The Dordogne Area of France - A British Favourite !

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

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

Campsites can vary quite a bit in the amount of space offered on the pitches, or emplacements, for tents and mobile homes. Here is an ideal pitch with lots of extra space :

However, 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. Campsites in prime tourist spots near the beach etc. often have smaller pitches are smaller, whereas, you may find spacious pitches in some more rural campsites.

We have seen mobile home pitches where you if you park a car on the pitch you only have room left for your table and chairs and little else. For me that is less space than you might expect. And if you are taking young children with you then you might want more space. If you do find yourself in this situation you may be able to use a car park elsewhere in the campsite but it's not ideal.

Another thing which you may wish to consider is whether the pitches have hedges between them to give some privacy. Many campsites have been established for a number of years and the hedges and trees have grown to maturity and provide privacy as well as shading from the hot sun. Read the campsite descriptions carefully - Eurocamp often give descriptions of what type of pitch you can expect.

If you place a typical mobile home, sized 7.50m long x 4.00m wide on a 80 m² emplacement then this is what the area 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 reviewed :

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

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


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.

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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Top 10 Camping Gadgets

Here are our Top Ten Camping Gadgets that we have seen so far in 2013 !

All new to us !

We spotted most of them at the Scottish Caravan, Motorhome and Holiday Home Show at the SECC in Glasgow. These camping shows are great places to spot new gadgets and buy accessories. If you enjoy camping then they are "must visit" retail therapy destinations !!

Our Top Ten (in no particular order !)

At Number 1

If you dont already have this installed in your caravan or motorhome then this is a great idea ! - a rear view camera so you can find out what is behind you while maneouvring.

These ones are supplied by DRW Electronics (http://www.drwelectronics.com/) :

At Number 2 in our Top 10 !

A Nestaway sailing boat.

It folds up in two sections which are bolted together or can be unbolted and nested together for storage.

These can then be carried flat on the back of your motorhome, or if you are using this as a yacht tender then you can place it on the deck and it doesnt take up too much space. They also do kayak versions too ! (www.nestawayboats.com)

We love the "Swallows and Amazons" style designs - very nice.

Number 3

Collapsible Camping High Chairs.

Ideal if you are camping with toddlers and as they are foldable this makes it easier to find a space for them in those gaps when packing your tent into the car. These are produced by Fem and sold via various distributors.

Actually I must also add here that if you are camping with toddlers then the Potette Portable travel potty which comes with disposable liners is ideal for toddlers when travelling or when camping and they are still at the toilet training stage. It can be purchased from numerous sources.

The next five gadgets were all on display from Borders Leisure (www.bordersleisure.co.uk)

Number 4
Security Door Locks and Door Frame Locks. Ideal to prevent theft etc. One of these door frame locks can be used on a door which doesnt otherwise have locks on it. A section goes on each side of a door and the whole thing is then locked in place. This would not only be useful in camping but could be used on garden sheds etc.

Number 5

A thermal window shield for your motorhome - this will keep you warm in winter and cold in summer ! Ideal if travelling to the South of France etc. where the midday heat can be very strong.

Number 6

OK this one is not very exciting, but could prove to be very useful ! A whole range of tent pages - extra large ones, ones for groundsheets etc. and also tent peg removers ! All of these can be useful if camping on different types of soils such as sandy soils etc and especially if you are close to the sea or in the mountains where you might expect more winds to be hitting your tent.

Number 7
There were all sorts of lovely designs of sets of melamine dishes - non breakable and stackable for easy storage.

Number 8

Gorgeous colourful whistling camping kettles in numerous colours !

At Number 9, PVC decking and fencing ! This is not exactly a gadget and is probably something more suited to caravans that are left permanently on their sites, however you could perhaps also use this to create an enclosure around your motorhome or caravan or have a PVC gate. There were a few manufacturers offering this and I would imagine they will appear at the various camping shows. There was also a version made from recycled materials if you want to be environmentally friendly ! Some suppliers we spotted included http://www.mapleplastics.co.uk/ and http://www.ecodeckingscotland.com .

