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Original poster

MOBILE HOME IN FRANCE

42 replies

alexsmum · 19/04/2006 10:36

not long now to our holiday france.never done this kind of thing before-what do i need to pack?

OP posts:
janinlondon · 19/04/2006 14:11

Bath mat for outside the shower, or the whole bathroom becomes a waterslide. Baking tray for in the oven (they often only have the shelves). Kids' plug in nightlight if your kids are used to them. Cheap doormat (the kind that lets sand fall through it) for outside the front door. Liquid soap for the basin (often not a place for ordinary soap and it slips away). Bucket for carrying wet clothes to the dryers on wet days. Probably loads more but I can't think of them now!

Lucycat · 19/04/2006 14:26

ooh where are you going am?

beckybrastraps · 19/04/2006 14:29

A word of warning: we stayed in one of these in Normandy in June and it was PERISHINGLY cold at night. Really, much, much colder than a tent. Eurocamp only provided blanket, and we were still cold with 5 on the bed. Take warm stuff to sleep in. If I were doing it again I would take a duvet with me!

calpopscalum · 19/04/2006 18:13

We always take our duvets!!! We go out of season too so always handy! Look out for the wooden crates at the supermarkets - we get them then break them down and have wee fires in the BBQ in the evenings - means you can sit out for longer! Saw the French doing it years ago so figured it must be OK re 'campsite rules'!

Make sure you take plenty of towels as you'll all no doubt be in the pool, beach and shower throughout holiday. Only pack your stuff in sports bags or something similar as you'll need to be able to stow them under beds etc once you've unpacked - no room for suitcases! I usually bring a toilet roll for arriving, odds and ends like salt, pepper etc as don't want to waste holiday budget buying things like that that we've got at home. Beans if your kids have to have them - French don't do em! I usually take some cheap towels to use as a shower mat and sand mat for the front door - can chuck them away at the end of the holiday. if you have small kids pack the nappies in if your dh is anything like mine! he has to fill the car but I like to have room for wine on the way back so pack the car with things that will get used = more space on way back! We also took a small microwave with us when the kids were small as they needed their bottles doing RIGHT NOW - alway handy for those pouches of rice etc! It was much handier than I ever thought it would be.

We also take the portable DVD player as it's dead handy on long ferry journeys and we actually used it to keep the kids in a few times as it was too hot for them outside!!! Also handy when small people were up at 0600 a couple of mornings!

For clothes go casual - you'll probably never wear smart, glitzy clothes on a campsite! We take going out clothes every year and stay in shorts and T shirts like everyone else!! You'll prbably spend a lot of your time i nswimming costumes.
DH also takes a big mug as he hates having his tea (take tea bags if you're tea drinkers as apparently the French tea isn't as good) in small cups which are the only size provided! Me, I take the local beverage in any size glass going!
I usually pack a light dressing gown as it's useful to chuck on after showers etc when you realise you've not closed all the curtains around the mobile!!

Extra set of car keys - just in case (she says from experience!)
We also take a wee lantern for sitting out in the evening - the outside lights provided are usually a bit cr*p.
Seem to have gone on for ages but don't knwo how useful it all is! Sorry! probably forgotten loads!
Enjoy your hols!

Original poster
alexsmum · 20/04/2006 11:10

this is all brilliant-keep it coming!
we are definitely taking duvets-can't be doing with blankets anyway.what about tea-towels? are they provided or do i have to take them?
good idea about the sports bags as had planned on taking a large case.
nice idea about the campfires but it's a gas barbecue only site, which is a bloody nuisance.you have to hire them from the site.
ds doesn't have bottles anymore so that's one thing i can avoid and i'm trying to potty train him now so we don't have to take so many nappies-just night ones.

OP posts:
Tortington · 20/04/2006 11:27

t towels for the dishes. i always forget these and end up having to use a bath towel.

Original poster
alexsmum · 20/04/2006 11:32

great custy-thanks for answering that question!
it's only 4/5 weeks till we go, i'm going to have to start getting organised..all this stuff to take!

OP posts:
Blandmum · 20/04/2006 11:39

Don't take a bath mat, take a very old towel that you will be prepared to bin at the end of the holiday. I find that the kids feet get filthy and never really get clean until we get home.

