Best French Campsites

Win Tickets for the Caravan and Outdoor Leisure Show at the SECC

2012-01-19T14:47:00.000-08:00

If you live in Scotland or the North of England why not make a date to come along to the Scottish Caravan and Outdoor Leisure Show, Scotland's only dedicated event for caravanners and those who love the outdoor life. The show will take place at the SECC, Glasgow from 2-5 February 2012.

We have two tickets to give away so either add a comment to this email with your email address or find us on Facebook or Twitter (@frenchcampsites) and enter the competition there.

This fantastic show will once again occupy all 5 halls within the SECC, providing the perfect place to see the latest Caravans, Motorhomes, Holiday Homes, Accessories, Marine Products and Camping Products etc.

If you are thinking of buying a motorhome or caravan this is an ideal place to come along and actually sit in them and see what you think. Ideally come on one of the weekdays rather than the weekend. If you are coming from the rest of Scotland or the North of England, you will find that the SECC is very easy to get to, being just off the M8 and the Kingston Bridge in the Centre of Glasgow.

There are lots of accommodation choices in the area, either in Central Glasgow or why not take a break out in the suburbs such as one of the Travel Inns in Bearsden/Milngavie, where you can spend a pleasant evening and eat in one of the local restaurants. I can recommend the West Highland Gate Beefeater, Las Ramblas Tapas Restaurant in Bearsden or Massimo's in Bearsden or one of numerous country pubs such as the Old Mill in Killearn or the Beech Trees at Strathblane. So why not make a holiday of your trip to one of the first Caravan shows of the season !

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French Film The Artist wins at Golden Globes

2012-01-16T02:27:00.000-08:00

The French Film, The Artist, has deservedly won a Golden Globe award ! The male lead, Jean Dujardin won the Best Actor Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where the film premiered. The film was nominated for six Golden Globes, the most of any film from 2011, and won three, including Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy.

One of a few great French films from 2011, (others include Intouchables (The Untouchables) and The Well Digger's Daughter), The Artist is set in Hollywood between 1927 and 1932, just as the era of silent movies is ending.

The film is filmed entirely in black and white and largely without speech, this modern film made in the style of a silent movie with all the plot conveyed purely in facial expression and body language ! The two lead actors were unknown to me but they manage this wonderfully. The plot revolves around the male lead, a silent movie icon (played by Jean Dujardin) whose career is dwindling with the advent of the new talking films and the female lead (Bérénice Bejo) who is an up and coming talking movie star. The film is romantic and a delight and I think it is one of 2011's "must see" films !
The film is directed by Michel Hazanavicius and was released in UK cinemas with a PG rating on 20 November 2011 and the DVD has still to be released.

Have you seen it - did you enjoy it ?

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Review of French Tourism for 2011

2012-01-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

2011 has been a successful year for French Tourism, with increases in numbers of tourists visiting various historic and cultural sites.(http://www.francesoir.fr/actualite/societe/patrimoine-le-chateau-de-chambord-veut-defier-le-mont-saint-michel-171817.html)
Mont Saint-Michel again reported the greatest number of visitors with about 3,000,000 visiting the fabulous site in the famous Bay of Mont Saint-Michel. However a competitor site which hopes to catch up by 2019 is the famous château de Chambord in the Loire, which had an increase of 50,000 visitors for 2011 year to hit a record of 780,000.

The Ministry of Culture also announced good results regarding attendance of museums, which grew 5% in 2011 with a total of 27 million !
the Museum of the Louvre, had 8.8 million, an increase for the fourth consecutive year. It is ahead of the Palace of Versailles (more than 6 million), the Pompidou Centre (3.6 million, an increase of 15%!) and the musée d'Orsay (3.1 million).

Where did you visit this year ? And can you recommend anywhere either on this list or some hidden gems that are not usually mentioned ? We certainly love the theme park Puy du Fou which is listed as having over a million visitors a year.

The most popular theme park is still the two Disneyland, Paris parcs which receive 14.5 million visitors a year and the Parc based around the French character Astérix, Parc Astérix near Paris which has 1.6 million visitors a year ! The Futuroscope theme park at Poitiers has 1.6 million visitors a year.

And of course we cant forget The Eiffel Tower in Paris which has 6.8 million paying visitors a year although I am sure a lot more who just go along to take a photograph !
Another popular sites to give a try is the La Villette science museum in Paris which has around 3 million visitors.
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Things to do in the Camargue Area of France

2011-11-23T14:44:00.000-08:00

The Camargue is our favourite place in France. I only visited it for a day but it completely captivated me. We had a ride on the white horses, arranged just as we were passing which was fantastic. And then stopped for lunch in Saintes Maries de la Mer. The Camargue is a triangular area of Provence with the town of Arles to the north and the Rhone delta to the east. It is made up of wetlands, pastures, dunes and salt flats. Part of it was designated a nature reserve in 1927 and in 1970 the area was granted National Park status.

Many of the tourists come to see the famous Camargue horses, and the flamingos which are the symbol of the Camargue National Park. You can also see the distinctive Camargue Cattle which are black with long horns and are tended by French "cowboys" called "les gardiens", who ride the white camargue horses. It is possible to go for a ride on these horses.

There are three major towns in the Camargue :

Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (population 2,000)
Aigues Mortes (population 6,000)
and Arles (population 55,000).

The main road through the Camargue goes from Arles to the north to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, a lovely village on the Meditteranean to the south. If you are here in May you can see the traditional and colourful Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer Gypsy festival & pilgrimage which is one of the major Provence events. Every year the Roma celebrate and worship their patron saint, Saint Sarah in the coastal village of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in the Camargue region.

Port Camargue
You can explore this area and see the extensive area of marinas and yachts.

Arles
Bulls have roamed the marshes of the Camargue since antiquity and form part of daily life in this region. You can go and watch the traditional "Feria Corridas" or bullfighting in the Roman arena of Arles, which take place from Easter up to the end of September each year. Before the Feria, you can view the bulls in the "Espace Toro", and you will be able to find out more about bullfighting traditions in the south of France, Provence region. (Bulls are not killed in bull fights in France).

Orange
The Roman Theatre in Orange is a fantastic building to visit. It has a 65 m long stage and still has some of the original accoustic wall. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, the Roman Theatre was no longer used as a place for entertainment. Restoration only began in the early 1800's. The use of the Roman Theatre as a stage for lyrical and musical performances became prevalent in 1971. All of the world's great lyrical artists have performed there.

Seaquarium Le Grau du Roi (5km)
An aquarium with different sections including seal and dolphin shows and a touch pool as well as Mediterranean and tropical fish.

Aqualand Cap d'Agde

If you have younger children or teenagers with you who would like to have a day in a water park then the excellent Aqualand Cap d'Agde is well worth a visit. This is a large waterpark with an excellent selection of pools and slides. Suitable for toddlers and teenagers. It has over 20 attractions on 4 hectares of beaches and waterslides to suit the whole family. It is quite expensive but it is a fun day out. Mind you if you are like me and you would be too scared to go on any of the flumes etc then it is a bit much having to pay the full adult fee !

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A Room with a View - or...a Caravan with a View or a Mobile Home with a View ?

2011-11-11T02:38:00.000-08:00

Les Criques de Porteils, Collioure

When you book a camping holiday abroad it can be difficult to visualise exactly what view you are going to get from your mobile home, tent or caravan. You can arrive at your campsite and if you have booked with Keycamp or Eurocamp or similar companies often you end up following your rep - who is often on a bicycle ! - and you await with trepidation to find out which part of the campste you are going to spend the two weeks of your summer holiday !

However wiser travellers get booked up well in advance and if you want to guarantee that you will have a fantastic Sea View or Lake View from your holiday mobile home or caravan then this is entirely possible to do.

Eurocamp and Keycamp allow you to book certain zones in some of their campsites and some of these zones offer a view.

We can recommend one in France on the Mediterranean, one in Spain also on the Meditteranean and one on Lake Garda in Italy.

Les Criques de Porteils, Collioure

In France near the border with Spain you will find the small Les Criques de Porteils Campsite overlooking the Meditteranean Sea.

This site has numerous sea view plots to either take your own caravan or tent or you can book a mobile home with Eurocamp by clicking here.

Nestled on the rocky coves that typify this small corner of France, this terraced Castels parc has direct access to several small pebble beaches. Criques de Porteils is ideal for a quiet family holiday or couples seeking a cultural retreat from the hustle and bustle of the nearby resorts of Argelès Plage, which is a short drive away.

Read our review of this site on Best French Campsites at http://www.bestfrenchcampsites.com/campsites/collioure/lescriquesdeporteils.html.

Cala Gogo, Playa d'Aro, Costa Brava, Spain

Cala Gogo in Spain has a Beach Zone that is bookable. Eurocamp don't guarantee a view from every mobile home on the Beach Zone though but if you can manage to book one like the one photographed here then surely that is a dream holiday !

Click here to view the Cala Gogo campsite with Eurocamp.

Camping Eden Lake Garda

In Italy you can visit the popular Lake Garda area and why not make sure you have a view of the Lake by booking one of the mobile homes with a view at Camping Eden on the Western side of the Lake.

You can also read our review of this site at http://www.bestitaliancampsites.com/italiancampsites/campingeden/campingeden.html.

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Euros - Here to Stay ?

2011-10-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

Well after this weeks deliberations between various European Leaders, it looks like we will be continuing to use Euros while on holiday in Europe. If you havent used Euros before then they may take a little time to get used to !

There are Euro bank notes which come in

500E (500 Euros)
200E
100E
50E
20E
10E and
5E denominations.

There are also coins, which can be

2E or
1E

And you can also get Cents which are worth less that a Euro. 100Cents equal 1Euro. There are 50Cent, 20Cent, 10Cent, 5Cent, 2Cent and 1Cent coins.
So for example something might cost 1E 50 which means 1 Euro 50 Cents.

Below are photographs of the various types of money to get used to. The actual designs on each Euro are designed to reflect the different countries of Europe so you may find that your Euro is not actually a French one, but they can be used in any European countries which have the Euro as a currency.

The most likely paper money you will come across will be the 50E, 20E, 10E and 5E notes :

2E and 1E will be found as coins :

And finally the small fry ! A Euro is made up of 100 Cents so you might find the following in your change :

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The Dordogne Area of France - A British Favourite !

2011-10-03T13:31:00.000-07:00

The Dordogne département is found within the Aquitaine region of the southwest corner of France. The region is often referred to as Périgord, a name used for the region before the French revolution. It is a lovely area to visit and there is much to see as well as just taking in the lovely countryside.

The rocks of the area are made of limestone, a relatively soft rock, and rivers have cut through the rocks leaving fantastic cliffs and vast systems of caves. Some of these caves have been found to contain prehistoric cave paintings. The area is famous for its cuisine, including truffles and foie gras and you will also find that duck and goose are a favourite in this region.
There are many chateaux to visit in the Dordogne. The Dordogne is just inland from Bordeaux, which is famous for its wine ! There is a famous dessert wine produced at Monbazilac, and cheap, drinkable reds are produced around Bergerac.
There are many places you may want to visit including the Lascaux caves, the Marqueyssac gardens, medieval Sarlat, Chateau Castelnaud, the prehistoric caves in the Vezere Valley and the Gouffre de Padirac caves.
If you are energetic, you may want to try canoeing the Dordogne. There are also lovely towns and villages to visit with the most popular being Bergerac, Brantome, Excideuil, La Roque-Gageac, Le Bugue, Riberac, Rocamadour and Sarlat.

Cave Paintings - The famous Lascaux caves The original Lascaux cave was closed to the public in 1968 to preserve it but a brilliant replica has been built 200 metres away. Everything has been reproduced as accurately as possible, including the temperature which is kept at 13 degrees C. The animals depicted in the paintings are mainly horses, deer and bulls. The caves are one of the most renowned archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. They were discovered in 1940 by teenagers when one of their dogs chased a rabbit into the caves.
A fantastic, realistic online version (the best thing I've seen on the internet so far!) of the caves can be viewed here : http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/#/fr/00.xml

Sarlat
Sarlat is the capital of Perigord Noir. It has 1,000 years of history in its buildings, with fine examples of medieval and renaissance buildings built in the yellow limestone with grey roofs that is typical of this region. Another fine example of architecture is the cathedral, which was erected in the reign of Henry IV.
There is an excellent market that takes place on Saturdays in Sarlat. It takes place in the "Place de la Liberte" marketplace which is surrounded by mediaeval buildings. The market stalls also stretch down the Rue de la Republique. The market stalls with their colourful canopies sell a selection of local produce including foie gras, walnuts, wine, cheese, mushrooms, bread, pastries, herbs, spices, fruit and vegetables, sausages, cakes, biscuits, oils, vinegars, wine and, depending on the season, possibly even truffles! The smells and tastes of the food make this a must on a visit to this area. There is also a smaller market on Wednesdays, mostly in the area around the Place de la Liberte, and there is a covered market daily in the former Saint Marie church also on the Place de la Liberte. Sarlat has a Christmas market in December and in January or February there is also a truffle and foie gras market at the Place Boissarie on Saturdays mornings.

Rocamadour
It is well worth a visit to this fantastic village built on a hillside.

Bergerac

You can visit the old town of Bergerac with its 14th, 15th and 16th Century buildings.

Aquarium de Perigord Noir

Europe's largest private aquarium with more than 30 separate aquariums displaying over 3,000 fish from all around the world.

Château de Castelnaud

The most popular château in southern france. Built high on a hill in the 13th century it changed hands many times. The Château has been home to the Museum of Medieval Warfare since 1985 where you can view such things as siege equipment and trebuchets. Demonstrations of the trebuchet are sometimes given in the summer which should prove popular ! There is a magnificent view from the chateau over the Dordogne Valley.

Le Gouffre de Padirac

The Gouffre de Padirac is a natural limestone cave. 103 metres down to the river - by lift or stairs - to the start of the tour. The visit lasts 1.5hrs and is 2km long
Restaurants shops and picnic area.

Le Gouffre de Proumeyssac

This is found to the south of Le Bugue, near the village of Audrix. You can view the stalactites in this impressive cave as well as some interesting crystalline formations. It is in a spectacular position, high in a cliff, and can be accessed by a man-made tunnel.