Number 10

This is a fantastic idea. A simple tracker system from @Sail and Trail called Back2You.

There is an app for your phone so you can find out where the device is. And the tracker that you can place somewhere in your caravan is the size of the palm of your hand. It can be either hard wired in or else can be powered by batteries. It can be set to alert you if it moves out of a certain area or even if it detects that the caravan is being moved at a speed greater than you select.

Again we could think of numerous alternative uses but certainly it is aimed at helping you to keep an eye on your caravan or I guess boat as well since it comes from Sail and Trail ! (http://www.sailandtrail.co.uk/)


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Great Budget Camping Holiday Idea for Low Season Camping - use Camping Card ACSI

If you are planning to go camping with your own tent, caravan or motorhome in May, June, September or October then you should think about joining the CampingCard ACSI scheme.

This scheme lists over 2000 campsites in 20 European countries which offer pitches in these low season months for between 12Euros - 16Euros a night (at time of writing this was about £11-£14). When you join up you receive a guide book listing the sites and a mini atlas.

They have a website at : http://www.campingcard.co.uk/gb/en/europe/
Although I must admit there are extensive site listings for French campsites but there are not terribly many listed for UK sites.

Campsites are rated as either lively or relaxing etc. and average pitch sizes are given as well.

So this could potentially be a great idea if you are planning to tour or are hoping to have a holiday on a tight or limited budget.

You can also read reviews from other users on their website and add your own once you have stayed at a campsite.

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Win Tickets to The Spring Caravan & Camping Show at the NEC

We at Best French Campsites offered a great new competition to help you start the New Year with a resolution to try something new and get into Camping !  Or if you are already a fan, you are sure to find something of interest at this fantastic show.

We had three winners of our competition, including Mr Brooks, Mr Doran and Mr Y. who each won a pair of tickets to The Spring Caravan & Camping Show at the NEC, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham in February. Well done to them and we hope you enjoy the show !  Let us know how you get on !

The Spring Caravan & Camping Show will welcome newcomers to camping, caravanning and motorhoming as well as existing enthusiasts looking to buy or browse all the latest 2013 models, leisure accessories, camping gear and to research new holiday destinations, attractions and service providers.

The show will feature the latest in new season tents, caravans and motorhomes, which are ideal if you are planning to camp in France, Europe or the UK this year.

The Show is supported by the industry's main manufacturers, brands and dealers, including ABI, Bailey, Coachman, Elddis, Lunar, Swift, Trigano, Auto-Trail, Chausson, Autosleepers, Willerby, Omar, Wessex Homes Group, Eterniti, Fifth Wheel, Carthago & Globecar, Frankia & Bavaria, Hobby, Rapido, Pilote, Vantage, Lowdhams, Chichester Caravans, Brownhills, Glossop Caravans, Raymond James and Wandahome South Cave to name but a few – full exhibitor list available on the Show website.

Both The Camping and Caravanning Club and The Caravan Club will be attending the Show and entertaining visitors with new initiative launches, expert towing and motorhome manoeuvring tuition and celebrity guests.

Newcomers to camping as well as families over the half term break will enjoy the four interactive feature areas which include a 'drop zone' climbing wall, campfire cookery, the UK's largest indoor kayaking pool, 'one to one with wildlife’ and 'rod and reel' angling pool. Each feature will benefit from a visit from a special celebrity guest throughout the Show week.

Advance tickets are now on sale and start at £7.00 for seniors (60 + years) and £8.00 for adults. Children under 16 years are admitted free of charge when accompanied by a paying adult. To book tickets visit the show website www.springcaravanandcampingshow.co.uk


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Win Tickets to the Scottish Caravan Motorhome & Holiday Home Show

The Scottish Caravan Motorhome & Holiday Home Show will once again be held at the SECC, Glasgow and will run from Thursday 7th - Sunday 10th February 2013.

