Summer holidays in France - recommendations please!

[mariaberria]

Please share recommendations for successful holidays in France.

We like the sea, mountains and lakes. No cities.

Active family, cycling and swimming, hiking if not too hot.

Kids are early teens.

Thank you 😊

Morzine.

Check out Alpine Elements.

RCN Belledonne | trailer-chalets in Bourg d’Oisans | Isère -At the foot of the alps so plenty of mountain climbing and cycling opportunities. You've also got two pools, tennis courts, a restaurant and bar amongst other facilities.

Aigues Mortes

The past two years running, we've stayed at a Eurocamp in St Raphael.

Gave us the best of everything:

Days at the beach, hundreds of different ones to choose from.

Boat rides with Sea Snorkelling - we had a wonderful guide who was excellent at drawing our attention to things along the way and providing history, etc.

Day trip to Saint Honorat Island, which was stunning. Great for history and culture fans. And wine made by monks if that's your thing. Add in a dip in the sea and a lounge on the beach for those less interested.

Visit to the Gorge Du Verdon, where we hired our own boat for the day. Swimming and snorkelling in the lake was incredible. Also, there are lots of hiking trails and mountains to explore.

We did late night fun fairs and water parks for the thrill seekers amongst us, too.

Lots of beautiful towns and cities to visit, the big ones like St Tropez, Nice, Cannes. (We went to Monaco last time for a day trip, having already done Cannes.) Then smaller towns like Frejus, Saint Raphael and Saint Aygulf.

So it was a good mix. Last year, there was DH and me, plus five kids ranging in age from 6 to 20, and all loved it.

I should add that they all want to return again this year for a third year running. It's starting to feel like a home away from home.

I'd like to return too but I'd also like the opportunity to explore other places. And the eurocamp we stay at is quite pricey in comparison to other eurocamps, so that's a factor. We probably need to find somewhere a bit cheaper this year.

@invisiblebark this is very helpful. What is the name of the campsite?

It's Esterel Caravanning

www.esterel-caravaning.co.uk/

They have their own accommodation (which is nicer than Eurocamps but more expensive), which you can book directly on their website.

The pool and bar area is lovely. It is very modern and up to date. The receptionist was fab last year in helping me contact a GP (we can't speak french) as DH got an infected mosquito bite. Saw a GP at 9pm that evening and had the antibiotics the next morning!

Argeles-Gazost in the Pyrenees would fit the bill for you. There’s a really nice campsite there called Les Trois Vallées (part of Yelloh) but plenty of other accommodation too.

I'm not sure if you plan on driving or flying, but a car is definitely needed.

We flew one year and hired a car. Last year, we drove (12 hours from Calais with an overnight stop in Dijon). It's more tiring than flying but some stunning views, especially of the alps!

@Muchtoomuchtodo have you been with Alpine Elements? How did you find them if so? We are considering them for this summer, probably Tignes as went to Morzine (not with AE) last summer. Be grateful for any feedback/tips!

@minipie we went to Morzine with them a couple of years ago and were really impressed.

We had one of their chalets with some groves of ours. The hosts were fabulous and the activities and multi pass for the lifts and swimming pool being arranged and included in the price was great.

We go to France a lot as my DH hates flying. Our most successful was Carnac area of Brittany with teens. Beautiful beaches, cycle routes, very nice villages and towns, Quiberon Peninsula for body boarding. Paddle boarding and kayaking on the sheltered Carnac beaches. Lots of boat trips to the Islands if you like. We did a couple of days at St Malo/Mont St Michel as well with a wander around the Arthurian forest of Broceliande en route. Was one of our best holidays even though it wasn’t fancy (static caravan on a site with a good pool and slides). Not gear for mountains though.

Thank you @Muchtoomuchtodo ! There is quite a lot included in their “package” so we’d be relying a lot on them having decent organisation, food in the chalet/hotel etc. Good to have good feedback.

We've stayed in the Dordogne valley a few times. Tons of outdoor activities particularly canoeing and kayaking but also cycling and horse riding.
It's very wooded and cooler than other parts of France
Loads of sightseeing. Caves with stalagmites etc, medieval castles, Lascaux caves for Stone Age art, beautiful gardens and chateaux

I can 2nd the Dordogne for the gorgeous scenery and lots to do. We've stayed in gite complex - Le Banquet https://lebanquet.com/en/
near les Eyzies and with Eurocamp at St Avit Loisirs and Les Peneyrals. Were dd's favourite holidays when she was younger.

@Rainallnight this looks super. Thank you. Still thinking 🤔

@TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams we know the Dordogne vvv well. 8 years there on the trot!!!

Thank you for the suggestion though. We love it there. It's not so cool anymore though!

@MMuchtoomuchtodo thanks I am looking at Tignes and Morzine as options.