beginners

[sandra_5112882]

HI ,HELP //is there anyone who can give me any advise please .I have just purchased my first caravan 2 berth and I am hoping to go to south of france with my husband and 2 boys 14 and 21 .we havent got a clue of where to stay, prices etc, and which are the best sites for activities and social life to keep us and the two boys entertained Where do you think the best region is and keeping price in mind what are the best sites if anyone can give me any information at all or tell me where to start please let me know thank you so much regards sandra

 

[cooky1]

Sandra,

wow, first time abroad and you want to go all the way to the South of France. I have been to the Dordogne a couple of times and there are a lot of campsites in the region. Are you a member of any clubs? (cc or c&cc). They have excellent sites that they recommend and you will stand a good chance of being among fellow Brits. Most of the sites have swimming pools for the teenagers and some have games rooms etc.

The prices abroad seem very similar to our country for cc sites, but do vary according to facilities.

Try sending for their european brochures.

Try searching on google for camping france and loads of sites will be recommended for all regions.

 

[AnthonyVJ]

Hi Sandra

There are some interesting campsites south of Nyons on the road to Carpentras, department 83. Vaison le Romaine sounds fascinating if you like antiquities and farmers markets etc, and the other campsite Le Soleil de(du?) Provence is on a hill top with fabulous views within a few miles, we thought we would try one of these next year.

There are some wonderful mediteranean beach sites at Valras plage and all around that area - but being very pale/fair skinned the beach isn't really our thing!!

Helen

 

[Laura_5070424]

Hi

Prhaps as it is your first trip abroad and you are relatively new to caravanning that it would be better for you to not go so far. Brittany is a lovely area, although the weather is not as reliable as further south. I would recommend after travelling too france with the caravan for 6 years that the caravan club european sites abroad is a good place to start, looking at the brochure you can guage whether the site would be suitable for your whole family. you can also book the whole holiday trhough them including the ferry. we used to travel portsmouth to st Malo and then to Quimper L orangerie d lanniron which is a lovely site.

 

[SteveW77]

Don't worry about towing in france for the first time. It is easier than towing in Britain, there is less traffic, the roads are generally better than here. Just remember to take your time, dont try to drive to far in one go and most of all relax and enjoy your holiday There are so many wonderful places to see in France, it would take a life time to do it justice.

Steve W

 

[JoannaLesley]

Get yourself a copy of the Caravan Europe guide vol 1 - from the Caravan Club - it covers France, Spain & Portugal. It has lots of good general advice about travelling abroad, specific advice about France and lots and lots of sites listed by town. These are based on information sent in by members and often include helpful hints about access to touristy bits. Once you have decided on the general area you want, this is really helpful. It might give you more confidence to book ahead and, increasingly, sites allow you to do this on line. One tip, tho' - don't underestimate the time it takes you to travel down through France - it's bigger than it looks and you might want to stop sooner than you would going solo.

 

[Bob_5041432]

Don't worry about towing in france for the first time. It is easier than towing in Britain, there is less traffic, the roads are generally better than here. Just remember to take your time, dont try to drive to far in one go and most of all relax and enjoy your holiday There are so many wonderful places to see in France, it would take a life time to do it justice.

Steve W

Sandra,

I agree wholeheartedly with Steve. Make sure you load your caravan correctly with the right noseweight on the towbar, take it slowly and enjoy - it is not nearly as daunting as it appears. Our first tow was from Hannover to the Gargano penisular in Italy (about 1200 miles each way). We started off slowly and by the end were confident with towing - and survived!

The South of France from Monaco round to Toulon can be quite expensive in the height of the summer. However, the area round Narbonne, Beziers and down towards Perpignan is great with an abundance of campsites and not as expensive. We stayed, some time ago, at Valras Plage and there was plenty to do.

We rarely book (although it is a gamble and we occasionally have to wait a couple of days in a temporary pitch for a good pitch to come available)and travel with a selection of European camping books. The Caravan Club one is excellent and we also have a French one called Le Guide Officiel Camping Caravanning No1 en France - collected (I think)from one of the big hypermarkets and a hardy annual for European camping called Camping Europa - again I think bought at a hypermarket.

I live in Germany and have been lucky enough to have toured all over Europe with the caravan for the past 20 years - it is a wonderful continent with spectacular scenery and plenty to see and do.

 

[chris_5114614]

we are going to France for the first time too, we were recomended from a freind to join the caravan club before booking anything so we did, we got lots of great help and most importantly great discounts Especially for ferry crossings we are all booked up now thanks to the caravan club.

 

[smiley]

You could also pick up from the travel agents a Keycamp book, although you are going independant, they cover sites for youngsters and give you ideas, show picures etc, and the campsites have independant pitches if you book yourself. Go on to eurocampings.net they cover a lot of sites in France.