Trip to France Sept 17
Kids grown up and gone. Only hubby little dog and small motor home. Not camped for 15 years and it's all changed. Now looking for quiet pretty sites and lots of walking! Hope to stop over Loire and then onto dordogne for 1st trip to see how we get on. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Comments
-
just relax, take your time and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy...
may be on the Dordogne ourselves late august, nr Vitrac, then on to the Med for a few weeks.
0 -
Bear in mind that a lot of French sites are winding down at that time of year if you mean you are planning to go Sept 17th. Many sites close much earlier than in the UK. It’s worth checking closing dates of those you wish to stay at. Good luck & enjoy.
0 -
Sounds a good trip. Suggest that if you want campsites rather than Aires you buy two books - the ACSI site guide containing their discount camping card, and this Club's Touring France site guide. Good luck. Take care.
0 -
Forget the club guide, far too expensive and out of date!
Your bible is the ACSI book! Buy it direct from their website! Far cheaper than buying through the club!. Comes with a mini atlas to help your planning!
Plenty of places open until mid/late October!
Good Luck
1 -
Forget the Club guide ? Not so. It's their first trip and the Club guide has all the information and guidance they need - and twice as many sites as the ACSI book - especially details of lots of municipals and Aires Naturelles - the sort of sites they were asking for !
1 -
Hi,
We found the ASCI guides are just a great huge database for research and info but that the 'cheap' pitch price quoted is often just for smaller inferior pitches out of main season so a loss leader idea. Having said that a great source of info and outside hotspot times we wouldn't, now, worry about getting onto a site un-duly.
Routes down France avoiding major tolls is a good website too.
Enjoy !
0 -
Acsi is great, we've used it soley on this trip now 5 weeks and 3 more to go. Have not yet found a site that has inferior pitches for the discount price, the one we are on now is 15€ huge 100 sq metre, water and electric on the pitch, swimming pool, very good wifi at 50c a day, good sanfacs and a view of Lake Geneve can't be bad. Not paid more than 17€ a night, all good size pitches, all sites allowed us to just pick what we wanted. Have tried the C&MC book a few years ago but didn't like it, not easy to use is the main complaint.
To the OP agree with others France is a great place where you can just tour without booking, September can be a little awkward in some places but usually there is still plenty of sites open in the Loire and the Dordogne, enjoy and have a good trip.
1 -
If you find that, then it would be useful to quote the name of a site, as like Tammygirl, we've used ACSI a lot and not once been given a small inferior pitch and have always been allowed to choose from any of the available pitches.
See www,campingcard.co.uk for details of how to order the ACSI Card and Guide, and to look at some of the sites on offer to see if they are the sort of places you'd like to stay on. Don't forget that in low season (and after 17th September, that's very low season) then even those sites displaying pools full of families will be peaceful and quiet, and you may even have the pool to yourselves. We have been one of only ten occupied pitches, on a site which had two hundred and fifty available pitches.
If you don't have the Caravan Club guide, and can manage with brief site details, then the French guide 'Le Guide Officiel Camping Caravanning' gives every campsite in France, small or large.. It can be ordered from Vicarious Books, or perhaps picked up in French supermarkets (though usually only earlier in the season).
0 -
We have never subscribed to ASCI as we generally travel in the high season but have found many sites municipals and private sites have low fee's anyway around €14-€20 a night, also the card the other lot do is good for a discount as well. no need to be a slave to one regime or other.
Archies Camping, search for sites, uk campsite, camping car info etc. all give good information and most of these are free!!
0 -
Then there is possibly the most comprehensive:-
https://www.campercontact.com/en/
Free on the net and about a fiver for the phone/satnav download
0 -
OP - here are a few places that might satisfy your request for pretty and walking in the Dordogne -
CARSAC-AILLAC
PORT SAINT FOY ET PONCHAPT
LES EYZIES DE TAYAC
ST LEON SUR VÉZERE
TERRASSON LAVILLEDIEU
LIMEUIL
0 -
In France you will never be far from a walking path (sentiers) and there are many thousands throughout the country.
To find a path/trail near you in almost every town or village have a look on trees, posts, walls or anywhere that is visible to someone walking and follow the small coloured signs shown on the picture below.
Follow the different coloured small bars (about an inch by around 4.or 5 inches) and they go for mile after mile (km after km) on safe paths.
You may share with cyclists but they are a great ways of discovering France and, of course, good for exercise.
0 -
I too looked at the club's book a few years ago and found it expensive but perhaps it's changed. ACSI has served me very well and I have looked for Municipals but never found any open near where I wanted to be. I came back yesterday and they are beginning to open so I would think the other end of the season might be difficult too. I have never been pushed onto an inferior pitch either it has always been my choice to make.
0
