Recommend a cracking touring site in France!

[Rosscow]

As per the title, following our successful maiden holiday to the West Country we want to hit the continent next summer.

Can anyone recommend a nice touring site, preferably with the following:

Mountain/Natural park setting
Next to fresh water for swimming and activities - river/lake, etc.
Interesting towns nearby
Preferably serviced pitches
Scenic

Thanks in advance!

Ross

[jep]

Rosscow said:

As per the title, following our successful maiden holiday to the West Country we want to hit the continent next summer.

Can anyone recommend a nice touring site, preferably with the following:

Mountain/Natural park setting
Next to fresh water for swimming and activities - river/lake, etc.
Interesting towns nearby
Preferably serviced pitches
Scenic

Thanks in advance!

Ross

Stayed at the Lac d'Orient for 1 night last year on our way to the Alps, and it was superb. It's got pretty much all of your requirements ticked

[blongs]

I have stayed there as well for about a week or so. It is a very good site.

[thefrog]

http://www.camping-deschevaliers.com/index.html?lg...

we stayed there a few years ago, they have hard chalet accomodation, pitches for tents and caravans (electric hook up too I think), a restaurant and possibly more now.

There is a swimming pool on site and a play area for kids, plenty of stuff to see nearby (Normandy beaches, Saint Malo, Mount St Michael, Bell Foundry, the largest train set in europe/world, etc...), beaches, walking distance from the town centre, yet once in the camp site, you wouldn't know.

Maybe not 100% a match for what you want but it's not too far to drive from the UK for a first trip abroad.

[Rosscow]

Cheers guys, all look good!

To be honest I'm thinking about going further south to try and chase the sun/heat!

Liking the idea of using the Lac d'Orient site as a stopover en-route to the Ardeche.

I'm quite used to driving in France as I normally drive to skiing once a year so the distance doesn't bother me.

This looks nice:

http://www.oasisardeche.com/

As does this, but the cost is eye-watering! http://www.ardechois-camping.com/

For their basic pitch in July/Agust with 2 kids is €72.20 per night - going up to €99.20 per night for their best pitches. Ouch!

[hunton69]

Lac de der is similar on the way down south.

Lot's of camp sites around Lake Annercy, Great weather, mountains,swimming,cylcing, lots of resturants and much more.

Edited by hunton69 on Friday 15th August 08:23

[anonymous-user]

The only campsite with a view of hogwarts!

www.campinglecapeyrou.com

[GAjon]

If you fancy further South, take a look near the Millau valley.
I did a stop over there on the way down to Spain.
There's campsites along the river and near the town.

[Bill]

jep said:

Stayed at the Lac d'Orient for 1 night last year on our way to the Alps, and it was superb. It's got pretty much all of your requirements ticked

We were there on Friday! Nice enough site, but possibly the worst restaurant I've used in France. If it's just a stopover they have gravel stop and go pitches or if you have a motorhome there's a free aire de campingcar just round the corner towards town.

As has been mentioned Lac Annecy is lovely, with a good cycle track along one side on top of the whole lake/mountain thing. I'll try to remember where we stayed. We also stayed in Camping Ile de Barrat in Chamonix which is a lovely green site a short walk from the centre with views up a glacier to Mont Blanc. None of the sites in Chamonix will book though, and I'm not sure you'd want to swim in the glacier meltwater.

[jep]

Bill said:

We were there on Friday! Nice enough site, but possibly the worst restaurant I've used in France. If it's just a stopover they have gravel stop and go pitches or if you have a motorhome there's a free aire de campingcar just round the corner towards town.

Ah, that's a shame then Bill. We had a good sized grass pitch and the quality of the food and wine was more than good enough when we were there 13months ago. Ok the service was a little haphazard bit otherwise it hit the spot and gave us a very pleasant 1st night in France.

[Bill]

The grass pitches were quagmires so we were fine where we were. The restaurant wasn't helped by the weather as everyone was inside, but there's no excuse for (eventually) serving dried out cardboard chips and half cooked andouillette. Even the pizzas were stingy.

[Simes205]

Au coeur du lac in Annecy, we've done 3 holidays over 20 years though and if hasn't changed.
In the ardeche, 38deg when we were there.
http://www.beaurivage-camping.com

In the Auvergne
http://www.campinglebelvedere.com
Very chilled part of France.

Edited by Simes205 on Thursday 21st August 23:32

[pisdonthread]

We stayed at Lac Chalain this year. at this site http://www.chalain.com/uk/camping-village-jura-sit... nice clean site with loads of facilities, direct access to the lake and mountains around you.

[Simond S]

My advice would be look at the municipal sites. They seem to have the best locations, often on the rivers or lakes, superb sized pitches, serviced and the showers etc are properly cleaned at least daily by council staff.

Having done 5 different sites in the last month in France I would say the municipals are at the top of their game.

On your way home worth stopping at http://www.camping-lecolombier.com/ for a relaxing day or two in Normandy.

[sulli]

Gastes, south of Bordeaux, near Parentis en borne and Mimizan. Best aire we have ever stayed in in whole of France. Stay in wood 50 yards from lake and marina, lake 26 degrees in summer, great for swimming, water sports particularly if you have your own boat etc, bar and restaurant close by, but pretty quiet. 5 euros a night off season, 7 euros high season!