Touring parks in the Dordogne

[emlyn]

Can you please recommend a good quality park in the Dordogne area of France, with good size, accessible pitches, good quality toilets and showers, pool, bar, restaurant, but not noisy and commercialised.

I've noticed Moulin du Roch, Camping Les Pins, and Domaine de la Barbanne on the Caravan Club web site. We have not been abroad before, so any recommendations would be welcomed.

 

[ValA.]

Emlyn, when are you planning on travelling? I ask this because it can make a huge difference to whether a site is noisy or the facilities stretched. If you go to even the most commercialised sites in May/June or late August/early September then they are a different world to the same site in mid-July/mid-August. Do you have children with you? Again, this can affect recommendations for sites. In France, quite unlike England, many campsites are extremely quiet outside of the frantic six week French school holidays. I'm sure you'll enjoy France - we've been every year for the last 26 years - and now have two touring holidays a year!

Moulin du Roch is a lovely site, a member of the 'Castels' group (always a good recommendation), and more central to the popular parts of the Dordogne than the other two you mention. I can also recommend Le Paradis at St Leon sur Vezere. Both are well run, good pitches and pools, restaurants and a bar. Both are lovely for children, too and Moulin du Roch has had a big new pool complex since we were there. We've only stayed low season, though, and I've no idea what they are like in mid-July.

 

[SteveW77]

I can recommend La Paradis at St Leon sur Vezere, not on the Dordogne, but very close.

 

[ThePlotter]

Domaine de la barbanne is not actually in the Dordogne but a very nice site with good facilities,however some pitches may be a bit tight.

 

[jerry4]

I can thoroughly recommend Port Du Limeuil.

Right on the banks of the Dordogne where it meets the Vezere.

A good swimming pool area with a small slide for the kids but nothing spectacular as it's only a small site.

small bar, games room and take away but not noisy (and we stayed there last August)

Has it's own river beach with lovely views across to the village, and its just a quick stroll over the bridge to the village if you want a meal out.

You can hire canoes from the site (they drive you up the river and you canoe back)

We booked direct with the site but I think its in the Select Sites brochure.

Jerry

 

[LesleyRussell]

We visited le Moulin du Roch this Whitsun after visiting St Avit Loisirs nearby and being very disappointed with the pitches. Le Moulin du Roch was very accessible off the main road and was a lovely quiet site with some large fully serviced pitches. Nice bar and restaurant, good facilities and pool area. Very close to Sarlat and caves. A typical Castels Site.

We also went to Domaine de la Barbanne a few years ago (Sites and Paysages site). Very good site and we would strongly recommend it. Decent size pitches, lovely pool area, restaurant etc. Not commercialisted. Very good if you like the wine of the area, you are surrounded by vineyards. You are also not too far from Bordeaux if you fancy a visit. There is a train journey all around the different vineyards of St Emillion and you can always go back to a few the following day for tastings and a tour of the cellars. We will certainly return one day!

 

[Litespeed]

After trying St Avit Loisirs at Le Bugue, (never again - a huge sprawling site that is very comercialised and very cramped pitches)

We then tried 'Port Du Limeuil' Fantastic small site, not to crowded in high season and right on the banks of the rivers Dordogne and Vezere. Le Bugue is a charming little town about 3 km away and the village of Limeuil is very good with some nice Cafes and a small market.

 

[Lawrence1]

Hi Emlyn

My wife and I stayed in the town of Montignac in the Dordogne for 16 nights in September on a site called 'Le Moulin du Bleuford'. We stumbled on it by accident after being unhappy with our site of choice in Sarlat. It has all the amenities you mention, although it is a relatively small site. It is also within very easy walking distance of the town which is, in Scottish parlance, 'fair braw'. The town sits on the river Vezere. Sarlat, Bergerac, Perigord etc are all within easy driving distance. The Dordogne area is simply beautiful and well worth a visit.

Lawrence

 

[Pam_374318968]

Hi Emlyn,

Moulin du Roch is a lovely site but it is also very popular - we went at the end of June and some friends who arrived before us very kindly booked us in - otherwise the site was full. It is very central for all the sight-seeing spots.

If you haven't been abroad before why are you thinking of going so far for you first trip. We live in Cheshire and it is about 800 miles.

It is a heck of a long way and the there isn't really an easy direct route to get to it.

The best way is via Paris - not for the faint-hearted and definitely not for someone who hasn't driven over there before. All I can say is use your sat nav and trust it - if it tells you disappear up your own exhaust pipe then do it.

I had sussed out what I thought was the easiest, quickest route - put the sat nav on - and it took as a different way. We trusted it and it was brilliant.

We came back via Saumur in the Loire because we have friends who live there and we stayed with them for a few days.

Would not do that distance again for just 2 weeks holiday as all you are doing is driving.

Pam.