Holiday essentials Atlantic coast France

[FunnyOliveHiker]

Hello!

We’re off on our first proper holiday as a family of four, heading to Labenne (near Capbreton) in southwest France and I’d love any tips from anyone who’s been to the area.

We’re staying in a resort with our two little ones (aged 4 and 6), and plan to spend lots of time on the beach and by the pool. That said, we’re also hoping to explore a bit maybe visit the Landes forest, Bayonne, Biarritz, and possibly even pop over the border into Spain for a day.

I’d really appreciate any advice on what to pack for a beachy, family-friendly holiday like this. Are there any things you found essential with kids this age? Anything you wish you’d brought but didn’t think of at the time? And any tips or hacks for making beach days less chaotic would be very welcome!

Also, if you know the area, any favourite day trips, family-friendly places to eat, or fun things to do with young children?

Thank you so much in advance, I’m trying to get organised before the packing panic begins 😅

I take it you are driving? Assuming so I would take short wetsuits as the Atlantic isn’t that warm (ok I think all water is cold but it’s definitely colder than the med) body boards and and lifejackets, though we were further north, in the Vendee. I also carry in the car favourite snacks for the journey, squash, chopping board, plates, bread knife, butter knife, cool box, etc so I can make lunches travelling, we did a lot of road trips and for lunch it’s great to go into a large supermarket and buy food. My dc once older chose the car snacks which meant also rare fizzy drinks, cans of cloudy lemonade typically they chose

Get one of those sand screws to anchor your beach parasol, it's always windy on the Atlantic coast. Don't underestimate how much stronger the sun is than the UK, I would recommend sun suits for the kids. Mosquito repellent for the evenings, and those plug in ones are good for in the accommodation. A lot of European families use little pull along trolleys for transporting beach stuff, I think they are collapsible. Could be handy if you have a long walk over sand dunes to the beach, which is quite common as the coast is relatively un-built up.

I was going to mention the wind! Definitely take a wind break.

@minnienono thanks extremely helpful yes we are driving. Will definitely take the cool box and love the idea of the chopping board hadn't thought about that but totally makes sense if in the go.

@Motherhubbardscupboard thanks yes I did year these trolleys are the way to go when travelling toddler in tow.

Wetsuits
beach shoes
hoodies, trackies not just shorts

So You have a paeage tag? Makes life so much easier if you don’t and have time to get one before you go.

stop at a proper shop once you are through the tunnel / ferry to buy food for the rest of the journey. You do not want to be buying shit sandwiches on the way down (they are really bad. And the queues). Stop for fuel if needed, stop at an aire for a quick run around /leg stretch and toilets. They are generally much cleaner than the service stations.

As others have said, plan for wind. We always used UV rash vests as it was easier than reapplying sunscreen. If they will wear a wide brim hat those will also keep them sun safe (but for me I had one that would wear the hat, the other would not permit it!
Zip lock bags! Great for wet swimsuits, collecting shells and pretty much every beach activity. Additionally a mesh beach bag for shaking out the sand before you get back to the car.

Portable fans for car journeys…traffic/parking can often be a challenge, even the shortest beach trips…
Hard shell containers for snacks… again for those car journeys where 15 mins turns into an hour.

Top car game tip: Put four sticky notes together to make a big square. Draw a simple picture – a smile a face, a snowman, a heart etc. across the four sticky notes, . Mix up the four sticky notes. The child has to put the drawing back together again to win.

Card games and colouring books were always helpful to wind down the afternoon into evening time for us.
Also, if you can, start playing a simple calming/wind-down playlist now, while at home. They will subconsciously understand that means quiet or nap time when they are away.

Try to do Morning out/Afternoon pool style days, esp as kiddies are 4 and 6. Early outings beat heat and crowds.

Bayonne has a beautiful old town and chocolate shops (Chocolaterie Puyodebat is a hit with kids).
Biarritz has an excellent aquarium right by the sea.
Labenne Zoo is small but perfect for younger kids.
Hop over to Hondarribia in Spain for colourful streets and a gentle tapas lunch.

Enjoy, it’s a lovely part of the world.

@DeliaOwens Thank you so much 🤩 Will definitely take your advice on board re-hats, hadn’t thought of this either. Thanks on the tip also for the shells, no doubt I’ll be bringing half of the Atlantic’s ocean shells back home 😀. Love your playlist suggestion too, can start now. And for Hondarribia rec looks lovely. Thanks!

@boulevardofbrokendreamss thanks, yes so I’ve been told! We’ve opted for the Emovis péage tag. We’ll see how that works out 🤞

Check whether or not you will need a Crit Air sticker

Similar to our Ulez scheme, for many/most cities. We got one regardless of where we would be driving, just in case! It only cost around €5, but if you get stopped and haven’t got one, there’s a fairly hefty fine.

Just on the péage; France is slowly introducing the free-flow, no stopping 'flux libre'. When we drove to Brittany in May, we just drove through. Instead, you have something like 24hrs to go online and pay (bit like Dartford tunnel).

