Camping family holiday France /Spain

Dreamer 7

Mods i know ive double posted but thought parents may have recommendations as well as travel forum
Camping family holiday France/Spain

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Has anyone done this recently? I have two kids aged 4 and 5 and would like to take them away with us this year, and trying to keep costs down!
Ive never been camping at all, should i try in out in Ireland first??

Is it essential to drive on camping holidays as im only provisional driver so cant rent a car, do they campsites do mobile homes too??

All advice welcome, is it cheaper to go camping or does it work out just as expensive?

Thanks !

Nevyn

I think if you have not been camping esp with two littles ones that you should try a weekend away here first.

Some camping sites have mobiles home to rent as well, the family orinated ones will also usually have a playground which is a great help.

Camping is fun unless the weather sours on you and then you can have two bored kids stuck inside a tent and you have to keep them from touching the walls.

Renting a mobile home means you will be cooking in doors and have some electricty and at least a large table to play games on if the weather sours.

Personally I love going camping with my kids but it is something I was brought up with going on family trips and was in the girl guides.

Camping works out cheaper usually for your site fees but you have to have all your own equipment, sishes, cooking, ect where as most mobiles have all that in them when you get there.

Gaspode

Camping in Ireland is a whole different experience from on the continent, so I wouldnt necessarily do that first.
I havent been on a camping/caravan holiday in Spain yet, but have been to France a few times.

I would go for a keycamp type holiday in a mobile home rather than a tent - its far easier with children than inside a tent!

You wont be able to drive in France without your full license, so get it as soon as you can. Driving there is a pleasure as the roads are very good. It might be possible to go camping without the car if you can get a campsite near a bus or train. Check the Keycamp (www.keycamp.ie) or similar websites for info.

It is cheaper to go camping, but its worth the few bob extra to get a mobile home. THe tents are very high quality, but they are really only for a long weekend - I wouldnt fancy 2 weeks in one. If the weather is bad, everything gets damp, and there is no heating. Not good with small children.

Good luck!

Yakuza

We went on a Keycamp holiday last August (myself, my wife and our (then) 4½ year old daughter. We stayed in 3 of their sites (St. Pair-sur-Mer (only about 2 hrs drive from Cherbourg), St Aubin-sur-Mer (very near most of the Normandy landing beaches) and Guines (Near Calais). I'd rate them in the order I listed them, in terms of facilities for children and their general ambience.

Guines, in particular, suffers from the fact that it's only a stone's throw from Calais, and hence the place is plagued by Brits (of the Chavtastic variety - complete with their tents / mobile homes flying the Union Jack). About 25% of the kids were well-behaved, with the rest probably going on to feature in Ibiza Uncovered 2012 or something. There isn't that much to do in Calais (except visit the hypermarkets and load your car up with cheap wine, if that's your thing). Boulogne is close enough and there is a cool Aquarium there.

Anyhoo, back on track. - We stayed in their mobile homes (I really wouldn't fancy being in a tent with a young child) and they were well laid out and equipped, and generally (especially St Pair-sur-Mer) well set up for children (a great indoors water park, an outdoor playground and the beach about 5-6 mins drive away).

The only down side is, it's not cheap. I made a bit of a boo boo and booked only about 2-3 weeks beforehand (and had limited availabilty in where and for how long I could stay) and being in peak season, it worked out about €100 a night. The boat was just under a grand, so we spent nearly €2000 on getting there and putting our heads down. Throw in another €500-600 for petrol (it's more expensive in France than here, but you get excellent roads), tolls (some roads (around cities) are tolled) and food (cheaper than Ireland) you're talking about €2500 for a 10-day break.

Granted, I could have planned it better and sorted it out much earlier. We've another nipper due this May, so won't be doing any big holidays this year, but I'd love to go back (maybe spending time in Brittany rather than Normandy).

Driving on the right wasn't that bad, the only time you really need help from your passenger is when entering motorways from slip roads. Keycamp even give you a "Drive on the Right" sticker. A set of headlamp deflectors from Halfords will sort out your lights too. Make sure you have a warning triangle and a set of spare bulbs.

Hope that helped

Dreamer 7

Thanks for that guys, didnt think it would cost so much! I'll keep looking!

Nevyn

Why not try somewhere at home to start with ?

http://www.caravancampingsites.co.uk/eire/leinster.htm
http://www.caravanparksireland.com/english_page.htm
http://www.wexfordtourism.com/caravan_camping.htm
http://www.canvasholidays.ie/accommodation/accom-index.asp

Dreamer 7

Yeh might do, im such a kid it would be like an adventure!

Lizzykins

Last year we didn't want to take our car on hols and my child minder recommended a site near Antibes in the South of France called Camping du Pylone. It's about 15 minutes from Nice Airport and is on the main trainline from Cannes to Monaco.
Heaps to do, there is a water park literally outside the main gate of the camp. We booked our flights with Aer Lingus and booked a mobile home from an English couple called Pringle. Cost of flights for 5 of us was 800 euro and 10 days in the mobile another 800 approx. I can't recommend it enough.
There is absolutely no need for a car since the bus and train runs across the road from the campsite. People are friendly and the weather was great. We're sorting out this years trip at the moment! The Pringles will collect from the airport if you like which is marvellous. They manage mobiles for English owners and are very friendly and helpful. Anne is just like someone from Coronation St-she is so open and friendly. If I can root out an email address for her I'll post it later.