Camping de Dugny--- ...For more fishing sites go to www.madcaravanner.co.uk/
Route de Chambon sur cisse
Onzain
F41150 Blois
Centre Region
France

The only contact details are:
EuroParcs House, The Quarries, Almondsbury, Bristol, BS32 4HL
E-mail: sales@europarcs.com

Visited September 2003

This site is situated near the river Loire just outside Onzain and about 15 Km from Blois.
The site has approximately 270 pitches. Some are among the trees in shade and some are more open.
There are a couple of holiday operators on the site. There are also a number of privately owned static caravans and log huts but these tend to be grouped together.
(Photo 1) (Photo 2) Pitches are generous in size as is usual for France and they are mainly level. The majority of pitches are “comfort” pitches. They have their own water and waste points so I was able to hook up my aquaroll pipe direct to the tap and leave the wastemaster in it’s bag.

At the time of our visit in September the grass was rather bare but I suspect this was due to a very dry hot and busy July and August rather than any lack of maintenance on the part of the site owners.

Reception (Photo) is situated at the end of the long drive. The owners are on site and were very friendly and helpful. There is no shop but bread and croissants etc can be ordered daily in the bar. There is an excellent Intermarche in Onzain.
Reception is well stocked with a wide variety of leaflets and information on attractions and places to visit in the area.

The bar and restaurant are in a separate building and there is a terrace area where barbecues are held in high season. There is also a large boule area.

For the younger set there is a mini train, bicycle and go-kart hire, play area and mini golf.

Other facilities are a [smallish] outdoor pool, large fishing pond and an airstrip. I kid you not!! I understand site-seeing flights in small planes and microlites can be arranged.

There are three toilet blocks. As the site was quiet when we went only one was open. Cleanliness was of a high standard. We found the whole site very pleasant and relaxing.

As I have said there are numerous attractions in the area. We went to Blois, Tours and Chenonceau during our 5-day stay. On the way into Onzain there are several caves where one can call and taste. This is the centre of the Touraine region and the wines are very good

Directions:
From Blois follow the N152 for 15 Km towards Onzain. This road roughly tracks the North bank of the Loire. Turn right at the Onzain sign and the site is well sign posted from there. The site takes Camping Cheque, and is listed in the Alan Rogers guide and the Caravan Club Travel service

David Cuff. CLIC. September 2003

Camping de Sologne--- Second report below
8 Allee de la Sauldre
Route Nationale 20
F41300 Salbris
Centre Region
France

Phone 00 330 254 970 638

A good stopover site on the way home from South but get there before 4 p.m. by 4.30 p.m. it will be full.
The site is on the edge of a lake and has adequate facilities.

Neville Goward. CLIC. July 1999

Camping de Sologne--- Third report below
8 Allee de la Sauldre
Route Nationale 20
F41300 Salbris
Centre Region
France

As an updated report I can only say I used this site as an overnight stop en route South.

Date of visit: 8th June 2006
Price per night €16 inc. electric.

The site and town of Salbris, which is just off junc 4 of the A71 autoroute, is very easy to find and makes an excellent overnight stop on the journey South.
It's about 300 miles from Calais. Work your way through (pedestrianised) or around the town to the N20 and turn left. Leaving the town centre in about 200 yards you will see a lake on your right where you will see the site at the far side.
Turn right at traffic lights at second right to the site.

The entrance is large and easy to handle and is barrier controlled.
There are 67 pitches all with electric, 10amp, reversed polarity. About 20 of these are along the edge of the lake (free fishing) and seem to be used for overnight stops (see picture) they are very easy to negotiate.
There is very little shade and only logs of wood to separate pitches. The other pitches, used for longer stays, are more defined with hedges.

The toilets, although old were very clean with good showers and hot water, there are washing up sinks to the side of this building.
Attached to reception is a small bar and snack bar with outside eating area under cover.

Just outside of the site in a few yards is the town swimming pool (open air).
If you require restaurants the walk back to town takes about 10 mins.

We arrived at 4pm and there were plenty of pitches on our visit but I would think this will be a well known overnighter so arrive early in season.
A terrific site for an overnight, albeit a little expensive, being very close to the autoroute with amenities in easy reach.

Harry Burrows. Clic. July 2006

Camping de Sologne
8 Allee de la Sauldre
Route Nationale 20
F41300 Salbris
Centre Region
France

Between Orleans and Vierzon just off the A71
Another one night stopover, this one at a site picked out of the Michelin Guide. We were pleasantly surprised ; it's a friendly, well kept and clean campsite hidden down a back road just off the town centre. It backs onto a lake, on the other side of which is the small town of Salbris, a short walk away.
The entrance is down a narrow street and there's no parking area before you get to the site, so getting in could be a little bit fiddly if it is busy.

