Having booked so many families over the years to lots of different campsites and hearing such great feedback, I finally decided to experience a mobile home holiday first hand with my own family
I had received so many recommendations from colleagues and clients that I found it quite difficult to decide on where to go. Because we were travelling in early June, I liked the idea of the South of France as I hoped we might be lucky with the weather. I also wanted to try a small campsite that would be suitable for young children. So I decided on L’Hippocampe in Argeles Sur Mer in the Languedoc area.
I had a choice of flying to Carcassonne or Gerona but as the Carcassonne flights were quite expensive, I opted for Gerona. I booked a car in advance as I wanted to make sure we could take the car across the border. So off we went on our campsite adventure...
We arrived at Gerona airport to discover that my husband had forgotten to pack his driving licence and the Sat Nav! So it was not only my first campsite holiday but my first time to drive on the right-hand side of the road! We arrived quite late into Gerona Airport and unfortunately the car-rental company had just given out their last Sat Nav but they were kind enough to give us directions. So off I drove in the dark to find my way to Argeles Sur Mer.
The first thing I noticed when I arrived at the campsite was the beautiful smell of lavender in the air. The reps were so helpful and immediately supplied us with a kettle and iron and gave us some maps and lots of information on places to visit.
L’Hippocampe has a restaurant and reception area but doesn’t have a supermarket. However, directly across the road is La Sirene, a much bigger sister campsite of L’Hippocampe and they have literally everything you could need. Guests can use the facilities of both campsites. La Sirene is where the nightly entertainment happens and I was amazed by how good the entertainment was. L’Hippocampe has a fantastic heated pool with lots of water slides and different depths to keep everyone happy.
There is also a huge Carrefour shopping Centre complete with McDonalds less than a 5 minute drive away from the campsite. So I can honestly say everyone is very well catered for here.
We were very lucky with the weather and only had 1 day of rain while we were there. Although the children were more than happy to spend every day by the pool, we managed to tear them away so that we could explore the surrounding areas. The town of Argeles is so pretty and the promenade area is perfect for evening strolls. We also visited the medieval town of Carcassonne which was lovely but Collioure was by far the favourite. The buildings are beautiful and the views over the Mediterranean Sea are just stunning.
I found this to be one of the most relaxing holidays I have ever had. I can now hand-on-heart confidently recommend this type of holiday. L’Hippocampe is perfect for families with younger children and La Sirene is perfect for teenagers. My only regret is that we were only there for 1 week. I will definitely return and next time will stay longer.