Childrens Play Area Campsites

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.

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.

The Huttopia group is renowned for its ‘natural’ campsites. Huttopia Douarnenez has an attractive forest setting just 400 m. from the superb Plage des Sables Blancs. There are 124 pitches here, of which 86 are reserved for touring, some with excellent views across the vast sweep of the Bay of Douarnenez. They are well shaded and grassy, and all have 13A electricity. There are also a number of fully equipped safari-style tents (some with wood burning stoves) for hire as well as a handful of Romany-style caravans. An impressive range of amenities includes a swimming pool and bar/restaurant, and a large safari tent with a wood fire for communal entertainment.

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.

Well located for visits to Mont St. Michel, The Vieux Chêne campsite has two swimming pools and 1 paddling pool for children. 

Le Grand Large is a well-established, quality family site with direct access to a long sandy beach within 20 km. drive of Cherbourg. It is a neat site with about 120 touring pitches divided and separated by hedging, giving an orderly, well-laid-out, attractive appearance. Almost all have electricity (10A Europlug), water and drainage. There are 50 mobile homes to rent in three separate areas.

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.

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.

Domaine de l’Oiseliere is ideal for camping and campervan holidays and jsut 35 minutes from the Grand Parc du Puy du Fou. This is a small site with just 45 large pitches to choose from, 30 of which are for touring and are 200m2 and separated by hedges. There is a choice of full sun or shaded pitches with cover provided by oak trees. For families travelling in a caravan, large plots enable you to extend your awning easily. The site is a pedestrian zone; vehicles can drive to and from the pitches upon arrival and before departure. Otherwise, campers must use the adjacent parking area.

At Camping Porte des Vosges you are assured of a very warm welcome from the owner, Sylvie Drode. This spacious, clean and very well cared for site is situated in Lorraine, on the outskirts of the historic town of Bulgnéville and is just off the E21/A31 making it an ideal stopover as well as for longer holidays. The sloping site has trees and bushes which shade around 100 spacious touring pitches (70-150 sq.m) that are on gravel or grass and there are two equipped tents and a vintage caravan to rent. All the pitches have access to electricity (6A, Europlug) and water points are distributed throughout the site.

Set in the grounds of a château, Castel Camping le Château de Lez Eaux lies in a rural situation just off the main route south, under two hours from Cherbourg. Of the 122 touring pitches, all with electricity (10A, Europlug) and 87 with water and drainage. Most of the pitches are good-sized, partly separated by trees and shrubs on flat or slightly sloping, grassy ground overlooking Normandy farmland and a small fishing lake.

This site is located just north of the town of Dieulefit. The name originates from Dieu l’a fait, meaning God made it, so it is not surprising to find a Huttopia site set in a managed forest, by a small lake, with stunning views over the town and across the valley. It follows the Huttopia philosophy of high standards combined with a sense of real camping, therefore no cars are generally allowed on pitches. There are 74 pitches with rental accommodation in the form of Cahuttes, Cabanes or Canadiennes, and a variety of clever wood and canvas structures. The remaining 91 pitches (66 with electricity) are for camping amongst the trees, although there are some closer to the central lodge which are more open. ‘Bivouac’ outdoor cooking and eating areas are dotted around the site. There are two pools and a good range of on-site amenities including a shop, bar and restaurant.

The Huttopia group acquired camping Calvados-Normandie just before the 2017 season, and significant investment took place in 2018. The site is situated in the grounds of a Normandy château; however, there is no longer any access to the château itself. Huttopia have added chalets, cabins and tents for rent as well as 178 pitches which are dedicated to touring, most with electricity connections. They are large and marked out by trees at the corners, but with no dividing hedges. Reception is in a restored building, and the staff are efficient and friendly.

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.

Yelloh! Village le Sérignan-Plage is a lively and vibrant Mediterranean site with direct access to a superb 600-metre sandy beach (including a naturist section). When you arrive at this site, the reception is very modern and efficient, and a map is printed to show you and direct you to your pitch. This is one of the largest sites I have visited, but as it is spread over such a large area, it does not feel like you are on a large commercial site. Touring pitches, number 293, are separated from an even larger area of mobile homes for rental. Pitches are generous and divided by low hedging and have direct access to the beach. There are approximately 571 mobile homes and chalets for rental, plus some privately owned units and a good number of tour operator pitches. 

Castel Camp de Florence is an attractive and well-equipped site on the edge of a historic village in pleasantly undulating Gers countryside. The 180 large, part terraced pitches (110 for touring units) all have 10A electricity, 20 with hardstanding and 16 fully serviced. They are arranged around a large field with rural views, feeling spacious.

Sites et Paysages Camping Au Clos de la Chaume is a pleasant site within walking distance of the town, on level ground with a small stream. The friendly family owners, who are British and French, live on-site and do their best to ensure campers have an enjoyable, relaxing stay. The grassy pitches are level, of varying sizes and with varying amounts of sun and shade. All touring pitches have electricity hook-ups (6/10A), and some are divided by shrubs and trees.

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.

Camping Détente et Clapotis is in the Rhône-Alpes, on the banks of the Lac de Paladru. The site has 212 grass pitches, of which 140 are for touring units and have a 6/10-amp hook-up point, and there are 32 chalets are available for hire. At the front of the campsite, the touring pitches are located. These are quite open, and most are in the sun, but the large open lawns mean you have great views of the lake and direct access to the water.

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.