… and also other driving requirements for France

That part of the world is just great, and I'm sure you will have a great time especially with all the brilliant tips and advice already given!

The only thing I would add is, if you have the time (and the energy) a day trip to San Sebastian is so worth it. Gorgeous place, about an hour from where you are staying. Of the other towns mentioned my favourite is Bayonne, just charming, although all the other Basque towns in the region are just as nice. Biarritz I found to be a bit "full of itself", but watching the surfers is entertaining!

Enjoy yourselves!

@BIWI Wow, so interesting, thanks, will definitely look into this.

You definitely need the kit @FunnyOliveHiker - it’s essential to have most of those elements (especially a high viz vest per person), and recommended for most of the other stuff. We’ve never been stopped and asked for it, nor have we (thankfully!) needed the vests but, again, you can be fined for not carrying them.

Also, don’t know if you’ve driven in France before, but beware the speed limits. They are always well sign-posted, but if it’s raining/wet, the speed limit is reduced (especially thinking of the motorways)

I really love St Jean de Luz in that area, if you get a chance to go.

I second the shortie wetsuit!

Warning triangle and reflective jackets - can’t remember if you need a breathalyser?

also we stayed in Hossegor and the ocean was crazy!!! We had never seen waves so big, no one was allowed in the sea it would have been crazy to go into the sea. This was August. It was so so so windy we stayed right back it was actually pretty frightening. If you go to hossegor it has a nice lake and we paddle boarded on there but the sea was bonkers.

Another vote for @anyzee ’s suggestion of San Sebastian. Fantastic place.

Lots of good tips. I would add raincoats ! We go to the Atlantic every year and we were surpised at how rainy it was the further south we got.

Lovely area and my DC were the same age as yours when we went and they had a blast.

Also if you forget anything remotely sport related, definitely go to Decathlon. The ones near holiday areas sell any swim stuff you could possibly need like wetsuits, sunsuits, shoes, sandals etc etc and is very very reasonably priced.

I was going to mention the sea too. There are some lakes and shallow inlets where the water is more child-friendly, but the ocean is (at times) downright dangerous even for adults. There are life-guards and they will make sure that you go into the marked areas, but that still might be too much for little ones. This is sometimes dependent on the tide though, so check out the beach at different times of day (and check different beaches) in case you find a better one. My DC loved the holidays there, but there was at least one year for each of them when they would not go near the actual ocean because of the waves.

Please don't worry too much about all the extra stuff you are meant to carry in the car. I lived in France for over 20 years and even when I was stopped by the police on a couple of occasions they never, ever checked that I had any of those items. The companies that sell them in the UK create this idea of a gendarme bogeyman waiting on every corner to fine Brits (there used to be a life-sized cardboard cut-out of one in the tunnel terminal at Folkestone, including claims that you needed a breathalyser many years after that proposal had been abolished), but it really doesn't happen. The fines are probably less than the inflated prices that the holiday stores charge.

Also, in general, don't worry too much if you forget to take something. They have children and shops in France too. 😉 If you see a branch of Armand Thiery check it out - their clothes are very nice and good value.

Something that has changed a lot in the last 15 years or so is the ability and willingness of French people to speak English. It's nice to ask "Excuse me, do you speak English?" first, but most people under 40 are delighted to speak it with you these days.

We went to the Atlantic coast ( albeit a bit further up) for a number of years when ds was younger. As well as a windbreak we bought one of those uv parasol things that can double up as a tent, was great to keep the sun off but also as a bit of a base to either keep lunch and all our stuff in or for ds to sit in if v hot. Hooded towels were fab too, esp if windy to keep them warm after a dip in sea or lake depending on waves. Have an amazing trip!

@samarrange you do realise that the things you’re advising against are legal requirements? Great you haven’t been stopped/fined, but it’s irresponsible to advise @FunnyOliveHiker against them.

I'm not advising against them, but they are mostly very minor things and people are getting badly ripped off by UK vendors making out that they are super-essential and that deportation awaits anyone who isn't 100% stocked up. The vast majority of cars driving round France do not have every single one of the things that are officially needed, and the police really do not check up on them. There's a whole world between "this is on paper a legal requirement" and "it is vital that you comply because the consequences of not doing so are devastating".

Another example: As a UK visitor, you are legally required to carry your passport with you at all times in France (and every other EU country, apart from perhaps Ireland). You should even take your passport to the beach with you. But it is, in my experience, unnecessary and indeed a terrible idea to do so, because the risk and cost of theft, while not huge, nevertheless still vastly outweigh the risk and cost of being stopped, checked, and fined for not having it (which essentially never, ever, ever happens). So I strongly recommend that people do not comply with this legal requirement, because doing so is potentially a huge hassle.

Now, would I give any of this advice if I was the Europe Minister at the FCDO, advising UK tourists how to prepare for their holiday abroad? No, of course not. I would put on my best po face and tell everyone to comply with all local laws and regulations. But I'm not that minister. I'm just someone a certain amount of practical experience trying to help people assess actual risks.