Camping Le Lac des Varennes

The lake and snack bar were great, and this was a nice place to stop over. The showers and toilets on the far side were much better. The ones nearest the bins could use an upgrade and a proper clean.

Really nice location, with a lovely swimming lake and pleasant, helpful staff. But the toilets had no toilet paper or seats, just a bare white bowl. It’s past 10 p.m. and the bar is so loud it feels like an open-air nightclub. It’s a decent site, but there seems to be no care or supervision. I can’t remember another site I’ve visited in Europe without toilet paper or even a toilet seat. Madness.

There’s a small beach at the campsite for swimming in the lake, and a lovely walking path around the fishing lake in the public water park. You get an armband to enter that area. The campsite is beside the lake, about a 15-minute walk from the village and close to one of the cycling routes. The bar serves food and drinks and has family entertainment. The toilet and shower facilities were clean.

We’re an elderly couple and spent a week at this lakeside site with our two dogs. We liked the spacious pitch, friendly service, snack bar and bar, children’s facilities, and safe swimming beach. Next door, the outdoor leisure centre was lovely. We rented a pédalo and paddle board there at a very reasonable price. Just note that the bar and leisure centre are closed out of season. There was very little we disliked. The rubbish skips are a long way from the pitches, so more bins around the site would help. We’d also like a small part of the beach where dogs are allowed. We’d recommend the site for all ages.