We had two winners in our competition, Mrs Weadon and Mrs P. who each received a pair of tickets to this excellent show. (Closing Date was the 30th January 2013)






This year’s show is bigger and better than ever, with over 150 companies showcasing the very latest caravans, motorhomes and accessories – including the full range of caravans from the new manufacturer Eterniti and for the first time a full stand of Hymer Motorhomes. On show will be a phenomenal selection of holiday homes and luxury lodges from UK’s leading suppliers, available with outstanding offers and discounts exclusive to visitors of the show. The collection is the widest in the UK and is a sight not to be missed!

Once again the show will take over all five halls of the SECC and for the first time ever have one Hall dedicated to accessories and awnings, with a brand new Borders Leisure Accessory Superstore, showcasing the latest accessories from the leading suppliers. Visitors will once again be able to learn some useful techniques from the experts at our Caravan and Motor Caravan Manoeuvring Lessons courtesy of The Caravan Club. Visitors will be able to have a go at caravan towing or motor caravan manoeuvring at our outside track, whether for the first time or as a refresher, in 20 minute taster sessions. Please remember to bring your drivers licence to participate.

Keep up to date with the latest news and special offers on the show website at www.caravanshowscotland.com and also to find out information regarding our family friendly features and attractions.  Advance tickets* are on sale now and are available until 5th February 2013. To book visit www.caravanshowscotland.com or call the ticket hotline on 0844 395 4000.

To find out more about this year’s exhibition follow the show on Twitter @Caravanshowsecc or visit  facebook/CaravanShowScotland.

* Advance tickets subject to booking fee.


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Christmas Competition - Win a Year's Subscription to France Magazine

Our competition to Win a Year's subscription to the excellent "France" magazine is now Closed. Congratulations to our winner Mr M. Coupar.

However see below for a great offer if you would like to try France magazine. The popular "France" magazine is published monthly and has some great articles about different towns and regions of France as well as articles about French culture, travel, language and food and wine !
________________________________________

France magazine is a great read for anyone planning a holiday in France or for all those Francophiles who enjoy French culture !

A year's subscription at £30.99 (see below) would also make a fantastic Christmas present - you could package up the magazine subscription with some French chocolates and a bottle of wine !

In the meantime, if you would like to try the magazine, they are offering this great trial subscription deal :

Try 5 issues of FRANCE Magazine for just £5 – SAVING 75% by Direct Debit   What’s the catch? There isn’t one!
You can cancel your subscription at any time after the first payment has been taken. Alternatively, you can subscribe for a year’s subscription with a one off payment of just £30.99, saving 30% on the full cover price. To try FRANCE Magazine for just £5 [click here] link; http://www.subscriptionsave.co.uk/France-Magazines/France-Magazine/UFRBFCS1

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"What am I bid for the Eiffel Tower ?" "Do I hear £300 billion ?!"

Only joking ! Can you guess which is Europe's most visited entrance paying monument, attracting no fewer than 8 million tourists each year ? Yes you've got it, the Eiffel Tower ! And now it has also been declared "the most valuable monument in Europe" as it is worth an estimated £344billion to France’s economy, with regards to numbers of visitors and numbers of jobs created etc as well as tourism and image and brand value for a country. The basic costs of the monuments or buildings and the land they are built on was not taken into account. (findings of a study by Monza and Brianza Chamber of Commerce in Italy.)

The next most valuable European attractions are Rome's Colosseum and then the Tower of London !

Eiffel Tower statistics -

• It is 320m (1,050ft) high. 
• It was built in 1889 at a cost of 8 million francs which is around £30 million today.
• It is named after engineer Gustave Eiffel whose company designed it.
• It took around 2 years to build.
• It was built as a symbol for the Universal Exhibition of 1889.
• It was the tallest monument in the world until New York’s Chrysler Building in 1930.
• It is the most visited attraction in Europe.
• When the temperature is very high, the height of the Tower can increase by up to 18 cm.
• Wind can cause the tower to move sideways - the maximum recorded was a sideways move of 9 cms during the December 1999 storm (don't worry its built to withstand this !).
• Gustave Eiffel also designed and built the framework for Bartholdi’s Statue of Liberty which now stands at the entrance of New York's harbour.

