At the beginning of the month we headed to France for Baby’s first holiday abroad. We had been invited by eurocamp to stay at one of their sites in Europe and we picked France. Knowing we would be driving to the ferry, then again once in France, we decided on Domaines des Ormes in Dol-de-Bretagne (Brittany). We got the ferry to Cannes, which was about an hour and a half from our destination. Arriving late afternoon, very keen to settle into our accommodation.
We had been booked into a three bedroomed static caravan. There are smaller caravans, pre pitched tents, pitching sites, tree houses also available, depending on where you prefer to stay. Camping without a festival attached is not for me, so the static caravan it was!
The decked area was awesome and had a lockable gate, which meant we could let Baby be free range, confident in the knowledge that she couldn’t escape. The deck was equipped with a table and chairs for dining, plus two reclining sun chairs (although one of ours was broken). There was a section of grass at the bottom of the deck stairs for your car, there was also a BBQ and two sun loungers. Having the car so close was welcomed by Hubby who always gets the job of unpacking the car!
We had a quick nose round and unpacked the necessities. The cabin was quite small, although three bedroomed there wasn’t much additional space, but each bedroom did have small cupboards, so you could pop things out of sight.
What’s included
- Linen bundles (although only one pillow case per person)
- Duvets/pillows
- Kettle (old fashioned hob top one)
- Radio
- Microwave
- Dishwasher
- LOTS of chairs…..
Extras (if required)
- Towel pack
- Essentials pack
- Toiletries pack
- Welcome pack
- Bed guard
- Potty
- Highchair
- Changing mat
- Cot/linen
- All terrain buggy
- Junior tent
- Booster seat
- Decking gate
- Baby bath
Our heating unfortunately didn’t work, so our first night was quite chilly. The next morning we popped down to report it and were assured it would be sorted out for us. On our return from a day out, I tried calling our contact, but could only leave a message; so it was another cold night. The following morning I called again and this time, someone popped up and after a couple of hours we had heat again, thankfully.
I was surprised that there was no toaster. A toaster and an electric kettle would have made our morning routine a little smoother, keeping Baby away from a hot grill and gas stove top was tricky at times. We didn’t use the dishwasher, but it was a great addition.
There was one seating area inside, unlike some static caravans which have a living area with a section in it for dining. While it was fine for meal times (those that weren’t outdoors), it wasn’t particularly relaxing in the evenings once Baby was in bed. We also felt that it could have been cleaner, there was noticeable dirt under beds and some marks on the bedding.
A yummy meal cooked by Mr Hubby
Activities
I was really surprised by how much was on offer right there on the site. Keeping it simple, Baby loved the ducks and we spent quite a lot of time feeding them!
There were a few different lakes offering a selection of watersports. For adventurous people (not us), there were opportunities to go wall climbing and have a go to tree top adventure courses. The resort has its own 18 hole golf course and an equestrian centre, with a vast sports programme too.
Such a lovely spot to sit and relax
Baby spotting the fish in the lake
Baby had lots of fun in the playgrounds, even mastering a rope bridge all by herself! Heart in mouth time for Mummy and Daddy though!
Stopping to kiss Mummy and Daddy half way through her rope bridge walk
There was a fabulous outdoor pool with slides and a wave machine, with an adjoining indoor pool. Another water complex was shut, as we visited close to the end of the season.
We were thrilled that Baby would be able to go riding while we were on holiday and Baby couldn’t wait to get going! So much so that she wouldn’t let go of her riding boots!
In the middle of the resort was this smaller stable block where the ponies were during the summer months. Here it was possible to ‘hire’ a pony for 10 euros, and together with a small group of others, take them out (leading your own child) on a pre determined walk taking about 20 minutes or so. We went on Sunday (6th September) and this was the last day the ponies would be there, as this block then closed for the winter.
Baby just adored riding Ukulele and had a fabulous time on her first ever hack (having only ridden in areas or fields before).
The ponies were totally saintly. You could be so confident that, while they weren’t plods you had to drag along, they were totally safe for the kids. At one point we had people on rope bridges above their heads and they didn’t bat an eyelid. I did want to bring a couple of them home!
From Tuesday onwards the pony riding moved to the Equestrian Centre. The arrangements were the same here, although we went out on our own and the route was just to the end of the lane, which was a much shorter ride.
This time Baby rode Rasmott, it was so cute hearing her say his name.
We booked for the following day and when Baby was asked to pick her pony, she chose Rassmott again! He obviously made an impression.
We decided to try out the crazy golf course, which cost 17 euros for two adults and a child. On reflection, I am not quite sure what we were thinking, as Baby hysterically declared ‘I’ll get it!’ and retrieved our ‘just-hit’ balls throwing them back to us! Probably not the best 17 euros we spent, but it was very funny.
First a quick pose in Daddy’s hat the previous day, when we couldn’t find where to hire the clubs.
How cute is our little golfer?!
She loved it when Mr Hubby helped her, but it wasn’t long until she returned to ‘getting’ our balls for us.
We were wandering past the stage area one day and noticed people beginning to gather on the grass embankment, so we joined them, curious to see what was happening. Elsa appeared and sang lots of Disney Princess songs. Baby was captivated and wandered down the hill when all the children were invited onto the stage. Although she wasn’t brave enough to set foot on stage with the Princess.
Every time Mr Hubby or I so much as looked at her while the singing was going on, she shhhh’d us. Fair enough!
Places to eat
There was a bar at the resort, but it didn’t serve food. Our only options in the evenings were the pizza/pasta place or the restaurant. We decided the restaurant wasn’t the best place for a toddler with attitude, so on our first evening we opted for a pizza and pasta.
Things to remember
- Don’t forget your plug adapters.
- Take your own towels unless you pre book towel hire.
- Pre book all the extras that you need.
- The resort grocery shop is closed from lunchtime until 4.30pm.
- The gift shop (and the place where you could buy your internet connection closed for the season on Sunday 6th September.
- There is free wifi in the centre of the resort, but the connection isn’t great in the rest of the resort. You can buy a connection for $25 per device for the week or $40 for three devices.
Although there were a few blips, we really enjoyed our eurocamp holiday. We found it quiet and peaceful, although it is worth remembering that we went at the end of the season. If you have children, it is a fabulous place to stay as there is so much to do right there at the resort.
Disclosure: We were guests of eurocamp, all opinions are my own.