How to holiday in France?

[Jank8]

This may seem a stupid question but where do people holiday in France? We have an only DS so have always done med holidays, all inclusive with kids club so he can meet friends. I love France and as a kid stayed in gites and eurocamp but don't fancy eurocamp and gites feel isolated. We would love to do a beach holiday in France, is there anything similar to med resorts?

I spotted this today whilst browsing for campsites. This is within driving distance of ferry so I'm sure you'll find similar in better location/better weather if flying

https://www.clubmed.co.uk/r/la-palmyre-atlantique/y?kids=2010-03-23c_2013-04-28c_2016-11-22c

Club Med Opio en Provence

We've used these in the past as well as campsites and gites

https://www.pierreetvacances.com/gb-en?currency=GBP&&adlgid=m%7Cg%7Cpierre%20e%20vacances%7C435535914700%7Ce&gad=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI95S9wdegAMVzMftCh3zIQxREAAYASAAEgI-yvDD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thanks how was club med? I'm sure I have vague memories of a bad rep, or may have totally made that up? Is it a bit 18-30, party place?

Depends what you want really. France is more expensive than Spain or Greece and there are not so many package/AI type places. There are plenty of beach style resorts with camp sites and apartments that French people use . Look at Roussillon or Occitaine for places that are warm in summemarr (30 degrees plus) but are cheaper than some other areas of France - places like the Cote Vermille, Canet Plage, Marsillan Plage, Frontignan, Cap d'Agde and the Grande Motte are a bit cheesy but popular (be careful with Cap D'Agde as there is a section that is a nudist/sex people resort).

We tend to stay in hotels/apartments in cities near the Med and then spend a few days by the sea as we are not lounge by the beach/pool people but do love a sea swim.

We often stay in Sete - a port town on the Med (near Montpelier) It is a beautiful working port town with lots of restaurants and bars. There are hotels and aprtments in town or about 3 km along the coast there are lots of beaches with campsites and holiday apartments which are a bit more set up for a traditional beach holiday.

The good thing about France is you can get the train or drive there, espcially if you are in the SE of the UK. We get the Eurostar to Paris and then a TGV down to Montpelier.

We have only ds and have done france with Siblu and eurocamp. Eurocamp more English kids to play with. We've driven or got the train. Up near beziers was my favourite

I would also say that a lot of French beach resorts aren't as focussed on English tourists as say some of the Greek/Spanish traditional package resports. So it would help to be able speak at least a bit of French.

I am in Montpellier right now. It’s a lovely town. Not been to beach yet, so much to see in the town itself.

It is lovely isn't it? Palavas le Flots is the nearerst beach town - it is a bit cheesy but fun. It is worth getting the train 20 mins or so to go to Sete or Marsillan.

Totally agree with @Ginmonkeyagain we have a mobile home near the La Palmyre Club Med, it is very French.

OP O know you said you don't fancy Eurocamp but your kids would have the best time. We are on a Siblu site, not Eurocamp and highly recommend. If you are prepared to pay the caravans are really not caravan like any more.

I have not stayed in any of these but the website is on my list for French holidays:
https://www.villagesdegites-france.com/
They are holiday cottages with facilities like swimming pool etc.

We have been to Brittany the last few years and I didn't manage to find anything like that (ie small group of gîtes with facilities) - there are lots of campsites though and some of them have luxury lodges, "premium" mobile homes etc. Tbh a mobile home is not my preference but that's what we ended up doing in Brittany because the campsite had great pools (indoor and outdoor), play areas, kids club etc.

Campsites I would recommend looking at are Sandaya and Yelloh! Village. Both have sites all over France and they will have English speakers there as well as plenty of French people and some other nationalities.

Sète looks lovely. Good seafood. Yum.

According to Paris Match, François Hollande and Julie Gayet are on holiday in Palavas en ce moment. If it’s good enough for them …

https://en.riviera-villages.com/?http%3A%2F%2Fwww_riviera-villages_com%2F=&gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoK2mBhDzARIsADGbjepAcJ-YGvM-adE7HuvCUS17yWBmzkWpzjpztHErEyOkWSc1WNRDzxgaAhm0EALw_wcB

Riviera Villages near St Tropez.

Definitely not 18-30 😂 it's super kid focussed

@AgathaSpencerGregson Oh do go to Sete - it is our happy place - we go there a lot- seafood, traditional bars, beautiful canals, gorgeous beaches, water jousting!

It is a bit rough and ready around the edges (it is a working port) and not touristy (you won't find an english menu outside of the very commerical waterside restaurants) but it is ace. If you love seafood the best thing to do is either go to the cental market and by a plate of fresh seafood from one of the stalls there and grab a table at one of the bars. Or go to Cave au Vin Vivant on rue Andres Portes as you can buy a plate of seafood from the shop next door and eat it outside with a glass of great wine.

Amazing thanks x

Ha ha no idea where I got that from! Thanks x

Thank you so much for these very helpful ideas.

No problem I could bang on about Sete all day.

Other good places

Brasserie La Singuliere for local craft beer

La Poulperie for a limited but amazing octopus based menu

The Rio fancier restaurant in an old art deco cinema

A bout de la rue - a wonderfully chaotic old school French bar that seems to always be open and serves tapas and 3 euro glasses of muscat most hours of the day.

Also see water jousting on the Royal Canal - it's brilliant.

We are currently in the Ardeche region. Loads to do with kids (kayaking, caving) and we booked an airbnb apartment with a pool. We drove and broke the journey up with hotel stay. The freedom this gives is worth it

Au bout de la rue sounds like a recipe for a hangover the size of a house - I’ll give it a go

Can confirm it is.

Also my typo/bad French. It's au bout d'la rue - it means at the end of the road - which it certainly has been for us many boozy holiday evenings!