The motel Le Clos de la Cerisaie is an ideal stopping point with easy access to the Pont du Gard. Simple stable style accomodation and all rooms have TV, air conditioning, kitchenette and bathroom. There is also a swimming pool open in the summer season.
🐾 Animals are welcome and there is a nice boulangerie just fifty metres away.
The proprietor Michelle is funny. She said you won’t forget me and broke into a verse of Michelle ma belle.
Contact Michelle: 0033 04 66 57 11 86 or mobile 0033 06 19 52 40 10.
The Pont du Gard is a Roman three level bridge built largely dry (without mortar) and you can only imagine the complex scaffolding that would have been needed for the construction.
Inspired, Cass Gilbert painted this watercolour and pencil in 1926
If you want excellent camping facilities, travel 45 minutes west to Beaucair on the edge of the mighty Rhone. We chose a municipal site with just six pitches, but there are plenty to choose from.
Beaucaire camping
In between Avignon and Nimes this little campsite with just seven pitches is very sweet. €2 gets you a quick charge of electricity and top up of water. We arrived late and grabbed the last pitch, lit a barbecue and settled down under the stars.
Very quiet and easy to find – highly recommended. Take junction 24 on the A9, take the D99 east and follow the signs to Beaucaire.
Several campsites on the banks of the Rhône
Did you know?
There is a website with all the simple low cost campsites all listed, go to Camping Car
Fabulous coastal town in between Valencia and Barcelona with many kilometeres of beachside walks from rugged coastline and rock pools to sandy beaches. Good facilities for cyslists too.
Camping Playa Tropicana is situated on the beach and convenient for walking along the coastal route. An easy 3km approx along the boardwalk to the port, or more adventurous hikes if you fancy them.
There are two swimming pools (one indoor and heated), a beauty centre and hairdressers, bike and kyack hire plus an excellent restaurant and bar. The Consum supermarket concession sells a wide range of groceries at normal supermarket prices.
There are 345 touring pitches, mostly gravel and level with (10 amp) electric hook up. Showers and toilets are spotless and there are great facilities for children including baths and special loos for toddlers. Showers are Mira type – no push button.
The on site restaurant is very good value and nice and easy with children. The site has the advantage of drinking water fountains every 25 metres.
Everything is highly organised with some pitches designated for people with dogs and there is even a pooch shower especially for when you get back from the beach. Your rubbish is collected from your pitch at 10am every morning. Reception staff are very helpful.
Calpe is a great destination anytime of the year. The beach is always spotless and its great for walking, children’s play areas, and sea front restaurants. The Mirador – Private rental apartment is great for up to 4 people with two bedrooms and two bathrooms (1 ensuite).
Just 100 metres from the sea front with a large terrace overlooking the beach. Two swimming pools and secure parking. Fabulously clean and well appointed with everything you need in a holiday home. Central air conditioning unit with ceiling fans in all bedrooms. Washing machine, dishwasher and modern TVs in lounge and bedrooms.
Contact the owner Pilar : 0034 (0) 65012 35383 fr information and availability.
How to get there. Take the N332 or AP7 (autovia) north from Alicante or south from Benidorm. The coastal train runs from both cities with lovely views over the sea and stops at many pretty small town and villages.
Villajoyosa is particularly well worth a stop with nice beach walks and many good restaurants.
The Dormio apartments are modern, pet friendly, high quality and mid priced with swimming pool and spa, cafe, restaurant and kids club (in season).
You will like…Free, easy parking right outside the apartment or garage parking (€10 per night). Apartments have pool / sea view and terraces with good quality furniture. The tram station is 5 minutes walk. Customer service is attentive but laid back and the whole complex is child friendly.
We loved the Spa and bright modern uncluttered apartment with comfortable beds. The kitchen is fully equipped. If you need any extra items like hairdryer or toaster, simply contact reception.
Where is it? Benitachell is in the south east of Spain on the Costa Blanca. Situated in the region of Marina Alta and easily accessed from the N332 going through Teulada.
Flamingo Hills is a modern complex with views over the town and the Montgó mountains and within easy walking distance of shops and restaurants. The apartments are very well appointed with modern kitchens and bathrooms.
You will like…Free, easy parking right outside the apartment, the swimming pool just a few metres from the apartment with plenty of sunbeds. The complex is great for families with children and golfers will find Javea golf course just 3 km away.
There are some great cycling routes and nice beaches nearby. Javea and Moraira are just a few minutes drive away and the secluded coves of Moraig and Granadella are well worth visiting with diving and kayaking all available.
The power shower is superbThe kitchen is equipped with oven, hob and dishwasher.The bed is firm, and there is plenty wardrobe space.
Expect to pay around €50 per night. Pets are welcome and check in is from 3pm. Checkout from 11am.
Benitachell is about 90 minutes from Alicante airport and 10 minutes from Javea and Moraira
I recommend a walk to the harbour (about 45 minutes from The Parador) to the restaurant Café Mira Luna. The menu is modern, unfussy and four of us had lunch with drinks for €50. The staff are all happy to see you and the view across the harbour is stunning with sailing boats bobbing around in the crystal clear cobalt blue sea.
Just behind the cafe is the Església del mar (Fisherman’s Church) and this is well worth a visit whether you are practicing christian or not. The unique architecture is stunning and depicts the keel of a ship over a gigantic poured concrete structure.
Another nice restaurant on the sea front (10 minutes from the The Parador) is the Chabada. Serving modern european and traditional Spanish meals. Four of us had dinner with drinks for under €90.
Nomad is a fabulous hotel with a beachside location and a spa offering a range of treatments. Room rates start at €160 and the rooftop bar serves drinks and tapas from 1pm to 4pm.
