Camping Club Les Tamaris 4*

For the money, the park is good value, though the costs of French food and meals add up. After that, an all-inclusive trip to Majorca or Greece may make more sense. Prices in France felt off-putting compared with other countries. A pint in the complex was 8 euro, Coke 3/4 euro, and cocktails 9-12 euro. Food at the local Lidl seemed expensive compared with the UK, with a pack of beef mince costing 9/10 euro. I did wonder how people in the area manage, since jobs seem limited to the tourist season. We also drove into Spain, where everything was half the cost. Camping Club MS Les Tamaris has very helpful reception staff who speak fluent English. We're a family of three who speak little French, though, and struggled to communicate with other staff around the park. The facilities for children aged 0-14 are incredible, and the park is hard to fault for facilities and cleanliness. A few things bothered us. France doesn't allow standard swimming shorts in the pool, or at least this park doesn't. They also don't allow food such as ice cream in the pool complex, which is frustrating in 30 degree heat when neighboring countries allow it. The beaches in this part of France are incredible. Argles, around a 30/40min drive, was our pick. You have to clean your apartment after your stay or risk a fine. Why not hire cleaners like parks in the UK? Be aware there are NO OVENS in the lodges. The bathroom always smelled like wet farts/rotten eggs. A few small changes could make the place faultless.

The kids club was useful at the start, since we could register and leave the child there for certain hours while we got organised. There are activities throughout the day, and the people running them are incredible. We also found the fitness instructor a lifesaver, especially with the bakery next door. Axel is one of the best trainers we know. He explains each exercise so you understand it, from beginner to expert level, and meets you where you are with a little progression. For racquet sports, reception offers everything at no extra cost. The pitch costs extra in high season, but ping pong is free. They also provide pétanque and molky. There's a bigger gym for those who want one, with a vegetable market next to it. For food shopping, there's Lidl, Aldi and the larger Intermarché. I'd do the main shop at Lidl, then go to Intermarché for anything missed. Marie blancere is the bakery next door, and the pastries, tarts and cakes are worth it. Or maybe not! There's also a McDonald's open until 3am. A train runs on a schedule to the beach. The beach there is somewhat pebbly. If you're driving and don't mind, I'd suggest Lydia beach. It's still coarse sand, but better than where the train drops you. For the guys and boys, only tight swimwear is allowed, as others have mentioned. They're concerned people might wear the short type of swimsuit all day and then go into the pool in it. I personally didn't like having to make the bed or clean the place. We would have left it in decent condition anyway, and it added stress to make sure it was better than when we arrived. It's our first time doing this kind of holiday. If this is what camping means, I guess you can get used to it. 😏

We stayed at the end of the season, in late September, in a premium 6p cottage. The park is small, modern and very clean, with a big, clean pool and enough to entertain all ages. There was a varied programme of entertainment, plus a restaurant and little shop. Our cottage had plenty of room, and the patio and plancha were nice additions. A bakery and supermarket are nearby. There are two busy N-roads, with an 80km/h limit, on either side of the site. Depending on where your cottage is, you can hear the traffic quite clearly, though we got used to it after a few days. Some things could be improved. Our sofa sagged, and the cottage wasn't level. A repairman made it a bit better but it still wasn't quite right. In low season, evening entertainment was scheduled every night except Saturday. It was meant to finish at 23.00, but we often heard music until 23.45-00.00, which isn't great when travelling with young children.

Les bacares is a short walk away, with a nice beach and good restaurants, and there are lots of cycle paths around. For English guests, a bit of French helps since there weren't many English-speaking staff, though we managed fine. The campsite was fantastic, beautifully maintained with lots of flowers and greenery. We stayed in a premier caravan that was spacious, modern in decor, and very well equipped. The plancha on the decking was a particular favourite. There was plenty to do, including archery, paddle, horse riding and trampolines, plus a great play area and fantastic pool complex. The on-site restaurant and bar were good too.