Eurocamp newbie, help!

[monicagellerbing]

My kids have now outgrown our usual Haven holidays, they are 13 and 8. I’ve been hearing lots of good things about Eurocamp but don’t know where to start really. We aren’t experienced with abroad holidays (don’t even currently have passports!). So can anyone recommended a really good Eurocamp destination, that two growing kids will like, has to be near to a beach and also either have its own waterpark or decent slides in the pool at least, or be near to one. Does this place exist? Thanks in advance

They do exist but for recommendations you need to decide how to you want to travel. Are you going to drive, and if so which port (there’s much more than just the Dover-Calais crossing) and how far are you prepared to drive the other side? Or are you going to fly? And if you fly, will you hire a car or do you want somewhere suitable for a car-free holiday? (Some sites are remote and you really need a car for them)

Watching with interest - we have passports finally after going abroad for the first time in 20 years a few months ago so I’d like to use them again. I’m thinking on a Eurocamp next year but no idea where to start either, so hoping others come along with suggestions or recommendations!

Lots and lots of eurocamps have great slides, pools and are near a beach. You'll have to narrow it down a bit. When do you want to go? Will you be driving or flying? Do you want France or Spain/Italy/Holland? So many options!

Duinrell in Holland. Literal water park! Eurocamp is brilliant. Just take some time looking through them on website, they show the pool setup and what activities they have etc. Many of them have stuff like archery, treetop courses, water sports, huge zip lines, boating, etc.

Duinrell or Union lido in Italy.

we’ve done both but Union lido was exceptional. Like a village, immaculate, own beach and also a waterpark on site. Very much recommend.

I am following also for recommendations of one near a sandy beach ⛱️. We went to one previously in Italy and it was excellent but it was a pebble beach and my DC love the sand.

Are they like a Haven and you have to take everything including the kitchen sink with you?! Not sure how that works if you fly? We live in the NorthEast so driving would add hours/a day to holiday getting to a port but probably better for when we arrive at the other side…

ok ill say
we’ll drive
itll be for August 2026
not fussed which country

Was it a sandy beach please?
We stayed at one not too far away and it was a pebble beach so DC were disappointed.

@Myhairissopoofy that sounds perfect! Did you fly or drive?

Btw - Duinrell health and safety (lack of!) meant we didn’t feel 100% safe with the kids in the waterpark. Endless boisterous teens about, ignoring the stop/go lights on the slides, going multiple people down a slide when not allowed etc.

felt much much safer at Union Lido

There Is a Facebook group called “eurocamp unofficial supporters club”. It has tons of reviews and really valuable information.

We flew into Marco Polo and caught the public bus (one change but very easy - and cheap!)

Yes - sandy beach. And actually the waterpark is sand too!

No, the accommodation has everything (you probably will need to pay a charge for linens and towels). There is everything you need to cook etc and a starter pack of washing up liquid etc. We had a dishwasher in ours and bought a box of tablets kn site in the supermarket.

we found restaurant and bar prices to be really reasonable and there is a great choice of places to eat.

we also did trips to Venice, Murano and burano. Public bus from right outside camp to the little port.

Eurocamp usually rent areas on holiday villages, so we used to find a site we liked then use their own website to book as often there are a whole range of different accommodation types available.

Agree with this. Don’t book Eurocamp direct.

we booked through Bolero holidays for Union lido but there are plenty of others depending ok accommodation needs and budget.

Another vote for Duinrell. Visited 6 years running when DS was younger and it’s such a fab place with loads to do on site, a lovely town within walking distance, a beach a cycle ride away and just a really lovely place. We always did the Harwich to Hook of Holland ferry crossing and it’s a nice drive from there to Wassenaar

OP I think you really need to look at travel options first.

Ferry or flight (with hire car)? - eg ferry from Portsmouth to Caen in France is a long crossing. Then to drive from Caen down to say the Vendee area of France is a good few hours in weekend traffic.
We fly instead as it’s quicker for us but we can easily get to Gatwick for flights to Nantes or La Rochelle.

No idea re ferries to Spain but expect will take much longer!

I think you also need to think about how hot you want it, We actively don’t like Mediterranean type temperatures so mid France (Vendee) is great for us as around max mid twenties (tho sometimes bit of rain). Brittany is nearer to the ports but weather is pretty much like Cornwall. Holland can also be coolish weather and rain.

A site with walking distance to a beach can work well as driving/parking can be busy in August.

You can book direct with the camp sites for better choice but if your kids want lots of UK kids on site to hang out with then it can be better to go somewhere with lots of Eurocamp chalets.

But look at how you’re going to get there first…

Duinrell would be easy if you do the Newcastle to Rotterdam crossing - hardly any distance from there. Sandy beach, theme park, pancake house, pool complex, bike hire. Day trip to Amsterdam and Leiden. Weather not as scorchio as Union Lido in August. Though I have been there too - though in June - and it is an amazing site. We flew to Treviso and got a transfer. We stayed a week without leaving the park - so much to do and a huge choice of restos/takeaways/decent supermarket. As PP said - usually better and more choice if you book direct. We also really liked La Carabasse in Languedoc - which is Siblu rather than Eurocamp. Huge pool complex, kids clubs, fun fair and mini golf within 10 mins walk - plus shops, restos and the beach within 10 - 15 mins walk. Bike rides along the canal. It's very close to Beziers airport and we have done it with and without the car.

So Eurocamp is like haven in that it’s self catering, so you need to get your own food, and you also need to bring towels/linen. Except you can hire the towels and linen. All sites will have an onsite shop but some are better than others. We drive (10 hours to the south of France!) but people who fly often will take a taxi at the start of the break to the nearest big supermarket for a big shop and then top up on site during the holiday.

If you can get flights to Béziers, there are some sites near their that people recommend for car free holidays: Club Farret and the Les Mediterranees sites come to mind. Further south, La Chapelle and Front de Mer in Argeles sur Mer might be good (nearest airport is Perpignan).

I also recommend the Facebook group a PP recommended; I’m in it and there are lots of people who can give recommendations. And reviews of sites.

Wow so many recommendations thank you everyone! It all seems so daunting to a newbie, only abroad holiday I’ve been on was to Egypt about 15 years ago with no kids! I feel like I don’t have a clue what to do but all this info is very helpful.

If you're in the North East you could take the shields ferry crossing to Amsterdam and stay on a site in the Netherlands. We stayed in South Holland this summer and it was great, indoor and outdoor pool with slides, decent restaurant and bar, lake with 'beach' and water sports, indoor centre with bowling, climbing etc.

We went with almost grown dd but wished we had done this when the kids were younger instead of driving all the way across France to Brittany. There were plenty of interesting places to drive to days out if you have a car. We went to Amsterdam, Utrecht, Maastricht and Antwerp. You could 'pop' into Germany if you fancied it

Look at Siblu sites in France and the Netherlands - Siblu used to be Haven Europe.

Unlike Eurocamp, which as PP have said take up a number of pitches in holiday parks, Siblu run the whole site.

We’ve just booked Eurocamp for May half term. We’ve chosen May as didn’t want too hot. It was under £400 for a premium for a week. Even with travel and ferry crossings it’s about £700. We are going to the Vendee so a bit of a drive….bit seeing it as an adventure!

Highly recommend booking direct where possible. Yelloh campsites in France are fantastic - linen etc all provided. Were tried a few providers but find yelloh so reliable. Le pins parasol is a great site for first timers - really luxurious on the nature en sens side and just a lovely holiday

we’re aiming for le 3 vallees (another Yelloh site) in the Pyrenees next summer followed by a few days in a hotel in San Sebastián