View over the Mediterranean from the harbour
Delicio almuerzo con vistas al mar – Cala Bandida At the end of the beach above the diving school is Cala Bandida. They do a great all day food service, but if you just want a drink in a lovely shaded terrace overlooking the sea, this is the place to be.
Clockwise left to right. Arras town hall, The chateau, pink day room, Chantel in the piano room, dining room
Travelling on the A26, The Chateau Grand-Rullecourt is a perfect stopover for visiting the beautiful town of Arras. You will get a huge room with a lovely bathroom and if you request the front downstairs room you walk straight out onto the lawn.
Chantel proudly shows off the piano that Chopin used to compose much of his work and you will get a wonderful breakfast with homemade jams and fruits from her garden.
Grand Rullecourt is a nice village to wander and you can pick up the D75 main road just outside the gates of the chateau. Arras is famous for its Baroque style architecture and Flemish central squares. Further afield is the Vimy ridge memorial, a magnificent monument honouring the Canadian forces that died in the first world war.
Château de Grand-Rullecourt, Place du château, 62810, Grand-Rullecourt
Deal in Kent is one of the prettiest seaside towns in the UK, and Steadfast with its central location is a superb place to stay. Just three minutes walk from the sea front, this two bedroom accommodation has everything you need. Modern appliances and great central heating.
Relax in comfort
You will ❤️ the kitchen with its big high work tops. Bedrooms have lovely cotton bed linen and there is a comfy lounge.
If you’re foodies, this is the place to be. Just across the street is The Rose which serves fabulous food cooked in the open kitchen. Be sure to try their menu of the day. Also try the Pop Up restaurant for wonderful homemade food, their soups are delicious. The Sicilian is just round the corner and offers low priced but extremely tasty food. They also have a fully stocked deli counter selling all kinds of Italian produce including lardo and guanciale.
One of the best camping sites in the country. You won’t see it advertised and over 50% of their customers return every year.
With a heated outdoor pool and lovely terraced area where you can enjoy very nice reasonably priced meals and drinks, this is campsite with a splash of luxury.
Super, spacious pitches set in 12 acres of rolling Cornish countryside and a view down to Mevagissey bay its a beauty. There is a shop and kitchen serving meals on the terrace or to take away to your pitch. The Curry is particularly popular and freshly baked bread and croissants are available every morning.
Nearby beaches are Gorran Haven (2.2 miles), Caerhays (1.7 miles) and Vault Beach (2.5 miles), all welcome dogs with responsible owners.
Travelling further afield there are two regular bus services. The 471 is a hail and stop service that runs Mon-Fri. Graham the driver is brilliant and you will have to accept he might stop Shirley’s house on the way to pick up or deliver her post.
The second service is the Gorran and District community bus which runs weekdays only and you will need to phone and book your seat, particularly at busy times. In addition to scheduled services to St Austell and Truro they run several excursions. We did Penzance for the extremely reasonable £7 return (door to door).
Sourdeval is a pretty town with stunning flower displays everywhere. Plenty of space for camper van parking. A free camper stopover with power and water in the centre of town (max 72 hours). A great municipal camping park on the edge of town with good facilities including nice shower block with piping hot water for €50 per week. Simply park up and plug in, and a lady comes round at the end of the day to take payment.
Some nice restaurants in the centre of town (try the Zebra), several good supermarkets and a laundrette.
Sourdeval church – opposite the camper parking and Gite
La Gite Sourdeval is a charming little gite right in the centre opposite the church. With its own gated access and secure parking this pet friendly is perfect for short or long stays. Contact Louis Renate 0033 (0)6 02 30 07 19
Sat Nav: 2 Place de Parvis, 5150 Sourdeval
Campers are welcome in Sourdeval
To Angers
We took the state roads going through pretty villages. Mortain, Bion, St Jean Corail, Saint Patrice and Le Teillevl.
Join the D32 to the D5 eventually linking up with the N162 at Laval and finally the D28 takes you into Angers in the Loire Valley.
There is a huge shopping centre on the outskirts of Angers at Beaucouzé with free easy parking and plenty of space for camper vans. Free internet throughout the site. This centre is probably the blueprint for the future of retail. Google Centre Commercial L’Atoll or go to https://www.latoll-angers.fr
Angers is a great town for walking and public transport is great with buses and trams as well as bikes and scooters for hire. We started a three day visit with Le Petit Tren which for €7 gives you a great introduction to the town (pick it up on the hour outside tourist information in the town centre. There are many civic gardens to stroll around and of course the Chateau is spectacular.
Just on the outskirts of town is Camping d’Angers – Lac de Maine set in 120 hectares (open 27th March to 1st November). Recently refurbished with a new heated swimming pool, this is an ideal place to explore the region. Part of the Huttopia group, you can be sure of the quality of the park. https://www.campingangers.com/en/
To Bergerac
We took the N10 (toll free route) which takes a direct line south. The A87 toll road takes you another 70 kilometres and doesn’t really gain you that much time and misses several nice stopping places en route. Poitiers is a fabulous city and Angouleme is a pretty town and they conveniently split the journey into equal thirds.
Bergerac is famous for Cyrano and a statue of him is in the old town. The old town is very quaint and a short walk from the town centre. Lots of restaurants and nice shops. On the river, so be prepared for Mosquitos and wear a suitable repellent. Carrefour have just started selling a great Eau de Cologne – Fraiche Verveine Citron for €1.30, that keeps the mosquitoes at bay and smells wonderful. If you do get bitten use vinegar to take the sting out of the bites. Some people recommend apple cider vinegar, but ordinary vinegar works just as well
HEAL 