Eurocamp camping holidays in France

We were so excited to be going back on another Eurocamp camping holiday in France this year but we knew Blondie Boy would only want to go to one parc: Le Brasilia. He's been talking about going back since our trip last September and he's now talking about when can we go back again!

This year we knew all the amazing amenities Le Brasilia had to offer but not how truly awesome Eurocamp's new Aspect holiday home is. The Aspect is brand new for 2014 and exclusive to Eurocamp. It represents the next generation of holiday home and has been designed to help you make the most of al fresco living, with no compromise on indoor comfort.

The first thing we noticed was its kerb appeal--call me shallow but the Aspect looks really good from the outside. Isn't she pretty?

Pretty and functional; the extra large double decking is covered so if you have a translucent child like I do you can eat breakfast first thing without having to slather him in sunscreen first.  There are two sun loungers and a large wicker effect table with four chairs and four foot stools. Can I just say how amazing it was as a pregnant woman to be able to sit at the table with my feet up? Divine!

Did I mention the BBQ? It's a super nice, fancy pants gas BBQ. I think NotBlondeHusband's eyes lit up with glee when he saw it. Not that there is anything wrong with a charcoal BBQ but this was so easy to use and clean it made grilling out a treat. We ate every literally meal outside, from breakfast to dinner. We spend the bulk of our time outside on holiday so having a great space to eat, read, relax and play cards is essential and the Aspect more than delivered.

I know I just said we spend the bulk of our holiday outside but we were totally spoiled with the inside of the Aspect as well. The kitchen is high spec with a coffee maker, microwave, oven/stove, full size fridge/freezer and (wait for it) A DISHWASHER! The last thing I want to do on holiday is wash dishes so this totally won me over! 

There are three bedrooms: a bunk room, a room with two twin beds and the master bedroom. The master bedroom has a king size bed, a ridiculous amount of closet space and was just spacious in general. There would have been plenty of room for a cot and still freedom to move. All of the bedrooms have black out blinds in addition to curtains as well which is always a plus! I can't stress enough how spacious this bedroom was: it really feels more like a hotel room or home bedroom than a holiday home.

The bathroom is also much bigger than we were used to in a holiday home. The shower is just as big as our shower at home and there wis plenty of shelf space as well for all your toiletries.  There are tons of other great features like an iPod dock, free mobile wifi, air conditioning and the couches also fold out into beds so it can sleep 8 adults.

During our week we saw so many people come to look at the Aspects, both on their own and with Eurocamp staff, and you really can't blame them. All Eurocamp accommodation is clean and functional but the Aspect just takes it to a whole other level.

Even with such luxurious accommodation, the amenities of the park are still key to a great holiday and Le Brasilia has everything you could need. Blondie Boy loved walking up to the one site boulangerie to get fresh baguettes in the morning (is there anything better?) and practicing his French!


  
In addition to the boulangerie there is a fruit and vegetable store (with farm fresh produce), a deli, mini-mart, cave (you can bring your own containers for wine), tabac, laundromat, gift shop and even a hairdresser! That's all in addition to the restaurant, bar and pool snack shop. If you wanted to you really don't have to leave the site but there are large supermarkets nearby, too.

By far the best amenities on site are the swimming pool complex and the direct beach access.  I grew up as a total pool rat and Blondie Boy has inherited his mother's love of the water. With four pools, four water slides, two children's slides, a spa and plenty of sun loungers there really isn't more you can ask for. Blondie Boy loves it so much he'd barely pause to tell me about it!



Right behind the pool complex there is direct access to the beach. The beach is all white sand right until you reach the water where it is a bit pebbly. The sea itself is really shallow so perfect for children and you can go really far out without it going over your shoulders.

You can borrow beach toys from Eurocamp and Blondie Boy loved digging and building sandcastles along the shore. Since it is so shallow it is also perfect for kids to body surf--basically you just float and wait for a wave and then surf in on your belly!