If you would like to plan a visit to the Eiffel Tower you can visit the official website at : http://www.eiffel-tower.com/

There is also a new Children's Discovery Course on Level 1 of the Tower which will help children answer the questions that are published in their excellent Booklet that is given out to Children - http://www.eiffel-tower.com/images/PDF/enfants/livret.pdf

If you would like to stay in a campsite in or near Paris, we have a selection at Best French Campsites at http://www.bestfrenchcampsites.com

 

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Paws in France - taking a dog to France

We are just back from a camping holiday in Brittany in France and this time we took our dog with us!  It all went pretty smoothly!  Although, I must admit there was more planning went into making sure we had the dog organised than there was for making sure the rest of us were organised !  However it all went well and we enjoyed our holiday.

We had booked a fast ferry sailing from Poole on the South coast of England. As it was an early morning sailing involving a 6am check-in, we decided to stay overnight in Poole. We couldn't stay at our usual (budget family travel !) hotel, the lovely Holes Bay Premier Inn as they don't take dogs. However we found another couple of options, the Thistle Hotel and the Salterns Hotel. We chose to stay at the Salterns Hotel and it was a great choice. Here is the view from the room :

We had to leave the hotel at 5.30 to get to the ferry on time but look at this fabulous Continental breakfast which was delivered to our room. What a great start to a day !

We had decided to travel by the Brittany Ferries/Condor Ferries crossing from Poole to Cherbourg as it is a Fast Ferry crossing of round about 2.5 hours. (It also has a very nice gift shop on board with lots of lovely perfumes !!) 

Our Pet Passport was checked along with our own and the microchip was read with a microchip reader at this stage. They then placed a "Pet on Board" sign on our windscreen. I had read beforehand that we would be placed together with other pet carrying cars in a ventilated area and in theory if it is a smooth crossing they might agree to accompany you down to check your pet. However on both journeys we made I cant say I noticed us being treated any differently to other cars. We left all our windows open a couple of inches to ventilate the car, and certainly we werent crossing on warm days and the car was sitting in a shaded spot. Both our crossings were slightly "wavy" and as all the staff seeemed pretty busy, we didn't actually ask to go to check her. (although as I will explain our return crossing ended up longer than expected)

Anyway, the outward crossing went well and she was perfectly happy when we returned to the car.

We then journeyed to our campsite Book a Holiday at Les Mouettes Campsite with Eurocampat Carantec in Brittany (this is an affiliate marketing link).
En route (that's French !) we were able to stop at some motorway "stopover aires" - open spaces with toilet areas and grassy picnic areas - ideal for a quick dog exercise and toilet stop.

Here she is settled in at the campsite !

The campsite was pretty good for dogs - we had chosen to have decking at our mobile home and we had requested a stair gate which we were able to put across the entrance to the decking. We had asked to be put in a fairly out of the way spot to avoid too many passing people. 

Dogs are not generally allowed on tourist beaches in France, but near this campsite there was a small beach and country road area and as it wasn't apparently classed officially as a proper "tourist" beach then dogs could be exercised on it. Obviously we took her to the far end well away from holidaymakers at the end nearer the campsite. However this walk made a nice end to the evening each day. And on the campsite itself, dogs were made welcome. She was able to sit with us in the bar or on the terrace. She was well behaved and sat quietly. There were a few other dogs on the campsite and we met those as well, including two lovely French Shetland Sheepdogs - 3 year old Nina and her 1 year old toyboy husband !
We were even able to take her into a restaurant in nearby Roscoff at one point - the excellent Marie Stuart Restaurant in Roscoff (named after Mary Queen of Scotland and France who left from Roscoff as a young girl).  I don't know how widespread this would be but certainly when the weather is sunny there should be no problem sitting in pavement cafes.

There were plenty of walks around Carantec. There is a coastal path which goes right around the town and in fact the whole peninsula and this offers some lovely views. On another day we took the short ferry crossing from Roscoff to Ile de Batz and again that is great for walking dogs.

