Which is the best site you have visited in France?
SWMBO has declared we're going to France next year, giving my favourite destination (Croatia) a rest. In fairness, we now have a dog who will be travelling with us. Thanks to members on here, I've learnt to keep away from the coast and to stay inland, possibly near a river, but I would welcome your thoughts on which is the best, or favourite site you have been to?
Tia
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Hard to say, but Les Joncquiers at St Martin de Castillon is pretty good. Dutch lady owners, 30 pitches, swimming pool, picturesque, great views, adults only, no dogs.
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Sorry jonray57 but I think it is an impossible question to answer. We have lots of sites in France that we enjoy and would and do go back to but I wouldn't like to say which is best. There are so many factors to consider. What part of France, route to it and ease of access, views, pitch sizes, loo block, friendliness of owners / staff, local scenery or attractions etc, etc, etc. An endless list of attributes. I don't think any of the dozens of sites we have stopped at would take top marks on every single aspect so at all sites we have to compromise a bit. There are, however, a very few sites that we would never return to, but that would be a different question.
If I was pushed for an answer as to our favourite I would probably say Les Rivages at Millau, L'Escale at Le Grand Bornand in the Alps or Camping Medieval at Turckheim in Alsace. They all tick many of the boxes in their own way - but not all of them.
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I'd have the same reply as JohnM20. We have lots of favourite sites and it just wouldn't be possible to choose a 'best' one. Besides, what I think makes a best campsite won't be the same for everyone else.
At the moment the best for us is where we store our caravan, because it's very cheap to store there, and eminently convenient to just ring up for them to get the caravan out and put it just as you want it on your chosen pitch. There is a friendly family running the site, who make you feel very welcome, good clean toilet facilities with heating in low season, a warm swimming pool which is open all season, and there is a river at the bottom of the site. There is a small bar which is open all season, a restaurant open at weekends in low season, and the campsite 'shop' sells good bread and cheap local wine! All things which add to our enjoyment of a site.
Other people might hate it - too 'French', too untidy, not particularly well situated for a walk into town, too many regulars. Yet more would hate it for all the things we like. Our friends like five pitches in an orchard, don't need a toilet block, hate anywhere with a pool, or with flags outside....................!
But we don't always stay on that site, we have a couple of days there, to stock up the van, check that everything is working ok, and then we'lll tow it away for a fortnight or longer somewhere else! That might be somewhere we've been before, or a new site, which may become a favourite in due course.
Where is your favourite site in Croatia? We might be able to match it with a similar site in France.
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I think it depends on what is important to each of us to make a choice of best site but as the view from our pitch and the size are the most important things for us I would choose Camping Nature and Lodge Les Domes de Miage in St Gervais Les Bains in the Alps.
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We visit Les Genets d’Or at Bagnols Sur Ceze nearly every year. Dutch run, ACSI, and by the side of the lovely river Cèze. Not many English go there and it doesn’t suit everybody but that’s why we like it.
In Alsace we always stay at the municipal, ACSI, site at Obernai. Simple and close to the town. Bus into Strasbourg or explore Alsace.
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Hi Valda
Thank you for your response and advice - much appreciated
My favourite site is Camping Slatina, on Cres. I managed to get a large, seafront pitch was yards from the ocean. Shower facilities are brand new and some of the best ever encountered. Cres is an unspoilt, beautiful island with lots of little harbours to explore. I was inspired by the stories and pictures on here from Chasncath, Roynsharon and Deleted User User, although I found the site myself. Most of the sites in Croatia and the Islands are large, but travel out of season and although they're busy, they're still peaceful.
My wish list in France would be: Dog friendly, peaceful, (definitely no entertainment) swimming pool, quality showers & restaurant (or access to, within a reasonable distance)
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Which area of France would you like advice about?
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One of my favourites that we have returned quite a few times is camping monplaisir at st remy de provence. Lovely site, good facilities, helpful owners. Short walk to supermarket and reasonable walk to town with restaurants and bars. Short drive to roman town ruins.
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I've been thinking about this reply for a while, letting all (or as many as I can remember) of the sites float through my head.
We don't tend to have a favourite but we do find ourselves stopping at some on a semi regular basis. One of the ones we quite often stop at when in the area is Les Romarins in Maussane-Les-Alpilles, not far from St.Remy-de-Provence. It's a Municipal, now in the ACSI scheme, but very popular with all nationalities, on the edge of a smart small town but only 100 yards to shops and restaurants. There's a Municipal swimming pool opposite the site and you either get free entry or reduced fee (can't remember which it is) if stopping at the campsite. The amenities are fine, there's no entertainment and the pitches are mostly hedged and some quirky. The site is convenient for Les Baux, St.Remy, Arles and walking in the Alpilles (a range of hills that separate this town from St.Remy.
We have stayed at a site in Mouries, next town along, and Fontvielle, another small town on the way to Arles, and enjoyed both.
We much prefer the quieter sites and find municipals generally fall into this category, and you often find them being used by your average French caravanner, usually a bit older, who have always used these non singing, non dancing sites in the past. They are usually cheaper as well, but some do come with a caveat as the faclilties are not always the most modern. We tend to arrive at new sites at lunchtime if we can, giving us a bit of time whilst the site is closed to have a look around and see if we want to stop.If not there will usually be another nearby.
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I think the main reason we have a lot of 'different' favourites is because they are not so much 'destination' sites in themselves (ie a fantastic place to fit all your holiday needs) as just good sites in areas that we want to visit. So one might be in the Ardeche, another in the Gorges du Tarn, yet another in the Languedoc, another in the Dordogne........... and even one near Paris when we fancy a 'city fix'.
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Moulin du Paulhiac, Le Paradis, Soleil Plage, might be possibles for you.
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There are so many favourites. A couple which come to mind immediately are Camping Bregoux at Aubignan, just N of Carpentras; and La Columbiere, Neydens (in France but Nr Geneva). Both of these sites are just as important for their location.
Aubignan, in N Provence is close to My Ventoux - so worth a visit - you can drive right to the top. Also such places as Vaison Le Romaine, Orange (Roman Amphitheatre), Chateneuf du Pape (of wine fame). A little further South is the Luberon made popular by Peter Mayle and his book, A Year in Provence.
Neydens is close to Geneva, Evian, Yvoire and Mt Saleve with wonderful views over Geneva and even over to Mt Blanc. A short journey is Annecy and a visit to the old bridge at Cruseilles. If you go to La Columbiere, it's worth going to one of Mr Busset's Savoy evening's. Sample a raclette meal and some of the campsites wine - he also owns a vineyard.
Both very good sites IMHO.
Just a few ideas....
David
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Just by accident some lovely municpals .some just of nationals a rds so just enjoy getting lost and you may end up in some wonderful places which you may have missed ah the beauty of the open rd just enjoy your self your on holiday
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