Having direct access to the beach is great because it means if Blondie Boy decides he's had enough after 15 minutes or is hungry or it is too hot we can just walk straight back to the holiday house no problem. No need to pack a massive bag for the day and spend ages looking for parking--just maximum beach fun!

The most fun though had to be watching Blondie Boy in the mini show. I wish I could share videos but there are so many other kids in it that I wouldn't feel right. Blondie Boy LOVES the mini show and we went every single night. Basically all the kids get on stage and put on a show by dancing to some Le Brasilia songs. He puts on little mini shows at home it was so cool to see how much better he was at picking up the choreography this year. I know that Le Brasilia had proper shows at night as well but the mini show was all I needed.



We were really lucky that this year Blondie Boy's Grandma got to come and spend the last few days of our holiday with us. My mother-in-law and her husband had been in Spain so they drove up and got to spend time at Le Brasilia with us.  Since they'd both visited French holiday parcs before I asked her what she though of Eurocamp from a grandparent's, and seasoned European traveller's, point of view:

When our son and daughter-in-law invited us to join them in France to share their Eurocamp holiday, we were delighted to be able to go although if I'm being honest, I have to say we also felt some trepidation. We had a fairly wide experience of holiday destinations in Europe from when our children were small and were confident about the level of service and the type of accommodation we could expect. However there was little resemblance between Le Brasilia and the barely adequate standards of our previous experiences.

Our accommodation was of a very high standard. Purpose built for the environment, with modern bathroom and shower, it also boasted a dishwasher and huge decked area with comfortable furniture. We loved sitting there in the evening, playing board games with our grandson. There was just so much space, inside and out, perfect for generations to holiday together.

We were in a three bedroom home but we noticed that the touring pitches were generously proportioned and well-screened, not often the case in the South of France where spaces are often cramped and small.

The night before we left we agreed that while Eurocamp destinations are great for a family holiday, they would also be perfect for us on our own. Spacious and clean accommodation, the  beach, the pool, excellent shops with fresh produce, evening shows if you want or a quiet drink on your own deck. Eurocamp exceeded our expectations and we will definitely be back.

It's not easy to please three generations at the same time but Eurocamp certainly delivered again.  I know this won't be our last Eurocamp holiday and our next one we will have a baby! I don't know what to expect on a holiday with a baby but I know Eurocamp will be able to cater to whatever we need (they do free hire of baby and toddler essentials!)

Right now Eurocamp is running an early booking offer for 2015! Get up to 25% off when you book by October 31st and pay just a £99 deposit!

Let's be friends! Find me here:

Transatlantic Blonde's accommodation was provided for the purpose of this review but all travel and other costs on holiday were met by ourselves. All opinions are our own--do you think I could 3 generations to lie?

Eurocamp Le Brasilia Camping Holiday in France

Last year we weren't sure what we were getting ourselves in to going on a camping holiday in France with Eurocamp. This year we knew we were going to have a great trip but we really didn't know just how amazing Le Brasilia was going to be! I promise you it is not hyperbole when I say it is absolutely the perfect place to go on a self-catering holiday with a preschooler!

When we were picking a parc for our holiday we focused on the Premier Parcs which offer a holiday experience that’s exceptional, even by Eurocamp's already high standards. I wanted to go somewhere that was still warm in early September and NotBlondeHusband wanted to go to France since we'd already been to Spain in June. We'd been to the south east of France before and knew how easy it was to fly into Barcelona and drive up so Le Brasilia at Canet Plage seemed like a great location. Plus it had heated pools and waterslides which are always a must for our little pool rat. To make it even better there was direct access to the beach from the site. We were sold.

The parc sounded brilliant on paper but honestly I wasn't prepared for how great it was in person. The parc has a butchers, bakers, green grocers, wine shop and mini grocery store all on site--you literally don't have to leave the parc if you don't want to. It was great to walk up with Blondie Boy in the morning and have him visit the boulangerie and ask "baguette s'il vous plaît!" There was also a restaurant with an ice cream parlour but we much preferred to eat in our accommodation.

