Camping abroad

Allen · Wed Aug 15, 2007 6:54 pm Taking children

We have a four year old and so find we can not do any big mile drives. Has anyone taken young children and haw far could you do in one day?

Gray · Fri Sep 07, 2007 4:43 pm Re: Taking children

Allen wrote: We have a four year old and so find we can not do any big mile drives. Has anyone taken young children and haw far could you do in one day?

Errrrrr a while back we did Bolougne to Med coast with our brood of 4 in a Fiat UNO

We must have been Mad --ooopps of course I am

We find that the kids are/were far more resilient that we are also they spent a lot of time asleep

lauriesandra · Tue Sep 25, 2007 10:45 pm

Hello Allen,

For our trip to the Vendee three weeks ago, we took the "tribe". This motley crew:

Front row left to right: My wife Sandra with our grand daughter Olivia (3) and grand son Joshua (1).
Back Row left to right: Me (Laurie) with daughter Kerry and her husband Loz.

Anyway, the kids loved it and slept most of the way. We did have a few nappy change stops which suited me so I could slope off for a coffee. I loooooove coffee...... mmmmmmm. coffeeeee <slap> anyway....

The kids handled it very well indeed. First day, up at 3 am for the 70 odd mile dash to catch the 6 am Eurotunnel. We then drove about 280 miles further, mostly motorways with very decent services, to La Fleche for our over night stop at the municipal camp site in town. We got there at about 2:30 pm. Kids were in good spirits and soon found the camp play ground which worn them down for a good nights' sleep. We roughed it by all sleeping in the 'van. 6 up in a 4 berth which was cosy - farting was banned for that night! We all managed a good nights' sleep though - probably helped by the couple of bottles of bierre blonde gold which hit the mark with all of us quite nicely.

Next day was a bit more relaxed so after a good breakfast, we hitched up and pulled out at about 10:30 am for the final 150 mile leg to our main holiday site. After a few more nappy change / coffee stops, we got there at about 3pm ish, checked in, choose our pitch and started setting up complete with full awning, annex and the truck load of stuff we took - and I gest not - my Navara was loaded!

It was very comfortable indeed. Me and Sandra in the fixed bed in the 'van (of course), Loz and Kez in the annex on a queen size blow up bed and the kids in the inner tent on a camp bed and travel cot.

We all had a ball and the kids loved the freedom of empty safe beaches, a very good and safe pool complex, well equipped play areas, bouncy castles, walks through the forests, etc..

Coming home we stopped overnight again but different route and different camp site, which was a pleasant change and very nice, apart from a car race / rally which delayed us.

We found the trick with these overnight stops is to take on 2/3rds of the journey on day 1 to kill the bigger part of the drive and the final 1/3rd the next day for a more relaxing days' drive, leaving plenty of time to set up at the main site.

Also, during the overnight stop overs, only set up the essentials to ensure a quick get away is possible next day.

Same story coming home on the return.

I found that towing 350 miles in a day is quite enough for me and the kiddies for that matter. I wouldn't want to do much more than that.

Hope that helps.