A fabulous family holiday in the Poitou-Charentes!
So, all your children’s friends have booked their summer holiday and you’re still in the planning stages. Don’t panic! Now that you’re here with us, we’ve got plenty of ideas to help you put together a memorable family friendly holiday – even if you’ve got teenagers!
The great thing about the Poitou-Charentes is that it’s highly geared for families with loads to see and do from child-friendly beaches, complete with gently lapping waves and supervised games, to attractions such as world-class zoos and aquariums plus theme parks including the ever popular Futuroscope.
Plus hotels and restaurants are happy to cater for children of all ages, with special-menus and a relaxed attitude to noise! Perhaps best of all, this part of France is known for its excellent value for money, with prices lower than in many other parts of the country.
It’s easy to reach too – we’re just a few hours on the TGV from Paris. If you’re travelling from the UK, just a short flight (even from Scotland it’s only a couple of hours) will have you touching down at a regional airport (there are five in or very near the Poitou-Charentes). If you prefer to drive, then from a north of France ferry port it’s a scenic five or six hour journey.
Beach fun
Let’s start with the beaches. If you’re after long beaches of golden sand, rolling waves and hot sunshine, you can choose from as many as 100 beaches in the Charente-Maritime and the small, atmospheric islands just off shore. The beaches on the mainland, especially around Royan and the Gironde Estuary as well around La Rochelle, are particularly suited to children (it’s best to avoid the Cote Sauvage where the beaches are not patrolled and the waves are huge.) Here the beaches are patrolled and the waves are gentle and clean sand is perfect for building sand castles. Many will have beach clubs where children can play for a day or just a few hours, giving you a chance to read your book in peace. They will also be close to restaurants and cafes catering to children with special menus. You’re also likely to be close to fun fairs, puppet shows and other typical French family entertainment. Those to look out for include:
Saint Palais-sur-Mer: north-west of Royan, located in the estuary and surrounded by the seaside town, is this curving, sandy beach with very calm waters. Lining the beach are plenty of great cafes and restaurants, and in the evening the town comes alive with music. It is very child friendly with clubs for different age groups, and plenty of entertainment as well as places to buy an ice-cream!
St Georges-de-Didonne: just south of Royan, this two kilometre long beach with calm waters, is set between cliffs with a 36m high lighthouse at one end and in between fringed by pine forests. As well as the long promenade, there are walks along the cliff tops, giving you lovely views. There is also the Parc de l'Estuaire, with its interactive museum, forest walks and educational tours. The beach also has a ‘Handiplage’ designation which means it has some facilities suited for handicapped people including loos and shower.
Grande Plage des Sables-d’Olonne: north of Ile de Ré, this south-facing beach boasts enjoy three kilometres of sand with lots of cafes and entertainment plus many activities for children including mini golf, ten pin bowling and quad bikes as well as dinghy sailing.
Get active!
The Poitou-Charentes is a fantastic place to go cycling together as a family. All over the region are trails that take you off the beaten track and safely away from traffic. Much of the area is flat or with just gently undulating countryside, making it possible for even young children to pull on their bike helmet and set forth.
The Marais Poitevin, called ‘Green Venice, is a mysterious land of marsh and water and with little traffic and flat roads is one place to head to.
Also popular are the islands of Île de Re, Île d’Oléron and Île d’Aix off the Atlantic coast. Here more people seem to cycle than use their car in the summer months, attracted by the many cycle paths - and the lack of hills. And it is easy to hire a bike so you don’t need to haul your own down to France if you don’t want to.
If your children love watersports, then you’re spoilt for choice. The coastal resorts will have watersports clubs with activities aimed at children. You can also go canoeing along the many rivers. Then there’s the Charente’s Lake district, the Lacs de Haute Charente in the Charente-Limousin. The watersports centre at Lake Lavaud offers lessons and there are lifeguards on duty, and you can have a go at windsurfing, water-skiing, sailing, and canoeing. There is also access for those who are disabled.