There was plenty of room to eat inside our Eclipse but we ate every meal (except the day it rained) on our deck. For a family with a young child that deck is the absolute best. Blondie Boy would play on the deck but also once he was asleep at night NBH and I would sit outside and listen to music, play cards and enjoy the night but still hear him if he woke up. On the day that it did rain (and omg did it storm) we borrowed the game Guess Who from our couriers (there are lots of games, beach toys, etc you can take on loan) and had fun in doors while we waited out the storm.

We spent every day at the pool and every evening at the Mini Show.  Blondie Boy loved all the different water slides and went from going down on one of our laps to going down the biggest slides on his own in no time flat. He is such a pool rat and would get off the slide and immediately go back up to go down again. I think NBH was giving me the side-eye when I insisted on a parc with water slides but I'm so glad I did! There was also aqua-zumba class that was really more for fun than fitness that Blondie Boy loved, too! It combined his love of swimming and dancing.

Before or after hitting the pool we'd head down to the beach; being able to walk directly out onto the beach was amazing. Normally you have to think about packing lunches, parking, a change of clothes---nope none of it. If we got to the beach and Blondie Boy was only up for 30 minutes of beach time that was okay because we could just walk back. If it was too hot or he got hungry, no big deal. The ocean was really shallow along the beach so perfect for children to play in and the beach itself was soft white sand. I'm not a fan of pebble or shell beaches so it was perfect. We built sand creatures, jumped over waves and collected stones and shells--it was perfect. I love the beach and I've definitely passed that on to BB.

The part of our holiday he probably loved the most though was the Mini Show. Every night the kid's club staff would lead kids in singing and dancing at the amphitheatre. I'm fairly sure it was NotBlondeHusband's own version of hell but Blondie Boy LOVED it. In fact I'm not sure love is a strong enough word. Nearly two months later and he is still singing the songs and doing the dance moves just about every day. 

I can't tell you enough how amazing our Eurocamp Le Brasilia experience was. They really aren't kidding when they call it a Premier Parc there are so many extras. You get free tickets to ride the little train that runs from the parc into the town as well as free tickets to take a boat across the port into town, too. Blondie Boy had never been on a boat before so to be able to take him on the short 5 minute journey was so much fun for him. I could go on and on but I've already bombarded you with so many photos and videos I will let them just reiterate my point for me. Le Brasilia is the perfect family holiday with a preschooler--just listen to Blondie Boy!

Eurocamp, the self-catering holiday specialist, offers the widest selection of outdoor family holidays in fantastic locations throughout Europe, with a range of stylish accommodation, pool complexes, unrivalled facilities and kids’ club activities.

After uniting with its sister company Keycamp to offer customers a bigger, better choice, from 2014 there are over 160 parcs to choose from across France, Spain and Italy, as well as unique accommodation on offer including stylish mobile homes, lodges, bungalows, Safari Tents and brand new Tree and Lake House accommodation.

Seven nights from 24 April 2014 for a family of two adults and up to four children staying in a 2 bed Espirit mobile home with decking and air conditioning at Le Brasilia will cost from £355 including return Dover to Calais ferry crossings. Fly-drive and alternative ferry packages can be arranged though Eurocamp at a supplement.

For further information on Eurocamp, please call 0844 406 0552 or visit www.eurocamp.co.uk

Let's be friends! Find me here: Transatlantic Blonde's accommodation was provided for the purpose of this review but all travel and other costs on holiday were met by ourselves. All opinions are our own--do you think I could get a preschooler to lie?

Eurocamp Self-Catering Holidays: Carnac, France

While I was growing up we always holidayed in France. Looking back I think there was a combination of factors, aside from the obvious fact that we just like it there: it’s relatively close and easy to travel to and its temperate, warm but not too warm for small children. It’s probably no surprise then that now that Blondie Boy is old enough to holiday we’ve travelled to France on holiday twice, last year in Pyrénées-Orientales, this year in Carnac, in Bretagne.

