Eurocamp or similar - please tell me what you think

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Have 3 lovely boys, 6, 3 and 10months. Went on a package to spain last summer - boys enjoyed it but it was hard work. wanted to try something different. need some childcare so was thinking of eurocamp but know very little as to whatits actually like. Have to go in August so somewhere not too far if driving and not too hot. Please let me know if you've been, especially if with 3 small children. Was thinking maybe of FRance. Did the kids enjoy it? Was it too noisy? Did you get a rest? Is it going to be horrendously packed ? Did you drive around the region a lot? Was it chavvy? Have you tried another holiday park that's nicer than Eurocamp - I would appreciate any thoughts!! How does it compare to something like centerparcs or a hotel package. Childcare?
Please advise !! Tell me where we should go! Thanks in advance.

The Vendee is very popular with MNetters - not too far to drive but quite good weather. I think most campsites have various travel companies using them, Keycamp, Eurocamp, Canvas, etc plus they often have their own mobile homes which they rent out directly.

How much childcare do you want? You would need to check what ages the kids clubs cater for - I would have thought they wouldn't take the 10 month old, for example. I've never used the clubs much myself though...

All the places I've been in France have been well-run and not noisy at all at night. In your case I would opt for a smaller site where it is easier to keep an eye on the children but at the same time you can give the older ones a bit of freedom.

I don't think you can expect a holiday not to be still hard work when they are so young - but once they are a bit older they would really enjoy the Eurocamp sort of thing as they can go off on bikes, etc and make friends to play with.

We went to the Dordogne with Eurocamp. We chose a small-medium sized camp site. It wasn't too crowded (went 1st 2 weeks of the summer hols) and the DC's both loved it (3 and 5 at the time). It felt really safe and we could relax at night outside our tent while our dc's played with the neighbours' children within sight, it was useful that they're bilingual English/Dutch, because there were quite a few Dutch at the site. There was some entertainment, but it wasn't noisy. We're actually going back to the same campsite this year, but this time we're taking our own caravan and a 3rd dc who'll be 3 months by then. We did most of the driving overnight. It's not only cooler overnight, the children slept for most of the journey too. As for kids clubs, you'll have to check. There is a Eurocamp baby/toddler club, but not on the campsite we chose. The site we chose only had a club starting from 5yo.

We went in a ready erected tent with Keycamp to the South of France, DS's aged 6 and 8 loved it.
We were on a large site, but like all sites in France there is a noise curfew after 11pm, which is enforced quite rigorously by the site security.
The boys did Kids Club a few times. We had a great time, would have liked to have gone again this year but am put off by the exchange rate at the moment

thankyou grapefruitmoon, belgianchocolates and MrsMcluskey. I do realise that it will still be hard work but on the package holiday last year it just seemed that everyone else was rushing for their sunbeds, rushing to dinner, trying to find a table to sit down at after dinner and I found it all a bit stressful and that really I just wanted a little more open space. Also for the kids so that we didnt have to be quite so controlling and be able to let them run round a bit more. Im not very good at roughing it so might have to find a mobile home or chalet - are the big tents super duper equipped? I think you;re right Belgian Chocolates and grapefruitmoon that we need a small/medium campsite.

Yes the euro is a bit of a problem isnt it. DH is adamant that he wants to get out of England this summer, then the dilemma is somewhere not too hot and not too far which lands us in France probably or another flight to sunny mallorca.

Thanks everyone. Would anyone recommend one company over another? They sound like they're pretty much a muchness.

tab the big tents are well equipped tbh. They have real beds, a proper fridge, a 4 hob gas cooker, all cuttlery and pots and pans you'll ever need and there were 2 plug sockets and electric lighting inside. If I remember rightly there was also a coffee making devise, but I don't think it was an electric perculator. The only thing is that you need to take your dishes to the washing up sink by the toilets, but these were really close for us. I think Eurocamp and Keycamp were virtually the same. The representatives worked together and often there were joint activities. Just the tents had different colours.

Have never done tents, only mobile homes. My biggest tip is to book directly with the campsite rather than a holiday company if you need to budget. Will be much cheaper plus (ime) the mobile homes owned by the campsites are often newer/better. Obv you can't then use the holiday clubs run by Eurocamp, etc but most campsites have their own clubs anyway, plus only your eldest child might be old enough to use them anyway...

We have stayed in this campsite which might suit you - weather might not be much better than the UK though as it's not very far south...

www.chateau-des-marais.com/gb.html

Sorry, didn't do link properly

www.chateau-des-marais.com/gb.html

Carisma sites in Vendee. Personally know nothing about what their childcare is likeas I have never used childcare on holiday.However,very peaceful site [Les Sables]yet with good swimming pool and low key French evening entertainmentonsome evenings. Near beaches but some have very rough sea and nosand. Mobile home well-equipped and warm but squashed if older children.Good shop on site.Recommend Carisma.Long driveto Vendee though if you go in car from UK.Weather NOT RELIABLE NOTE despite the claims to be sunny etc.

Just a quick one - I used to work for Eurocamp when I was a student. I think it's a great options for a family with young kids. To be honest, how 'chavvy' it is does depend upon where you go because the different site attract different people but overall I'd say that no it definitely isn't. There are kids clubs which are great fun for the children (although, like anywhere how good they are is determined by how good the children's courier is).

I think it's a great option and much more relaxing and fun than a package holiday.

