French beach Sumer holiday fam of 4..don't know where to start...help...

[Smallrat]

Hoping to take first trip to France with 2 sons this Summer when school's out, Want to see Paris for a couple of days and then a week on the coast...preferably south, maybe West. Just have not got a clue where....ideally self catering right by the beach, not in the countryside, we don't drive, it'll be trains all the way probably...There are far too many sites with not enough info..Help please...

That sounds like a lovely plan. I would look on the gites de France website and choose from there. You know then that your gite has to be of a certain standard.

If you are using the train then you can get to Marseille really quickly from Paris, which opens up the south coast for you.

I haven't stayed in a gite around those parts, so I cannot recommend one in particular. Toulon, Cassis are nice places, but Gites de France have no accomodation in those places in particular.

Montpellier is nice, as is the area around there. If you search for a place using the map on the web site you can see where the gites are positioned.

Sorry , I haven't really been all that much help, but I didn't want you to go unanswered.

Have a lovely time.

Carisma do mobile home holidaysclose to beaches on the West coast, but the weather is very unreliable and thesea is rough.

With very young children and without a car, I would point you towards Turkey.

Gites de France are often in villages inland. We have found self-catering accommodation on the coast by using tourist information offices' websites. It may be different this year, because the sterling/euro exchange rate is less attractive, but for the last couple of years it was quite a struggle to find anything because we left it late to book.

Take a train from Paris to La Rochelle on the west coast. This is a lovely resort, although not much of beach. Very close by with excellent bus links is the 'Ile de Re' gorgeous island (bridge to it) with excellent beaches, cycling trails etc.)

Clevacances are the coastal equivalents of Gites de France - furnished rentals in seaside resorts with a rating scheme etc
Puffling is right, the area round la Rochelle has reasonable public transport and even if the train does not go all the way, in many departements there are bus links.
Brittany is another option, with train services fast from Paris and then local.
And the Loire-Atlantique has TGV services too.
Tbh you need to choose a region and then start looking at Clevacance properties or cabins in high spec campsites, in resorts with stations

Thanks all, very helpful, Clevacances is a very good website, I will also try tourist offices. It's strange every accommodation(lots) I have looked at has no bookings this Summer...am I early to book or is nobody going to France this year because of the financial status. i think there may be some good deals available later in the year.

Hi!
I have been to a fantastic manor house (sounds expensive - but it's not!)in southern brittany visit www.avalec.co.uk
the owners live onsite in a seperate apartment - but it has alot of land and its own pool - I couldn't believe how child friendly it was with stairgates, fireguards, highchairs.
My 2 and 3 year old boys loved it and we are hoping to book again late this summer - have a look!

Think they said that they were on a site called ownersdirect? The place is called AVALEC.

Have a look at the Interlude campsite on the Ile de Re (as recommended by puffling below). Right on the beach, activities for the children, and the Ile de Re is set up for people who don't have cars. (Lots of gites and holiday homes on Ile de Re too if you don't fancy a campsite.)