Family summer holiday

[Simonx]

Hi
My wife and I and need to book our family summer holiday (kids aged 8 & 10) - probably last week July, first August and looking for some help!

Looking to drive to France (probably) and staying at a couple of friendly Eurocamp type of campsite with tents/chalets provided.

Need some summer warmth - so not too high I guess, lakes/rivers for swimming, good family hiking, mountains & waterfalls would be good, maybe some cycling, nice villages and small towns, places of interest nearby.

I don't really know where to begin looking ... Jura, Chamonix, Loire Valley, Annency, ..... ? Dordogne possibly a drive too far.

If any of you have some recommendations in this vein, I'll be most grateful!!

Thanks.

[gone fishing]

It's far, but Alsace is brilliant!

[Simonx]

Well I love the wine!
Do you know a good site, or area, for staying?

[gone fishing]

http://campsites.hpaguide.net/alsace/index.php

Sorry I submitted to early. We hired a holiday home in Molsheim, but camping is also good. Close to the Vosges mountains, great for popping to Germany or even Switzerland. So you could have a three country holiday. Good train links if you don't fancy driving.
It is marketed as France's best kept secret. Great food and wine.

[Simonx]

Thanks, I'll take a look.
By the way hiring a holiday home not out of the question for one of the weeks, as long as it's cheapish of course.

[Ben Bloggs]

Simon, I've been to France/Italy/Switzerland with Eurocamp for the past 7 years and I think you'd like thes places:

Jura- Lac de Chalain (la pergola)- Nice kinda site (restaurant not great), scenery really good, lake for swimming. My only concern is the weather- We had the best part of 2 weeks in lovely sunshine but there were a few days when it pissed it down and we flooded. It's an easy drive though.

French alps- Annecy - Small, friendly site, shop and pizza within walking distance though not actually on site. Lake a bit chilly for swimming but its a great base to get out to the mountains and Annecy is a lovely town to visit.

Dordogne - I STRONGLY reccommend this beautiful place, i've been there 3 times and its great. Kayaking, wandering, swimming, worth the drive though an overnight stop (somewhere like the Loire) helps.

[Boris!!]

I'd second Annecy went a long time ago but great area. I would highly recommend staying at Camping Europa with thomson Alfresco.

http://www.thomsonalfresco.co.uk/res...sku=ACC:022333

Never been there however the 2 reps working there for this year are the 2 nicest people you could meet.
Mind you i'm slightly biased as its me Mom and Dad

Lucky beggers wish i could work abroad all summer right next to cham.

[Julian b (2)]

Reps maybe good but camping europa gets my vote as the worst of the all singing all dancing campsites in the Annecy area.Small pitches with no privacy/ little seperation and tiny swimming pools,still the bars o.k i suppose , la serraz just south of the lake would get my vote for that area,bit nearer Chamonix aswell and the kids would just love all those mountains and cable cars. 1)Why not get the cable car/chair lift to index and walk downhill all the way via lake blanc back to la flegare (2/3 hrs).
2)trip to the best cable car/mountain viewpoint in europe aigille de midi return to plan de midi and enjoy the nearly level walk to montenvers.Done all these and more with younge kids.Views are great.
After 2 years motorhoming around europe i have no favourite areas but for France you wont go far wrong .PLaces to consider aswell ,Jura although lots of brits around lac de chalain(you might like that!)Alsace,lot valley,Dordogne very pleasant (would recomend camping les peneyrals) and for beach type areas try the area north of Royan,( camping Bonne Anse very good) with some great surfing along the cote savage.

[no longer the 'office manager']

We've been to France several times and stayed in Mobile homes. We usually go with Keycamp but this year we're going with Canvas Holidays. So far we've been to the Vendee - St Jean de Monts, Normandy - St Pair sur Mer and Brittany - Benodet. This year we're going back to the Vendee and staying in St Hilaire de Riez. We've not had a bad site yet (tempting fate here!!) and have enjoyed all the places we went to. Weather has varied even allowing for the different times we went. We did Brittany in August 2004 and it was at the end of the worst summer the French had had for a long time. Usually it's been hot and sunny for most of the time.
Plenty to do and see, or not, as the choice takes you.
Enjoy and drink plenty!!

[Simonx]

Not mad on the Vendee really - a bit flat and windy - good for windsurfers.

I do like the Brittany coast, there's a great wild beach if you go out to the west from Benodet.

[Simonx]

PS can fly very conveniently and cheapish to GENEVA - any thought on options round there also welcome. Chamonix?

Thanks for all the input so far!

Cheers ... Simon.

[stove man]

If you're thinking of Chamonix instead then you could go for a car-free holiday. Fly to Geneva, bus to Cham, then rent an apartment.

Accomodation in cham is pretty cheap in the summer - £250-400/week depending on whether you want a pool etc. or not. That is for a real apartment, not a tent or mobile home.

Public transport in the valley is excellent and there's lots to do - the old town of St Gervais nearby, lots of walking/cable car trips, a big swimming pool/water park, ice skating rink, summer tobogan run etc.

try www.chamonix.net for info on the valley and accomodation etc. We stay in argentiere and can recommend the agence grand roc for apartments www.grand-roc.com - for 2 weeks you can usually talk them into a 5-10% discount.

[Simonx]

Cheers Stoveman, that sounds just the ticket. Geneva / Chamonix it will be!
Thanks everyone else too - I live 10mins from City airport and Swiss air do cheap flights so this sounds perfect.

Any more advice on Lake Geneva, Chamonix etc greatfully accepted - especially places to stay.

PS Is Annecy far? Could perhaps stay a week at each.