Camping des Gorges de L'allier

The staff were cheerful and spoke both English and French well, and the fresh bread and rolls at breakfast were perfect. There was no canoe hire on site, only across town. At the pool and bakery, you could only pay in cash, and swimming trunks weren't allowed in the pool. The entry code only worked once. The bathrooms were cleaned daily but stayed wet, with no toilet paper, soap, or disinfectant gel. There was also no separate collection for batteries or brown glass bottles.

It was easy to find a spot that suited us, even with the campsite so busy, thanks to the open layout. All four facility blocks stayed very clean. The pool was crowded on 13th July, but it was over 34 degrees, so that wasn't a surprise. The loungers were comfortable, and it's well placed for heading into town for a beer.

We were close to Langeac city center, with several nice restaurants nearby, and rafting and canyoning activities were also close. The campsite has a huge range of places for cars or tents, and even in July there were so many spaces that a reservation didn't seem necessary. The sanitary facilities, snack bar, and pool were all very clean. Great camping experience.

We liked being able to pitch anywhere instead of being assigned a numbered site. It gave the place a relaxed, cozy feel, and the prices were old-fashioned too if you didn't take electricity. The problem was the toilet blocks weren't all kept clean. In high season, one cleaning a day isn't enough for hundreds of people using them.