If you enjoy cycling with your dog, there is a stretch of Voie Verte green cycle route not far from the campsite which takes you into Roscoff (about 11 miles) - I believe it is off-road but as the weather was too mixed when we were on holiday we never got round to trying this.

A Pet Passport requirement is that you must visit the vet between 1 and 5 days before you return to the UK. The vet must give them a tapeworm worming tablet. We had booked beforehand with the Feydy Veterinary Practise in St Pol du Leon, about 5 miles from Les Mouettes campsite. She was given a Milbemax worming tablet, the microchip was scanned and the Pet Passport was stamped. We found them to be a very nice vets practise. Thanks to them !

The only problem in our whole holiday planning came from the fact that we got a message half way through the holiday to say that our return ferry trip had been cancelled due to technical difficulties. Brittany Ferries thankfully moved us to the only other possible crossing from Normandy on the day we were due to travel, which was the other fast ferry crossing from Caen (Ouistreham) to Portsmouth.

Our final campsite stop was at the lovely Chateaux Lez Eaux campsite near St Pair Sur Mer in Normandy (this is an affiliate marketing link). Chateaux Lez Eaux is a lovely campsite in spacious, green grounds. There was an area where they said we could exercise the dog and also the long driveway was fine for a quick morning walk.  We were able to take her into the bar that evening, when there was an excellent Celtic band playing music from the lands of the Celts - Brittany, Ireland, Cornwall, Wales and Scotland.  Great fun ! The Bar is very nice - cosy and snug. With the weather we had that evening (early summer? 2012), we could have been in the Highlands of Scotland ! 

From Chateaux Les Eaux it is approximately an hours drive to either Caen or Cherbourg Ferry terminals. We had been changed to the Caen (Ouistreham) crossing with the Normandie Express ferry. The crossing was due to be a 3.5 hour crossing but due to the weather, it ended up as a 4 and a quarter hour crossing. So that was definitely the upper limit of how long our dog could possibly spend in a car. However I must admit she had had a good spot of exercise beforehand as we walked her just near the end of the beach at Ouistreham - just round from the ferry terminus, and she had also got out while we were waiting for the ferry so she had had chances to stretch her legs before the trip.

Here is a sign from the Ouistreham beach, this sign says the beach (la plage) does not allow our doggy friends (est interdite a nos amis les chiens) even if they are on leads ! (meme tenus en laisse) - except on the small eastern area of the beach (la partie EST)

We made sure she would be comfortable in the car by leaving plenty of water on board and we didn't feed her beforehand just in case she was sick on the crossing. This worked fine for us as she is not normally fed until lunchtime anyway so her meal was just a little later than normal. In fact she was fine when we returned to the car and didnt seem to mind the crossing - unlike a few other members of our party ! We discovered why these fast ferry crossings have the rather unpleasant nickname "Vomit Comets!"

So overall, it was a successful and enjoyable holiday. For crossing the channel, the simplest option to consider must be the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle service which is only 35 minutes and you can keep your dog with you in your car.

Or take a Dover to Calais crossing which would be a shorter time. However those of us travelling from Scotland, West or SW of England or North of England will probably still find the Poole to Cherbourg crossing to be a good option.

So, overall would we do this again - the answer is YES ! and finally of the two teenagers and one other child and the dog who we had on the trip - who do you think was the easiest to entertain and best behaved ? - yes you got it in one ! - THE DOG !!

Here is an interesting book you might like to try :

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Camping near Blue Flag Beaches in France

Our favourite beach near Nevez which has won again !

The blue flag eco-labelled beach awards have been announced for 2012.

The awards are voluntary but winning beaches are found to have :

• quality bathing waters,
• good waste management, and have,
• made efforts with environmental protection as well as environmental education. 

 Winning Beaches can fly the recognisable blue pendant flag during the summer. 

In France, 377 beaches and 87 marinas have gained an award this year, with 15 new winning beaches this year. New awards have gone to 8 beaches on the Atlantic Coast and one on the English Channel.

Languedoc-Roussillon is still at the top of the labeled regions with 28 communities winning awards, followed by Cote d'Azur with 19, Pays de Loire with 15 and Basse-Normandie  with 15.