Grotte de Pech-Merle

These caves include paintings of dappled horses and outlines of human hand prints from 25,000 BC. Guided visits are given from Easter until October and numbers are restricted to 700 a day so its definitely advisable to book ahead during July and August. The guided visit lasts an hour and is done on foot. The access stair to the tour has 40 steps down and back up. The tour distance is around 400m, broken up by stops to view the panels and paintings. For more information about the caves please visit their website at : http://www.pechmerle.com/

Musée National de Préhistoire

The National Museum of Prehistory which reflects ever expanding archeological research. It is the most important collection of items from the Paleolithic era in France.

Prehisto Park

Theme park which traces the evolution of man from 1500BC. You can watch craftsmen using only the tools which would have been available at the time.

Le Thot - Espace Cro Magnon

Situated 7 km from Montignac this centre is a valuable first stop before visiting the numerous prehistoric sites in the Périgord. You can view animals here which are similar in appearance to the species which lived in the wild in this region during the Upper Paleolithic Age and which you are likely to see when viewing the art of that time in cave paintings. You will be able to see animals such as reindeer, the European bison, the aurochs, the Przewalski horses, the Tarpan horses, the ibex, the red deer and the fallow deer. There are also replicas of extinct species such as the mammoth and woolly rhinoceros. There are often activities to take part in such as art workshops and replica archaeological digs.

Quercyland

This waterpark at Souillac has 6 pools and a variety of slides as well as mini golf, trampolines, pedal boats etc. and a restaurant. There is a high ropes course adjacent to the waterpark. For more information please visit their website in advance to plan your activities: http://www.copeyre.com/en/index
The same website will also show canoe hire on the Dordogne River with Copeyre Canoë, who offer various options to canoe along the river. There are also details of a corn maze "The Labyrinth of the Hermit", 10 minutes from Sarlat.

Les Jardins de Marqueyssac

The "hanging" gardens in the grounds of the Château de Marqueyssac are some of the best kept gardens in France. They were modelled on Italian gardens by Julien de Cerval who inherited the property in 1861. There are 6kms of walks and wonderful views. There is a candlelit walk which takes place in July and August on Thursday evenings.

Château de Milandes

Old home of Josephine Baker the famous musical hall singer. Built 1489 in a wooded region between Castelnaud & Berbiguiéres. Falconry displays several times per day. Restaurant on site. Night flights to observe the chateau from the house's own captive hot air balloon.

Château de Hautefort

One of the most prestigious châteaux in southwest france, classified as a historical monument. Built between 1630 and 1670. Surrounded by superb gardens.

Château de Monbazillac

Visit this chateau with its vineyard and its fantastic views over the Dordogne Valley.

For more information about Camping in the Dordogne : Go to Best French Campsites

Les Journées du Patrimoine - France

2011-09-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

European Heritage Days (EHD) is a joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Commission. Every year for a weekend in September (in 2011 in France it was 17th - 18th September), you can take the opportunity to visit (for free !) buildings, monuments and sites, many of which are not normally open to the public. The aim of the European Heritage Days programme is to increase public awareness of the importance of heritage, and to awaken the interest of young Europeans in their common history. The event now takes place in 50 countries from the Baltic to the Balkans, from Iceland to the Iberian Peninsular and gives Europeans a chance to explore both their own heritage and also that of their neighbours if they happen to be visiting another country.

The event began in France in 1984, with La Journée Portes Ouvertes, and has now spread throughout Europe. In France it is now known as Les Journées européennes du patrimoine and in the UK we have come to know this event as either :

English Heritage’s Heritage Open Days,
Open House London,
Doors Open Days in Scotland,
Open Doors Days in Wales, and,
European Heritage Days in Northern Ireland.

It is a fantastic chance to see into all sorts of building and to find out first hand what happens there. For example this past weekend in Paris, 12,000 people took the chance to pay a visit to the Sarkozy's residence at the Elysee Palace !
In total, there were over 12,000,000 visitors to all sorts of buildings around France. The website will show you what you can visit in a particular region : http://www.journeesdupatrimoine.culture.fr/ In Brittany, for example, you could visit abbeys, chateaux, chapels, churches, forts, museums, manors, gardens and semaphore stations, in fact in total there were 611 open doors events in Brittany this year !

There has also been a new category added this year, with the Announcement by Frédéric Miterrand, the French Minister of Culture and Communication, that certain houses would be recognised as "Maisons des Illustres". These are houses where famous people have lived and you can find a list of the 111 houses on this website : http://www.culture.fr/fr/sections/themes/maisonsdesillustres/articles/111-maisons-illustres
They include the houses of :

Louis Pasteur (scientist) in Franche Comté
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (painter) in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
Jules Verne in Picardy
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (painter) -Atelier de Renoir - Essoyes
Victor Hugo (writer) in Upper Normandy
Napoléon Bonaparte - Maison Bonaparte - Ajaccio
Louis Braille (inventor of Braille) - Maison Louis Braille - Coupvray, Ile de France
Charles de Gaulle in Nord-Pas de Calais
the Champollion family house in Figeac, Midi-Pyrénées, (Champollion translated the Rosetta Stone which led to the understanding of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs)

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Final Motorhome Show of the Season 2011

2011-09-06T06:04:00.000-07:00

Well if you've have survived the credit crunch with any money left then why not follow your dreams and go along to the final big Motorhome Show this year and see if you can spot a bargain new or used motorhome. It's on at Shepton Mallet showground near Bath this weekend from 9th -11th September. With all that space to display the motorhomes we can get a real chance to get a good look round them, although if you are seriously buying its probably best to go along early on the Friday to avoid the weekend crowds !

There will also be lots of accessories and outdoor clothes for sale as well and if you really can't decide which motorhome to buy then why not wait until Saturday night when they announce the winner of the Motorcaravan of the Year awards !

I've just been talking to some other campers (retired !) who spend the winter in the South of Spain and Portugal, spending 4 months on campsites and with fees for longer term stays as low as 10 Euros per night then its a great way to spend the winter months ! Especially if we get another winter like the last two !

Here is a link to the Show Website - let us know if you get along to it and how you get on - http://www.stoneleisure.com/september-the-big-end-of-se-2/

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Fabulous Camping Products for Gadgety Camping !

2011-08-31T04:12:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed our holidays this year and because we ended up taking our tent to a site with electric hookup, we ended up using the campsite WiFi and watched the finals of The Apprentice in our tent ! OK its not what you would call wild camping but it was good fun and added just a little luxury to the holiday. We were also able to charge our gagdets making any car journeys that bit more enjoyable.

Here are some products from Amazon that people have found to actually be very useful for camping and are actually listed as bestsellers by Amazon in their camping section. This fabulous small LED light from Rolson Tools costs under £3 has great reviews and we find it really adds a lot of light to our tent. So why not get a few at that price ?

Did you get a Kindle ? They are great for taking abroad on holiday as you can load up as many books as you like onto them so it really cuts down on luggage as you wont need to take a pile of books with you ! However if you want to read them in a tent or late night in the caravan without disturbing others then this handy Kindle light would be useful and has great reviews too :

I have also used a head torch to read in a tent - here is a good one :

And if you have booked a plot with electric hookup for your tent then you will need one of these in order to get the electricity into your tent :

Remember French and other Continental campsites may have the two pin plugs and may not have an adapter for you to borrow, so please check in advance with your campsite or why not try something like this adapter :

OK I know you're still thinking about that Kindle I mentioned ! So if you haven't already treated yourself here are two from Amazon. They both use WiFi to download books from the Kindle store but the more expensive one also has 3G so you can download on the move if you are in a 3G reception zone.

So why not give Gadgety Camping a shot and let us know how you find the Kindle. I find I can read well with one even though I am a slow reader - what about you - let us know what you think !

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World Heritage Sites in France

2011-08-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of all the World Heritage Sites in France as listed by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Currently, thirty-seven properties in France are inscribed on the World Heritage List. Thirty-three of these are cultural properties, three are natural properties, and one is mixed.

These are the ones currently listed and I have put the Region afterwards so you can see if you are going to be holidaying nearby.
Have you been to see any of these and what are your memories of them - which ones would you recommend to other holidaymakers ?

1 Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, a 9th Century Church with 11th and 12th Century murals in Poitou-Charentes

2 Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay, a 12th Century Abbey in Burgundy

Pont du Gard, Nimes

3 Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

4 Vézelay, 12th Century Church and Hill in Burgundy Bourgogne

5 A 13th Century - 20th Century transboundary property in Belfries of Belgium and France Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Picardy

6 Bordeaux, Port of the Moon - Aquitaine

7 Canal du Midi (17th Century) in Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées (for more information about the Canal du Midi plane trees and a fungus that is threatening them see http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/27/french-axe-thousands-plane-trees)

8 Amiens Cathedral, 13th Century in Picardy

Mont St Michel

9 Bourges Cathedral in Centre 13th Century

10 Chartres Cathedral in Centre 13th Century

11 Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Abbey of Saint-Remi, & Palace of Tau, Reims Champagne-Ardenne 13th Century - 16th Century

12 The Causses and Cévennes, Midi-Pyrénées, Languedoc-Roussillon

13 Historical center of Avignon : Papal Palace & Avignon Bridge in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 12th century - 16th century

14 Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
15 Episcopal City of Albi in Midi-Pyrénées

16 18th Century Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans Franche-Comté

17 17th Century Fortifications of Vauban

18 Jurisdiction of Saint-Émilion, Aquitaine

19 Le Havre, the City rebuilt by Auguste Perret Haute-Normandie 20th Century

20 Mont Saint Michel and its Bay, Basse-Normandie

21 Palace and Park of Fontainebleau, Île-de-France

22 Palace and Park of Versailles, Île-de-France

23 Paris, Banks of the Seine, Île-de-France

24 Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière, and Place d'Alliance in Nancy, Lorraine

25 Pont du Gard, 1st Century Roman Aqueduct in Languedoc-Roussillon

26 Provins, Town of Medieval Fairs, Île-de-France

27 Historic Old Town center of Lyon, Rhône-Alpes

28 Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps transboundary property, shared with Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland

29 Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley, Aquitaine

30 Strasbourg – Grande Île, Alsace

31 Roman Theatre and its Surroundings and the "Triumphal Arch" of Orange, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

32 The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes-sur-Loire Centre, Pays-de-la-Loire

33 Cité de Carcassonne – historic Fortified City of Carcassonne, Languedoc-Roussillon

34 Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve, Corsica Corse

35 Lagoons of New Caledonia Nouvelle-Calédonie in New Caledonia Barrier Reef

36 The Pitons, Cirques and Remparts of Réunion, La Réunion

37 Pyrénées: Mont Perdu Midi-Pyrénées, transboundary property, shared with Spain

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A Review of Trip Advisor, Review Sites and Reviewers !

2011-08-11T03:32:00.000-07:00

I've just been reading some reviews on Trip Advisor !

It is a fantastic resource for researching a holiday but some holidaymakers' seem to have unreasonably high expectations !
And I have to say some people give themselves away when they give bad reviews ! For example I've just been reading one where a caravanner complained about unhelpful staff at a French campsite who said he had to be packed up and away by 12.00 including being out the barrier of the site. He apparently threatened to block their barrier if required to be away by 12 ! However, what does he expect ? Every campsite I have been to expects you to be away by 10 am. Sometimes this might be so they can cut grass etc before next arrivals in the afternoon. If you are still rushing around packing beyond this time then I am always thankful that so far no-one has ever complained or charged us more ! This year in Cornwall we actually packed a day early as there was high winds and rain threatened in the forecast so we decided to use a day we had already paid for and packed at leisure and left about lunchtime.

Other comments I have seen in reviews included a site in France which had been taken over by new owners. In fact it is the excellent site in the Vendee that we stayed at last year. The previous regular campers at the site wrote a review that they were very disgruntled to be evicted from the bar at 1 in the morning ! However I was glad to hear about a site that was strict like this - there is nothing worse than a few people keeping a whole site up at night as they make their way home from the bar !

And then there was a review from people with one of these mega motorhomes - 30 foot long ones - who were complaining about the very tight streets and bridge to get to the Camping International site in Paris ! As though the historic older buildings in Paris were actually put there by the campsite owners just to annoy them ! However I am sure that reviews like that are useful to people who are planning their route in large motor homes !

Another point which reviewers have highlighted about a number of French campsites is that in the busy months people are queuing early in the morning to put their towels on the sunloungers which they are not using immediately - surely the staff at the campsites could come up with a simple system to allow people to use sunloungers for maybe an hour at a time ? It can't be that difficult can it ? Something like the coloured arm band system which some swimming pools use so that you can stay in the pool for a certain amount of time but no longer ?

Another common moan from people is that "the campsite shop is very small and overpriced !" yet they go on to say that "we only managed to get some bread, meat, milk and newspapers" etc. Well really what do they expect ? In the campsites we have stayed in I would say they all provided a pretty good shop and in one case it was almost a mini supermarket. They have always had sufficient food in stock for you to make a meal if you havent managed to get to the supermarket. And they have usually had fresh bread and croissants.

Review sites can definitely be worth reading as long as you bear in mind that it can often depend on the character and expectations of the holidaymaker who is writing the review !

So lighten up campers and enjoy your holidays without having such high expectations! Relax and enjoy !
And let us know what you think of these Review sites - Have you picked holidays by reading them ? Did you find them useful ?

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Blue Green Algae - What are the Dangers ?

2011-08-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

Excessive blue green algae has been a problem in various coastal and river estuary areas of France for a number of years. Although the algae is harmless while at sea, the danger is from the hydrogen sulphide gas that is given off by the algae as they decompose when they form in large quantities and when they end up out of the water and decaying on the beach.

So far this year there have been deaths of 30 wild boar in an estuary in Brittany (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14324094) and (http://www.francesoir.fr/actualite/scienceecologie/algues-vertes-mysterieuse-hecatombe-sangliers-bretons-122622.html) and this month the deaths of two dogs on the Tarn River in the Lozère region in the South of France (http://www.francesoir.fr/actualite/faits-divers/tarn-baignade-mortelle-pour-chiens-124642.html).

Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are natural inhabitants of many inland waters, estuaries and the sea. In fresh waters, they are found in suspension and attached to rocks at the bottom of shallow water and along the edges of lakes and rivers. In small numbers they are important and useful parts of the aquatic ecosystem. They convert energy from sunlight into chemically useful forms, liberate oxygen into the water, take up minerals and produce substances which enter and support food chains.

