Great location, good camping for the price
28 August 2023 at 12:14:10
This is a good campsite for what you pay for it (if camping/caravanning). A perfect position for a 30min drive to EuroDisney (longer and 1 change if going by train) and 50min train to Paris.
I’ll start with an overview but if you are looking for specifics please look below. Overall I thought the... service level of the staff varied radically depending on who you get from absolutely amazing help, to uninformed to pretty rude. Be ready for anything when you interact with the team. The pitch quality varies radically as well so arrive early and be ready to argue for basic needs. The pool would be amazing if it wasn’t constantly mobbed but the bar and food prices were good for France 🇫🇷, the toilets/ showers great (if take own loo roll) the pool an absolute requirement on a hot day, the shop useful, location damn right PERFECT and I loved all the trees and hedges - a sense of being outdoors in nature and not just in an open hot empty field.
TOILETS: The main toilet block had the MOST fantastic water pressure - washed my hair out so quickly. However the temperature changes constantly so it’s a bit of a game of jump out as it cools down and back in as it warms up. Plenty of space for that though as it has a tiny partition to hang your bag with fresh clothes and dry towel. Do bring everything in a waterproof bag and always wear proper soled shoes to the loo as the floors are constantly wet from the regular pressure washing throughout the day. 5 out of 7 days there was no toilet roll and there was never a sniff of hand-wash so I would recommend a couple of bathroom string bags with toilet roll and hand-wash in them for all the toilet runs. Dish washing area very good and well thought out. You could push the more water button with your leg. You need your own washing up bowl, no sink plugs. Washing machines available and E4 a go. Also clothes washing sinks available.
ON-SITE FACILITIES: There is a bar with a couple of cocktails, coffees, beers and reasonable costed 3 wine choices. The only spirits are Martini, Malibu and one other - no vodka and no gin. It also serves crepes and ice-creams, slushies etc. During the day you pay indoors and bring the receipt out to collect items. The restaurant has and indoor aircon area and outdoor covered seating area with a view of the pool. There is a take-away booth (slightly different menu), a small outdoor decked area for kids disco and strange animal mascot thing. Also a good softplay (but sweltering when hot outside). Kids entertainment seemed odd and disco starts and runs very late indeed. The best thing were the pony rides (pony club on the schedule), be early for that as super popular and it’s middle of the day. Pizzas very nice and makes a great takeaway for one night. Steak well costed and tasty. Kids meals E9 and very very over cooked chicken nuggets but chips nice. Family of four for main meal and soft drinks probably about E60 or so.
POOL: The pool is good for the price but the shallower one was closed all week. There is basically no shade and unless you go early it is unlikely you will get a lounger. No food or drink in the pool area (your own or bought on site). The indoor pool is a sauna in the sun but if it’s not a full lightning storm then the pool remains open in the rain so the indoor area may be useful at those times. Otherwise you have the shallow play pool with small slide and the small deeper pool which are both usually mobbed. Any pool noodles, floats, goggles and toys should be named and monitored as unattended items are unashamedly stolen quickly by both children and parents. Despite this we enjoyed the pool facilities and on a hot day they were a godsend. Top tip. If you lay in the shallow pool, under the slide you do get a tiny bit of shade. You look like an idiot but it’s worth it for a moment of relief.
ON-SITE SHOP: the shop rents out BBQs for E5 (E20 deposit) but pick it up in the morning as they ran out when we were there. Also fresh croissants and Pain Au Chocolat for E1.60 each if you need a quick on the road brekki. They open at 8am and close at 8pm (1hr closure over lunch). While we were there the fridges were broken so I can’t comment on the availability of most foods. Tough chew baguettes also available each day.
PITCH INFO: The only worrying trend with this site is the pitch conditions. They allow motor homes, campers and caravans on the same grass pitches as tents. So when the wheels create large ruts in the ground these then can be baked in by the sun and make it impossible to safely pitch a tent. The first pitches we were allocated were actually gravel pitches with some grass shoots coming through the gravel. We had all booked a grass pitch and there was no way we could have pitched a tent on there. Luckily we arrived early enough to go to reception and ask for a switch to what we booked. 2 of the 3 pitches we were then given were acceptable but the 3rd was filled with rock hard ruts you would easily sprain an ankle in. When we returned to reception to advise this pitch was unsafe they tried to say there were no other pitches available except the gravel pitch we had rejected, despite us providing 6 pitch numbers we had noticed were empty, which they said had bookings on. In the end I had to ask for the manager and insist someone come to the site and tell me how they think it is safe to pitch without risk of ripping my £1000 tent. They then gave me a pitch that was acceptable but away from my group and we spent the whole holiday carting chairs and food to the other two pitches to enjoy group family camping. Later I noticed the other pitches (with bookings) were then covered in motor homes which easily could have been given the gravel pitch they were asking me to place my tent on. So if you are camping with a tent take the earliest ferry possible and get to camp earlier to ensure you get a usable pitch.
LOCAL AREA: I tried for sooo long to find a restaurant for a meal out but they all close between lunch and 7pm which was too late for young children. Also the menus were not great for kids and cost more than on site or self catered options. The local patisserie is open 7am to 1pm and has great stuff including made up sandwiches and lots of nice goodies and pastries. There is kayaking on the river down the road which has a muddy path down to the water if children want to paddle. There is manual exercise equipment beside the river/bridge and picnic tables. Also some horses you can walk down to look at and a little playground, better than the one on site and more shaded. There are lots of little French villages around to drive through and enjoy the architecture and a viaduct that was very nice. The best supermarket was an Intermarché Super in Coulommiers about 10minutes drive away. Great selection of foods and fresh goods.
OUTINGS: Paris by train cost E22 for an adult and E16.50 for a child between 4-12. This included a travel card for all Paris metro zones. You can buy tickets at the reception and I would to avoid missing the train. To reach the campsite you drive through the train car park so it’s right there. At the moment the last train home was just after 8pm so no nighttimes in Paris. All the usual sites in Paris but remember a Seine cruise in the full sun is an awful experience (so maybe buy on the day when you see the weather) and you must buy Eiffel Tower tickets (with elevator) at least 2 months in advance to ensure it doesn’t sell out. We enjoyed the Chat Mallows cafe (cat cafe) and this must be booked in advance. It was a minimum E9 for entry and one included ice tea. Good for kids or massive cat lovers. There was an OUTSTANDING patisserie around the corner from the cat cafe called Antoines. The flavours were spectacular and prices exceptionally reasonable. Literally the best thing we could have done for lunch. There is an air tunnel up from the metro just outside Moulin Rouge that you can stand on for a Marilyn Monroe moment. The best pictures of the Eiffel Tower can be taken from the steps up to the huge building just opposite (across the bridge from the tower). Seine river cruises leave from the riverside across the road from the Eiffel Tower (just down the steps) and with the high walls of the Seine you really need to be on a second deck up to see much.
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