RIGHT UP OUR VALLEE
Eurocamp parc simply magnifique for family fun and the perfect spot to explore Normandy
CAMPING in France is always unforgettable ... or at least it is in my experience.
A school trip in 1992 was memorable for the watersports, the nights up on a mountain overlooking a lake ... and a neardiplomatic incident when demos by French truckers threatened to block our route back to Scotland. I expected our trip with Eurocamp to the La Vallee parc in Normandy to be a little less dramatic but every bit as fun – and it was.
I wasn’t super-excited about the eight-hour drive to Portsmouth, particularly with two super-excited boys, Evan, 10, and Owen, seven, in the back.
Fidget-spinners just weren’t going to cut it.
But the journey went much better than we’d feared (thanks to chocolate and the Alvin and the Chipmunks box set).
It only got better when we boarded Brittany Ferries’ Mont St Michel ship to Caen.
My last trip on a large passenger ferry was also many years ago, on CalMac’s MV Suiliven.
It was in the Minch, in the middle of winter and in howling gales.
Think the Big Dipper at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, except much scarier.
Thankfully our experience on the impressive Mont St Michel – and sister ship the Normandie on the return leg – was more luxury log flume than rollercoaster.
We went to the cinema (twice), scoffed lovely meals, relaxed in our four-berth cabin and enjoyed the entertainment in the main lounge and bar while the kids lapped up all the games rooms had to offer.
On dry land, it was only a short drive up the coast to La Vallee.
It sits just a kilometre inland from the tourist town of Houlgate and we quickly found out why it is regarded as one of Normandy’s premier parcs.
First, our mobile home, the three-bedroom Azure, was ideal.
The open-plan living and kitchen area was contemporary, cosy and comfy, and the home had everything needed for a selfcatering stay – including cooker, microwave, fridge freezer and shower room.
The covered decking was a real bonus, perfect for chilling with a glass of wine, al fresco dining and socialising with fellow campers.
We certainly needed to chill at night because our days were jam-packed with fun and activities.
Our boys’ first – and main – port of call was the swimming area, which boasted two pools (one undercover and heated) and a variety of waterslides.
I lost count of the times Evan and Owen launched themselves down the flumes and their hearty chuckles as they splashed to the bottom became a soundtrack to the holiday.
When they weren’t getting wet, they were dedicated members of the on-site kids’ club.
Catering for all ages, the activities ranged from mad science, mini super-heroes and regular sports to human table-football, archery and Kin-Ball (like volleyball but with a much bigger ball).
Evan and Owen tried just about everything but especially liked the body-zorbing, mini jet skis and kayaking. There were also a load of family activities and the parc has a tennis court, football pitch, astro basketball court, beach volleyball
net, boules pitches, ping-pong tables and a playpark, so we were never short of things to do.
The kids’ club couriers – including our fellow Scot, Megan, from Perth – deserve a special word. They were fantastic.
Their enthusiasm and bubbly personalties really endeared them to the youngsters and they were still going into the evening, organising entertainment for all the family.
The parc has a well-stocked shop and an order of fresh bread for the following day’s breakfast was a must. We were in France, after all.
At night, if we weren’t having a BBQ (one is provided) at our mobile home, we dined at the main restaurant/bar area of the parc and the fare was good. There was a takeaway, too.
We also ate in some lovely places in Houlgate and – mercifully, as I never stuck in at languages in school – Moules frites was easy to spot on the menus.
Houlgate itself is lovely and has plenty more to offer than delicious food, including its casino and glorious beach.
But La Vallee is a perfect base for exploring the entire region of Normandy. The classy resort of Deauville is nearby, as is its less formal twin town, Trouville.
And, of course, the D-Day landing beaches are within easy reach. Sword Beach, where Scots Piper Bill Millin played the bagpipes as his comrades fell around him, is closest (20 miles), while it’s a about an hour-and-a-half drive to Omaha and the memorial Overlord Museum.
We even crossed Pegasus Bridge – so crucial in the 1944 Allied advance – on the way to port to catch our ferry home.
We had enjoyed a wonderful eightnight holiday at La Vallee and we really didn’t want to leave.
If only those French truckers were still on strike to keep us there just a little while longer...