Some beaches which were commended for gaining awards for a continuous 25 years are : "Le Grand-Village-Plage" (Charente-Maritime), "Villeneuve-les-Maguelone" (Hérault), "Argelès" (Eastern Pyrenees) and "La Londe-les-Maures" (Var). We have campsites near Argelès on the Mediterranean listed at http://www.bestfrenchcampsites.com

To gain a blue flag award, bathing waters should be found to be classified as "Excellent" when tested at least five times over the season. The results should be displayed on the beaches.

You can check the beaches in France that have won awards at :
http://www.blueflag.org/Menu/Awarded+sites/2011/Northern+Hemisphere/France

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Brittany - a great destination for a holiday

One of our favourite holiday destinations is Brittany in the North West of France. What does Brittany mean for us ?

Crepes...galettes.....rugged beaches with beautiful white sand...coves and inlets, blue/green seas.... rocks and lighthouses and the ancient Breton language which you see in road signs and place names...granite cottages with colourful hydrangea bushes outside and fishing ports.

The campsites we have visited offer all of these aspects of Brittany and by visiting them all over the years we have learned more about Breton culture and history. But if you are just looking for fun, relaxation and a great holiday by the sea they also offer all of those ! Let us take you on a quick tour ! The following campsites : Le Chatelet and Chateau le Galinee at St Cast or Chateaux des Ormes in the north of Brittany offer a great introduction to Brittany without being too far from some of the main ferry ports.

You can visit the famous tourist attraction of Mont St Michel which is on the border with Normandy on the north coast.

You can also visit the historic walled town of St Malo and learn of its history of pirates or corsaires and also of the history of how it was largely re-built after World War 2 - all very interesting.

And you can enjoy a range of meals or takeaways in the various restaurants inside the walls. Then finish your day with a walk around the ramparts - a total distance of about 2 kms, although you can chose to walk just certain sections of it as there are plenty of exit and entrance points !

There is an interesting aquarium to visit at St Malo as well.

Other locations which make a great holiday include Carnac and its close neighbour Trinite Sur Mer.

You will marvel at the thousands of standing stones that stretch for a couple of miles. What were they for ? Who put them there and how did they manage it ? You might find the answers while you are there !

There are a few interesting museums to visit in Carnac - one lovely one that was founded jointly by a French man and a Scotsman - the Museum of Prehistory (Musée de Préhistoire James Miln-Zacharie Le Rouzic) and also a more modern museum near the Standing Stones, Archaeoscope.

Les Deux Fontaines campsite and Raguenes Plage campsite allow you to visit a quieter and possibly more scenic area of Brittany but with one of the most beautiful beaches, Tahiti Plage ! In that area we enjoyed visiting a lovely old village Kerascoet and also a botanic gardens.

Benodet is a favourite for many and British people have been visiting this resort for about 100 years and there is a flavour of that when you are there. From here you can take a glass bottomed boat so you can view fish on a visit to the beautiful îles Glénan, an archipelago of islands twelve miles out to sea.

Quimper was nice to visit and has a very historic cathedral, as has St Anne d'Auray. I would also recommend a visit to Pont Aven - a beatiful village sitting near the mouth of a river. This village is proclaimed as the Capital of Crepe making ! And we certainly enjoyed a delicious crepe in a restaurant which was previously an old mill sitting on the river. It has also been home to numerous artists over the years and you can visit quite a few art galleries and see if there are any paintings you would like to take home with you. There was art to suit all tastes, from modern to more traditional. And a final favourite in Pont Aven was a lovely glass blowing workshop and shop where you could watch the glass blowers at work and then buy some of their beautiful glassware.

This year we are heading to the North West of Brittany, an area we first visited about 20 years ago. What are your favourite things to visit in Brittany ? Would you recommend a visit to this area or have you other areas of France you would suggest for a visit ?

