Dordogne trip

Lunar Tony
Lunar Tony Forum Participant Posts: 35
edited March 2018 in Overseas Campsites & Touring #1

Hi all,

thinking of booking a trip in June. Just wondered if its always better to book through the club or direct with the campsite? looking at Le domaine de Soleil plage, any advice would be appreciated,

Thanks Tony.

Comments

  • harryb
    harryb Forum Participant Posts: 1,536
    1000 Comments
    edited March 2018 #2

    Tony

    There's various ways to look at this.

    The site tariff for June is €26.5 so the club price is cheaper. Club price is from £21. ACSI card price is €19 about £17 but then you have to buy the card so if just using the card once then it may not worth it. However if using ACSI there is another site right next door, La Bouysse de Caudon, that you could use if you are not happy with Soleil Plage

    If booking through the club and you also use them to book the site and the ferry then you will get favourable rates, especially from Portsmouth although coming from Kent that may not be worthwhile.

    Soleil Plage looks to be an all singing/dancing site and is very popular with the English. It is fairly central for the more touristy areas of the Dordogne and is right on the river.

  • Lunar Tony
    Lunar Tony Forum Participant Posts: 35
    edited March 2018 #3

    Cheers Harry,

    I'll take your advice & book through club I think. Whats drawing me to that site is the fishing opportunities & nice pool complex for the missus while i fish. Also as I'm new to caravanning, not sure what an ACSI card is?

    Cheers Tony.

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #4

    An Acsi card gives you discounts on hundreds of sites. It can be purchased through the club or direct through Acsi. If you are staying more than a week its worth getting one.

    The disadvantage of booking through the club is that you pay up front, the problem with this is if you don't like the site you are stuck with it or lose money. What if the weather is rubbish, you could move to another area if using Acsi as you only pay on leaving. Check it out on line by typing in Acsi discount card.

  • Lunar Tony
    Lunar Tony Forum Participant Posts: 35
    edited March 2018 #5

    Tammy,

    thanks for the information, very interesting.

    Tony.

  • harryb
    harryb Forum Participant Posts: 1,536
    1000 Comments
    edited March 2018 #6

    If booking with the club ask them for the best deal , they'll give you options.

    You mention being new to caravanning you need to plan your route. The Dordogne is over 500 miles from Calais and that will require an overnight stop both ways.

    Tammygirl gives some valid points about the disadvantages of paying up front

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited March 2018 #7
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • Lunar Tony
    Lunar Tony Forum Participant Posts: 35
    edited March 2018 #8

    Thanks for both replies, yes we were thinking of overnight stops both going & coming home. Not sure if I'm brave enough not to book in advance, but if you've been caravanning all those years I may try & take your advice, you should know.

    Thanks again

    Tony.

  • Longtimecaravanner
    Longtimecaravanner Forum Participant Posts: 642
    edited March 2018 #9

    Like Deleted User User we are usually in France for the first two weeks in June and have only ever seen one site full. The rest are only half full and we never book. Caravaning in France is a totally different experience to in the UK because there are just so many sites to choose from.

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,830 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #10

    As Tammy has said  if you book Soleil Plage you are stuck with it whether you like it or not. You might like it but we didn't.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,867 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #11

    We visited http://www.davidklyne.co.uk/domaine_de_soleil_plage.html in mid September a few years ago. Whilst we didn't book it was still quite busy. It is a good quality site and I can't think of any negatives about it except now that we have a motorhome it would not be quite so convenient. During our visit things were starting to close for the season but in June I am sure everything on site would be open. We tend not to book sites in advance but we are prepared to try other sites if our initial site is full, rarely happens at that time of year. If you feel more comfortable booking why not do it.

    David

  • montesa
    montesa Forum Participant Posts: 168
    edited March 2018 #12

    Fully agree with this view point. It’s easy and common to arrive and book in for one night with the option to stay the full duration if desired.

    We arrived a couple of years ago at a great well reviewed fishing lake & caravan site in France. On the second day was told whilst fishing by a seasonal that the lake suffered a major poisoning three months earlier and the funny smell on site was the 5 tons of rotting dead fish buried in the adjoining field - nice. Caught a small bream in 3 sessions and moved on early. 

    ACSI card and the books is a must have for Europe, if only for a great read and for reference. Double check some of the facts though, i.e. geo coordinates, as errors occur !

    Enjoy your trip

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,830 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #13

    We were allocated a pitch at Soleil Plage in the separate section across the public road, nearer the river. The pitch was a square of bare earth, surrounded by high hedges and the next door neighbour was just the other side of the hedge. Hemmed in like battery hens. 

    It rained, the bare earth turned to mud and depressions in the roadways filled with water. It carried on raining and so everyone drove spraying through the water to and from the shop in the other section of the camp. We had no  wellingtons so paddled in flip flops to and from the toilet block. The owners sent in a slurry tanker to suck up the worst of the water, but the pitch remained a mess of sandy mud. 

    Maybe the owners have done something about the drainage or have put in hard standing pitches. We haven't been back to look. 

  • old ludlovian
    old ludlovian Forum Participant Posts: 132
    edited March 2018 #14

    Try camping le moulin de la pique 5star with fishing lakes on site ..Belves  just down the rd with super market.its  in the acsi book. or beau rivage 3 star on river bank just out side village of domme you will need licence to fish on the river dordogne

  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #15

    as we visited in September last year, I do know that there are two parts to the site....the part we were on has grass pitches but Tarmac roads and, although we had some rain, the pitches and the roads were unaffected.....i couldn't say what the fully grassed area was, or would be like....

    the site itself it wonderful, terrific facilities, access to the river. canoeing, three pools, one indoor, table tennis, restaurant, etc....really high standard ablutions block....

    however, it is a little remote, although a lovely cycle ride into Sarlat and a couple of other smaller villages....makes for a nice stroll...but heading out a further can be tricky in, say, a large MH...

    we had a couple of organised excursions which were part of the owners club rally we were on.... 

    would I go there again....probably not, despite the wonderful site, we found it just a tad too remote.....

  • Lunar Tony
    Lunar Tony Forum Participant Posts: 35
    edited March 2018 #16

    Thank you so much for all the replies, certainly plenty to think about.

    I have a copy of a 2014 ACSI book & will look for sites in there maybe.

    Thanks again

    Tony

  • harryb
    harryb Forum Participant Posts: 1,536
    1000 Comments
    edited March 2018 #17

    Tony

    The book give you an idea but you will be better looking at the website which will be up to date. ACSI have had a lot of site additions since 2014

  • Lunar Tony
    Lunar Tony Forum Participant Posts: 35
    edited March 2018 #18

    Harry cheers,

    I'll do that thanks

    Tony

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