Three Goto France 22 - Westwards Ho!

So where do we go from here. Currently at the start of the fourth day we are in the Burgundy wine region. I have extended the stay here to two nights so that we can go and have a look around the vineyards. Maybe invest in some wine to drink over the holiday. But dégustation is essential to ensure the right wine is bought.

I gave up the idea of Annecy as I simply couldn't find a site that suited me. I wanted to be on the lake and the only one wasn't dog friendly. So I began to look elsewhere.

We decided that although the Cote d'Azur would have been nice, it might have been a little too hot for Reggie. So that was knocked on the head

Auvergne? Dordogne?

Using pitchup.com I had a look and found a few sites near Sarlat la Canada. An area we have been to before and so is pretty well known to us. It's at Camping Le Bourniou, Saint-Julien-de-Lampon. Some good reviews on Tripadvisor.

I have booked five nights here so we can chill a bit. The campsite is right alongside the river and it has a pebble beach. That leaves seven more nights to plan for.

Claire is worried that if we leave the site that when we get back we'll find someone else has parked there! I have to say as I haven't been camped for over 20 years I can only remember coming back to a site in France to find a car from a neighbouring pitch had parked on our pitch! We were there with a tent and two motorcycles, and yet with one locked up on the pitch and the rent there and clear to see the English prat parked across on out pitch! I couldn't locate which prat it was and had to get the campsite management to get it shifted so I could park my bike! Pitches are allocated FFS!

As for the Loire valley, I have been this way several times before. It is pretty much non-toll all the way. Maybe a few days on the coast to chill and relax near a beach, and then spend a few days with overnights as we travel back to Calais and the Tunnel home?

After Le Bourniou we still have 7 nights to book a stop at. The more I look the more I am finding that places are fully booked up. I expect like the UK, there are many people on the continent are having "staycations" even though we should be there before many of the countries' kids are on their long summer break.

So after giving up on the Landes area to be near the sea, I started to work my way up the west (Atlantic) coast. Several sites that looked promising either weren't dog friendly, or they had poor reviews. I like to see reviews from people that have been there without too many negatives or "dislikes". Its the same when I book a hotel. Why book a place with a review of 5/10 when there is an 8+/10 available?

So for the 7th to 11th July we are on the coast to the north of the Vendée at Camping Sandaya La Grande Côte. That gives us another four night in the Van and near the sea. There is direct access to the beach from the campsite. Nearer the time we can address Claire's worry about leaving and coming back to find someone on our pitch!

It looks a peaceful site and the only one I haven't booked through pitchup.com. I have asked for a shaded site as July might be warm (we hope there is sun!) and Reggie will be able to not to get too hot!

So there we are some 750 miles from home and three overnights still to plan before we have to be on the train under the Channel. Where next.