If you would like to stay at some of the great campsites we stayed at in Brittany then we have listed them on our websites at www.bestfrenchcampsites.com

Top 10 Board Games and Card Games to Take on a Camping Holiday

A camping holiday is the ideal time to create some special memories and spend some family time or time with friends playing some of these excellent board games and card games. I am not going to mention Cluedo, Chess, Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit as you are probably familiar with them but instead am going to mention some slightly different games which we have enjoyed. If you can suggest others which we should try please add your comments - who knows they might overtake some of the ones we have put in our top 10 ! :

So here are the Best French Campsites Top 10 games :

1    Timeline was a new game to us but it is the simplest idea and can lead to a great game - it consists of some beautifully drawn cards featuring inventions and discoveries and your task is to place them in the order that they were invented.

You are given 5 cards and all you have to do is place them correctly ! A simple idea but you will find it is not quite as easy as you might think !  Probably best for age 10 up but is suitable also as a game for grown ups. And it can last approximately 15 minutes so great as an "after dinner" game :

2 Carcassonne

This is a great game and is set in France around the mediaeval walled city of Carcassonne ! You buy the basic game and you can also then buy expansions if you enjoy it.

3 Settlers of Catan

An award winning game. The board game The Settlers of Catan came out in Germany in 1995 and that same year it was awarded the prestigious title “Spiel des Jahres” (“Game of the Year“). In 1996, the game was published in the US, where it also was awarded the title “Game of the Year.” The Board Game is the classic game for everyone, The Rivals for Catan is an ideal game for two game enthusiasts, the Dice Game is entertaining and fun to play. You can continue your exploration on Catan with Catan Adventures, Seafarers, Histories, Geographies as well as Catan in Space
The Catan Card Game, published in 1996, is an exciting challenge for all those who like playing in pairs. In 1997, the Card Game was among the finalists for the prestigious German “Spiel des Jahres” award. The Dice Game “The Settlers of Catan” was published in 2007. It is ideal for travel.

         

4  Who What Where

This is great fun. A variation on Pictionary. You have to pick out three cards and draw the person, place and thing that you have chosen. It makes for hilarious drawings and gets everyone involved. Again its a simple idea and can be played by all the family. There is a version for aged 12+ and a Junior Version for age 7+. If you have an even younger member of your group then why not just create some cards for them separately so that they can join in ? They could maybe just draw one or two things to keep it a bit simpler for them :

 

5  Othello

An interesting strategy game where the aim is to turn your opponents counters over to your colour and claim the board in your colour.

Here are two travel versions of this classic game :

6 Ticket to Ride

If you have always had a desire to run a railway or you have some train spotters in the family then Ticket to Ride could be the game for you ! It was an International Gamer Award winner in 2005 in the category of General Strategy - Multiplayer. It was also nominated in 2005 Vienna Game Academy selection and was the 2006 Family Game of The Year in Norway. Its for 2-5 Players and takes about 30 to 60 minutes to play.

7 Romans

This game is very good if you have an interest in Romans or are studying them at school as you need to answer some questions about them in order to your empire ! But dont worry, even if you are not a history buff, you can still enjoy this game and most of the questions are of a multiple choice variety so you are still in with a chance of winning ! I see there is an Egyptian version too so I imagine it is much the same but we haven't played that yet :

 

8 Labyrinth

This game is one of our favourites on holiday. We have always borrowed it from the ones available to borrow from the Eurocamp caravan.

9  Last Night on Earth 

A board game which might get the teenagers and online gaming addicts joining in. You can either join the Heroes team or the Zombies team and it even comes with a soundtrack ! People will wonder what on earth is going on in your tent with this one !!

10 Cleudo - World of Harry Potter

I do love the original Cleudo with Miss Scarlet and Professor Plum ! However I can see how the game lends itself really well to being redesigned as Hogwarts Castle for Harry Potter, complete with Floo Powder to let you travel across the board instead of underground tunnels ! So this would be ideal if you have Harry Potter fans in the family !