Like other floating plants, blue-green algae need nutrients to grow, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. If the water is enriched with nitrogen and phosphorus, for example from excess farm fertilisers ending up in the water and if there is also enough sunlight , a suitable water temperature and the water flow is not too hight then the numbers of blue-green algae can become excessive. Such extensive growths are sometimes referred to as BLOOMS.

Such algal blooms sometimes cause foaming on the shore-line and during calm weather they can form a SCUM. They may also use up so much of the oxygen in the water that this can be a problem for fish.
Depending on the exact species involved, scums may appear blue-green, grey-green, greenish-brown or occasionally reddish-brown.

All blue-green algae contain blue pigment in addition to green chlorophyll pigment, although the blue colouration cannot normally be seen in the living cells. However, when blooms and scums decay, the pigments are released and a bright blue appearance may persist for days or weeks.

Blue-green algal scums can form quickly on calm days, but can be dispersed rapidly if wind and wave action increases. For reasons which are not yet fully understood, bloom and scum forming blue-green algae in freshwaters, brackish water and seawater are capable of producing TOXINS. These toxins have caused the death of wild animals, farm livestock and domestic pets in many countries. In humans, rashes have occurred following skin contact, and illnesses have occurred when blue-green algae have been swallowed. Blue-green algal blooms and scums are not always toxic but it is not possible to tell from its appearance whether or not a bloom or scum is harmful. It has been estimated that 50% of blooms could be toxic. Waterusers, particularly children, farmers and pet-owners should treat all blue-green algal blooms and scums with caution.

A massive beach cleaning effort operates on many beaches in the Brittany area and in some places it takes up a third of a town's budget just to clear this stuff. The men or women who operate the machines wear gas monitors at all times and if these alert the to high gas levels they have to stop work. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14182135) It is a problem which towns do not want to shout too much about in case this would then affect the tourist trade, but there were recent calls for the French national government to help to tackle the problem.

Excessive nitrates used as fertilisers by farmers are blamed as these run off the fields and into water courses. The algae then feed on these nutrients. A solution may be a move to more organic or natural farming methods eg a return to leaving fields for a year of fallow with clover grown to add nutirents to the soil perhaps ? Raised water temperatures perhaps from global warming may also be an additional factor.

Could children be in danger ? Well yes, possibly, as small children are the same size as some of the dogs who have died. So it is important to take note of any warning signs and maybe avoid areas with excessive seaweed or algae unless you know how to identify the dangerous types. In the Lozère area they have recommended that the smallest children do not bathe in the area where the dogs died in the Tarn river. More information should be available in the locality where you are holidaying. However lets hope this problem gets sorted out soon !

NEWS UPDATE - 10th August 2011 - The French Minister for Ecology, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, has ordered the closure of all beaches with green algae, which cant be cleaned within 24 hours.
http://www.francesoir.fr/actualite/scienceecologie/algues-vertes-des-plages-vont-fermer-126148.html
http://www.francesoir.fr/actualite/scienceecologie/algues-vertes-il-faut-interdire-l-acces-aux-plages-125884.html

Have you come across any algae while on holiday or did you come across warnng notices ? Let us know what your experiences were and would it make you avoid holidaying in certain areas ?
For further information about algae : http://www.pawsonthelevels.org.uk/public/for_info-blue_green_algae%5B1%5D.pdf

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Fête de la Musique - 21st June

2011-06-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

The Fête de la Musique is now one of France's main cultural events and takes place on the day of the Summer Solstice, the longest day, the 21st June.

It was launched on June 21, 1982 and is a gathering of professional and amateur musicians and singers, playing rock, jazz, classical and traditional music. The musicians are asked to play for free, and all the concerts are free for the public.

The spirit of the Fête is to play in the open air such as in streets and parks or in public buildings. The Fête de la Musique has also encouraged some of the major musical institutions such as orchestras, operas and choirs to perform outside their usual locations.

It has now been exported to over 100 different countries all over the world, including the UK, where the Alliance Francaise co-ordinates many of the events.

Now for 2011, you can download for free an Android or iPhone app to find out what's going on in your area.
http://fetedelamusique.culture.fr/en/dans-la-poche/

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The Le Mans 24 hr race

2011-06-11T06:12:00.000-07:00

The Le Mans 24 Hour Race starts today, 11th June at 14.00 hrs and runs through to tomorrow at the same time. The race itself is on roads which are normally open to the public.

The cars are driven continuously through day and night by a rota of three drivers. The cars themselves actually cover more distance in the one race than a Formula 1 car does in its lifetime ! The cars can reach a speed down the straight of 20 mph faster than a Formula 1 car and yet are 40% more fuel efficient.

Watch out for Alan McNish, the Scottish driver who has won previously in 1998 and 2008. He is driving for Team Audi and their main competitors are Team Porsche.

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Spectators's Guide to the Tour de France

2011-06-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

If you are lucky enough to be camping near the Tour de France cycle race route this year then here are some handy tips to help you sound like a knowledgable follower of Cycling !

We went along to watch the race two years ago as it left the small town of Auray in Brittany at the beginning of a stage (or etape as its called in French) and we had a great day out.

This year the Tour runs from Saturday July 2rd to Sunday July 24th 2011, it will be made up of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,430.5 kilometres. The route varies each year but always includes some short flat sprint sections and some mountainous sections before culminating in Paris with a sprint. This year the "Grand Start" is in the Vendee and then it continues through Brittany, Normandy and Central France before heading south to the Pyrenees then across to the Alps before heading back for a final finish in Paris.

If you are able to catch the tour then go along to watch about two hours before when you will catch the "Caravane" which is a series of mad looking vehicles and characters who throw lots of freebies to the crowd - great fun !"

Then the race itself will flash past - we nearly missed it after all the waiting ! Either our watches were wrong or they set off two minutes early.

Watch out for the following jerseys - they all have a meaning !
The YELLOW Jersey is awarded to the overall leader of the race.

The GREEN Jersey is the next most prestigious and is given to the leader of the sprint sections.

The red POLKA-DOT Jersey is awarded to the rider who earns most of the points on the mountainous sections of the race. The wearer of the jersey is known as the "King of the Mountains". Scotland's Robert Millar was King of the Mountains in 1984.
The WHITE Jersey is the newest of the jerseys and was introduced in 1975. It is given to the best young rider (i.e. under 25).

To impress your friends and family as you are spectating, why not casually mention some of the more famous recent winners of the race ! These include 7 times winner and surely you must have heard of him, Lance Armstrong from USA who won between 1999 to 2005.

Then there was five time winner Miguel Indurain from Spain who won between 1991 and 1995

There were two recent major French winners, Jacques Anquetil, who won five time, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964 and Bernard Hinault who won five times in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985
And there was 5 times winner Eddy Merckx from Belgium who won between 1969 to 1972 and in 1974.

Some possible British and Irish competitors who may be competing and who you can look out for are :

Mark Cavendish, from the Isle of Man (I think he is in blue in the photograph above),
Bradley Wiggins, the three time Olympic Champion,
David Millar, a Scot who is one of only four British competitors to have worn the yellow jersey (the others were Tom Simpson, Sean Yates and Chris Boardman),
Geraint Thomas, who has been an Olympic Team pursuit champion, and,
Nicolas Roche, son of the Irish 1987 winner Stephen Roche

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Farmers' Rescue Mission to Drought Hit Region of Deux-Sevres in France

2011-06-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

France has had drought or "la secheresse" affecting a large number of regions for a few months now. Today, Farmers from Beam in the Pyrenées-Atlantique departement which has not been so affected, have driven 200 km on a rescue mission to take hay (in French its called "paille") to farmers in Deux-Sevres (a département to the East of the Vendée) to feed their animals as the crops have just not grown in the dry weather that has hit that region.

It has been a week of unexpected weather with rain and thunder through most of France, but this has not made much impact on the very dry crops in certain regions.

And further misery has hit farmers in an area of South East France who reported hailstones which have broken greenhouses and damaged the skins on ripe fruit crops such as peaches, cherries and pears, ruining whole harvests.

In a bid to predict what the weather might do for the next month, and whether it will suit holidaymakers and/or farmers then we can remember an old French saying about today's (8th June) Saint's day, St Médard's day : "S'il pleut le jour de Saint-Médard, Il pleut quarante jours plus tard.". The saying translates as "If it rains on St. Médard, it rains for forty days after". The same would apply if it is sunny on St Médard's. So here's hoping for some better weather !

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Stopover Hotels at Cross Channel Ferry Ports

2011-06-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

I am going to build up a collection of recommended stopover hotels at the various ferry ports. We drive down from Scotland to Portsmouth or Poole usually to take an early morning ferry. I don't like to travel overnight as some people do as I suspect I would fall asleep after about 2am. So we prefer to get down to the channel coast and then have dinner and stay over in a hotel ready for an early start in the morning. I must admit the examples I have shown are low budget hotels but they have all been perfectly acceptable.

We have found the Innkeepers Lodges to be exceptional value as they included breakfast but they have changed ownership and I think the Portsmouth Hotel we stayed at is now a Travel Inn.

In Poole we have stayed at the Premier Inn at Holes Bay which is nice as it looks out over the sea so you feel as though you are already on holiday - it also has a nice restaurant with a well stocked collection of wines in the bar!
http://www.premierinn.com/en/hotel/POOHOL/poole-centre-holes-bay

We have also stayed at the Travelodge in Portsmouth. This is in the city centre so can be a little noisy and the surroundings are not all that inspiring but the advantage is it is directly across the roundabout from the Cross Channel Ferry port for Brittany Ferries :
http://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/info?hotelId=62

If you want to stay a little out from the centre of Portsmouth then the hotel which we stayed at when it was an Innkeepers Lodge but is now a Travelodge is called Portsmouth Hilsea :
http://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/info?hotelId=479
This was a nice hotel when we stayed at it. It had a Toby Carvery which was excellent.

Does anyone have any other recommendations ? We may cross at Calais at some point as well so it would be interesting to hear of hotels near there.
On the way back from France we have usually booked a night at a Keycamp or Eurocamp campsite near the ferry port and that has worked well.

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Update on French Drought Situation

2011-06-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

The latest update on the drought situation in France is that there is talk that some Nuclear Reactors may have to shut down temporarily as there is just not enough water available in the rivers to pump through them to cool them down. So this may lead to electricity and power shortages. Lets hope this situation improves soon.

It is pretty drastic - too little rain in France and South East of England with France reporting the hottest Spring for 100 years. Meanwhile its apparently snowed in some Alpine ski resorts with Tignes having the heaviest snowfall since November with 0.8m falling on the 1st June ! Bizarre ! And here in Scotland we've had more rain than usual - as usual !

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Weather Forecast with XC Weather

2011-05-24T15:31:00.000-07:00

I really like this weather forecasting application from XCWeather to check out the weather in France or in the UK as well. It was recommended by a campsite manager here in the UK as we were hoping to go camping this week but the winds were far too high. So if you want to plan your camping holiday this might be a good tool to use. I like the fact you can click on the arrows to zoom into the information for a particular place.

I've no idea if its more accurate than the Met Office or the BBC or France 2 weather but we find we increasingly can't rely on forecasts so anything which helps a bit would be useful. We have even gone as far as cancelling plans for a weekend at one point only to find out the weather was lovely and I think the opposite has happened too.

http://www.xcweather.co.uk/FR/forecast

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Drought continues in France

2011-05-16T04:03:00.000-07:00

The drought is continuing in France into the month of May after a very dry Spring.

There is a meeting today of a "drought committee", which meets at the request of the Minister for Ecology Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, to take stock.

Wildlife in the Loire and Cher is threatened by drought. The sun, combined with the lack of rain has caused the rivers to be at their lowest. This could cause fish to suffocate by lack of oxygen in the limited water available.

Twenty-six départements, mainly in the West, are either limiting water supplies to certain uses or are considering doing so.

The worst hit area is the four départements of Poitou-Charentes, which have implemented the strongest measures, so have banned any watering of parks or filling of swimming pools. Poitou-Charentes is popular with tourists. It lies south of the Vendee on the West of France and includes the popular tourist resorts of La Rochelle and Cognac.

Measures are also being taken in the north of France (Somme, Oise, Eure), Ile-de-France (Essonne, Val-de-Marne, Seine-et-Marne), in the Center (Indre, Cher, Nièvre ) in the Lyon region (Rhone, Isere, Ardeche) and Eastern (Jura, Doubs, Territoire de Belfort).

But the problem extends well beyond French borders. Throughout northern Europe there have been unusually dry conditions this spring. The situation could last "a few weeks or even months" because of an area of "very persistent high pressure" announced in early May by the World Meteorological Organization.

We will need to see how this might affect holidaymakers - there may be increased risk of forest fires etc. However the worst effects will be to farmers and food production. The drought has occurred just at the time that seeds and seedlings are expected to take in the fields and when they have small root systems so this could have devastating effects on agriculture and as a result food prices in France.

Update on 24/5/11 - the Government has asked banks to be considerate to farmers who may have cash flow problems. The harvest date of 15 June has also been brought forward. The départements which have water restrictions in place can be seen on this map of France :
http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/11005_carte_limitation_eau_24_05.pdf

Thankfully there is some rain predicted in the next week so lets hope the situation improves before this year's harvest is badly affected.

Update at 13th June - cracks have appeared in homes built on clay soil in drought hit regions and problems predicted for electricity supply if the heat and drought continues : http://www.connexionfrance.com/drought-homes-subsidence-structural-damage-cracks-insurance-claim-12791-view-article.html

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New Road Safety Measures in France

2011-05-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

As a result of an increase in road deaths seen so far this year on French roads (an increase of 20% in April and more than 10% overall since the start of the year), the French government has decided to tighten up on road safety and appears to have introduced the following measures. (from my translations of French websites - please correct me if I am wrong !) If you are planning on driving in France this summer then its important to be aware of these as they may affect you. The most severe sanctions are against alcohol and speeding,

Using a cell phone while driving will be penalised and if you are caught holding a cell phone and using it while driving will now mean you get 3 points on your license instead of 2 points.
Drink-driving will be severely punished due to its being responsible for many traffic accidents. If a driver is arrested with a blood alcohol above 0.8 g / l, 8 points will be put onto their driver's license, currently it is 6 points. The alcohol limit is also to be lowered I believe to 0.2 g / liter. So basically avoid drinking if you plan to drive.

Fixed Speed camera position will now not be publicised on roadside signs and detection radars are to be banned in cars. I believe this excludes the type that is integral to a sat nav or gps system though. However any radar equipment which is purely for speed camera detection is now banned and also banned from sale.
It will now be regarded as a crime if break the speed limit in a 50 km/h limit zone.

