks everyone......really looking forward to it and intrigued by St Jean comments. Had envisaged it as some beautiful french seaside resort but clearly not!!! As we're going with friends, there'll be one boy who is 7 so I think he'll love Puy de Fou, but there'll also be 3 girls in the group - ages 3, 4 and 5...suitable for those or not?

Any tips on child friendly restaurants for early eating out?

OP posts:

bibbitybobbityhat · 15/06/2011 10:45

The beach at St J is gorgeous, but don't imagine a quaint picturesque small French town. St Gilles croix de vie IS nice (as recommended by bigTillyMint) but can be a terrible traffic bottle neck and extremely difficult to get in to and park, especially on market days.

I would highly recommend taking a trip to Normoutier (I think its called) which is a very pretty island, a bit like the Isle of Wight, which you get to over an amazing road bridge across the sea. The town is charming, there is a sweet, old fashioned aquarium, and you can buy really top class sea salt flakes there, and see the salt lakes etc. I have very fond memories of my day on Normoutier.

frenchfancy · 15/06/2011 17:05

Puy du fou is suitable for kids of all ages. My 3 girls love it. I think when we first went the eldest was about 4, we have been lots of times since and never tire of it.

The food can be a bit hit and miss though - take a picnic.

Anyone comp)aring anywhere in the Vendee to Blackpool has quite clearly never been to Blackpool. To my mind the south vendee is more picturesque than the north, but either way the beaches are lovely - what is not to like about large expanses of clean sand, with the sea gently sloping away?

pointydog · 15/06/2011 18:13

Go to the local tourist information. There are very good What's On type leaflets. We went to a fab little sheep festival near st Hilaire.

midnightexpress · 15/06/2011 18:35

fab little sheep festival

Tell us more pointydog

pointydog · 15/06/2011 19:25

Givrand. This is a nice website. It was in July though.

But that sort of local event with breton pipes and dog agility courses and sausage grills and bars serving apperitifs. I like that sort of thing.

pointydog · 15/06/2011 19:26

Bretignolles had a nice creperie near the beach and a pizza/mussel sort of place with very friendly staff but there are Loads of child friendly places to eat out.

bigTillyMint · 15/06/2011 19:34

Bibbity is right about St Gilles being a bottle neck - get there in the early evening

And Noirmoutier is lovely too. Infact I read a book where the story was based there when we last stayed round that way, but I can't remember the title or author

bibbitybobbityhat · 15/06/2011 20:20

Heh heh! Tis lovely when you read a book set in the place you are staying.

I was reading The Van by Roddy Doyle when dh and I were on our honeymoon in Dublin. Still one of my favourite ever books and because we were much younger and on a budget, we stayed in Clontarf, an outskirty district much-mentioned in the book.

Would love to read a novel set in Normoutier! Wrack your brains tilly.

jenpet · 15/06/2011 21:22

I know there is a Joanne Harris novel set on Noirmoutier. Could be Coastliners??

bibbitybobbityhat · 15/06/2011 21:52

Ooooh Jenpet!

Just googled Coastliners and it says it is a Breton island, so I'm not sure, but having read the synopsis am now tempted to read it anyway. So thank you.

jenpet · 15/06/2011 21:54

I like most of her stuff, but I live in Brittany, so it all seems kind of relevant somehow!
Hope you enjoy it

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