Happy Campers: 3 French Campsites to Drive to This Summer

Planning the first family holiday is one of the exciting milestones, but where does one begin? Once you become a parent everything in life kind of just boils down to the basics, so The Man and I asked ourselves what were we looking for out of this holiday. In years past we may have been seeking incredible new experiences, exposure to horizon-broadening cultures or simply to relax in stunning surroundings. After analysing our expectations for this holiday we boiled it down to two main objectives: eat nice food and drink nice wine. We also agreed that neither of us is feeling quite up to bringing our rambunctious and wilful spawn on an airplane just yet. Rather than sentence 200 people to sharing a confined space with a two-foot maniac who does NOT want to be there, we decided that we would get the ferry to France. There're three main advantages that I can see: 1. No need to make any packing decisions just jam it all in. 2. No need to become the object of unanimous hatred on a flight. Instead, the Child can roam free on the deck while the Man and I drink cocktails on the high seas. 3. If the holiday turns out to be an unmitigated disaster, we can turn the car around at virtually any time. Brittany is a gorgeous coastal region in north-west France easily reached by ferry from either Rosslare or Cork. The ferry trip is overnight so no need to tamper with the precious bedtime routine. There's loads to entertain the kids on board including a cinema and a kids play area that resembles a padded cell. This initially filled us with great hope that we could leave the Child confined in there for the duration – this is NOT allowed – but it certainly entertains them for a good while. Brittany perfectly serves our directive of good food and good wine. It is France after all. And the French also do a great line in family campsites that provide every imaginable entertainment for kids, which means less thinking required on the parent's side. Where some thinking is required is in the monumental task of choosing a destination among the MASSIVE choice of campsites on offer. Here's where writer, mum and blogger, Andrea Marr of Office Mum comes in. Lucky for us, Andrea is a veteran of the Brittany campsite scene and has generously shared a run down of her top three campsites: 1. La Grande Metairie Whistle stop tour: A couple of hours drive from Roscoff and close to the town of Carnac, La Grande Metairie is like your average French campsite but on steroids. There's a mini farm and ranch, a kids club, a fantastic pool complex and loads of choice of accommodation including (no joke) a tree cabin. Andrea's Upside: The kids loved all the activities on offer and "The journey time to and from the ferry was a huge plus especially if you have small children." Andrea's Downside: "The weather! The downside of that short journey from Roscoff is that you’re not far enough South to be guaranteed good weather (not that there are ever guarantees). Also the pool is very, very cold when the weather isn’t particularly hot, as was the case when we were there (June 2012)." Andrea's Verdict: "I’d definitely recommend La Grande Metairie, especially for families with small children, in particular because of the proximity to Roscoff, and the lovely beach in nearby Carnac." 2. Le Clarys Plage Whistle stop tour: Located five hours from Roscoff in the Vendée region, Le Clarys Plage is just 150m from a gorgeous beach, with water slides and evening entertainment. Andrea's Upside: "The pool complex – the kids are still talking about the hours they spent on the slides and in the lazy river. The playground was also a huge hit with my kids; we went there every night. It’s right beside the bar, so lots of parents of older kids went for drinks while the kids played." Andrea's Downside: "There are different events in the bar each night (karaoke, a magician, and memorably, mechanical bull-riding) but there’s no nightly disco for smaller kids." Andrea's Verdict: "We were spoiled with almost non-stop sunshine for two weeks and spent lovely afternoons in (nearby) St Jean de Monts and the stunning town of Les Sables d’Olonnes. The fact that the campsite was less polished and had fewer facilities than those of previous years took getting used to, but twenty-four hours in, we were mad about Le Clarys Plage." 3. Sequoia Parc Whistle stop tour: Located close to the historic city of La Rochelle and about six hours from Roscoff, Sequoia Parc is the campsite to end all campsites. They boast a mini farm, a pool complex of Waterworld proportions, an equestrian centre and a kids club as well as evening entertainment and concept caravans that take glamping to the next level. Andrea's Upside: "Everything!" Andrea's Downside: "Mosquitos. They’re everywhere. This will be irrelevant to some (none of my kids, nor my husband were bitten) but challenging for others (I was COVERED in bites)." Andreas's Verdict: "Sequoia Parc is the perfect campsite – there was nothing I didn’t love (well, except for the mosquitos, but they sort of come with the territory). The area surrounding the campsite is wonderful for day trips – we loved Ile d’Oleron, and, in particular, La Rochelle." Read more from Office Mum or read her review of Brittany in full here.