France in August with 9/11 year old - tips on where please?

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Still haven't booked our summer holiday (distracted by secondary schools! ). Keeping costs down so driving & self catering. Assuming France as we're driving.

We'd like access to a pool and I'd like to be on the coast/beach and walkable to nice French village/restaurants etc. Have done Eurocamp which I liked but DH won't again (doesn't like the mobile home thing and won't camp!)

Any tips on resorts before I start searching? Would like nice weather so am assuming that we need to go at least half way down, but would rather not go all the way south if possible (to reduce driving time). Don't know coastal France areas/resorts that well.

Thanks

A gite complex maybe? Though they tend to be rural. The Vendee seems very popular. We stayed near to La Rochelle last year and there is lots to do in the area. Warm weather is not guaranteed though - we were lucky last year, but year before were further south in the Dordogne and it rained A LOT!. Ile de Re? Brittany - Honfleur, Dinan?

Bump... my very same dilemma

We were going to go to Spain but can only fly from 1 airport and flights rocketed while we waited to sort out a few essentials.

We have never done Eurocamp, always fancied it but DH prefers gite rural so mostly do that.

I have looked at a couple of the independent sites in Brittany and Loire they look fab but wondering if we have left it too late and 2 boys age 11 and 8 too big for these places (seem v toddler/young child oriented).

I'd second the La Rochelle area (Cote Sauvage/Vendee/Charente). Good balance of decent shot at nice weather while not being too far. Not sure how many resorts there are though, gites more likely.

Ile de Re will cost a fortune, it's v v trendy these days.

You do need to have a word with your dh as France - Summer Holidays - not too far - no camping - not having booked up last year - is going to severely limit your options.

We stayed here linky for 3 weeks last year. It was very nice - except the wifi was sporadic. Maybe not a problem for some but it was for me, who checked on it in advance that the wifi was reliable as I needed it to link with work.

I like the Charente region of France. not too far to drive - although we always break it up with an overnighter en route.

You may not need to be near the coast - there are many inland lakes with man made beaches, pedaloes and other activities.

But, as above. Places are getting booked up quickly. We have one week booked over nearer the coast - a little further south than La Rochelle. However we want a second week in a different region, but am having trouble finding a place that fits all our requirements.

The Loire region is lovely too. We were there last year and the weather was glorious.

But agree that the further south the better the weather.

If you NEED the coast then Vendée, Bretagne, Normandy are lovely but you will not have as much sun/nice weather than further south either on the Mediterranean coast or towards the Landes. It does depend on how far you're willing to drive. The coast, you'll pay for it, so you could be inland and drive one day to the coast.
Being French I know all these areas very well and would recommend Provence, only 12 hours drive to Avignon and you can sleep over on the way in a Formula 1 or Ibis. The landscapes and sites are more beautiful and interesting in my opinion.

Sorry, I meant to also say in my previous message, august is the most demanded period so you'll find most good deals are long gone. I know as I have a holiday house that we rent near the Luberon/Mont Ventoux and it's fully booked in August every year.

I can recommend two places:
Camping le Paradis <a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?q=www.le-paradis.fr/en&sa=U&ei=hG4xU6aZF7Ku7AbJnIHoCw&ved=0CCsQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNHKePwNt9CziXHZN-70HnTlNMCNjA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.co.uk/url?q=www.le-paradis.fr/en&sa=U&ei=hG4xU6aZF7Ku7AbJnIHoCw&ved=0CCsQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNHKePwNt9CziXHZN-70HnTlNMCNjA
and La Domaine de la Bergerie <a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?q=www.domainelabergerie.fr/&sa=U&ei=yG4xU4vkJ8eK7AbphoC4Aw&ved=0CCEQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNGRd_VXWG7AYOpA5o_irjp8VyBxPw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.co.uk/url?q=www.domainelabergerie.fr/&sa=U&ei=yG4xU4vkJ8eK7AbphoC4Aw&ved=0CCEQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNGRd_VXWG7AYOpA5o_irjp8VyBxPw

We've been to both several times, and both are superb.

We stayed here in the summer of 2012. It was a really lovely area, lots of food nights in local village squares, lovely swimming lake nearby, zip wire stuff, went to Sarlat for the market. Kids loved having some freedom. Pool area was quite basic but the kids still enjoyed it.

We have stayed here twice www.chez-le-marais.com/ with 5/6 and 9/10 yos - great gite, loads to do, private pool, fab. It's in the Vendee so we usually stay somewhere in Normandy/Brittany to break the journey.

Last year we stayed in Ouistreham - great beaches, lots of restaurants, lots to do: www.cottages4you.co.uk/cottages/ouistreham-w14224