Well that is our list of top 10. I have thought of many others as I was writing this list and found one called Dominion that I would like to try:

 

Another thing we really enjoyed doing one year was to create our own games. You will get all sorts of creativity going on and it kept the kids busy for ages ! So take some pencils and paper with you - always a good idea ! And now I'm in the mood for board games - I've just bought Taboo Junior from Amazon.fr so we can keep up the task of learning French ! Even if it is at a junior level ! And now I've just remembered another game thats great for young children - Shopping List in French "Les Courses a Faire" - a memory game - see who can fill their shopping trolley first ! And it features French products such as baguettes, fromage and croissants - so its a great way to learn French !
 

And just in case you still want to stick with the old classics then here are some links to them :


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Dont worry about missing this Summer of Sport while Camping in France !

If you are worried about missing the major televised International Sports Event this summer (25th July - 12th August) while you are on your French Camping holiday, then dont worry any more. The following campsites are just some of the ones which Keycamp and Eurocamp go to which will be catering for a summer of sport !

This is a selection of some of the campsites which Eurocamp and Keycamp go to and which will show the Event on Big Screen television :

Le Ranc Davaine (in Auvergne or Ardeche) ,
La Bugue (St Avit Loisirs) in the Dordogne,
Le Vieux Port in Gascony, Domaine de Chalain in the Jura , Club Farret, Domaine de Massereau and Les Sablons in Languedoc
Esterel on the Riviera
La Pointe St Gilles, Les Deux Fontaines and La Grande Métairie in Brittany

In addition, some of the children's clubs will offer a Mini Sports activities and some of the sites are even getting adults involved with the entertainments - so if sport is your thing you should have a fantastic summer !

Keycamp and Eurocamp are offering a two hour Fun Sports session per week as part of their Children's Clubs and these sesssions which will aim offer a combination of traditional events such as Javelin, Hammer, Discus, Shot, Long jump, Relay race and Short individual race as well as fun events as well such as bean bag races and obstacle courses.

For more details of all of this please check the Eurocamp and Keycamp websites :

          

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Fun Tents - VW Camper Vans and Kennels !

Here are some really fun tents to take camping.
First we have the VW campervan tent !

Ideal for you to indulge that inner hippy on the festival circuit or else to attract loads of attention on the campsite !

And much cheaper than buying the real thing !

And if you are taking the family dog on holiday then why not get them their own kennel tent !

This is fun and gives the dog their own retreat but just watch out as tents do heat up in the sun and you don't want to overheat poor Rover/Fido/Buster/Tyson or whatever they are called ! (Why do boy dogs get all the good names ?) 

Last year when we took our dog camping, during the day when she wanted a snooze in the heat of the midday sun, we used a windbreak to give her shade and put the dog cage lying behind it so that our dog had some shade but also a breeze to keep them cool. And that was just in Cornwall ! This year we are trying the North of France so hope she enjoys that !

And to keep kids cool and out of direct sunlight on the beach, a beach tent shelter is a great idea. Here's a fun shark one. How many times will "Jaws" be mentioned if you take this on holiday !

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Books for Teenagers on Holiday in France

How to keep teenagers amused on holiday ? Why not start stocking up now on some great summer reads. It can be difficult to find any books that teenage boys will love and its difficult to find something a bit different for girls to read. Well here are some books to hook them. Code Name Verity - a book for anyone really but if its being read by teenage girls then they can finally have a heroine to look up to. Here is a link to the traditional book and the e-book :

                                         

And here are some favourites which boys will enjoy and I suspect girls will too :
The Gone Series by Michael Grant :

                                       

Hunger Games - the book of the film that is out at the moment :

                                      

The Name of this Book is Secret - first book of a series by "Pseudonymous Bosch" - a humorous series for younger teenagers.

                                      

A book about a 14 year old lawyer Theodore Boone from the Classic storyteller John Grisham.

                                      

And a big favourite certainly with teenage boys is the Cherub series. What a hit this series has become and the author has an interesting story to tell. He decided to write a book for his nephew as there seemed to be no decent books around for boys to enjoy. Well he's certainly managed it with this series. Every teenage boy I know who has read this series has become addicted to it, although I must warn you that you might want to check the content of some of the later ones.
                                     

So now you dont need to worry. Never again on a camping holiday will you hear the refrain : "I'm bored, there's nothing to do !"

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