inland/furthur south from la rochelle ?

[matt brighton]

Hi

After a sucessful first campervan holiday to Cornwall we are now set on venturing across the channel from Newhaven to Royan/La Rochelle region .

Our plan is to have a first week in france in the campervan as far south as we can drive from Dieppe and then stay for a week at a farm house we have rented before in the oise valley (north east of paris) so we can get train to paris (1/2 hr) and drive to eurodisney

having researched available info i am looking for a smaller camp site than the big complex ones with swimming pools etc on the coast we have seen advertised, and reviewed here and elsewhere on the net.

Has anyone here gone a bit furthur south or inland from Royan and can recommend any areas or sites ?

Thanks

matt

[Flibbertigibbet]

Have you got an aires book ? I could lend you mine if you like

[rhm]

Theres a cracking aire at mortagne sur gironde, not too far from royan

[Ralf85]

What time of year are you going/ If it is betweeen 1 April and 30 September there are potentially thousands of campsites open in France (with a big empty space around Paris). If you intend going now there will be be very few open. I used the Camping Club de Paris (Paris est) site when taking my kids to disneyland. It is very busy during the summer months but at the same time of year it does food on site. Whatever you decide to do, take the latest camping guide book with you. Take either (or both) the Michelin camping guide book or the equivalent AA guide so that you can cope with any emergencies or unexpected events/delays. Happy camping:ok
Patrick

[matt brighton]

Many thanks for replys and recommendations.

I will take you up on offer of loan of aires book.... thanks Flibbertigibbet... (might you be at the speed trials/ace cafe run this weekend ?)

and will check out the sites others mentioned - thanks again to rhm and prd ,,,,


Matt

[Flibbertigibbet]

I sent you a P.M.

[oorwullie]

you don't say whether yer going now or next year but if it's soon then this is open till end october:

http://www.camping-des-sables.com/#

lots of/most others will be closed end of sep.

i did spend a night on a french campsite further east inland this year next to a UK reg red joker.
in my bay westie i was studiously ignored by all the family apart from one red haired and freckled 10 year old girl who bid me a perfectly accented "bonjour m'sieur" in the morning..... .

[matt brighton]

thanks oourwillie,

we plan to go next august...

Will check out the camping des sables 0 thanks for the recommendation

Matt

[oorwullie]

i can't guarantee space next august, why not go now?

[woodmonkey]

you don't say whether yer going now or next year but if it's soon then this is open till end october:

http://www.camping-des-sables.com/#

lots of/most others will be closed end of sep.

i did spend a night on a french campsite further east inland this year next to a UK reg red joker.
in my bay westie i was studiously ignored by all the family apart from one red haired and freckled 10 year old girl who bid me a perfectly accented "bonjour m'sieur" in the morning..... .

we stopped here a few years back, it is a cracking spot

[Ralf85]

thanks oourwillie,

we plan to go next august...

Will check out the camping des sables 0 thanks for the recommendation

Matt

Beware, Royan/La Rochelle/Atlantic coast area will be heaving in August (just as the Mediterranean coast and Brittany/Normandy coast will be). If you intend to spend time there I would recommend booking a camp site in good time otherwise you could find yourself with nowhere to stay. Alternatively, there are loads of other places to go and stay away from the holiday hotspots. The AA provide an excellent camping book covering France which gives detailed information about each site. I suggest that you get a copy (maybe for Xmas) and look at your options well in advance. Bon vacance!

Patrick

[oorwullie]

thanks oourwillie,

we plan to go next august...

Will check out the camping des sables 0 thanks for the recommendation

Matt

Beware, Royan/La Rochelle/Atlantic coast area will be heaving in August (just as the Mediterranean coast and Brittany/Normandy coast will be). If you intend to spend time there I would recommend booking a camp site in good time otherwise you could find yourself with nowhere to stay. Alternatively, there are loads of other places to go and stay away from the holiday hotspots. The AA provide an excellent camping book covering France which gives detailed information about each site. I suggest that you get a copy (maybe for Xmas) and look at your options well in advance. Bon vacance!

Patrick

royan is indeed heaving, a half hour watching the people,a look at the boats and time to move on. who would want to camp there i don't know.

the cathedral is well worth a look whether you're a catholic or not.



the brittany coast is many hundreds of miles long, there are always deserted spots even in the high season. no, i'm not telling exactly where.

dunno about the AA book, but my son just met a german on the il d'oleron who had an ADAC book of camping in france. it listed 6 sites on oleron, the cheapest of which was €35 a night in august and was like butlins and blackpool combined.
the german had used his brain a little and landed next to my son on a site 50 yards from the beach and miles from the mobs for €12.50 a night.

there are in total 66 campsites on the island, not just 6. does anyone know how many the AA list?