Kitchen roll and wipes are helpful

Gameboys for the car are helpful

French supermarkets are fab btw and we tend to only take typicaly 'UK' stuff, beans, ketchup tea etc

Original poster
alexsmum · 20/04/2006 12:11

i also thought i would take a paddling pool for ds2 to splash in outside the caravan while we sit reading/having a drink or whatever.will there be enough space for this?

OP posts:
scienceteacher · 20/04/2006 12:16

We had a mobile home last year on a Haven/Siblu resort in Brittany. It was very well equipped in the kitchen and the only things lacking would be if you wanted to do a lot in the oven.

They provided good duvets which kept us warm enough at night, plus the van did have heating (mains gas). We paid extra for linen and towels - you generally have to take your own. You take your own beach towels.

You basically need to provide your own kitchen disposables - paper towels, bin bags, Fairy liquid - but it's easy enough to get these in the local hypermarket.

The main thing is surviving without a PC and TV. We took a portable DVD player and movies, and we picked up some other distractions in the local hypermarket - playing cards, jigsaws, colouring books (that's because I am not organised enough at home).

We used IKEA bags for beachy stuff and for laundry. If you plan to do laundry there, you really need something to carry it in. And on the laundry topic, it is probably easier to pack a few tablets from home than buy a whole box there.

We didn't do this, but a lot of people brought their kids bikes and scooters.

Original poster
alexsmum · 20/04/2006 12:18

sounds posher than the one we are going to!

good idea about the tablets.will do that.
hoping there is enough room in the car for bikes.

OP posts:
janinlondon · 20/04/2006 13:03

Take the wheels off the bikes to get them in and give you more flexibility. Re paddling pool - depends on the pitch size. What does the brochure say about your site? In our experience "medium" is okay, "small" is a generous and slightly misleading term for on top of each other.

Original poster
alexsmum · 20/04/2006 14:20

it doesn't say jan.

i wonder if that's good or bad?!

OP posts:
Lucycat · 20/04/2006 14:21

Which site are you going to? maybe we could find out for you!!

Blandmum · 20/04/2006 14:22

How old are your kids alexmum?

Original poster
alexsmum · 20/04/2006 14:26

the boys are 6 and 2.
the site is 'camping le bois tordu' in st hilaire de riez on the vendee.

never done this kind of holiday before so a bit apprehensive.

OP posts:
Original poster
alexsmum · 20/04/2006 14:26

how are you lucycat btw?

OP posts:
Blandmum · 20/04/2006 14:30

at that age a paddling pool sounds like a good idea, as long as it is nice and small.

Don't worry the kids will have a great time.

I don't know the site, but the area is smashing, loads for kids to do.

have a google for Angela Birds guide to the vendee, it give you lots of ideas.

Have a little 'something' new (or old and not played with for ages) for the kids to have as you unpack....to give you some time.

Lucycat · 20/04/2006 14:32

oh just fine! We've been to visit the new Go Outdoors camping shop in Cheadle Heath today, it's fab!! could have spent a fortune, but just ended up with some more tent pegs!!

How's the easter holiday going?

Original poster
alexsmum · 20/04/2006 14:34

oh we popped in yesterday lucy-it's good isn't it?
was going to go back and look for a cheap small gas barbecue as this site is gas bbq only.

OP posts:
Original poster
alexsmum · 20/04/2006 14:35

mb i thought the paddling pool was a good idea for ds2.

OP posts:
Lucycat · 20/04/2006 14:37

I'd agree that the paddling pool is great, you can always bath them in it, unless you have a bath in the caravan or your 2 like showers!!

or you could buy a little dinghy when you get there and use that outside the tent ..oops sorry caravan!

Lucycat · 20/04/2006 14:38

btw your site looks great! just googled it, no mention of pitch size though - I'll keep looking!

Original poster
alexsmum · 20/04/2006 14:39

no just a shower! which they don't especially like but tough!

OP posts:
scienceteacher · 20/04/2006 14:43

A paddling pool is a good idea. Hopefully, you will have plenty of space for it. We found that where we were, we had a minimum sized plot (every other plot on the site seem bigger) - basically the mobile home, and its same width again. The outside area in our place had a small barbecue, 2 loungers, a dining table for 8, so there wasn't a lot of extra space - but I'm sure we could have re-oriented everything to squeeze in a small paddling pool.