France - where to stop off for a week between ferry (Caen or St Malo) and Bergerac?

[dinkystinky]

We have a week booked in France, staying about 40 minutes from Bergerac, in a lovely chilled place, surrounded by vineyards, in August.

We're thinking of driving and taking another week somewhere en route from the ferry - either before or after - but really overwhelmed by all the choice out there.

Anyone have any top tips of areas/gites they've stayed in and loved? Or hotels which are good to stop off en route with kids? We'll have 3 boys - 8 year old, 5 year old and 1 year old - with us.

The obvious place, geographically, is the Loire Valley. We went to Sarlat last August on a three week trip and stayed in Paris on the way there, the Loire and Paris on the way back. We sailed from Dover.

However, there just wasn't much to do with the children.

Have you considered stopping off in the Vendee or Southern Brittany? Perhaps somewhere around Concarneau. I can't recommend a hotel, I'm just thinking geography.

I'd be happy to try the Loire - just need recommendations of gites or hotels or areas as totally flummoxed by all the choice! Vendee sounds a good idea too.

I'd stick to the western end of the Loire. I really like Saumur, such a lovely area. We stayed at the eastern end this year, near Blois. Blois was pretty uninspiring and though the chateau at Chambord was huge, it lacked the charm of some of the smaller chateaux like Chenonceaux.

Have you considered a euro camp style week? It might not be your idea of fun but my kids love it and I will reluctantly do it for a week if it means they get to throw themselves down water slides. I think there are a few well regarded places in the Loire, some through the Castels chain.

Going back to the eastern end, there's a center parcs very close to the main north-south motorway that could be an alternative. Friends of ours stayed there in August and said it rated favourably in comparison with UK center parcs.

Chinon in the Loire is nice and in the summer the castle often has activities/re-enactments which kids would love.

Thanks so much both of you - I'll check these suggestions out. Not opposed to eurocamp type holiday provided the beds are comfortable - we went on one 2 years ago and the bed was so bad I barely slept (was a keycamp site rather than castels)

Saumur is lovely, have been there with children and there was an amazing zoo in the south plus a place where people lived partially underground until relatively recently (Google troglodytes in Saumur or something and it should come up).

We stayed a few miles to the North but the site is no longer rented out or we'd go back.

I dimly remember going to Saumur when at school (a loooong time ago!) and going to see the troglodyte village! Getting very excited now. Thanks so much everyone for your suggestions - am googling away to find places in the Loire.

We have also stayed on the Isle D'Oleron, which was ok - I really liked La Rochelle nearby and I LOVED Cognac, which was really beautiful and there were lots of canals/cycling about as I recall.

Don't ever go to Futuroscope, it's terrible!!

Hope you have a lovely time!