Reference : http://www.tf1.fr/auto-moto/actualite/securite-routiere-nouvelles-mesures-et-plus-de-sanctions-6451188.html

Update at 25th May 2011 : Confusion reigns about whether to remove the speed camera/radar warning signs from the roadsides in France. A number have already been removed. However they often have the effect of acting as traffic calming measures although I am sure we all know how drivers slow down when they see these signs !
http://www.lepoint.fr/societe/le-gouvernement-cede-sur-la-question-des-radars-24-05-2011-1334416_23.php

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Tickets for France tourist attractions and Groupon too - Good websites to follow

2011-05-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

I found a couple of interesting websites this week which might be worth investigating if you are looking for holiday bargains.

First of all there is a ticket observer website http://www.ticketobserver.fr/ which might find you some deals on tickets for tourist attractions in France. It might also give you some ideas of places to visit near where you are camping.

And the other website I found is the French Groupon site http://www.groupon.fr/ I follow this in the UK and have managed to get some deals for restaurant meals. You have to follow a particular city so I imagine you could follow the city near where you are planning to go on holiday. I have done this for France and it came up straight away with a farm visit and also an F1 simulator experience near where we are going on holiday as well as a deal for a weekend at a Gite - so could be worth trying out.

Has anyone got any experiences of these sites - either good or bad to let us know about ? Or any other useful sites to recommend ?

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Voie Verte - Green Cycle Route - Atlantic to Mediterranean !

2011-04-27T04:36:00.000-07:00

This is fantastic - You can cycle the whole way from Bordeaux near the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea along green cycle routes (voies vertes) and canals. There is lots of information and maps available at http://www.canal-et-voie-verte.com/index.php. You could do all or part of it.

Visit Carcassone, Toulouse, Beziers and other fantastic French places en route along the Canal du Midi, Canal de la Garonne and Voie Verte cycle route.

Eurocamp and Keycamp offer campsites on the coast 80km from the beginning of the route at Biscarrosse and there are lots of great campsites on and near the Mediterranean to chose from at the end in Languedoc Roussillon :

Eurocamp Domaine de la Rive, Biscarrosse

Keycamp Domaine de la Rive, Biscarrosse

Eurocamp Sites in Languedoc Roussillon

Keycamp Sites in Languedoc Roussillon

There are not really any campsites from Eurocamp and Keycamp en route though.

This is a nice blog post from "Experience France by Bike" about the difference between Voie Vertes, Veloroutes and Eurovelo : http://slowtraveladventures.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/understanding-voie-verte-veloroute-and-eurovelo/

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Accident at Disneyland Paris - 25th April 2011

2011-04-27T03:39:00.000-07:00

There was an accident at Disneyland Paris on Monday 25th April 2011 with one man seriously injured and five others with minor injuries.

The accident took place on the Mine Train attraction. A piece of artificial resin rock fell off onto the train track, causing a train to derail and rise up and land on a carriage carrying 25 people. The injured man was airlifted to hospital and lets hope he recovers.

The attraction has been closed for the time being.

The question is,

is this something that could have been avoided ? Should they not be inspecting the various parts of a ride to check that there is nothing that is working loose and needs repaired or replaced, especially those parts near moving things like trains.
Or is this just an unfortunate accident that couldnt have been foreseen ?

I tend to think that this should have maybe been foreseen.
I have a friend who reports a terrifying ride with her young children on a ride at Disneyland Paris where she felt she was having to hold her 5 year old onto the ride. She said it wasnt even a ride that looked potentially terrifying and looked suitable for young children. I shall ask her what it was called and report back. (I have since checked and she said it was a Nemo themed ride - no wonder she thought it would be OK for young children !)

All I can say is thank goodness I am usually too scared to go on most rides such as rollercoasters - mind you I can imagine that that mine train looks like the type of thing I might possibly have been persuaded to go on.

Update (6th June 2011) - there was recently an accident where a young girl fell out of a ride at Parc Walibi in the Rhone Alpes and it turns out that a teenager was injured when he fell out of this ride in 2003 - http://www.francesoir.fr/actualite/faits-divers/walibi-un-ado-deja-blesse-dans-meme-attraction-107847.html. The accident with the young girl is attributed to the fact that the safety barrier wasnt holding her in due to size different between her and her aunt who had taken her on the ride. Lets hope she is OK.

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Great Business French Language Site

2011-04-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

If you are planning to work while you are in France and need to brush up some of your business French then here is a great French language course from the French broadcaster RFI. Its based around the adventures of "Daniel", a foreigner who has taken a job with a French company in Pairs. There are 20 episodes covering all aspects of business.

http://www.rfi.fr/lfen/pages/001/liste_cva_anglais.asp

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Interesting French Camping Statistics from FFCC

2011-04-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some interesting statistics from the Federation Francaise de Camping et de Caravanning (FFCC).
I may not have got my translation entirely right so if you want to check for me the original stats can be seen at http://www.ffcc.fr/53/html/campings/chiffres-cles.aspx

Camping is the No.1 type of holiday in France with the most numbers of "tourist beds"
French camping is the 2nd largest in the world after the United States.
France is the most popular place in Europe for camping.
People slept a total of 103 million nights in French campsites in 2009 (and increase of 4.2% over 2008)

There are 6 million French campers and 2 million foreign campers who come to France each year, with the majority being Dutch, Germans and British.

Camping in France employs more than 13 000 permanent employees in 10,430 campsites.

There are 83,051 mobile homes available for rental.

Campsites are currently graded in a star rating rather like hotels. Basic campsites, perhaps offered by a farm, might have for example just shower and washing facilities would have a 1 or 2 star rating, while if you stay in a four star campsite you might expect to find a restaurant, swimming pool, shop, tennis courts etc.
1 and 2 star campsites represent 40% of total emplacements but make up only 30% of nights, with their clientele being three quarters French. 3 and 4 star campsites make up 70% of nights and host 40% of tourists visiting France from elsewhere

The more basic campsites also tend to be smaller with 1 star campsites covering an average of 1.3 hectares while the 3 and 4 star campsites are larger, with the 4 star campsites covering an average of 5.5 hectares.

The number of emplacements in France has increased from 165,000 in 1960 to 900,000 sites late 1980.

Since 2005, camping has become very "trendy" or "chic" if we are to believe the media.

The FFCC believe that the popularity of camping has increased for a variety of reasons :

Economic reasons - its a low budget holiday,

Camping gets you closer to nature,
The excellent facilities offered on many campsites, and,

There are all sorts of varied new types of accommodations on campsites to satisfy the demands of consumers - so you can now find such things as kids' tree houses, gypsy caravans, log cabins and yurts on campsites.

A new system of classification of outdoor accommodation was launched on 1 July 2010 to replace the classification of 1993 which no longer reflected the quality of provision of campsites today. Professionals have until July 22, 2012 to comply. Plans are to have a new grading of "five stars" to keep up with some of the huge improvements seen on many campsites.

I hope you have found some of these statistics interesting ! I didn't realise camping was so popular in France !

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The Vendée

2011-04-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

We chose to holiday in the Vendée last year, 2010. We had decided to move further south from Brittany which we loved, in search of just a little more sunshine for our summer holidays.

We had heard that the Vendee has a sort of micro-climate with as good a record for sun as the Cote d’Azur. We were certainly granted our wish as we arrived in the middle of a heatwave which lasted most of our holidays.

We had decided to stay at the “La Garangeoire” campsite which is situated in the green countryside 15 minutes drive inland from the popular tourist coastline of the Vendée.

The Vendee is famous for its 140 km of excellent wide beaches and its popular tourist resorts.

However as we ventured out on walks from our campsite and further afield in the Vendée by car, we began to learn some of the fascinating history of this region, much of which was unknown even to French people growing up in the region until a few years ago when the history was re-discovered and stories which had been hidden were passed on to a new generation.

The "Vendée" is named after the river which runs through the south-east of the département. The area today called the Vendée was originally known as the “Bas-Poitou” and is part of the former province of Poitou. The River Vendee crosses the forest of Mervent then flows through the town of Fontenay-le-Comte, the old capital of “Bas Poitou”. Napolean changed the region to be called the Vendée after the French Revolution of 1789 and he decided that the capital should become La Roche-sur-Yon from where his soldiers could control the Vendéans more easily. The river meanders on through the marshes to meet the Sevre Niortaise, and turns west to meet the sea in bay of l'Aiguillon.

The main seaside resorts of the area are St-Jean-de-Monts, St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, Les Sables-d'Olonne and La Tranche-sur-Mer.

Visitors to the area will love the excellent historical theme park at Le Puy du Fou near Les Epesses,

in the east of the Vendée, with its five fantastic shows during the daytime “Grand Parc”, which is packed with fun for all ages, including a Roman amphitheatre with chariot races and gladiators, falconry displays and recreated villages from several different periods of history or you can go along to the breath-taking night-time son-et-lumière spectacle, known as the Cinéscénie.

Visitors to the Vendée can also enjoy are a day on the tranquil waterways of the Marais Poitevin, or Venise Verte ("Green Venice"), in South East Vendée. You can hire boats and punts to explore this area in the villages of Velluire, Vix, Damvix and Maillezais. Maillezais also offers a good restaurant next to the boat hire as well as the ruined abbey to visit.

There are also some lovely islands to visit off the Vendéen coast, all with a different character. You can journey across the incredible causeway that links the island of Noirmoutier (north-west of the Vendée) to the mainland at low tide or visit the popular Il de Ré which is reached by bridge from La Rochelle, or by boat from some of the coastal resorts.

It has a charming port at St Martin-sur-Re (see photograph to the left), beaches, restaurants, lighthouse to visit and is well known for its many cycle routes in the salt-marshes.

The history of the Vendee goes right back to prehistory with various ancient burial stones etc. The Romans then settled in the area and in fact there was an old roman road going through our campsite at La Garangeoire.

In the south-east corner of the Vendee, the village of Nieul-sur-l'Autise is believed to be the birthplace of Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) and was part of her kingdom. Eleanor's son, Richard I of England (the Lionheart) often had his base in Talmont. The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) turned much of the Vendée into a battleground.

There were a considerable number of influential Protestants in the Vendee and the region was greatly affected by the French Wars of Religion which broke out in 1562 and continued until 1598. Eventually King Henri IV issued the Edict of Nantes and the Wars came to an end. The revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 caused many Huguenots (French Protestants) to flee from the Vendée.

Moving to slightly more recent times, the main period of French history which you may be familiar with is the French Revolution. If you are a bit sketchy about your history like me then what you might know of the French Revolution was that the peasants revolted against the upper classes. Louis VI and Marie Antoinette were the rulers at the time. The country fell into the hands of the Emperor Napoleon and from that era we have the saying of France “LIberté, Egalité and Fraternité” (Freedom, Equality and Brotherhood).

There is much to discover about the history of the Vendée and in fact there is a display at the Puy du Fou theme park showing this era. In fact many locals are only now discovering about their history, a history which was not taught to them at school and they are discovering more about the 100,000s of Vendeens who were massacred at that time.

Here is a short version of my understanding of the history which I have gathered and which I must emphasise could well be inaccurate but I hope might at least help you to begin to understand this area’s history (Any improvements or comments gratefully received !) :

At that time, class differences were not as great in the Vendée as in Paris or in other French provinces. In rural Vendée, the local nobility seems to have been less bitterly resented than in other parts of France. Many people in this area of France also had a strong adherence to their Catholic faith.
The Vendéen peasants initially fought on the side of the revolutionaries but they resented the changes imposed on the Roman Catholic Church by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790) and eventually broke into open revolt in defiance of Napoleon’s Revolutionary Government's military conscription requiring Vendéans to fill their district's quota of 300,000 in March 1793 as they wanted and needed to return to their farms to continue their labours The populace took up arms as "The Catholic Army", "Royal" being added later, and fought for "above all the reopening of their parish churches with their former priests. This guerrilla war, known as the Revolt in the Vendée was led at the outset by an underground faction called the Chouans (tawny owls).

However Napoleon finally got wind of this and sent his forces to sort it out. Initially the Vendéens had the upper hand as they were familiar with their land and the twisty lanes and high hedges. They also used the windmills which were throughout the area to send signals from village to village. The windmill sails were used to send signals across the countryside by being set either vertically or horizontally meaning either safe or watch out troops coming. However, eventually Napoleon sent his forces in columns through the land, burning and pillaging as they went. Many were killed and captured and to this day the Vendéen countryside bears the scars with low population and very few old houses remaining from those times. Examples were made of the people and thousands were taken to Paris and thrown in the Seine. The people had managed through this to try and hide their priests and this is tied into the history of this time. By the end of 1796, more than 100,000 Vendeens had been killed. Much of this history can be viewed in displays at the excellent Puy du Fou historical theme park.

In the 19th Century, the wild coastline of the Vendée was tamed when pine forests and grassland were planted to stabilise the sand dunes and with the rise in popularity of sea bathing, holidaymakers began to come to the Vendée. With the arrival of the railway in 1936, the popularity of the Vendée as a tourist destination was beginning to increase !

There is some history of fishing at St Gilles Croix de Vie, where sardines were a popular catch. The “label rouge” sardines from St Gilles Croix de Vie, fish from Les Sables d’Olonne and eels from the nearby marshes are all served in all the best restaurants along the coast. You can find out about the fishermen from Morroco who lived here and brought their talent for fishing to the area. Apart from this, the Vendeen people did not have a great history of fishing, and tended to see the sea more as a threat with the constantly shifting dunes.

You will also see the Vendée-Atlantique oyster being produced in oyster beds all along the coastline and particularly in the Baie de l’Aiguillon and also on the Il de Ré.

Another industry you will see in the Vendée makes use of the extensive salt marshes to harvest salt. The Vendée was once the Western world’s main salt storehouses.

Salt was a valuable commodity in times pre-electricity when it could be used as a preservative for meats. Salt from Brittany and the Vendee were traded as a commodity. Nowadays salt production still carries on at Les Jardins des Salines in the north of Les Sables d’Olonnes. The skills have been passed down through the generations. The marshes and salt flats are cleaned out over the winter and then early in the year the sea water is brought in. The water then evaporates with the higher temperatures of the summer and salt crystallises out and can be harvested. The clays of the soils give rise to some trace elements in the salts and give the salt its distinctive grey colouration. However the most prized salt is that which crystallises on the top and is called the “fleur de sel”. You can go on boat trips to see what is going on. These marshes are also home to some wonderful birds and there are bird sanctuaries and the area is very popular with ornithologists.