As a child we stayed in lots of different types of places, gites, villas, hotels, motels, Holiday Inns, but we never tried a holiday parc or stayed in a mobile home before. This year we did with Eurocamp, the UK’s leading European camping holiday operator. As an American, Blondie didn’t have any preconceived notions as to how this would be. You don't really get holiday parcs in America or if you do she'd never heard of any. I did, I think I thought that holiday parcs were a little passé, somewhat 1970s with cheesy entertainment and cramped accommodation, somewhat Hi-de-Di, thankfully Eurocamp is nothing like this.

From the moment we booked the staff couldn’t have been more helpful. Our travel plans changed, a lot, first we changed the dates, next we changed the entire way we were getting there (about a week before I crapped out of the possible 17 hour drive from Scotland to Bretagne with an antsy toddler and picked up some cheap flights). All the way along the Eurocamp staff were friendly and helpful. Our new travel arrangements left us with a really late arrival time, no problem, they called the parc and let them know. Before we left we were given a UK mobile number to contact our couriers, who are on site and available 24 hours. Due to some huge road works on the way we arrived even later than we expected, this just wasn’t an issue, we text our courier who communicated to the parc when we were likely to arrive, no problem.

Our parc was La Grande Métairie in Carnac, Bretagne Sud. We chose the parc for a variety of reasons; the area it is based has lots to see and too and pleasant sheltered beaches; possibly more importantly however we picked based on what the parc itself had to offer. Eurocamp described the parc as “the perfect destination for young families – set in stunning parkland and with an array of on parc facilities to entertain all ages. “ It is also one of Eurocamp’s Mini Fun Station parcs, which means toddlers can enjoy an array of supervised fun activities – including art and craft, nature trails, treasure hunts, face painting and imaginary play. The parc also has an amazing pool complex, complete with waterslides and indoor pool. Perfect if the weather wasn’t going to be up to scratch.

There were also horses, ponies and an array of goats, ducks and a llama at a mini animal farm, too. When you have a toddler that is a pretty big deal. Blondie Boy loved seeing the animals every day and would sing to the ponies and little horses as we walked past.

My other preconception about holiday parc vacations is that the accommodation would be somewhat lacking, probably shabby and definitely small. Thankfully, this was not even close to the truth. We stayed in a two bedroom Horizon mobile home which had a double bedroom for us, a single bedroom with bunk-beds for BB and a central lounge and kitchen. The seating in the lounge also easily converted into an extra bed. There was a shower room and toilet, plus fully-equipped kitchen including a microwave, fridge-freezer and oven.

There were also some other nice little touches include a stereo iPod dock, a hairdryer and a welcome pack which contained some little essentials such as washing up liquid, toilet paper and tea bags. Where we found the accommodation really shone though was outdoors.  There was a large decked terrace with a good sized patio table and chairs, sun loungers and a drying area, plus a charcoal barbecue. We used the barbecue often and ate outside every evening. It was a really pleasant way to spend the end of an evening, sitting outside with a glass of nice wine. The parc itself was quiet at night, we had no problems with noise at all. As a family parc during the day there were obviously kids playing but at night no cars are allowed on site after 11pm, so we had no problem getting BB to sleep and having a little peace and quiet!

Carnac itself is home to Europe's largest collection of standing stones (think Stonehenge but thousands of stones) which are directly across from the parc. The area also has lots of lovely little beaches and a quaint old town centre. We drove around checking out different beaches and towns and one afternoon walked out a massive sandbar into the middle of the ocean, which while with a toddler was tiring, but super cool.