Pitches are well marked and supplied with electricity and water, and there are the usual cleaning, washing and toilet facilities which are well kept.

One of its big advantages is its location;
it is just North of the A20/A71 split at Vierzon, so it is handy as a stopover for trips to the South and Centre (over the Massif Central) or trips down to the Limousin, Dordogne and Toulouse.

Not much to the area itself, though its pleasant enough, but excellent as a stop over.

Paul Robson. Internet. September 2006

Camping La Citadelle
Avenue Aristide Briand
F37600 Loches
Centre Region
France

Tel: 02 47 59 05 91
Mobile: 06 21 37 93 06
Fax: 02 47 59 00 35

E-mail: camping@lacitadelle.com
Web site: www.lacitadelle.com/

To find site:
On N143, which bypasses Loches, at southern end of town at the roundabout next to the Le Clerc supermarket follow signs to campsite which is about 1km towards the town centre on the right. There are plenty of signs warning you where it is. Its best to avoid approaching the campsite from the north through the town. (map of the route)

La Citadelle is situated on the banks of the Indre River which runs through the town of Loches. It is a lovely situation with views of the Medieval City from a lot of the pitches.
The site has some 160 pitches, the majority are touring pitches but there are some mobile homes.
The more established part of the site has good shade by mature trees. Pitches of good size are set out in groups of 6 or so.
At the furthest part from the reception is a more recently developed part of the site with really large pitches with their own water, waste and electric points, although not much shade. If you are using Camping Cheques these pitches have a modest surcharge of €1.50 a night.

Almost on the dividing line between the new and old parts is takeaway/basic restaurant, games room, swimming pool as well as the main toilet block. The site has three toilet blocks, although the one immediately behind reception was closed during our visit except for the laundry area. The toilet blocks are of a good standard with English style loos with seats and paper.

At reception bread can be ordered the day before and they also sell a selection of drinks and ice creams.

From the campsite it is an easy walk into the town of Loches, either via the main road or the more attractive riverside walk. There are lots of restaurants if you fancy a meal out.
The medieval City is at a higher level than the new part of town, its well worth a visit. There are lots of possibilities for excursions from the campsite, that's if you don't just want to laze around on site!

We stayed here during early September 2006 and found it to be a delightful campsite worth a longer stay.

David Klyne. CLIC. October 2006
For more reports with images go to www.caravantravels.co.uk

Camping Les Grande Pins
F36330 Les Maisons-Neuves
Velles
Centre Region
France

Phone 0254366193

East of A20 exit 14 or 15. Used to be on the N20 until they moved it! Now its a labour of love to find it but well worth the effort.

UK and continental hookups, good restaurant. As the name suggests its in a pine woods and has adequate shower and waste disposal facilities.

Neville Goward. CLIC. July 1999

Camp Municipal Parc Ste Marie--- A second report
Rue les Tanneries
F36330 Velles
Center Region
France

Tel: 03 25 32 11 98

Mobile Reception Good

To find site: - Leave A5 at junction 24. Follow road to Chaumont, at T-junction turn right onto D65 and continue to follow signs for town. As you pass under large railway viaduct follow Autres Direction signs and you will pick up signs for Municipal Camping. Turn right off the main road at sign and campsite is about 200 meters on the left.

This campsite, on the outskirts of Chaumont, has 57 pitches. In season all the guidebooks suggest it is a popular stop over site so early arrival is advised. We used the site in early September and there was plenty of room with only about a dozen tourists arriving at the site whilst we were there.
The pitches are quite generous in size and divided by neat hedges. The site is on a slight slope. Access to most pitches is via a camber either up or down depending on where you are, once you have negotiated this the pitches have only a slight slope. The pitches furthest from Reception may suffer some traffic noise, as there is a main road just the other side of the hedge. There is one central toilet block with showers and a mixture of English and Turkish toilets.
The Reception seems to stay open quite late into the evening for late arrivals. Tourist information is available from the site office.
It seems an easy walk into the centre of Chaumont from the site. When we were there in September 2003 there were Travellers on site. This is not unusually on municipal sites and is generally nothing to be concerned about.