Thanks everyone. Thats all very helpful. I now have a eurocamp brochure or should I say tome!! All looks lovely. Can anyone remember if they went to an "active" one or a "lively" one? Was lively too much in mid summer? Guess we really want not too much of a drive and a good area to explore if bad weather.

Thanks for your advice solanum. I will look at carisma as well and I note youre comments re journey/weather/beaches - what time of year did you go? Also that's very helpful BlameItontheBogey. Has anyone been in August - are the roads awful? Has anyone tried a fly drive?

If anyone can recommend other specific camps they love that'd be great? Sorry about so many questions.

We loved South Brittany .grande Metaire has loads to do and kids club near Carnac but very busy in high season-not our cup of tea anymoreLa Plage and La Baie at La Trinite great for young families with easy access to beach (flat and sandy) Maybe need to check childcare but most sites run their own too.Great area -we have been going for over 20 years!!!

Mine strangely LIKEd the active sites,they liked things going on in the evening to look at.
Weather in vendee and brittany can be average/poor
All holidays wiht kids are hard work tbh.

Thanks maddylou and SuperMario. Did you go in high summer supermario? I suppose its just quite near england so just as unpredictable.

Yes, have been loads, get the best accom you can afford.

Hi, i have a huge family, boys who are 13 and 11 a daughter who is 10 and then 2 year old twins. We have always had a problem with holidays because we aren't the conventional 2 + 2 but here is our tried and tested solution!
Eurocamp and Canvas Holidays offer the same holiday parks, same accomodation, kids club everything.. but Canvas are almost £500 ( for a 2 week break ) cheaper than Eurocamp. Also ( and this is the nice bit) you pay for a holiday i.e., 2 weeks and you can actualy pick as many stops for whatever amount of nights as you like so we do the following. Drive to the ferry - kids get out, walk around, have some food etc) arrive in France and drive approx 4 hours ( with breaks ) to just below Paris "Chateau de l'Eperviere )and stay 2 nights in a lovely site there. Pool, kids club all set up. Then we drive another 3 to 4 hours to our destination in the St Tropez ( how posh does that sound when you are on a budget!) and there is a fantastic site there (Camping le Pacacaid) with an enormous waterpark for the older kids, smaller pools, the beach, on site entertainment especially the discos for evenings. We stay there for 11 nights then drive back up to the first site stay for 2 nights and then go home. No really long car journeys,but a way of getting to the guaranteed sunshine and a resort holiday with as little stress as possible. They have the set up tents there wich are fab but we use the mobile homes which are of a good standard.

sorry forgot to add that this is a High Summer holiday, but Canvas drop their prices from the 17th August which is what makes them cheaper ( Eurocamp don't drop theirs until much later in the month)

Really recommend Canvas Holidays - the ladies on the phone are lovely.

A Castels et camping site is always really good - they are usually very well maintained and you can book direct - type in castels camping and you will get their website.

If you want to do beachy type I really recommend Carantec in Britany - it's lovely. We also stayed at Baden but I thought it a bit noisy. In the KeyCamp brochure is a place in the Doubs called Rougemont - its smaller with a fab pool. Takes about 12 hrs door to door (from SE England door!). If you need to stay overnight then recommend Campanille hotels - cheap - do family rooms or two rooms each - one of us sleeps with one of the kids and the food is good too.

Thankyou Freckles 78 and flyingmum for such helpful comments. Im really impressed and inspired that you manage to getaway and are so organised with your huge brood!! Wow!! I will definitely look into canvas hols. Thanks for your recommendations re Carentec flying mum. to be honest I feel a little overwhelmed. I think that the first time you do something different its hard to know exactly what you should be looking for _ Im pretty sure its not large and active now and brittany is probably realistic for us distance wise. Thankyou ladies!!

We loved 'Acapulco' in St jean de Monts - it's ideally situated within walking distnace of a local beach and 5 mins drive fromt he main resort beach (fab). near a forest and within 5 mins wlak to a supermerket and small 'village' centre. Site ahs everything. Other mnetters have love it too!! I also loved Baden but that was out of seasona nd was lovely and quiet!!! If you want the beach on your doorstep try campign Village la plage in Le Guivenbic - the site is quite basic but the beach is on site and you can walk into town along the beach. Les deux Fontaines at raguenes is fab too with a great kids pool but the restaurant wasn't great.

Last year we tried Italy (involved flights but we didn't need car hire as site was so accessible by bus/coach - also you didn't want to leave!!0 - here - amazing. My mate is going to Marinara di venezia which looks as good but is closer to venice!

I've been taking my DC to france since DD was 3 months and ds 18 mo! This type of camping (in a mobile abroad) is the best holiday ever when they are young!! very realxing and no childacre worries as your social life will probably consist of sitting out around the BBQ with other parents of young children supping the local vino!

A small point to note with your 10 month old DS is that I found it hard to get confirmation a travel cot would go into one of the bedrooms, many companies just don't bother to tell you or say they can't be sure. We went Canvas last year to a Millennium (worth the extra money for the dishwasher alone!) because they guaranteed at least one bed folded away to make room (and it did!). We went to Berny Riviere, 3 hours south of Calais, mainly to get access to Paris/Disney, was a lovely site.

thankyou leslaki and cheeseytoastie. I really appreciate all this helpful advice. Now I just need about 10 weeks holiday to try out all these lovely places !!