The Vendée also manages to produce some very fine wines from the sandy soil which can be very hard to dig. However the long days of sunshine lead to wonderfully ripe berries and some lovely wines. In 1984 they were given the appellation “Fiefs Vendéen”, which covers red, white and rose wines which have been produced in the region since roman times. The wines are produced today from a variety of grapes which are suited to the locals soil and ground and the relatively cool maritime climate.

The reds are made predominantly from Gamay and Pinot Noir, complemented by Cabernet and Negrette grapes. The whites are made from Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The appellation is broken down into four sub-zones named after villages at their centre : Brem, Mareuil, Pissotte and Vix. None of these villages are further than 20 miles from the Atlantic coast and the climate plays a big part in the style of these wines, which are generally slightly lower in alcohol and sweetness, but fresh, crisp and with noticeable acidity. We enjoyed trying some of the red wines last year and the shop at “La Garangeoire” stocked some good examples, including some Fief Vendeen wines. I also brought one home to keep for Christmas - to get a reminder of sunny Vendee in the middle of our British winter !

Since 1989, the famous Vendée Globe round the world yacht race has set off every 4 years from Les Sables d’Olonne.

So if this all appeals to you then why not think of visiting the Vendée next year.
I can recommend three campsites in the area, all with very different characters.
To the north, on the coast at St Jean de Monts you will find the busy campsite of Le Clarys Plage right in the heart of one of the main tourist areas. Inland in the quiet of the lush green countryside yet only 15 minutes drive from the coast is La Garangeoire where we stayed. And if you would like to be based in the Southern Vendée then Bel campsite at La Tranche Sur Mer is a lovely base, near the beach and is ideal as well if you have a young family.
There are numerous other choices as well with Keycamp and Eurocamp.

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A Great New French Cookbook !

2011-04-09T03:44:00.001-07:00

Well I have just indulged myself and bought another cookbook !
I love this one - I just saw it in Waterstones and had a look through it. Lovely photographs of France, great classic French recipes but modified slightly to include healthier ingredients. It also has a recipe for Macarons which I got a chance to make last year on a cooking lesson in the fantastic kitchens of the restaurant at La Garanageoire campsite in the Vendee ! Now I have the recipe there is no stopping me !
I will photograph my attempts once I get my recipe book in the post next week ! Wish me luck !

UPDATE !
Well I am pleased to report that I managed to make a batch of very tasty chocolate Macarons ! They had just the right texture - just the right amount of chewy vs crunchy. This is really a lovely cookbook. Although its also too nice to get splashs of ingredients all over as well - most of my other cookbooks have a nice "used" look about them !

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The Dordogne

2011-03-23T05:48:00.000-07:00

If you haven't chosen where to go in France for your holidays this year, then why not consider the Dordogne département, which is found within the Aquitaine region of the southwest corner of France. The region is often referred to as Périgord, a name used for the region before the French revolution

This lovely region is based around the River Dordogne which is popular for canoeing (visit Copeyre Canoe if you want to try this). The soft limestone rocks of the area has lead to some fantastic rock formations and cliffside villages as the river has eaten away at the soft rock. Water has also led to the creation of numerous limestone caverns and caves and in these you can view prehistoric cave paintings as well as stalactites and stalagmites !

The most famous of these - the Lascaux caves have now been closed to the public as damp was affecting the paintings. However a fantastic replica of the cave has been built as Lascaux II which is well worth a visit. And you can still visit original cave paintings in other caves, for example at Grotte de Pech-Merle

If you want to see some animals which are similar to those featured in the paintings then you can visit at Le Thot - Espace Cro Magnon near Montignac.

The buildings of the Dordogne are famed for being built in yellow limestone and grey roofs.

The Dordogne also has chateau to visit :
Château de Marqueyssac - with its famous hanging gardens which are some of the best kept gardens in France. There is a candlelit walk which takes place in July and August on Thursday evenings.
Château de Milandes - between Castelnaud & Berbiguiéres, which has Falconry displays several times per day and if you are brave there are night flights to observe the chateau from the house's own captive hot air balloon !
Château de Hautefort -one of the most prestigious châteaux in southwest france, classified as a historical monument.
Château de Monbazillac - with its vineyard and its fantastic views over the Dordogne Valley

There are also some lovely towns such as Sarlat, which is famous for its Saturday market, and Bergerac, famous for the character Cyrano de Bergerac. There is a culinary festival every July in Bergerac.

If you think the Dordogne sounds worth a visit then you will find some fabulous campsites with Keycamp and Eurocamp by clicking here :
Dordogne Campsites with Keycamp

Dordogne Campsites with Eurocamp

Or read our reviews of St Avit Loisirs and Les Peneyrals campsites in the Dordogne on http://www.bestfrenchcampsites.com/

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Guide to the Eateries of France

2011-03-07T14:35:00.001-08:00

Ever wondered about the differences between all the different types of restaurants, cafes and bars in France ?

Here's a nice little guide from Lonely Planet :

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/travel-tips-and-articles/76092

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Motorhoming with France Passion !

2011-03-07T11:36:00.000-08:00

Excellent free one night stopovers with France Passion for self contained motorhomes and campervans. The location map shows stopovers in almost every part of France ! : http://www.france-passion.co.uk/

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When is the best time to Book your Summer Camping holiday ?

2011-03-06T15:39:00.000-08:00

If you are planning to go on a Eurocamp or Keycamp holiday then you might wonder "When is the best time to book your holiday ?"

There are usually early booking offers and late booking offers, but the particular campsite you have chosen may get booked up quickly. So the question is when is the best time to book ?

If you are going in High Season of July and August you will really need to plan ahead if you want to go a particular site.

I have just scanned the holidays which are still available at the start of March 2011 for this summer 2011. I have found pretty good availability even for the peak of the High Season at the start of August. Only the most popular sites have limited availability.

If you are going to a very popular site you may need to book early. For example La Garangeoire in the Southern Vendee and Les Deux Fontaines in Southern Brittany at the beginning of March already nearly booked up for certain weeks of July.
The good news though is that you can reserve holidays with Eurocamp and Keycamp for as little at £100. So if you have a fairly good idea of where you want to go on holiday why not reserve it early on and then as it gets nearer the time to pay in full, you can see if you can afford to go ahead with the holiday. In these Credit Crunch times with lack of job security this is a good idea.

Two years ago we holidayed at Les Deux Fontaines in Brittany and we get to the site in late June/early July and wondered how was it so difficult to book two weeks holiday when many of the mobile homes seemed to be empty. We discovered that this is because they were maybe booked out for a holiday that started towards the end of our stay. So a holidaymaker only overlapped with us by 2 days but that meant that that particular mobile home was unavailalbe for the particular 13 night stretch that we were looking for. However, if you are willing to move mobile home half way through your holiday or even to change site then you may find there are still options available to let you holiday in the sites or area that you have chosen.

If you are feeling adventurous and want to try "real camping" then the good news is that the Eurocamp or Keycamp tents are often the last things to book up on a site. Mobile homes seem to be more popular.

If you would like some more information to help you plan your holiday, we now have 20 different campsites in France which you can read about on our website http://www.bestfrenchcampsites.com/.

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Easy French News

2011-02-24T14:45:00.000-08:00

We used this website in our French class today. Our teacher had decided we should listen to the news on "France Facile" ! ie "Easy French" !!

Its an excellent site with loads of current affairs information.
http://www.rfi.fr/lfen/statiques/accueil.asp

And if you cant follow all of the French first time then you can look at the script that goes along with the day's news on "Franch Facile".
I found out loads about World affairs as well as picking up some new French words.

I also like the listening exercises where you can test yourself on your understanding.

Have a go and let me know how you get on - did you find this useful ?

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How to Change Stations in Paris

2011-02-21T10:39:00.000-08:00

France has an excellent, fast train service, with the TGV "Trains a Grand Vitesse" (literally very fast trains !) which can take you from the North to the South of France in 3 hours in comfort. A definite alternative to air travel or taking your own car to your campsite for your camping holiday !

If you need to change trains in Paris then this website has some excellent information :
http://www.greentraveller.co.uk/blog/french-connections-how-change-stations-paris

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Pet Travel Scheme - Taking Your Dog to France

2011-02-18T02:58:00.000-08:00

You can now take your dog or cat to France thanks to the "Pet Travel Scheme"(PETS) which involves your dog having its own "Pet Passport" ! The scheme applies in the following countries only: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the Vatican.

This Pet Travel Scheme allows people to take their pet dogs and cats on holiday to France and then to enter back into the UK without them having to go into quarantine - however, you and your vet must follow the rules carefully - otherwise your dog or cat could end up going into quarantine or having a return journey to the UK delayed.
(I have updated these rules as of 1st January 2012 - to ensure you are also completely up to date you can refer to the DEFRA website)

The basic requirements for taking your dog to France are outlined below. If you are going to a different EU country, please check with the websites I suggest to see if there are different requirements and regulations.

To obtain a Pet Passport you have to do the following things in this order, in association with your vet :

Firstly have your pet microchipped.
Secondly have your pet vaccinated against rabies (even if your pet has already had a rabies vaccination).
Previously you needed to have a blood test to make sure the rabies vaccination had worked. However this requirement appears to have been replaced with a waiting period of 21 days and ensuring you keep the rabies injections up to date with boosters (every three years I believe).
This should all be recorded on the PETS documentation by your vet and you should then receive the passport. Further detailed information about all of this is available at the DEFRA site - I have put a link further down this article.
Previously you had to wait at least six months from the date your pet had the blood test before you could re-enter the UK. However this requirement seems to have been replaced by the 21 day wait after the injection.
The vet will complete your PETS (Pet Travel Scheme) documentation and you will be issued with your PETS Pet Passport so your pet can re-enter the UK. You can even add their photograph to aid identification !
The dog will require a booster Rabies Vaccination every 3 years - make sure you get this done on time or you will be back to square one in the whole process !

Then when you are ready for your journey :

Before you set off the dog may need to be checked by a vet to approve that the dog is fit for travel. And although not necessary under the scheme, its advisable to get a tick treatment before you go as the Babesia tick is present in France but not in the UK.
Remember to take all your documentation with you including the Pet Passport !
If travelling on a ferry, on most shorter ferry crossings your dog must stay in your car so please make sure you leave a window slightly ajar and leave some water or food. Preferably travel on as short a crossing as possible and make sure your dog is in a safe area eg have a dog guard across the back of your car or a secure crate. You can arrange with some ferries to check the dog during the journey, as long as sea conditions allow this to be done safely.
Or, if travelling on a longer ferry crossing, for example on the Brittany Ferries ships Pont-Aven, Bretagne and Cap Finistère there are kennels available on board the ship and there are also 14 dog friendly 4 berth cabins on the new Brittany Ferries Cap Finistère which can be used on longer crossings to Spain.

Before your return journey to the UK :

Your pet must be treated by a vet in France against tapeworm using an approved treatment (not less than 24 hours and not more than 5 days before you leave). The product used for the tapeworm treatment must contain praziquantel. Ensure all your documentation is correctly completed by the vet or you may not be able to travel. (Be careful as many vets are closed on Sunday and Monday).
Remember to check if it is a Bank Holiday when you want to return, as this will affect the opening times of vets. Also book your vet appointment as soon as you can for the return journey treatment as they can get quite full and you don't want to be refused a sailing because your pet has not got the correct paperwork.
Brittany Ferries website states that you should be aware that at all French ports you need to get out of the car and check the pet in, in the terminal - this can take time and be an upheaval if you are travelling alone and also have small children.

If you want to travel separately from your pet there are approved transport companies which can arrange this - all the same rules about visiting vets etc. will still apply).

The main DEFRA site will explain about Pet Passports and also has a link to a site explaining the risks of taking your dog or cat abroad and some of the diseases they can be exposed to which are not present in the UK :

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/

Dogs Away is a useful organisation who, for a small fee, will help you to book in with a French vet for your visit in the 24 - 48 hour period before leaving France to get the tapeworm treatment. Well worth it even if your French language abilities aren't too bad as they are dealing with this every day so know exactly what to arrange with the vet.

Dogs Away : http://www.dogsaway.co.uk/

Brittany Ferries Pet Travel information :

http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/pet-friendly-holidays/pets-travel-scheme

P&O Ferries information :

http://www.poferries.com/tourist/content/pages/template/onboard_taking_your_pet_1Taking_your_pet.htm

Condor Ferries Travel Information :
http://www.condorferries.co.uk/Trip/TakingPets.html

There is good information, particularly if you read right down to the veterinary information at:

http://www.day-tripper.net/info-pets-abroad.html

This DEFRA information explains clearly about the blood tests, boosters and vaccinations ! http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/

If you would like to take your dog with you on a Eurocamp or Keycamp holiday then the good news is that many of the campsites allow pets although you may be restricted to certain mobile homes. However booking a site with your dog cannot be done online so for more information with Eurocamp have a look at this page : http://www.eurocamp.co.uk/ecuk/camping_holidays/travelling-dog-friendly-parcs.html

For some excellent information about taking your dog with Keycamp have a look at http://www.keycamp.co.uk/pdfs/KC-Dogs-on-holiday.pdf#false

For more information about ferries and taking your pet abroad please refer to : http://www.ferryonline.co.uk/travelling-with-a-pet.htm

Here is a nice downloadable guide from Eurocamp Independent which also discusses such things as taking your dog to restaurants in France or taking them to the beach etc. :
http://www.eurocampindependent.co.uk/camping/documents/ECiDogsonholiday.pdf

If you are wanting to fly your dog to France - I would suggest that you shouldn't need to do this if you are emigrating - take the ferry instead - however for a complete picture here is a website about an airline to help :
http://www.animalairlines.co.uk/faq.html?gclid=CI2g7qvE0KcCFYFB4QodyGRvBg

REMEMBER !

Please remember to leave your pet with water within the car and leave the window slightly open to give your pet a comfortable journey.
AND when you get to France, dogs have to be properly restrained in the car so as far as I can tell you need either a dog guard, dog crate or seat belt - does anyone have more information about this ?

