On our adventure to see the châteaux of the Loire Valley, we had camped in 3 locations.
The first campsite was Les Acacias.
So, we have left Paris with our Indie Camper van around 5 pm. We needed to find a place on the Loire Valley not too far away and within a range of 2 to 3 hours driving. We took the highways just to make sure we reach on time. But, how we had chosen this campsite? You can read more about this on our post: "7 Criteria to Keep in Mind When Choosing a Kid Friendly Campsite".
Camping Les Acacias, France – useful information
Location:
- address: 11 Rue Berthe Morisot, 37700 La Ville aux Dames
- GPS coordinates: N: 47.4023 E: 0.7785
Website: Camping Les Acacias
Camping size: 63 pitches and 25 rentals
Dedicated space for one camping spot: minimum 100 m2
Opening hours at the reception:
- Low season: 2pm to 7pm
- High season: 9am to 7pm
- The gate is closed from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am (you cannot get out or in with a car/camper between these hours)
Prices as of 2019: EUR 24.5/ night (water and electricity included) during the low season for 2 adults and 1 child. You can check the prices for different periods here.
Animal friendly: YES; pets are accepted on the camping area under some conditions (please check online or send an email to find these conditions)
Kids friendly: YES (playground, slide with water which is running only in the sunny months)
Facilities for free: kitchen ( refrigerator with bunch of books to be borough, sinks to wash your dishes or veggies); bathroom (toilets, showers with hot-water, changing area for babies, no hair-dryer); wi-fi (the connection was good when we were closer to the reception area); camper facilities (dedicated chemical toilet point, dedicated waste water drain, dedicated drink water tap with available hose, electricity)
Facilities with extra cost: clothes washing machine – EUR 9 and dryer – EUR 10; bicycle renting (they also have child seats and helmets)
Good to know: The gate of the campsite is closing at 10:00 pm, so there is no option to get in or out with a car or camper until 7:00 am. In case you remain outside you can park in front of the camping if there are any available spots.
Access in and out campsite: 3 stars (we didn’t know that the campsite gate is closing at 10 pm, so we were not able to enter in the first night).
You will love:
- Staying in a chic village with a French allure on the Loire Valley
- Camping in a green area with acacias trees, flowers, plants
- Having the option to eat from a restaurant serving local products and from their own permaculture garden
- Paying a fair price for the facilities included
- Enjoying a tranquil area closed to châteaux de Chenonceau, Amboise, Villandry, Cande, Langeais, etc
So, I really recommend this campsite. We have enjoyed our 2 nights stay here. We did not make any reservation in advanced, but please keep in mind that during high season you might need to book your pitch.
The second one was actually more like a parking area for campers provided by the municipality of Savonnières close to the chateaux Villandry. I am going to use the term camping and campsite as well for these parking areas for the ease of communication.
Camping “Aire de stationnement camping-cars de Savonnière”, France – useful information
Location:
- address: Route du Bray, 37510 Savonnières, France (near Camping de la Confluence)
- GPS coordinates: Latitude: 47.351622; Longitude: 0.549938
Website: not available
Camping size: 12 pitches
Dedicated space for one camping spot: approx 50 m2 (we were the only camper on this location, so we had plenty of space just for us, so that we were able to play a football game)
Opening hours: non-stop as the access is made through a self-service machine.
Prices as of 2019:
- Low season: EUR 7,66/ night (electricity included)
- High season: EUR 9,66/ night (electricity included)
Animal friendly: it was not mentioned anything about not allowing pets
Kids friendly: there is a playground close to the campsite - 150 m and you can reach it by walking on a pedestrians and cycling path: the route La Loire à Vélo; the river is near the campsite; there is also a rack near the playground which can be explored.
Facilities for free: electricity, dedicated waste water drain, wi-fi
Facilities with extra cost: dedicated chemical toilet point – EUR 2
Good to know: Being a small campsite for only 12 campers and with a reasonable price, during high-season it might be quite busy. So, make sure you have other options on your map in the same area. There are couples of campsite in Villandry as well.
You will love:
- Staying in a chic village with a French allure
- One of the most astonishing sunsets over the Cher River, a left tributary of the Loire
- Paying a fair price for the facilities included
- Enjoying a tranquil area closed to château Villandry, Ussé, Chinon, Azay-Le-Rideau
So, I really recommend this place for the outstanding sunset over the Cher River. I got the most amazing pictures from campsites here.
The last one was a parking area near the Château de Chambord.
Camping “ Aire de stationnement camping car Château de Chambord”, France – useful information
Location:
- Address: D112, 41250 Chambord, France
- GPS coordinates: Latitude: 47.618698; Longitude: 1.50857
Website: not available
Camping size: 50 pitches (as per park4night.com)
Dedicated space for one camping spot: approx. 25 m2 (just to park your camper)
Opening hours: non-stop as the access is made through a self-service machine.
Prices as of 2019: EUR 11/24 hours (even if you just want to spend only couple of hours visiting the castle you still have to pay the whole price)
Animal friendly: it was not mentioned anything about not allowing pets
Kids friendly: no facilities for kids
Facilities for free: dedicated waste water drain
Facilities with extra cost: EUR 2 – 10 minutes of water; EUR 8 – 8 hours of electricity; bicycle renting; taking a boat trip near the castle (the service is available only during the high-season)
Good to know: It is full of dust, small, just a parking area, but it is a good option to come and camp during the evening to see the fascinating castle under the moon light and in a tranquil pace as all the tourists are heading home. In the morning you can visit the castle and leave afterwards.
The parking can be paid at the parking machine and the place where you put the parking card you will put also your bank card (Took me a while to get it and only with help 😂😎😋).
You will love:
- One of the most astonishing view of a château during sunset and night
- Enjoying birds’ song, owls, bats, bees
- Exploring the forest estate of Chambord, the largest wall-enclosed park in Europe (13,450 acres)
So, I really recommend this parking for the possibility of seeing the castle during evening, night, and early morning. It is beautiful to admire the castle flooded by moonlight or sunlight.
Disclaimer: The reviews published on this website are intended solely for the purpose of providing general information and comments, and they are PURELY OUR OPINIONS. We cannot guarantee that these reviews are still accurate at the point of reading, up to date, or free from error.
It is difficult to find a campsite which is 100% designed for everyone expectations. Also one person may love a busy campsite with lots of activities, while someone else may love a quiet campsite close to nature. Actually we tend to be the latter!
So what we have done is to highlight the good points of the campsites and maybe point out a few of what we have found as slightly negative points. However we strongly recommend that you make full use of internet sources before deciding about your holiday, including other review sites, Google maps, etc.
With Love and Gratitude, Simina Șerban
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