Searching for French holiday - caravan or similar - Vendee area?

[MaggieW]

we're happy to drive to the Vendee area, where I gather the weather can be more reliable than Brittany etc. Trouble is, I don't know the area at all.

As we're on a budget, we're happy to stay in a static caravan or pre-erected tent, and want to be within easy walking distance of a beach and village, but don't want to be on a busy, noisy entertainment-filled caravan site, if you know what I mean.

There are four of us - DS 5 and DD 4 - and basically we just want a simple, no frills holiday. If anyone can help, I'd be very grateful.

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We are going further south, but not by much, to the Charente Maritime.
We're not going until half-term but have deliberately picked what we think is the quietest and smallest Siblu site on the Western Coast, La Pignade at Ronce-les-Bains.
While googling Ronce I noticed that it has a number of other campsites which I expect might fit your criteria. Ronce looks like a small resort, surrounded by pine forests, with the town itself and Atlantic coast beaches both about 1km's walk.
Its tourism info very much emphasises the cycling and walking in the forests.
We choose to break the journey to Charente Maritime but that is because we cross from Dover. If you can get a ferry to St Malo, Caen or Le Havre (or even Dieppe) you could make it as far south as the Charente in a day.
HTH

But you have real local knowledge now!

We are going back this summer (second time)to St Hilaire, on the beach near St Jean de Monts. We get the ferry to St Malo overnight (big adventure sleeping in a cabin for the DSs) - then take s about 4 hours to drive down, so get ther in time for a late lunch - deffo recommend a poratble DVD player, but check DVDs before you go as we found some that worked on machine at home did not work in the portable
We go with Eurocamp (this is our fifth year in various places) because their customer service, booking, helpfulness etc is excellent. We always ask for a quiet caravan, and so far have always got one. There is low key evening entertainment, which DH & I pass on, but the DC go to (karaoke, min-disco etc), tho' yours would be too sm,all for that.

Thanks for advice so far. Summerfruit - I'm not bothered about a pool if the beach is within an easy walk. Again, we're quite happy with simple accommodation as long as it's comfortable, so not sure how many stars that translates into! Will look up Les Salines and see if it's the sort of thing we're after.

Which coastal town would you recommend Summerfruit? It'd be good to have a town/village that has a few restaurants, market etc, but nothing too bustling!!

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Find a site and contact them directly for special deals since they will be cheaper than Uk brochures.

Cheapest crossings are Dover Calais but its a long drive or Newhaven Le Havre or Portsmouth Le havre with LD lines. Its about 5 hour drive with a lunch stop to st Jeans from there.

St Hilliare is nice but a bit far from the sea in places. St jeans is a bit busy at the shops end of town but quieter at the other end. There are great places to bike ride even for kids, my ds's are 5 and 4

do you HAVE to go in school holidays?? If not you can get real bargains early july time

Camping Bel at Tranche sur Mer is a very nice site its quite small and quiet and awlking distance to the beach, town and supermarket and indoor leisure pool complex. Its very suitable for younger children.
Also its very good for biking like most of the Vendee. They have tents and caravans and are in Key Camp and Euro Camp brochures.