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!

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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?