Camping le Pré des Moines

At 11:10pm cars were still passing right by my head, and people were only just beginning to put up tents. There’s no privacy or peace here, and the atmosphere felt flat. I’ve stayed at nine other sites in France and Belgium recently, and this is the only one that made me leave a poor review. The bathrooms were rank, and there was no hand soap anywhere in the sanitary facilities. The showers are cramped, suitable for small teenagers at best, and the ground is so hard you can’t get a tent peg in. I paid €28 for a pitch that the dismissive receptionist didn’t think was worth discussing. The gravel on the right of the bike is actually the road, so people walk right by my feet or head as I type. I was asked whether I wanted power, said yes, and was told I’d get it at reception. There was no power at either of the rock-hard pitches. I’d like a refund.

You can choose from different pitches for a caravan or tent, and power is available. It was mostly quiet at night, though some road noise came through. The facilities were reasonably clean, but they don’t provide toilet paper or soap.

A compact, pleasant campsite. There were a few groups staying when we visited, but it caused no problems.

We came with a tent and trailer and were glad to find a place at short notice in July. The narrow pitch was tight but usable, though the stony ground means heavy-duty sand pegs and a big mallet will help. The toilet and shower block could be cleaner, although some guests’ behaviour doesn’t make things easy for the staff. It’s a bit of an odd campsite with several different kinds of guests. There are luxury glamping pods with hot tubs, people passing through for Camp Astérix and Chantilly, and, around the corner on the same site, what looked like medium-term residents of Irish origin driving new UK-registered Land Cruisers and fairly bling caravans. It did the job, but I’ve stayed at much nicer 3* sites.