David Klyne. CLIC. September 2003

Camp Municipal Parc Ste Marie
Rue les Tanneries
F36330 Velles
Centre Region
France

Tel: 03 25 32 11 98

A pleasant site well signposted from the main roads into town, first impressions are good.
Friendly Warden and escort to pitch. Pitches are quite small but standard for France, would be room for van and awning with Car just off the road at the front of the pitch, as I said this is standard for France.

Toilet and shower block very basic but clean and functional.

Only concern was that there was a gypsy encampment but as we were only there overnight I wasn’t overly concerned, I am not experienced with French Gypsies so may be biased by UK experience so wouldn’t want to tar them with the same brush unnecessarily.

There is a report already in Clicreports, which is much more elaborate than mine and I would recommend you read that one also (insert link here?), my personal opinion is that it is good for an overnight stop but if I did this route again I would stop at the Municipal at Chalons en Champagne a little further North. (link)

Ed & Emma Berrisford. CLIC. October 2005

Les Bois du Bardelet--- ...For more fishing sites go to www.madcaravanner.co.uk/
Route de Bourges
Poilly
F45500 Gien
Centre Region
France

Tel: 02 38 67 47 39
Fax: 02 38 38 27 16

E-mail: contact@bardelet.com
Web site: http://www.bardelet.com/

Les Bois du Bardelet is a site some 280 miles from Calais. The route is easy via either AutoRoute or by Rn Roads whichever is preferable. Whilst it is nice to see the French countryside when one is restricted to two weeks or so I prefer to use AutoRoute to get there and then visit the area I am staying at leisure. When I do not need to come home to work I shall take the scenic route every time!

Situated approximately six miles south of Gien in the eastern end of the Loire valley this site is rural yet only ten minutes from Gien itself, a pretty town on the riverbanks.

This area of the Loire Valley seems to be fairly unexplored tourist wise but there is much to see. We had intended to spend a week here in 1999 but never made it. We therefore resolved to come in 2000 and in the event had an excellent holiday. The temperature was +24 at 0830 and rose on some days to 28/29. We had a total of about 40 minutes rain in the middle of one night.

There are 280 pitches on the site. It must be remembered when considering reports for your own use that I always visit France outside of July and August so my comments apply to that time of year.

Some pitches are fully shaded. Some are part shaded and some have no shade. The un-shaded ones are on an open field with a road running around and are delineated by hedges shrubs and colourful plants. We chose a cracker that had unbroken sunshine from 0800 to 2130 every day. A small tip here. I have a compass in the car that shows – a) whether I am travelling in roughly the right direction and b) on site I can tell easily where the sun rises and sets.

On arrival we were asked what type of pitch we would prefer and escorted to choose between four. We were travelling on camping. I had previously e mailed the owner to advise of our impending arrival. Reception was expecting us and soon had us on our pitch and explaining what was available on and around site.

The site was not busy but there was movement each day with people arriving and departing so it did not feel empty.

Site facilities are excellent. There are two toilet blocks and both were very clean at all times. I would guess that they may get a bit stretched at peak holiday periods but there were no problems when we were there.

Reception is in one corner of the bar in low season. Shop facilities are basic. Bread must be ordered each day. Some items are available in the bar. [Washing powder tins toothpaste etc. But not milk] However Auchen in Gien is open till 2200 hours Monday to Saturday.

The bar and terrace are very pleasant. Unfortunately we had to avoid it most evenings to get away from the interminable football of Euro 2000. The restaurant overlooks part of the lake complex and is to be recommended. We had a super meal there. A large field is provided for games. There is fishing in the lakes and canoes can be hired as well. There are two outdoor swimming pools a paddling pool and Jacuzzi and also an indoor pool and Jacuzzi. Other facilities include mini golf, tennis, gym, boules pitches and cycle hire.

There are no tour operators on Les Bois du Bardelet. There are some statics and log cabins but these are either privately owned or owned by the site and available for hire. They are not in the touring areas of the site.

The surrounding area has many sights seeing opportunities. Orleans is about an hour away. Briare is fifteen minutes and is famous for its canals and the "Pont Canal" spanning the Loire. Sancerre and Chablis are within easy reach and I leave readers of this report to work out what they are best known for! Of course the Loire chateaux abound.

All in all this is an excellent area. The site is well maintained clean and friendly and the spacious pitches are well laid out. Definitely one that you would mark down to visit again.

Directions:
Leave new A77 at sign for Bourges and Gien. Travel South on D940 for about 12 miles. After you have crossed the Loire in the direction of Aubigny the site is well sign-posted and is about 3 miles from the river crossing. I have a site brochure that I could copy and post to anyone interested.

David Cuff. CLIC. July 2000