Camping in France this summer? Check out Siblu Villages
Picture the scene. You’re sipping an ice cold glass of French wine on the deck of your luxurious mobile home under the glorious French sunshine. The kids are living their best life and have made dozens of new friends at the Pirate Club. There’s plenty of time to take a leisurely walk before dinner and read a few pages of the novel you bought on your camping holiday. When my own children were small camping in France was a highlight of the year d like many others we went back several times to the same campsite.
One of the toughest problems is deciding which campsite is best. Siblu Holiday Villages have 29 parks to choose from dotted all over France with accessibility in a multitude of ways from Ireland. They’ve been welcoming Irish Families since 1975 and to celebrate their 50th anniversary now is a good time to pick up a bargain.
Over the decades Siblu have become one of the leading holiday park operators in France, offering modern innovations that make life easier for families. All have impressive swimming complexes that are fully lifeguarded, kids’ clubs for a range of ages, a programme of daytime sports and activities, and family friendly entertainment in the evenings. Don’t be surprised to see your own kids on stage after a day at the Kid’s Club!
Possibly the biggest change in the last 50 years is the quality of the accommodation. Today, Siblu’s most popular choice is the Sérénité mobile home, which features up to 45m² of living space. It comes with two or three bedrooms sleeping up to six or eight people and two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen and a large terrace for enjoying meals and relaxing outdoors.
Which campsite do you pick? Domaine de Kerlann in southern Brittany is within easy reach of several beaches with white sands, rock pools and hidden coves.
The nearby town of Pont-Aven is so pretty it inspired the artist Paul Gauguin and the medieval walled-town of Concarneau, just a 20 minute drive to the west, is a tourist favourite with cobbled streets, quaint shops and ice cream parlours. The city of Quimper is just 30 minutes away and the cultural capital of Brittany.
For families, the challenge might be persuading kids to leave the park. Facilities at Domaine de Kerlann include indoor and outdoor heated pools, waterslides and a splash zone firing jets of water from a variety of fountains and water cannon. Kids are kept busy not just with the clubs but also football, tennis and even archery. There’s also bike hire for families who want to explore the local area at a leisurely pace. The ferry port of Roscoff is a two-hour-drive away, making it popular with those travelling from Cork, or there are airports at Brest and Nantes for those who want to fly and hire a car.
Le Bois Masson is one of two neighbouring Siblu sites in the Vendee Region – the other is Le Bois Dormant which is smaller and quieter and located across the road. Guests can use the facilities of both, so they are effectively doubling up on pools and waterslides, sports pitches and restaurants. The liveliest evening entertainment takes place at Le Bois Masson, with its neighbour taking a more relaxed approach.
The Vendee is a great choice for active families. It makes sense to explore the region by bike as there are kilometres of safe cycle paths that families can follow through woodland to the giant sandy beach and elegant promenade at Saint-Jean-de-Monts.
Other local attractions include the seaside resort of Les Sables d’Olonnes, where popular activities include sailing, harbour fishing, a shellfish museum and excursions through the region’s famous salt marshes. Another sightseeing highlight is the Ile de Noirmoutier, a pretty island that can be reached by bridge or along a causeway that disappears at high tide. If your family loves a little historic adventure then take them to Puy du Fou, France’s second most popular theme park (after Disneyland Paris). They can get in touch with their inner King Arthur or Gladiator through incredible live-action spectaculars.
If being beside the sea and enjoying long sandy beaches is important to your family then try Les Charmettes, on the west coast in Charente Maritime. This large park’s facilities include a huge swimming complex with five separate pools, a splash zone and two giant slides — along with mini golf, tennis, basketball and boules.
The nearby town of La Palmyre is a 15 minute bike ride away and has safe areas to swim and golden sand, and La Tremblade is world famous for its oysters and mussels. Jump into the car to visit the seaside town of Royan, Cognac, and one of my favourite city’s La Rochelle. Futuroscope, a popular theme park near Poitiers, uses giant movie-screen wizardry to take families on incredible immersive adventures.
France’s south coast boasts glitzy hotels and giant gites, but a great family-friendly option is at holiday park La Carabasse. Just a 10 minute drive from the airport or Beziers, or less than 60 minutes from Montpellier airport, La Carabasse is a large park but with wide avenues and spacious pitches, it never feels crowded. The lagoon-style pool is one of Siblu’s largest, with the bonus of a spa for parents who want to chill in the sun.
The closest beach is within walking distance and the site’s well-stocked bike hire centre provides cycles for families to explore along the coast and to the famous Canal du Midi. Nearby Vias has shops, restaurants and a busy market, the locals claim Cap d’Agde as a mini St Tropez, while the historic towns of Carcassonne and Beziers are well worth a day trip.
If you do decide to bring the car be sure to leave room to take home some boxes of bargain priced French wine. The allowance is 90 litres but if you’ve trouble deciding on what labels to bring back try sampling new bottles in the evenings on the deck of the mobile home. It was always one of the highlights of our camping holidays. Bon Voyage!
Factbox
Find out more about Siblu holidays in France by visiting www.siblu.ie or call 01 526 8658.
Irish families will be able to save 30% on breaks taken between 1 April and 30 June 2025, for durations from 3 to 21 nights and with an any-day start date (a big bonus for people travelling by ferry or flying midweek).
Save 10% on getaways taken between 1 July and 31 August 2025, when holidays are Saturday-to-Saturday.
Travel with www.IrishFerries.com
- Great value to be had with Irish Ferries short break return fares valid during Easter: a family of 2 adults and 2 children with a standard car and inside cabin included, can travel from €417 return (priced based on travel out Saturday 12th April, depart on Friday 18th April)
- And even during August, prices are available from €254 return per person based on a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children), total of €1,016 for the return trip including a standard car and inside cabin for 4 (price based on travel out 4th August, back 19th August)
- These great value fares can be booked on www.irishferries.com
- Worth bearing in mind that Irish Ferries also sell great value ferry + holiday packages now with Eurocamp in France: an example in June: 7 nights accommodation in La Grande Metairie, Carnac + return Irish Ferries Dublin-Cherbourg ferry for 2 adults + 2 children + car and inside cabin from €1,382 total (price based on W.B. Yeats departure 7th June, and return 11th June with comfort 2 bed mobile accommodation). Contact Irish Ferries on holidays@irishferries.com – anyone quoting Daily Mail for bookings by the end of February can get 10% early booking discount off.
Travel with www.Brittany-Ferries.ie
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