Ardeche, Gironde or Annecy?

[2catsand2kids]

I am beginning to plan our summer 2023 holiday (very early I know but partly because Eurocamp goes on sale for 2023 next week and partly because I love to plan holidays!). We will be two adults and two children (dd 11 and ds 12 by then) and we would like to get the Eurotunnel and then drive down to either the Ardeche, Gironde or Lake Annecy regions (although am open to other suggestions if someone ahs anywhere fabulous they'd recommend). We plan on spending some time travelling down and stopping in 1-2 different places for a night or two on the way down and the same on the way back and spending 7 nights in our final destination where we'll rent a mobile home or similar on a campsite.

My questions are:

1. Does anyone have any particular thoughts on which of the three possible destinations would be better?
2. Can anyone recommend any good campsites where we could stay in those regions (open to Eurocamp, Canvas etc. or renting direct from the site)?
3. Any recommendations for places to stay on the way down or back?

Thanks for any help/suggestions.

[MissAmbrosia]

www.lesranchisses.fr/en/ We stayed here a few years back with Eurocamp. Lovely campsite with great restaurant. Not sure if bit quiet for kids the age of yours. There was an accrobranche place nearby and we had some great days out. Pont D'Arc, caves, Balazuc.

[MissAmbrosia]

Avoiding Paris on way to Ardeche - I could recommend Troyes and Beaune for a day or so each.

[Plantstrees]

I love Lake Annecy but in summer it gets very over-crowded - I guess it would be a very different experience to the other two areas which are more rural. I imagine all offer a good selection of watersports. I have no experience of Eurocamp so can't comment on that aspect.

[GnomeDePlume]

We stayed with eurocamp at Annecy. We were early season and campsite was fine but indications were that it was very busy at peak.

Would definitely second Beaune and Troyes for stopovers. Tourist train in Beaune was excellent, took us through the heart of the town then out to the vineyards.

Languedoc? We were due to stay in Vias Plage (camping Napoleon) but cancelled for work reasons. Vias Plage we have stayed in before. A jolly holiday town.

We stayed at Domaine de Massereau, Summerseat, Languedoc. Good campsite.

If you end up in the Languedoc look out for river jousting. Totally bonkers.

[GnomeDePlume]

Sommieres not Summerseat!

[AnnPerkins]

We stayed at Camping Europa, Annecy a few years ago. It was a nice site with great access to the lake and the cycle route. We rented a 4 person Taos cottage which was excellent. The tent pitches looked nice too. I wouldn't get excited about the water park though.

We stayed a couple of nights in a beautiful b&b near Le Mans and two nights in a hotel in Vichy on the way there and on the way back we did a quick stopover outside Paris and then two nights in Arras on the way back to Calais.

Vichy and Annecy were both incredibly hot. 30+ degrees every day and some amazing storms in the mountains around Annecy one night.

Probably the best family holiday we've had so far. I will be trying to recreate something similar next year. DS was 9 or 10 at the time I think.

[doistayordoigo]

We've done the Ardeche several times, Camping Mondial or L'Ardechois, next to each other on the river just outside Vallon. We have broken the trip down with various overnights in Beaune (visit the hospital/museum), Reims (great light show onto the cathedral) and Annecy, so you could easily combine Annecy with the Ardeche on the same trip. We stay in budget style hotels for the overnights