Boat Launch Campsites

One hour from Paris, on the banks of the Seine and overlooked by the impressive remains of Château Gaillard (Richard Coeur de Lion), this attractive and spacious ten-hectare site will appeal to couples and young families. The site offers mobile units to rent and touring pitches in separate areas. These are either riverside or in a large central triangle, all very close to the Seine; all pitches are divided by low hedging, and some offer a degree of shade.

Sites et Paysages le Panoramic is a medium-sized, traditional site, situated on quite a steep, ten-acre hillside with fine views. The 170 pitches are arranged on flat, shaded terraces, in small groups with hedges and flowering shrubs, and 20 pitches have services for motorhomes. Divided into two parts, the main upper site is where most of the facilities are located, with the swimming pool, its terrace and a playground located with the lower pitches across the road.

Sitting on the terrace in front of the restaurant – a beautifully converted Catalan farmhouse dating from 1908 – it isn't easy to believe that in 1982, this was still a farm with few trees and known as Mas Roque (literally, Rock Farm). Since then, the imaginative planting of thousands of trees and gloriously colourful shrubs have made this large campsite most attractive. It has an impressive range of high-quality amenities and facilities open all year.

Its fine location overlooking a large man-made lake (Bort les Orgues) makes this site a good choice for waters-based activities. The 10 ha. site is steeply terraced and spacious (not ideal for those with walking difficulties). Of the 220 slightly sloping, medium sized, grassy pitches, 172 are available for camping with 140 having access to electricity (10A long leads required). Tall, mainly coniferous hedges and a variety of trees give good shade, with some having views over the lake. A chalet village, separate but part of the site, has attrative wooden cabins to rent. This is a good value for money site.

This site lies within the Parque Natural Bahia de Las Dunas and is adjacent to the long and gently sloping golden sands of Puntilla beach. This is a pleasant and peaceful site (though very busy in August) with some 539 separate marked pitches, 260 for touring units, with much natural shade and ample electrical connections (10A). Motorhomes park in an area called the Oasis which is very pretty. Tent and caravan pitches, under mature trees, are terraced and separated by low walls. This is a spacious site with a tranquil setting and it is popular with people who wish to ‘winter over’. A 2 km. unshaded walk takes you into the bustling heart of Puerto Santa Maria.

This site is now part of the Yelloh Village group, and standards on their sites are consistently high - Camping La Plage du Dramont is no exception. Check-in was efficient, and English was spoken; there is a large waiting area, and once you pass through the initial barrier, you will then be given directions to your pitch. There are 113 touring pitches, which have electric hook-up points available. These are generally open plan, under tree shade, but very dry and dusty due to the Mediterranean climate. 

Le Paradis is an excellent, well-maintained riverside site, halfway between Les Eyzies and Montignac in the Valley of the Vézère. The site is landscaped with a variety of mature shrubs and trees. The gardens are beautiful, which gives a wonderful sense of tranquillity. It is very easy to relax on this ecologically friendly site. Systems of reed filters enhance the efficient natural drainage.

Alpenblick is an all-year site in a stunning setting, located at the heart of the Bernese Oberland just 100 metres from the beautiful Lake Thun. A Swiss chalet-style building houses the reception, shop and bar/restaurant that is very popular with campers and locals alike (try the ‘schnitzelbrot’ and dine on the terrace in good weather). There are around 100 touring pitches and a further 80 residential pitches. The touring pitches are mostly grassy and level, with moderate shade, and all have 10/16A electrical connections. Some good hardstanding pitches are available for motorhomes.

Camping Roche is situated in a pine forest near white sandy beaches in the lovely region of Andalucia. It is a clean, tidy and welcoming site. English is spoken but it's a good place to try out your Spanish, German or French as the staff are very helpful. A family site, it offers a variety of facilities including a sports area and swimming pools. The restaurant has good food and a pleasant outlook over the pool. Games are organised for children. An extension provides further pitches, a modern toilet block and a tennis court. There are 300 pitches which include 104 bungalows to rent. The touring pitches all have electricity (10A) and 76 also have water and wastewater. There is free WiFi across the site, but the connection can be unreliable. There are pleasant paths in the area for mountain biking and this is an ideal base for visiting the cities of Seville and Cádiz.

