I took my family to the epic French holiday resort you can get to by ferry with kids club and laid back vibes
STANDING on a small wooden platform way up in the treetops, I don’t want to make the leap.
My next foothold will be another ledge high in the branches, about 50 metres away.
To reach it, I need to hurl myself on a zip wire over a lake, praying that my harness will hold after all the croissants I’ve demolished since arriving in France.
I’m sorely tempted to back out, but my husband Chris is chasing my tail. If
I don’t jump soon, he’ll come flying into me feet-first.
Meanwhile, our four-year-old twins are safely on the ground, playing games and crafting in the kids’ club.
READ MORE ON FAMILY HOLIDAYS
And to think we could have spent this precious, child-free morning sipping panache (French shandy) at our holiday parc’s lakeside brasserie . . .
But here we are, clipped on to the treetop adventure course at Eurocamp’s Domaine des Ormes, near Dol-de-Bretagne in Brittany.
The parc is within easy reach of ferry ports including Saint Malo and Roscoff, making it ideal for those not wanting to travel too far.
But there are far better reasons to stay here, including the pretty woodland setting, impressive range of activities and epic pool complex, complete with waterslides and lazy river.
For my family of four, this is our first Eurocamp experience.
I’d heard good things about the outdoor holiday specialist from friends raving about their bakeries and swimming pools. And it was time to see it for myself.
With two weeks to spare, we chose a two-point holiday, opting for a first week on France’s west coast before a second in Brittany.
Our adventure began on the overnight ferry to France. While the kids excitedly leapt between bunks in our cabin, I watched through the porthole as Plymouth slipped away beneath the sunset.
The next morning, we woke up in the French port of Roscoff, known for its pink onions and crepes, before clambering into our car and starting the six-and-a-half-hour drive south.
Our destination for the first week was Eurocamp’s La Pinede parc, near the seaside resort of Les Mathes in Charente-Maritime.
Sandwiched between the Atlantic and the Gironde estuary, the campsite has a laid-back vibe, with holiday homes scattered through the pine forest, as well as entertainment on tap for all ages.
Outdoor yoga
Pulling up outside our two-bed holiday home, complete with private decking, I quickly notice how relaxed our new neighbours seem.
Children cycle between pools to get their final swim before bedtime (which is much later than at home).
Parents sit on the terraces of their cabins playing cards and drinking red wine (which costs less than a tenner for a decent supermarket bottle).
Barbecues sizzle, swimwear is hung out to dry, more wine is poured.
Later, families stroll to the evening entertainment, which ranges from cabaret shows to “full-moon parties”.
We adjust very easily to the slowed-down pace at La Pinede, ditching our car and hiring bikes to get around.
Each morning, I cycle to the on-site shop to buy croissants and local melons for breakfast, loving the simplicity of it.
Our days are mainly spent together as a family, whooshing down slides in the aquapark, playing mini golf and eating on our deck (although there is also a restaurant for those times when we cannot be bothered to cook).
One afternoon, we took the kids on tagalong bikes, pedalling four miles to La Palmyre beach for ice creams and sandcastle-building.
But, for tired parents, the free children’s club for ages four to 17 offers some very welcome respite.
While the waves near La Coubre Lighthouse beckon for surf-mad Chris, I’m keen for something more zen, in the shape of outdoor yoga.
Chloe Mafana is a local yoga teacher who runs weekly classes at La Pinede (€10 per person).
And after an hour of mindful breathing and stretching, and a final relaxation to the sound of Chloe’s wind chimes, I feel blissed out.
Our second week has a different feel. Around 250 miles north of La Pinede, Domaine des Ormes is a bigger parc with even more activities, including wakeboarding, archery and horse riding.
Nearby attractions include the fortified abbey of Mont Saint-Michel.
While Chris and I were impressed by its 12th-century cobbled streets and bay views, the kids were wowed by the fact this tidal island inspired the kingdom in Disney movie Tangled.
Although Domaine des Ormes is a bigger site, the simple pleasures of our first week — evening barbecues, children playing outside and chilled-out parents sipping wine — were still there.
But back on that treetop ledge, way above ground, I felt far from chilled out.
With no option to turn back, though, I took a deep breath and leapt forward into the void.
The line caught me and I picked up speed, seeing the woods and lake rush by beneath me.
Then I started to get into it, jumping from successive platforms with increasing confidence.
After countless whoops, the final platform zoomed into view — and it was all over too soon.
Adrenaline rushed through me and my heart was pumping as I unclipped from the course.
My feet may have been back on the ground, but I was still on a high.
GO: Eurocamp France
GETTING THERE: Brittany Ferries sails from Portsmouth, Plymouth or Poole to five French ports in Brittany and Normandy. Ferry fares from Plymouth to Roscoff start from £324 each way for a car and family of four.
See brittany-ferries.co.uk or call 0330 159 7000.
STAYING THERE: Seven nights’ self-catering at La Pinede in a Classic two-bedroom holiday home, sleeping up to four, is from £212 in total, arriving on May 23 for half term.
Seven nights’ self-catering at Domaine des Ormes in an Eco Lodge Tent, sleeping up to four, is from £706 in total, arriving on May 23 for half term.
See eurocamp.co.uk.
