Hi there
we are looking to book a camping holiday in france with one of these companies this summer
Can anyone give me any info on either the sites or the companies please
Rach
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Hi Rach - we have done Keycamp for the last two years and, all going well will do the same this year.
I cannot praise the company highly enough.
We have stayed in St. Valerie sur Somme in Picardy and La Vallée in Houlgate. Both sites were excellent.
We hired a 3 bed, 2 bathroom mobile home in each location (we have 3 children aged 13, 9, 5)
Houlgate is ideal to tour the WWII sites, St. Valerie is ideal to tour the WWI sites (which we did last year)
We have gone landbridge Dublin-Holyhead-Dover-Calais.
What sort of information are you looking for? I could write for ages but may not provide the information you are looking for. But overall we were very pleased. A few hiccups but these were sorted out quickly and efficiently by the on-site staff.
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thanks for the reply :)
basically weve never done this kind of holiday before! so dont know what to expect really!
our children will be 10 and 4 and we will go in june,will the kids clubs etc be open then? and are they any good ?
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St Valery looks fab! and it sems there are things to do / see in the area too,water / themes parks etc
how far is that from Calais?
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Rach - St Valery is about 1.5 hours from Calais along the motorway. You can go along the coast as well, taking in every cross roads etc but I would suggest doing the Motorway the first time.
I don%26#39;t know if the children%26#39;s clubs are open in St. Valery at that time, but there is crazy golf (bring your own pitch %26amp; putt clubs if you have room, they%26#39;re expensive to rent) 3 lovely swimming pools, a great play area, tennis courts, ponies etc.
The restaurant on-site is really, really good. I don%26#39;t know if it will be open when you are there. Pizzas from Le Beau Rivage in St. Valery town are sheer heaven and great value. Its at the far end of the cobbled quay (you will find it when you get there :O)
There are no water parks in the area but Berck and Merlimont (about 15 miles back towards Calais) are two lovely beaches. We prefer Merlimont to Berck. Both are well patrolled with beach guards and toilets. Important when you have kids.
Bagatelle is just beyond Berck and is a theme park. If your kids have been to Legoland then give it a miss. It is over 50 years old and showing the signs. The food makes Little Chef seem Michelin Starred!! YES - its true.
Nausicaa is in Boulogne and is well worth a visit. Not as good as The Deep in Hull (Now that is SOME aquarium) but gives it a run for its money. Do NOT under any circumstances skip the sea-lions at the end. They are a comedy act.
If you are in to history and wish to take a day away, drive down as far as the outskirts of Amiens, then east to the town of Albert. Just beyond Albert there are some wonderful places linked with World War I. The Monument to the Missing in Thiepval and the Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont-Hamel (you can walk through the actual trenches where the soldiers fought) Dotted around the area are military cemetaries. Makes your hair stand on end.
Le Crotoy is close to St. Valery and there is a steam train that travels along the coast. There is a lovely windmill there as well.
Just outside Noyelles sur Mer there is a Chinese Military Cemetary. The men there died from The Great Flu, not the Great War. There is a huge Military Cemetary just outside Etaples. Again worth a visit. Commendations here to the work of the British War Graves Commission who keep all of the British Graveyards in such pristine condition.
It is also possible to take a day trip down to Dieppe. We did it for lunch one wet Sunday. There are some lovely restaurants along the quay.
Accommodation - the mobile homes are compact and well equipped. The brochure gives a good idea of what they are like. The web-site gives a 3D impression. When booking, ask the reps if you can be put in %26quot;Millionaires Row%26quot; in St. V. This is a newish part of the site and the mobile homes are better spaced. The reps, not the company call it millionaires row, but it is lovely. We had the pleasure of staying there last year.
Finally and probably most importantly, our kids say they prefer St. Valery to any place else (and they have travelled in France and extensively in Britain and Ireland,including The Mumbles!!)
When you are coming home, stop off at the Cite Europe Shopping Centre (in the same complex as the Eurotunnel, just follow the signs) This is shopping heaven. There is a really good Carrefour to stock up on your wine.
Speaking of supermarkets, there is a supermarket on site in St. V but there is an intermarche about 1 mile away on the main road. Petrol was cheapest at the Carrefour in Berck. The Carrefour in Berck is really good as well.
We use the AA Maxi Scale FRANCE atlas with a scale of 1:180000 Thats 1cm to 1.8km or 1 inch to 2.8 miles.
I hope I%26#39;ve covered all bases. If you like you can e-mail me at beanalainnlimerick@yahoo.com
Take Care.
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wow! thanks for all the info
you are a star
Rach
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Bump for Nickynoonoo
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we are looking at the site at Guines now as its close to Calais
anyone stayed there ???
Thanks
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We%26#39;ve stayed overnight at Guines (a lot of people do!). It%26#39;s fine, with a reasonable restaurant onsite, but otherwise I remember feeling it was probably a bit out in the sticks (but it was gloomy weather so I might be prejudiced!).
In any case, I%26#39;m inclined to agree with beanalainn in suggesting you travel a bit further along the coast to find some prettier areas. We went to Houlgate when my children were about the age of yours and they loved the beaches and seaside towns, especially Honfleur, the Bayeux tapestry, the bridge over the Seine estuary and some of the WW2 memorials.
We%26#39;ve stayed with all the companies you mention, with a slight preference for Canvas, but they are all very good - personally, I%26#39;d choose on the basis of site and price, rather than company. You%26#39;ll probably need to check individually with each company about the kids clubs opening dates.
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I had a good week at Guines - it%26#39;s a pleasant little site and good for a start but there are greater pleasures a little further. I have been with Eurocamp maybe 20 times and have stayed at 2 or 3 sites each time. I would REALY recommend Brittany - not too far and one of the most beautiful places on earth!
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Rach, St. Valery isn%26#39;t really that far from Calais, about an hour and a half or so.
If you are heading over to France, I do think you need to see more than Guines.
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