For information about some great campsites to take your dog please return to our main website at http://www.bestfrenchcampsites.com/

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Caravan and Outdoor Leisure Show, SECC, Scotland

2011-02-04T12:53:00.000-08:00

I went along to the impressive Scottish Caravan and Outdoor Leisure Show. We are tent campers but I went along to have a look at the different options if we were to upgrade to a dream caravan or motorhome. I must admit I much preferred the motorhomes and there was a huge number on display although motor homes are generally more expensive than caravans. A new four or six berth motor home varies in price between about £40,000 to £60,000. You can get a smaller raising roof type camper van for about £15,000 and caravans seem to start at around £10,000.

I hadn't realised that motor homes are based on a van model eg Ford Transit and are then converted or kitted out by different manufacturers. So you can choose your base model of van e.g. a Ford or Peugeot and then also choose which company for the interiors.

The two pictures above show two views of the interior of the following four berth motor home based on a Ford Transit. This was a lovely motorhome and was the first one I looked at. That would do me fine ! Now all I need to do is find the money !

When buying a motor home remember to think how many passengers will need to have proper strapped in seats. If you are a family of 5 or 6 you will need to make sure you have the right number of seatbelts.

These next two photographs show the interior and exterior of a Peugeot Autocruise Alto Motorhome.

This also had an awning you could pull out to the side of the van to give you even more space.

It can be difficult to maneouvre some models of motorhome and one thing to watch out for is models which extend far beyond the rear wheel as apparently they are harder to drive so if that worries you watch out for that. For example in the Peugeot one shown here it does not extend far beyond the back wheel, so should be easier to maneouvre than one that extends far beyond the back wheel.

I had a look at a 29 foot motor home - this is the same length as the fixed mobile homes we have rented in France ! However these do seem a bit excessive and driving them must be very stressful.

Another thing to think about is that once you go beyond a certain weight of motorhome you need to get a different driving license or get it added to your license that you can drive that weight of vehicle - I presume this may involve a further driving test although I am not sure about this - however it's worth bearing in mind when deciding which motorhome is for you ! (added later - here is the information about whether you need an HGV licence or not : http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/WhatCanYouDriveAndYourObligations/DG_10037875)

The Caravan Club was offering free "Try Driving a Motorhome" sessions at the show so I signed up for one of those. It wasn't too difficult to drive but then we were only negotiating the car park !

The motorhomes' prices tended to vary between £40,000 and £60,000 but a good alternative is to rent out your motorhome through one of the rental agencies. I spoke to a couple who were at the show and it seemed to be a fairly smooth process. You decide which weeks you want to make the motor home available for rental and they can do all the arrangements and insurance etc for you. They can also help you to buy a motorhome and also have offers on second hand motor homes. For example I saw an offer for a second hand 6 berth motor home at £29,000 which didn't sound too bad !

Other interesting things I saw at the show included these "Hobbit Houses" which are now being used on various campsites! I also liked the Microlodges which were similar !

And also a folding boat ! - I imagine these are useful because they are not so large to tow as a full length boat !

And although I went along to the show only to look, you've guessed it ! I spent some money ! I found some lovely plastic wine glasses with coloured stems from a camping accessory firm based in Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders. They also had a lovely range of colourful camping kettles. And I also bought a sauce mix from "Look What We Found" and I found a lovely planter which will make a good birthday present. So I would thoroughly recommend the show for not only caravans, tents and motorhomes but also clothing, garden furniture (some great examples), garden play equipment, loft ladders !, cooking equipment and camping equipment. I will definitely be going again and make sure you catch the show wherever you are in the next few months. Many of the exhibitors go from show to show and only sell through these shows.

And once you have bought or rented your motorhome or caravan or decided to stick with your tent for the time being then you will find some lovely sites to camp in France at our website at http://www.bestfrenchcampsites.com/ !

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Le Mans 24 Hours Race

2011-01-31T02:48:00.000-08:00

For the Le Mans 24 Hours Race in June, here is an interesting link to a provider of tickets and camping at the race. http://www.speedchills.com/index.php
The official site is at http://www.lemans.org/

Or if you are happy to camp elsewhere and travel to the track then you could stay at our recommended campsite at Chambord in the Loire where you can stay with either Keycamp at Les Chateau des Marais or Eurocamp at Les Chateau des Marais

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Monte Carlo Rallye 2011

2011-01-27T15:04:00.000-08:00

On the chilly evening of 27th January 2011 around 70 cars with two drivers each set off on the Monte Carlo Rallye 2011 from Blytheswood Square in Glasgow on their 2,000 mile journey to Monte Carlo via the Alps ! The drivers had come from all over the world but included a number of UK teams and French teams.

The Rallye had returned to Glasgow as a starting stage after a break of about 30 years. There were other possible start stages such as Warsaw and Barcelona but Glasgow proved to be very popular with a good number of teams choosing to start from there.

Unfortunately I have not yet mastered using my camera in the dark so these were the best of my photographs. Some of the cars are setting out on the actual rally while some were joining in the heritage run to show some of the historic racing cars from the past.

If this all puts you in the mood for a camping holiday in the Alps, Pyrenees or Provence then have a look at some great campsites at : http://www.bestfrenchcampsites.com/

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Caravan Club History

2011-01-25T15:47:00.000-08:00

This British Pathe News video from 1954 is amusing. It shows preparations by Caravan Club members for their first holidays abroad. Although do you think we do any better nowadays in our preparations for travel abroad ?!?

CARAVAN CLUB

Your browser does not support iframes.

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Michelin Apps for iphone

2011-01-22T11:47:00.000-08:00

Here are some great new travel apps for iphone from Michelin Guides.
Find out more about the Michelin Guide at http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/static/iphone/restaurants.htm
Once you have downloaded the app, you can find a restaurant and once you have eaten you can even add your review via your iphone before you've even left the restaurant !! Mind you I have to say if its been a good meal you probably wont think of doing this ! Are you more likely to do this if its a bad meal with poor service I wonder ?!?

There also seem to be downloadable traffic guides as well.
http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/static/iphone/

We have an ipod touch rather than an iphone but it should be downloadable for that too.

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Famille Plus - Family Friendly French Holidays

2011-01-20T14:37:00.000-08:00

Some villages and towns in France which have been certified as Family Friendly are awarded the description "Famille Plus". This indicates that there are family friendly facilities or entertainments offered. For example ski resorts are assessed to see if they offer family friendly runs etc. There is loads of information at http://www.familleplus.fr/le-label/liste-des-stations?bouton=&type-destination=

The villages and towns are classified as either "By the Sea" (Mer) "Countryside" (Nature), "in the Mountains" (Montagne) or "Town" (Ville). There is also a map of France with the various villages marked so you can find out the locations of the family friendly towns visit in the area you would like to visit.

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Travelling to Europe by Train

2011-01-17T03:42:00.000-08:00

If you are planning to travel from the UK to Europe by train then here is a great website containing lots of information. www.seat61.com/Europe.htm

The website is named after this guy's favourite seat on the Eurostar ! This should help you to plan your journey although I dont think you can actually book train tickets through it.

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Travelling with Preschool Children and Under 5s

2011-01-07T06:28:00.000-08:00

If you would like to try camping abroad for the first time with young children of pre-school age then you will be lucky to be able to take advantage of quieter campsites as well as "more competitive" (ie cheaper !) prices in the May and June period. Both Keycamp and Eurocamp offer lots to appeal to the Under 5s.

Different campsites offer slightly different facilities but you can check it all out on the Keycamp and Eurocamp websites.

There are a variety of different Kids Clubs available at the different campsites and these clubs are tailored to your children's age range and run by Children's Club Couriers.

If you have an active toddler then they will enjoy Tumble Tots for under 5's which is available at the following parcs from late May until early July :

In Brittany

Benodet - Pointe St Gilles (Eurocamp link for this campsite) (Keycamp link)
Beg-Meil - L'Atlantique (Eurocamp link) (Keycamp link)
Nevez - Les Deux Fontaines (Eurocamp link) (Keycamp link)
Carnac - La Grande Metairie (Eurocamp link) (Keycamp link)

In the Vendee

St Jean-de-Monts - Le Clarys-Plage (Eurocamp link) (Keycamp link)
St Julien-des-Landes - La Garangeoire (Eurocamp link) (Keycamp link)
St Jean-de-Monts - La Yole (Eurocamp link) (Keycamp link)

Keycamp and Eurocamp offer kids clubs at most sites. The particular clubs which are offered differ at each site so please check the Eurocamp and Keycamp websites for details. Under 5s will enjoy either the Mini Fun Station for under 5's or a Leo's Fun Station for 4-6 years. (Some of these Kids Club sessions for Under 5s may be free during the Low Season - check when booking !)

At the Mini Fun Station the children will be offered a variety of sports, games and craft activities as well as themed sessions, for example a Pirate party ! There will also be things such as sand and water play and activity mats to keep toddlers busy !

Keycamp have also now teamed up with the STA (Swimming Teachers' Association) providing toddler swimming lessons on selected parcs so a great opportunity for youngsters to learn to swim !

Keycamp have also identified 21 Mini World parcs and Eurocamp have identified over 55 sites which are "Toddler Friendly Parcs" which are particularly suited to young families with toddlers, with lots of free activities, safe play areas and useful features such as

Toddler safe pitches - on quieter roads and with flatter ground and far away from lakes and rivers (although these can still be present).
All-terrain buggies and toddler trucks hire
Children's pools for toddlers only
Decking gates which can be fitted onto all decked accommodation on Mini World parcs.
Bed rails - available on all parcs to ensure no bumps in the night !

You may also be able to hire the following items onsite :

a Travel cot, which doubles as a play pen
High chair
Baby bath
Potty

All these facilities can be checked on the Keycamp and Eurocamp websites which has details of each of the parcs. We have put links to some of our favourite Eurocamp and Keycamp sites, many of which are Mini World Parcs, by clicking on the links "Our Favourite Eurocamp Sites" and "Our Favourite Keycamp Sites" to the right of this blog.

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Happy New Year - Bonne Année ! - 2011

2010-12-31T09:44:00.000-08:00

In France, New Year's Eve is called La Saint-Sylvestre and is usually celebrated with a feast, called le Réveillon de Saint-Sylvestre. The feast tends to include special items like champagne and foie gras.

This year in France, there are to be an increase in numbers of police working over New Year's Eve, to avoid the usual problems with festivities and crowds, but also to deal with the additional threat from terrorism. No particular threat has been made to France but police numbers have been increased anyway to ensure safety. There has also been a ban on the sale of large fireworks and a ban on consumption of alcohol in certain public spaces.

We wish everyone a good New Year and as we continue to suffer cold weather here in the UK, lets look forward to some better weather as we look forward to our summer camping in the sun !

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Paris Guide for iPad App

2010-12-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

Here is another new app which has been developed and would make a great Christmas present. Its the Dorling Kindersley Guide to Paris for your iPad !

http://itunes.apple.com/app/ew-paris/id403266639
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Top 40 Tourist Attractions in France !

2010-12-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

Here are the top 40 tourist attractions in France along with annual visitor numbers to each. How many have you been to ? I have been to Notre Dame, the Sacré-Cœur and the Orsay museum in Paris, I've seen the Eiffel Tower although didnt go up it and been to Monte Carlo, Saint-Malo, the Pilat dune and Mont-Saint-Michel. So I've only another 32 to go ! What about you ?
1 Fontainebleau Forest and Castle 13 (million visitors)
2 Disneyland Paris 12,6
3 Notre Dame de Paris - Cathedral 12
4 Flea Market - Saint-Ouen 11
5 Château de Versailles Gardens 7
6 Georges-Pompidou center 5,9
7 Eiffel tower 5,72
8 Louvre museum 5,175
9 Sacré-Cœur basilica 5
10 Notre-Dame de Lourdes sanctuary 5
11 Saint-Cloud national domain 4
12 Monte-Carlo rock 4
13 City of the sciences in La Villette 3,5
14 La Rochelle old city harbor 3
15 Château in Versailles 2,9
16 Futuroscope in Poitiers 2,9
17 Island of Oléron 2,5
18 Mont-Saint-Michel site 2,5
19 Baux-de-Provence village 2,5
20 Étretat cliffs 2,5
21 Borély park (botanical gardens) Marseille 2,44
22 Orsay museum (Paris) 2,33
23 Aquaboulevard park (Paris) 2,2
24 Miraculous Medal (Paris) 2,2
25 Riquewihr village 2,1
26 Island of Ré 2
27 Honfleur harbour 2
28 Saint-Malo citadel 2
29 Astérix park (Plailly) 1,9
30 Pyrénées national park 1,8
31 Père-Lachaise cemetery 1,75
32 Notre Dame-de-la-Garde basilica 1,5
33 Strasbourg Cathedral 1,5
34 Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral 1,5
35 Pilat dune 1,4
36 Marineland park (Antibes) 1,2
37 Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière basilica 1,2
38 Reims cathedral 1,2
39 Gard bridge 1,2
40 Gordes village 1,2

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2 Books and a DVD to Curl Up on the Sofa With

2010-12-01T05:47:00.000-08:00

Ignore the snow outside, make yourself a mug of cocoa or coffee, grab those chocolates and curl up on the sofa with a good book about France or watch a French movie. These would also all make great Christmas presents for Francophiles and lovers of all things French !

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Downloadable Brochures - Guides to French Cities and Regions

2010-12-01T05:22:00.000-08:00

If you are researching next year's holiday then you will find lots of useful brochures that can be downloaded at http://uk.franceguide.com/brochures/home.html?NodeID=409

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2 Great Christmas Present Ideas for Francophiles and Lovers of French Holidays !

2010-12-01T04:48:00.000-08:00

Here are some great Calendars as Christmas present ideas for people who love France. There's the 365 Days in France Calendar 2011 which is a Picture-A-Day Wall Calendar with full colour photographs from all over France accompanied by some texts. And if you know someone who is interested in learning more about French language and culture then the French Daily Phrases & Culture Desk Calendar 2011 would be perfect with a whole year of different phrases, cultural comments and trivia for each day of the year !

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French Christmas Markets

2010-11-29T05:31:00.000-08:00

The French Christmas markets are listed at http://www.christmasmarkets.com/France.html

or if you cant make it abroad at the moment why not see if there is a French or Continental market taking place near you in the UK. http://www.christmasmarkets.com/UK.html

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French Campsite Pitches and Emplacements - is 80m² enough for you ?