Saint-Disdille is situated 300 m. from the beautiful Lake Geneva and the famous spa towns of Thonon-les-Bains, which can be reached on a bus that passes the site, and Evian-les-Bains. There are 297 large, level touring pitches on stone and rough grass (rock pegs are essential). Large trees give some shade. Those reserved for touring have 10A electricity and are scattered amongst mobile homes and permanent weekender caravans and can be some distance from the facilities situated by the entrance. The site is ideally placed for the large range of watersports in the area, and Switzerland is easily accessible by car, bus, train or boat.

Camping Kikopark Playa is a smart site nestling behind protective dunes alongside a Blue Flag beach. There are sets of attractively tiled steps over the dunes or a long boardwalk near the beach bar (suitable for prams and wheelchairs) to take you to the fine white sandy beach and the sea. From the central reception point (where good English is spoken), flat, fine gravel pitches and access roads are divided to the left and right.

Situated across the yacht harbour from the Canet-Plage resort, Yelloh! Village Le Brasilia is an impressive, well-managed family site directly beside the beach. There's much to praise here, from the state-of-the-art reception to the sensational water park, excellent spa and park-like grounds. Although large, it is attractive and well kept with a remarkable range of facilities – with good reason, it's always a popular choice.

Camping L’Orangerie de Lanniron is a beautiful and peaceful family site set in ten acres of a 17th-century, 38-hectare country estate on the banks of the Odet River, formerly the home of the Bishops of Quimper.

Camping la Ferme de Lann-Hoëdic is an attractively landscaped site with many flowering shrubs and trees. The 108 touring pitches, all with 10A electricity, are large and mostly level with mature trees which offer some shade. The 20 pitches with mobile homes are in a separate area. The working farm produces cereal crops and the summer months are an exciting time for children to see the harvest in progress. The owners go out of their way to make this a welcoming and happy place to stay. Located in the countryside on the Rhuys Peninsula, Golfe du Morbihan, it is an ideal base for cycling, walking and water-based activities.

This is a large Mobile Home Park with just 36 touring pitches in a small self-contained area of a holiday complex. It looked a little dated, and although the facilities were clean, they were worn. The camping pitches were open with no designated area, and there seemed to be quite a few parties of young teenagers camping in groups. Partial English was spoken at reception, and access to the site was good; management were not available. The surrounding area is not picturesque as you pass through a small industrial estate to access the site. However, the site makes an excellent location for touring the surrounding area.

Camping Nature Parc l’Ardéchois is a very high-quality, family-run site within walking distance of the amenities of Vallon-Pont-d’Arc. It borders the River Ardèche, and hugely popular canoe trips are run directly from the site. The campsite is just 4 km from the famous Pont-d’Arc, a huge limestone arch spanning the river, and its river beach. A drive along the gorge is a must, with spectacular viewpoints.

This attractive, high quality site, ideal for families with young children, is in a rural setting and well situated for exploring the less well known eastern part of the Loire Valley. Two lakes (one for boating, one for fishing) and a pool complex have been attractively landscaped in 18 hectares of former farmland, blending old and new with natural wooded areas and more open grassland with rural views. There are 245 large, level grass pitches with 120 for touring units. All have at least 10A electricity, 15 have water, waste water and 16A electricity, and some 30 have hardstanding. Eight have individual en-suite sanitary units beside the pitch.

Michelle, Josep and their daughter run this spacious, friendly site, which is always a popular destination. It is spotlessly clean and well-maintained, and the owners operate the site in an environmentally friendly way. Eight hundred seventy-two level grass pitches (720 for touring units) are laid out in a grid system, all with 10A electricity.

Sportcamp Woferlgut, a family-run site, is one of the best in Austria. It lies in the village of Bruck at the northern end of the Großglocknerstrasse mountain road in the Hohe Tauern National Park, near the Zeller See. The level grass pitches are marked out by shrubs, and each has 16A metered electricity, water, drainage, cable TV socket and a gas point.

Benidorm is increasingly popular for winter stays and Villasol is a genuinely good, purpose built modern site. Many of the 448 well separated pitches are arranged on wide terraces which afford views of the mountains surrounding Benidorm. All pitches (80-85 sq.m) have electricity and satellite TV connections, with 163 with full services for seasonal use. Shade is mainly artificial. Reservations are only accepted for winter stays of over three months (from 1 October). There is a small indoor pool, heated for winter use, and a very attractive, large outdoor pool complex (summer only) overlooked by the bar/restaurant and attractive, elevated restaurant terrace.