Camping in Charente Maritime? - 5 top tips

Camping in Charente Maritime can be an affordable way to enjoy everything that one of the most popular tourist destinations in France has to offer.  I should know.  I’ve just come back.  Here are 5 pearls of wisdom to help you enjoy your stay:

 

1. Choose an appropriate tent

It doesn’t help when people stop and stare as you start to erect your tent in sweltering heat, but when your home for the week takes on Taj Mahal type proportions, the pressure is really on.  With a footprint roughly the size of Wales, our Vango Diablo tent was previously rejected by Billy Smart’s Circus, on account of it being too big for most towns.   If you want to avoid the audible gasps from fascinated campers, choose a sensibly sized bit of canvas.

 

2. Prepare for the insects

We took the emphatically-named ‘Jungle Formula’ in our medical box, to ward off the biting insects.  Something we thought Bear Grylls or Ray Mears might use.  Now, I don’t know what type of beasties they have in the Jungle, but the fellas we had to contend with would have had them for breakfast.  My body was an A to Z of stings and bites after just one night, with small red spots accompanied by swollen itchy lumps, and those ones that take-on a white colouring.  A few days in, there were bites on my bites.  Take whatever precautions you can, so you can avoid scratching like a loppy dog all week.

 

3. Pick the right beaches

Whether you want big Atlantic rollers, or pond-like conditions, Charente-Maritime has it all.  We spent a week on the Arvert peninsula, which has both types of coast in equal measure.  For the big waves, head to the Pointe Espagnole, or the Coubre Lighthouse for sprawling and lifeguarded beaches, but be warned you may have a bit of a walk over the dune to get to your chosen spot.  If you’d prefer to avoid fishing your young offspring out of a rip-current, try the beach at Galon d’Or, which has easy access, gentle waters, and offers a bit of ‘peche a pied’ at low tide.  The beach at La Palmyre is also superb, and close to shops, restaurants and a Youpi Land for the nippers.

 

4. Choose the right campsite

When the highlight of the ‘disco’ night turns out to be YMCA, and your own children are heckling the magician, you know your choice of site was a wrong ‘un.  Entertainment aside, facilities are the most important thing, so make sure your site has everything you need.  You could end-up a short train ride away from the toilet block, and this could make for an uncomfortable dash if you get, ahem, caught short.  A decent pool and some shops will always make life that little bit easier.

 

5. Avoid the traffic

In peak times getting about can be difficult, as many of the roads around La Palmyre and Arvert are not built for heavy traffic.  An ill-timed trip to the neighbouring Ile d’Oleron can prove frustrating, with inexplicable traffic jams to get onto the viaduct.  My tip?  Hit the roads at lunchtimes, when the thousands of French families will simply park-up and set about a full picnic by the roadside.  Getting into the La Palmyre Zoo was a breeze, and we were safely past the Giraffes while the French were munching their salad.

 

Got any other useful or silly tips for fellow campers?  Leave a comment below.

 
Posted by: Richard Stewart on 11 August 2010