Yelloh/eurocamp mini tour

[turtletum]

We're looking to take 2 weeks next summer and possibly visit several sites, to break up the journey. Kids will be 4 and 6yo, like being outdoors, swimming, parks, beach, forests. I'd like good facilities, especially the pools, but lots of greenery and privacy. Not really into entertainment, not bothered too much by the kids clubs. Like to explore off site, like food, culture and castles, and countryside/ coastal scenery.

Is it madness to plan to visit maybe 3 sites? Arrive in France, short drive and stay somewhere near Nantes for a few nights, then push further south to stay about a week (have been looking at Le grand pins near Bordeaux), before breaking homeward journey with another camp? Maybe near Paris??

Please recommend me some sites that might match my criteria!

We just returned from a trip to Nantes and south Brittany.
We stayed a week at Yelloh Mane Guernehe in Baden which had nice pools and facilities. After the week we drove to Nantes and we had a hotel in the city centre.
I think campsites and hotels make a nice mix on a holiday. It was nice to have a proper city trip.

We stayed at Huttopia near Versailles - if looking for a city break it was a packed in site (you are in a city clearly) but still had pool, bar etc and relaxed feel. About 20min train to Paris and right next to Versailles.

If you go to the Vendee area about 1.5 hours from Nantes there are loads of sites. I stayed at La Garangeoire which is run by Castels but has Eurocamp on site (cheaper to book direct with the site than with Eurocamp) but within a couple of miles there were also two Yelloh sites - Château la Forêt and Le Pin Parasol.

Les grands pins is fantastic. Just be aware it’s a surf beach with beach breaks , so if the surf is big it will not be relaxing if your kids aren’t strong swimmers.

We always did road trips, first one was when dd2 was 5 months old. We tended to book a week somewhere on a site/self catering then 2-3 stops either side getting there and back if Spain or Italy (france we would book 5 days in the north eg Paris or Normandy). Best site I stayed on was Pra del torri in Italy (n of Venice). The kids loved a hotel stop though, buffet breakfasts were a massive hit and dd still talks about one particular hotel 12 years later (I had snagged a well priced family room in a 5 star, normally we stayed in ibis styles or similar!)

I think the combo of a self catering stay on a site and city hotels makes a brilliant balance and mine now adults are choosing this themselves, love historical sites etc

As far as france, la tranche sur mer in the vendee is good for beach sites. I love San Sebastián which is further

We've stayed in Camping Panorama (yelloh) many times . The whole area is beautiful. Dune du Pilat and Arcachon are wonderful along with Lake Biscaross. But they had monumental fires last year. But by next year the regeneration of the area should be a lot better than this year. Definitely worth a visit

Thanks all, some great suggestions here.

The Loire Valley, Tours area would be a good stop, lots to do, lots of chateaux's and nice villages to explore if you like history and culture. We went to the vendee this year, lovely campsite, we stayed at Le Pin Parasol, but didn't think there was as much to do in terms of culture, lots of lovely beaches though. We went to Luxembourg the year before and found much more to do. The good thing about what your doing is that every area of France will have their pros and cons, so will be able to have a good mixture.

We used to do this type of trip.

A couple of nights at La Croix du Vieux Pont near Paris, or there is another site near Longchamp racecourse, a short train ride into Paris.

Then onto the Loire or Dordogne or south of France (with a hotel stop en route).

Or western channel crossing to stay a week or so in Brittany or the Vendee, then across to visit the Puy du Fou attraction, then a couple of nights in Bayeux, Normandy for the tapestry and WW2 sites.

Consider mix and matching ferry crossings for more flexibility.