2010-11-29T04:33:00.000-08:00

The first time we camped in France we were very happy with the campsite we chose. However we have now camped at a number of sites and also listened to other people's experiences and we have discovered that campsites can vary quite a bit in the amount of space offered on the pitches, or emplacements, for tents and mobile homes. There can also be large variations in the amount of open ground available for children to run around and generally have fun. Here is an ideal pitch with lots of extra space :

Pitch size can vary from a minimum of between 80 m² to 100 m² to well over 100 m² right up to a maximum of about 200 m².

It can depend on location. If you are at a campsite in a prime tourist spot right next to the beach then you may find that pitches are smaller. Whereas, if you go to a site like La Garangeoire in the Vendee and are happy to drive 15 minutes inland from the coast then you will find spacious pitches set in a countryside campsite setting.

We have seen mobile home pitches which I wouldn't be happy with, where you literally have a grassy patch that is exactly the same size as the mobile home itself. Once you park a car on the pitch you only have room left for your table and chairs and little extra. For me that is less space than you might expect. And especially if you are taking young children with you then you might want more space. If you find yourself in this situation then often the campsites have parking outside the site so you could park there but it's not ideal.

Another thing which you may wish to consider is whether the pitches have been separated by planted hedges etc to get some privacy. Many of the campsites have been established for a number of years and the hedges and trees have now grown to maturity and provide some wonderful privacy as well as shading from the hot sun. Keycamp and Eurocamp both describe what type of pitch you might expect to find at a campsite.

Here is a diagram showing a two bedroom Superior mobile home from Eurocamp, which is sized 7.50m long x 4.00m wide. If we were to position it on a 10 m x 8 m emplacement (80 m²) then this is what it would look like :

We have some of the best campsites in France reviewed on our Best French Campsites website. Below are a list of the pitch sizes you might expect to find on some of the campsites we have chosen :

Normandy
Château Lez Eaux, St Pair-Sur-Mer - Pitch size: 80-150m²
Château Le Brevedent, Pont L'Eveque - Pitch size: 80-100m².

Vendee
Bel at La Tranche Sur Mer - Pitch size: 80 - 100m².
La Garangeoire, has pitch sizes advertised with Eurocamp at greater than 100 but if you are taking your own tent and book with the site itself then you can book a pitch between 125 to 200 m²
Le Clarys-Plage - Pitch size: 80-150m².

Brittany
La Grande Metairie, Carnac - Pitch size: 80-100m². (You can request a Premium Pitch here with Eurocamp)
Château de Galineé, St Cast - Pitch size: Greater than 100m².
Les Deux Fontaines, Nevez - Pitch size: 100 -170m².
Pointe St. Gilles, Bénodet, Western Brittany - Pitch size: 80-100m²
Raguénès-Plage, Raguenes Plage - Pitch Size : 80-100m2
La Baie, La Trinité sur Mer - Pitch size: 80-100m²

Loire
Château des Marais, Chambord - Pitch size: 80-100m².

Paris
International Pitch Size : 80-100m².
Berny Riviere Pitch Size - 80-100m². (You can request a Premium Pitch here with Eurocamp)

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The France Show 2011

2010-11-22T02:35:00.001-08:00

If you would like a "Taste of France" during the UK winter then why not visit The France Show at Earl's Court, London from 14th to 16th January 2011.

There will be exhibitors showing the best of French travel, holidays and food. And if you are thinking about buying Property in France you can find out more here.
http://www.thefranceshow.com/

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Beautiful Villages France Travel App

2010-11-22T02:28:00.000-08:00

The Beautiful Villages France app for iphone looks like a must-have if you are planning on holidaying in France next year. It uses GPS to pinpoint where you are as you drive around and alerts you if there are any particularly nice villages nearby to visit. What a great idea !http://www.easytravelapps.com/beautiful_villages_france.html

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Planning your 2011 Holiday ?

2010-11-14T05:31:00.000-08:00

There's a good website looking at Brittany from the Brittany Tourist Board at http://www.brittanytourism.com/

And if you would like to enjoy a glass of French wine while you are browsing the tourist brochures for next year then have a look at http://www.frenchconnectionwines.com/

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Touring by Car in France

2010-10-22T05:47:00.000-07:00

There is an interesting website at http://www.auto-tour.eu/index.html

This seems to be for tours in classic or vintage cars but as there is a photograph of a "normal" car at the top, I suspect you can book on the tours with an ordinary car as well. There is also an opportunity for classic car clubs to book some of the tours.

Even if you are not planning on going on a car touring holiday, there is loads of interesting information about the local areas on the website.

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Learning French

2010-10-22T05:44:00.001-07:00

If you would like to spend some useful time this winter learning French then there are some great pages from TV5, the French television channel at : http://www.tv5.org/TV5Site/enseigner-apprendre-francais/accueil_apprendre.php

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Tour de France Route 2011

2010-10-20T04:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a nice video of the route of the Tour de France for 2011.
It starts at Ile de Noirmoutier then through Vendee and into Brittany so there is lots of action for us campers who like to camp in the North of France. We should be able to get to see this great spectacle of a race.

http://www.lemonde.fr/sport/video/2010/10/19/le-tour-de-france-en-3-minutes-40_1428401_3242.html

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Continuing Strikes in France leading to Petrol Shortages

2010-10-18T05:24:00.000-07:00

There is further disruption today in France from Strikers and there seem to be petrol shortages with at least 1,000 filling stations closed. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11563423 There are also students striking outside schools and transport has been affected as well - please see this article in Le Monde -http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2010/10/18/nouvelles-perturbations-a-la-sncf_1427521_3224.html

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Tour de France 2011

2010-10-18T04:37:00.000-07:00

Why not plan your campsite this year so you can have a day watching the Tour de France ! We did this two years ago and thoroughly enjoyed the great carnival atmosphere surrounding it all. There is a parade beforehand -"the Caravane" which travels an hour ahead of the Tour and throws out various goodies to the crowds. All good fun. We nearly missed the actual cycltists in the end as they went whizzing past !

The tour this year starts in the Vendee on the Ile de Noirmoutier ! The cyclists will travel over the narrow causeway which should be a great spectacle. So why not camp this year in the Vendee or find out the route of the rest of the Tour !
http://www.letour.fr/2010/TDF/COURSE/us/grand_depart_2011.html#zone4

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Adventure Travel Magazine

2010-10-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

Here is an excellent magazine which you can also have a look at online. It has some articles about France :
http://www.adventuretravelmagazine.co.uk/index.php/digital-issue

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Ryanair to Leave Marseille Base

2010-10-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ryanair are to leave their base at Marseilles, according to France-Soir News. I dont know if this might affect the number of flights to regional airports in France but it seems to me that it may do.
The low-cost airline said on Wednesday that the closure in January of its unique French base in Marseille, is in response to his indictment for "concealed employment".

In Marseille, Ryanair is the second carrier behind Air France © SIPA

At a press conference on Wednesday at the airport of Marignane (Bouches-du-Rhone), the CEO of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, has criticized "the decision of French authorities to prosecute against the Ryanair base in Marseilles, which fully complies with the regulations of the European Union for mobile workers transport". In fact, Ryanair will close its only base in France in January 2011.

"It's a very dark day but we can not wait a year or more to risk any more significant fines if the court proceedings were not favorable," said Michael O'Leary. Ryanair has been indicted by prosecutors in late September in Aix-en-Provence for "clandestine work" following the complaint of several personal unions. The company, based in Marseille from October 2006, challenged the decree of November 21 of that year subjecting flight crews of foreign companies operating in France to French law. Its approximately 200 employees are subject to regulation by the Irish labor.

As of 11 January 2011, four planes of the company and its employees based in Marseille will be transferred to other European airports, perhaps in Kaunas, Lithuania, Barcelona, Bari, Brindisi and Milan.

According to its CEO, Ryanair "loses nothing in this operation, but Marseille loses tourists, visitors and jobs." A view shared by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Marseille Provence which manages the airport. "This departure is very bad news for companies and businesses" and "constitutes a setback for the development" of the territory, responded President Jacques Pfister.

For the Marseille Provence airport, where Ryanair is the second carrier behind Air France, with 1.7 million passengers expected in 2010, closing 13 of its 23 lines could lose one million passengers a year.
The mayor (UMP) of Marseille, Jean-Claude Gaudin attributes the departure of the company to the "irresponsible behavior of unions."

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London to Paris Cycle Route !

2010-10-01T06:00:00.001-07:00

If you are feeling energetic you might like to try this London to Paris Cycle Route ! However you better read this article first !
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11447348

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Excellent Haynes Manuals about Caravans and Motorhomes !

2010-10-01T05:47:00.000-07:00

I just had a look at these excellent Haynes Manuals. Everything you need to know about looking after and running a caravan or motor home.

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Some Interesting News from France !

2010-09-30T03:00:00.000-07:00

Three interesting pieces of news !
Firstly, the not surprising news about a positive drug test for this year's Tour de France winner.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11441045

There were more protests against cuts yesterday across Europe : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11432579

and finally some thieves have stolen 30 tonnes of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from a vineyard ! I wonder if they will try to make them into wine ?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11442633

(Picture of grapes by Stasi Albert from Stock Xchng photo site)

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Choosing a Motorhome for Next Year ?

2010-09-22T04:15:00.000-07:00

If you are hoping to buy a motorhome for next year's camping holiday then why not make use of all the fantastic internet resources out there.
Here is a website which outlines some of the main models :
http://www.motorhomechooser.co.uk/used-guides-index.php

and why not watch some video footage to get a look round your motorhome. Once you have narrowed down your choices that sounds like a good time to head to a showroom or outdoor show to have a look at the real thing !
For example here is one with some nice music and doesnt this look like a luxurious motorhome ! Would you keep it this tidy though !!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONn9_fUc5G4
and here is a motorhome hire company showing their 6 berth model http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWD6TjhCbiU
I wonder if it has seating for 6 though when driving along. I'm not sure if they all do even though they call themselves 6 berth.

or here is some information about "The Caravan Channel" http://www.youtube.com/user/caravanchannel#p/u/1/6S8BIsuK7Fc

Mind you I think we'll be sticking to our tent for holidays in UK and mobile homes in France for a bit of luxury for the time being !
Let us know what your experiences are with motorhomes etc and would you recommend particular models ?

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Our French Camping Holidays and Planning for Next Year !

2010-09-22T01:52:00.000-07:00

Our First Camping Holiday in France was when we visited a great campsite "Le Chatelet" right on the northern coast of Brittany at St Cast, which was only a half an hours drive from St Malo. That was a great holiday and we were lucky to see the 2006 Tall Ships race at St Malo. Also memorable from that holiday was watching the World Cup final at the campsite bar, sharing with lots of nationalities as we watched the now infamous or famous head butt incident !

The next year we ventured to South West Brittany and Benodet where we stayed at La Pointe St Gilles Campsite. The memorable moment from that holiday was watching the fishing boats racing in to land their catch at Guilvinec ! What a moment ! At least 30 small boats race into the port at 4.30 to land their catch. Thanks to the Canvas holiday reps on our campsite for letting us know about this !

I had always wanted to see the standing stones at Carnac, so the following year we finally made it to Carnac, or more precisely to Trinite Sur Mer which is adjacent to Carnac. We stayed at La Baie Campsite. What a great holiday destination that is. So much to see ! We viewed the miles of standing stones both on foot and from "Le Petit Train" which takes you around Carnac. We visited the very interesting museum which was co-founded by a Scotstman and a Frenchman and bears their names. We went on some great walks from that campsite and discovered a very old church which is dedicated to the memory of St Columba, who visited this area. Our guide for these walks was a multi-lingual Russian student who was in France to learn (or perfect !) her French. But this was a great opportunity to mix with some others from the campsite so we met some lovely French, Belgian and English people who were on the walk.

In following years we have stayed on a lovely spacious campsite Les Deux Fontaines near Nevez with probably the nicest beach we have seen - Tahiti Plage - a well named beach ! From Nevez we visited the lovely artist's town of Pont Aven - famous for paintings and crepes and also for a fantastic glass blowing workshop where you can watch the glass blowers at work and also buy some lovely glassware. We also managed to watch the start of one of the stages of the Tour de France that year in Auray which was not too far from Nevez. That was great fun if you ever get the chance to watch that.

This year we ventured further south to the Vendee. We stayed inland at a lovely site called La Garangeoire. Our highlight of this holiday and definitely worth a visit was the fantastic theme park "Puy du Fou" ! What a place ! There are five main shows to see during your day at this park and these include a Gladiator show in an amphitheatre with a chariot race. There is a Knights, (Chevaliers) Show and a spectacular Birds of Prey show with birds swooping just above your heads ! Be warned though, at the bird of prey show the warning to "keep sitting, don't wave your hands around and pack all cakes away" is only announced in French !

We have loved most of the campsites we have visited although we always make sure and do lots of research beforehand. However at least one of the sites was not particularly busy last year whereas other campsites which are not so nice were full of people so we decided to spread the word about some of the lovely campsites we have visited and for this reason we started a website http://www.bestfrenchcampsites.com. We have also included details of some of the great places we have visited from each site. And to make sure we all stay as "happy campers", we have started this blog so we keep track of any useful websites and we have also translated any relevant news items from France.

We haven't booked up yet for next year. We have loved all the places we have been but it is also good to see new places. We will possibly visit the Alps for a change of scene or perhaps even visit in early or late season. As the weather turns increasingly chillier at home, we are already looking forward to next year's holiday !!
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Velib Bike Network in Central Paris

2010-09-21T02:09:00.000-07:00

You might like to try out the excellent Velib bike network in Central Paris if you are visiting Paris this year. There are over 230 miles of cycle lanes in Paris. For more information have a look at their website at http://www.blogger.com/www.velib.paris.fr

Have any of you tried this and how did you get on ? We'd love to hear whether it all went smoothly ! (not intended as a pun!)
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French Federation of Cycle Tourism

2010-09-17T02:36:00.000-07:00

Federation Francaise de Cyclotourisme !
Great website !

http://www.ffct.org/

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Matt on Travel - Great Cartoons

2010-09-17T02:27:00.000-07:00

I love the Matt Cartoons from the Telegraph ! Here are some about travel and holidays !