On either side of Lake Lavaud, at La Guerlie and Videix (the latter is actually in the Haute-Vienne), are artificial sandy beaches that are shaded by oak and willow trees with plenty of spots for picnicking plus shops and restaurants.
For a holiday with a difference, why not try a self-drive cruise down the River Charente. There are a number of companies from whom you can hire your own boat, with a fully-equipped kitchen so you can float down the driver at your own pace, stopping whenever and wherever you like. The River Charente is considered one of the most beautiful waterways in France and unlike the more well-known Canal du Midi, has much less traffic making it ideal for giving older children a go at the wheel.
The river is navigable for 147km – just over one third of its total length – between the département capital, Angoulême and the sea. Along the way the scenery changes from rolling pastures and tree-filled riverbanks to the vineyards of Cognac, as well as taking you through historic old towns including Jarnac.
What to see
The Poitou-Charentes is packed full of attractions, with something for children of any ages. One of the biggest is Futuroscope, a high-tech and science theme park with futuristic style architecture and the exhibits that boast the latest in audio-visual technology. In towering cinema pavilions set in landscaped, fountain-filled gardens see films in the 3D and be thrilled with rides that have you swooping through the universe. In the evening, the lake is the setting for laser-light displays.
Then there’s Puy du Fou, a theme park set in medieval times with battling knights amongst the 60 or so spectacles each day. Prehistoric times are the attraction at Paleosite where you can see your face transformed into that of Stone Age man or woman.
If you’re after adventure parks, do as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt do and drop into the Aventure Parc Lacs de Haute Charente. Set amongst the tree tops, budding Tarzans can go from tree to tree using a series of rope bridges, ropes and aerial runways.
If your children love animals, then you’re spoilt for choice. At the Zoo de la Palmyre at Royan you can see more than 1,600 types of animal from all five continents including polar bears and snow leopard to Siberian tigers, elephants, monkeys and apes.
The aquarium at La Rochelle is one of Europe’s with more than 10,000 sea creatures of all shapes, sizes and colours, including a massive shark tank and the tunnel of water that makes you feel as though you are underwater. There are also attractions dedicated just to monkeys, crocodiles, birds, snakes and even sheep. See ANIMAL MAGIC
Accommodation
Now that you know what you can do, where to stay? Well, the good news is that is plenty to choose from. Gîtes - self-catering cottages or villas - are a very popular choice for families holidaying in France as they allow you to choose just the size of property needed, whether it be a smaller cottage for one family or a larger property when two of more families are holidaying together.
Of course, a gîte also allows you the freedom to self-cater. The Poitou-Charentes has an excellent range from those near the beach to the middle of the countryside. When choosing, make sure yours has a garden so children can run around safely and a pool is another must for hours of splashing about in the sun – by law, a pool must now be fenced in and child-proof. A shaded area for outside eating - and a barbeque - is another good idea. Most will also have modern conveniences such as washing machines and dishwashers but it is best to check.
Prices do vary according to the type of gîte and its location. Expect to pay from about €200 a week for a two-bedroom cottage in the countryside (it will be about 50% higher for one near a beach). For larger properties expect to pay at least €500 per week, again higher close to the beach. See our gites directory.
If you prefer not to self-cater, then there a huge range of hotels, many of them with a relaxed vibe and a family-friendly atmosphere – near the beach, this is the choice for a lot of French families. Most are called resorts and the accommodation while ensuite will be simple, either in a hotel-style building or individual lodges. However, almost all will have a pool and a restaurant that caters for children. They are also found in areas full of restaurants and cafes, all with special children’s menus. See our hotel directory.
Camping is the least expensive accommodation option – by the beach you’re looking at about €15 a night for a pitch in high season - and there are some beautiful campsites in the Charentes, not far from the beach as well as inland, near a river or lake. Like hotels, campsites are graded under a star system and four-star sites will often have pools, a restaurant and on-site grocery stores. Many campsites will also put on regular nightly entertainment from pop concerts to karaoke.
Words: Rachel LOOS
Photograph: ChantalS - Fotolia.com