The holiday surprised me. Before we went I would have been unlikely to consider Eurocamp as a holiday option but now I guess I can be considered a convert. The negative stereotypes of a holiday parc as a 1970s throwback couldn’t be further from the truth. The facilities at our Parc were second to none, with great leisure facilities particularly the pool, and the accommodation was modern, comfortable and spacious. Given how fond we are of holidaying in Europe, Eurocamp will definitely be something we consider when we start to consider next year’s holiday.

Of course someone's opinion matters more so here is what Blondie Boy thought about his holiday!

Want to book your own holiday? A seven night break from 20^th May 2012 at Eurocamp’s La Grande Métairie parc, staying in a 2 Bedroom Horizon mobile home (sleeps 7, maximum 4 adults), costs from just £377 for the whole family, accommodation only.

Eurocamp offers the widest selection of outdoor family holidays on parcs throughout Europe; with a range of activities and age-specific kids’ clubs. Plus, there’s a fantastic choice of accommodation, including stylish mobile homes, lodges, modern chalets, bungalows, and fully equipped ‘Classic’ and ‘Safari’ tents.

For further information on Eurocamp, the UK’s leading European self-catering holiday operator, please call 0844 406 0552 or visit www.eurocamp.co.uk

Transatlantic Blonde's accommodation was provided for the purpose of this review but all travel and other costs on holiday were met by ourselves. All opinions are our own--do you think I could get a toddler to lie?

What I Wore Wednesday: Toddler Holiday Chic

We didn't get home until after midnight from France last Wednesday so I didn't get a post up in time for What I Wore for the first time! We had a great time at Eurocamp Le Grand Metairie but I'll get into that more in another post. We really just spent time together the three of us without tv or computers and with very little internet; it was fun to just hang out and play cards or dominos with NotBlondeHusband on the deck at night after Blondie Boy had gone to bed.

I'm pretty sure we all ate our body weight in baguettes and Blondie Boy discovered a love of French butter which he'd lick and eat off the baguette and then ask for more--he'd end up with a shiny butter face and need to be hosed down afterwards.


We kept it really casual  on holiday so my outfits really aren't worth a post. I wore several different Old Navy or Gap Vest Tops mixed with jeans or shorts--nothing exciting. So I will focus on what Blondie Boy wore because he is cuter than me anyway :)

Cincinnati Reds Baseball Hat

Harajuku Lovers Tee-shirt

HM Skullie Shorts 

Polliwalks Sandals

I made him pose because I loved this outfit and knew I'd use it for What I Wore Wednesday! I just think he looks so cool but maybe I'm biased :)

Sevylor Puddle Jumper

If you have a toddler this is the coolest swim accessory EVER! Blondie Boy swam around by himself! There was a lazy river so he could just float and swim around and around and he loved it! He had so much fun at the pool and I can't recommend the Puddle Jumper enough!

Cincinnati Reds Baseball Cap

Superman Tee Shirt

Tu Cargo Pants

Converse

Blondie Boy loves his Cincinnati Reds hat, LOVES it. When we were sitting outside Beauvais airport waiting for check-in to open a man and woman saw his hat and asked if we were from Cincinnati. It turned out they were from Kettering where my Grandma lives in Ohio. It is "small world" moments like these that I love! It is probably why I subconsciously almost always travel in Cincinnati Bearcat shirts :)


I also puffy-heart love these Converse. There is Velcro to the side of the tongue so they are easy on and off and no laces to trip over. Plus the turquoise are just a super fun colour; I got them at the outlet malls in Cincinnati; if you are ever near a Converse Outlet go because the deals are amazing!

Blue Hooded Gap Sweatshirt

Marks and Spencer Jeans

Umm is it just me or does he look majorly grown up here? This is when we were kicking it outside the airport waiting for check-in. He just totally looks like such a big boy to me in this photo. I also love this sweatshirt because you can't tell but it makes his blue eyes just pop ;)

What do you wear on vacation? Do you dress up or just keep it casual?




Transatlantic Blonde's accommodation at Eurocamp and the Puddle Jumper were provided for review but all opinions are our own. Y'all know I only say things I really mean, right?