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/picturegalleries/7156245/Matt-on-travel-transport-chaos.html

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Indigo Wild Campsites

2010-09-17T02:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a lovely range of "back to nature" campsites in some lovely places in France including the Ile d'Oleron and Ile de Noirmoutier - "Indigo Campsites"

Indigo Campsites Website : http://www.camping-indigo.com/en/nature-campsites.html

Indigo Campsites 2010 Brochure : http://www.camping-france.fr/brochure/catalogue/index.html

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Transport Strikes in France

2010-09-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

There are to be transport strikes in France from today until Wednesday, affecting air travel and train travel. To read more : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/7984463/France-strike-to-disrupt-flights-and-rail-services.html

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Top 10 Reasons to Visit South of France !

2010-09-06T06:39:00.000-07:00

Top 10 reasons to visit the Southern French regions of Ardèche, Gard and Vaucluse-Provence !
And if you are going to Orange this weekend then you can go to some authentic Roman Theatre ! Children get in free if they go in disguise !! So get your togas on !
http://www.visit-southern-france.com/en/explore/incontournable

Have you visited this area and what would you recommend to visit ?

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September is last month to Visit Puy du Fou Theme Park this year

2010-09-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

September is the last month for 2010 when you can visit the fabulous Puy du Fou historical theme park. It opens again April 2011 for summer 2011.
Its definitely worth a visit !
If you want to see all our photographs please visit our flickr site at http://www.flickr.com/photos/best_french_campsites/sets/72157624495744356/

So if you are camping in the Vendee or Loire areas then this is definitely worth a visit ! You can also stay there in either a Roman Villa Hotel or some huts on stilts over water. So that might be an option - combine a couple of nights stay there with a camping holiday.

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Bargain Hunters Going to France

2010-09-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

If you are heading for France on holiday and would like to find out where there are various "flea markets" or marchés aux puces, bourses, braderies, brocantes et vide-greniers going on near where you are staying then check out this website ! http://www.marchesauxpucesdefrance.fr/
For a translation of the various terms into English :
marchés aux puces are "flea markets"
braderies are fairs
vide-greniers are like "yard sales"

Maybe others can help out here with some comments as I'm not quite sure what types of fairs or car boot sales etc they all are !

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Wildfires Near Montpellier

2010-09-01T16:16:00.001-07:00

Read this report about wildfires in South of France near Montpellier :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11145787

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German Trains to try out Channel Tunnel !

2010-09-01T16:14:00.001-07:00

German trains are to try out the Channel Tunnel in October, possibly ending the Eurostar monopoly. Hopefully this will mean more competition and reduced fares for passengers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11152794

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Very Funny Holiday Phrases

2010-09-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

This article contains some very funny holiday phrases. Particularly funny are the list of Things we wish kids said on holiday and the "Laws of Camping" !

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/holidays/holidaypedia-i-know-what-you-did-this-summer-2066923.html
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September Sun Selection from Eurocamp

2010-09-01T06:41:00.001-07:00

September holidays are becoming more popular for Eurocampers every year. It's a great time to get away. For exploring, excitement or escape, whatever your reason for getting away you'll find some great options in Eurocamp's September Sun Selection.

More details of this offer can be found here:

Link to Eurocamp

Don’t forget there are great savings to be made if you book your 2011 holiday or at least reserve it. You can make savings of up to 30% off next year’s holiday.

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Oldest Champagne to be Salvaged !

2010-09-01T02:28:00.000-07:00

The oldest bottles of champagne in the world are to be salvaged from the Baltic Sea Bed - apparently they will be drinkable and very expensive !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11148844
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Loire à Vélo Cycling Route

2010-08-31T11:58:00.000-07:00

"Loire à vélo" has excellent information about cycle routes on the Loire as well as very reasonably priced organised trips, including a 3 day cycle tour of vineyards which sounds great ! It also has information about cycle friendly campsites and hotels which welcome cyclists and help with things like storage facilities.

http://www.cycling-loire.com/Default.aspx?base

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French Ortolan Songbirds

2010-08-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

French ornithologists are fighting against the hunting of the ortolan, a songbird which is regarded by gastronomes – when eaten beak, bones and all – as the ultimate delicacy.

Over the next two weeks, bird lovers in south-west France will be springing "live" traps set to capture the tiny ortolan buntings as they migrate from northern Europe to Africa. Over 5,000 are caught each year.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/activists-ready-to-sabotage-french-birdhunters-2066149.html
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Cross Channel Ferry Services

2010-08-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

Radio 4 You and Yours had an interesting piece about the Cross Channel Ferry market between the UK and France. Over-capacity on the Dover-Calais route, two new ferries from P&O etc were some of the topics discussed. To listen, click on this link and listen to the start of the programme as its one of the first items on the programme : http://beta.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00tfqvq/You_and_Yours_27_08_2010
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Hidden Lake Under Mont Blanc to be Drained !

2010-08-25T02:47:00.001-07:00

I'd heard about the hidden lake that had accumulated under a glacier at Mont Blanc. The good news is that it sounds like they are going to try and drain it. Very interesting news if you are holidaying or planning to holiday in that area of the Alps. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11080827

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French Pronunciation

2010-08-23T04:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a fantastic website which has pronunciations of what seems like every French word !
http://www.forvo.com/languages/fr/tag/learning_french/

http://www.forvo.com/languages/fr/

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French may be Cheesed Off !

2010-08-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

The Swiss have won the right to keep the Gruyère label for their cheese, with the AOC (Appelation Origine Controlle) certification.

There had been an agreement since 2007 where the French could produce a Gruyère cheese but the two products were very different and now Switzerland has been granted exclusivity !
To read more : http://www.francesoir.fr/argent-etranger-social/pas-de-quartier-pour-le-gruyere-francais.7890 So if that was you favourite cheese you may have trouble finding it in "le supermarché" this year !

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Le Quinze Aout

2010-08-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

The traditional month of French holidays ends today and is commonly known as "Le Quinze Aout" or Assumption Day. This religious festival finishes the tradional month long French holidays which start on Bastille Day, the 14th July.

To hear a little more of the history of this festival and how it is often celebrated with fireworks, please listen to Lisa Jardine's "Point of View" piece from Radio 4 which can be accessed from this webpage :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10963263

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Keycamp Celebrates 35th Birthday !

2010-08-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

Keycamp are celebrating their 35th Birthday by allowing you to reserve your 2011 Holiday for only £35 !!

There may also be lots of last minute summer bargains as according to the Radio 4 news this morning holiday companies are reporting low bookings in Europe for this year.

Click here to book a last minute 2010 holiday or look at holidays with Keycamp for next year ! www.keycamp.co.uk

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The Seaside Still Favourite Destination for French holidaymakers

2010-08-10T02:59:00.000-07:00

French holidaymakers still prefer to holiday at the seaside, with 60% choosing it as a destination this year. The next most popular destinations are towns (19%) and the countryside (15%). Only 8% choose the mountains as their holiday destination, possibly as people think this might be too energetic a holiday ! And only 1% go on a wild camping/walking holiday. However if you really want to get away from the crowds, the mountains could be an excellent choice of holiday destination. During the very hot summer weather, you can expect a cooler night high up in the mountains so you might actually enjoy a good nights sleep after all that walking !
http://www.francesoir.fr/vie-quotidienne/les-francais-plebiscitent-la-mer

There are some excellent campsites up in the mountains, with beautiful swimming pools with mountain views. We will be reviewing some of these mountain destinations on our website at www.bestfrenchcampsites.com or if you would like to look at campsites in the meantime please look at www.keycamp.co.uk

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Busiest Weekend for Travel in France

2010-07-29T15:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend is expected to be the busiest weekend of the year for holiday travel in France. From Friday to Sunday 1.6 million travellers are expected through Parisian stations and 2,850 trains. The roads are expected to be very busy and drivers have been warned to make sure to take a break at least every two hours. And the Parisian airports are expecting 900,000 passengers from 30 July to 1st August !

The weekend is so busy as those who take their holidays in July, the "juilletistes" will be crossing paths with those who holiday in August, the "aoûtiens" !
http://www.francesoir.fr/transports/le-grand-chasse-croise-des-vacances-sannonce-charge

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"Gramping !"

2010-07-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

An interesting article about Huttopia and "Gramping" (Green Camping !) in France
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/anyone-for-gramping-thats-green-camping-2036201.html

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Channel Tunnel

2010-07-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

If you are travelling via the Channel Tunnel to your French camping holiday this year then you might be very interested in this episode of "How do they Do It" http://demand.five.tv/Episode.aspx?episodeBaseName=C5141170002
I couldnt believe that there are up to 500 trains and up to 50,000 passengers a day go via the tunnel !
The programme also tells you how escalators work !

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Taking a Motorhome to France

2010-07-20T03:17:00.000-07:00

If you are going to try and take a motorhome to France this year then you need to do a fair bit of planning ahead ! Here are some good links to help you out.

http://www.vicariousbooks.co.uk/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Aires-Motorhome-Service-Stopovers/dp/0955280818

http://www.caravanfacts.com/classifieds/accessories-for-sale/p1-camperstop-2010-book.html

There was a lovely stopover carpark at Tahiti Plage where we stayed last year - at Raguenes Plage/Nevez in Brittany. So that might be worth finding out more about. You could park your motor home overnight and get a sea view over a lovely beach if you were on the right side of the car park !

This is also an excellent website with a map showing all the stopover "Aires" for each region : http://airecampingcar.com/aire_camping_car.php

We saw some very long 30 foot motorhomes this year so it is possible to navigate these around France, but one of the problems in the Vendee area this year seemed to be that there was a lot of road building going on and new roundabouts and these hadnt been updated on Sat Navs, so people were being sent strange routes through small villages when there were better alternatives for large motorhomes. Has anyone got any good recommendations for us about taking a motorhome to France and good sites to stay at ? Certainly La Garangeoire in the Vendee which you can find on our Best French Campsites website seemed a good site for motorhomes as the plots are a good size.

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Velo Rails !

2010-07-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

We tried out the local Velo Rail at Commequiers while on holiday in the Vendee. There are a number of Velo Rails throughout France and they were developed to make use of railway tracks which were no longer needed. To find out if there is one near where you are holidaying have a look at http://www.veloraildefrance.com/
We enjoyed our trip through the Vendeen countryside and as it was mostly under trees we were sheltered from the heat of the afternoon sun. However, be warned ! We were given two and a half hours to travel the 10 kms to Coex and the 10kms back. At Coex, the velo carriage can turn on the turntable. It would be easy to blame the elderly travellers in front but in fact I don't think we could have made the journey in that time without an Olympic effort. And in High Season you get even less time for the journey. So, what you have to do to return to Commequiers is to lift the whole velo carriage off the track and turn it ! The same is the case if you meet a carriage travelling in the opposite direction - the one travelling from Coex has priority ! We struggled as a group of four to lift the carriage so if you are travelling as a couple of adults, unless you are very strong, you would have to hope you meet at least two strong adults travelling in the opposite direction... So, if you try out a Velo Rail, enjoy your trip but make sure and find out a bit more about it beforehand or you may become a case of "The next train to Commequiers is half an hour late !"

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Camping Recipes and Cookbook

2010-06-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to a review of a great book - "The Camping Cookbook" by Annie Bell. There are some great recipes in the article to try out. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/20/annie-bell-camping-recipes

I like the idea of the chicken casserole and will try that out, but please remember to be careful when handling raw chicken while camping - you need to wash your hands well to avoid getting possible campylobacter food poisoning. I think salmonella is almost clear from our chickens now but you can never be too careful when handling raw meat.

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Review of Dried Camping Food - TravelLunch Bacon, Potato and Onion Breakfast

2010-06-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

We tried out the dried camping food TravelLunch Bacon, Potato and Onion Breakfast. Here are photographs of the packet and the contents and then the final cooked product !

One advantage of this dried camping food mix is that it only weighs 100g so if you are carrying all your camping gear this could be an advantage. However actually cooking it all proved slightly problematic as you had to measure out 300 ml of boiling water but this could mean you need to take your measuring jug ! It would be helpful if they had said, for example, use two mugfuls of water. Also the meal was supplied with a sachet of hydrogenated vegetable fat which is not the healthiest thing so I coooked it instead with olive oil which I had handy in the tent. The instructions indicated that you had to cook it until crispy but this was not esay as the potatoes stayed moist or else burned to the pot ! It would have been much easier cooking for example a casserole or else just actually frying some bacon and boiling potatoes !

I asked five people to comlete a taste test and the average score for taste ended up at 3 out of 10. 2 said they would "Maybe" use this meal again when camping but 3 said they would not. Everyone agreed it was not good enough to eat at home !

We felt the portion size was on the small side. One packet, costing £4 at Cotswolds was not quite enough for an adult to eat although it would have been very monotonous to eat this without adding for example beans. The test group were then asked to describe the meal in one word and they described it as "Smoky", "Baconless", "Tasteless", "More Meat..." and "OK" !

So to sum up, this is only good if the weight is absolutely crucial and you can only manage to carry 100 g. After a long day's walk this meal should taste good !!

We also tried the new Ainsley Harriet dried foods which are available at Tesco - the Risotto with tomato and cheese flavour weighed only 120g in the packet and was very tasty but probably best taken with something. If there are two of you you could buy two different flavours and carry a packet each !

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Wild Camping - UK, France and Europe

2010-06-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

This article summarises the laws about wild camping in the UK, France and the rest of Europe.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/may/15/wild-camping-europe-uk-legalities

So if you dont want to camp with everyone else in a campsite and want to "get away from it all" for a while then this has some great advice. I havent tried wild camping yet - I like a few camping luxuries like running water! But I have certainly seen some lovely spots in Scotland where I would love to camp. I think this would also be much easier if you have a smallish tent which we dont.

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Practise Your French !

2010-06-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

If you would like to practise some French language about booking a camping pitch or a hotel room then try out this page from the BBC French language website. http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/experience/hotel/

If you select the section on the right which says
Narrowband options:
Finding a pitch on a campsite:
then you can listen to a French speaker booking a tent pitch on a campsite for a week !

There are also worksheets if you want to really get learning.

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Bad News for Oyster Lovers

2010-06-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

Oysters from the Mediterranean right round to Brittany have been hit by a plague for the third year running. This is bad news for all those who love eating oysters on their French holidays and may mean that oysters are either unavailable or very expensive.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/10294649.stm

I must admit I am not a great fan of eating seafood myself but I do love to see those great steaming plates of varied shellfish and lobsters. A real taste of summer in France !

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Flash Floods in Southern France

2010-06-16T05:38:00.001-07:00

Deadly flash floods have hit the Var Region of Southern/ South Eastern France. For more information please read this report : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/10327034.stm

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