Family Campervan Campsite Reviews – France & Spain Road Trip

France

Flowers Camping La Guichardière – Plaine-sur-Mer

We chose this site for its proximity to the beach and the appeal of the waterpark for the kids — and it didn’t disappoint. Just 300 m from the beach via a flat walk, the site had level pitches with shady hedges on three sides for privacy. We were close to the toilets and showers, and there was a great on-site park for the children. The little shop was reasonably priced, the bar was good, and bike hire was fair, which meant we could explore the La Vélodyssée cycle route straight from the site.

Facilities: Clean toilets and showers with plenty of cubicles. Good washing-up area.

Swimming pool: Fantastic! Indoor heated pool, outdoor pool, slides, and a toddler splash area. Sadly, it was a bit too cold to enjoy the outdoor pools and slides fully.

Location: Great for cycle paths and the beach, but not close to supermarkets.

Overall rating: ★★★★☆

Kids’ rating: ★★★☆☆

La Côte d’Argent – Hourtin-Plage

A 5-star campsite set among pine trees, near the beautiful Lake Hourtin. Our flat pitch had no privacy, but this wasn’t an issue during our stay. Toilets and showers were mixed-sex but spotless, and there was even a baby bath, which Dotty loved. It’s about a 15-minute walk to the beach through town, with surf shops, restaurants, and bike hire along the way.

Facilities: Plenty of immaculate toilets and showers, a decent shop, an arcade for the kids, and a good restaurant.

Swimming pool: One of the best of the trip — smaller slides for Dotty, a lazy river, two main pools, a big flume section, plus indoor splash areas.

Location: Excellent for exploring, with direct cycle path access.

Downside: Lack of privacy on pitches if the site is busy.

Overall rating: ★★★★½

Kids’ rating: ★★★★☆

Camping La Civelle – Capbreton

We booked for two nights but left after one. While our pitch was level, there was no privacy, and the toilets and showers were neither clean nor conveniently located.

Facilities: Small, unused pool (looked nice though).

Location: 14-minute drive to Hossegor; Lewis skated to the beach for a surf.

Overall rating: ★★☆☆☆

Kids’ rating: ★★☆☆☆

Yelloh! Village Sylvamar

We liked the size of this large site — plenty to keep the children entertained. It’s a short drive to Hossegor, with lots of on-site activities. The shop was well stocked, and the evening entertainment sounded great (we just got our days wrong and only heard it from our pitch!).

Facilities: Toilets and showers were spotless, beautifully decorated, and well laid out.

Swimming pool: Our eldest’s favourite of the whole trip — lazy river, big slides, splash area, and indoor pool.

Location: Close to Hossegor; Lewis even skated to the beach.

Downside: Ants on our pitch — they get everywhere!

Overall rating: ★★★★☆

Kids’ rating: ★★★★★

Les Gleres – Cauterets

A lovely site within walking distance of Cauterets town. Private, hedged pitches — some right beside the beautiful Gave de Cauterets river if you book ahead. Perfect base for our day trip to Lac de Gaube, just a 15-minute drive away.

Facilities: Very clean unisex toilets and showers, good washing-up and laundry areas.

Location: Excellent — walkable to town and close to Lac de Gaube.

Downside: Not particularly child-focused, so the kids were a bit bored.

Overall rating: ★★★☆☆

Kids’ rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Spain

Yelloh! Village Saint Miquel – Colera

Chosen for its pool, beach proximity, and our good past experiences with Yelloh! Villages. Check-in was slow, but we got a long, narrow pitch with decent privacy.

Facilities: Limited toilets/showers (only 2 women’s toilets, 3 showers), but they were close to our pitch. Good shop, restaurant, and snack bar.

Swimming pool: Our daughters' favourite! Deep pool for diving, great toddler splash area, and manageable slides — very easy to supervise.

Location: Short walk to the beach for snorkelling and sea glass hunting. Found an amazing snorkelling spot just a 5-minute drive away.

Downside: Rough surface around the pool and very dusty pitches.

Overall rating: ★★★½☆

Kids’ rating: ★★★★☆

Cala Pola – Tossa de Mar

We stayed in a 2-bedroom bungalow instead of camping, as our youngest daughter was unwell and it was too hot for her. The site was well equipped with level pitches, a great restaurant, and its own private beach.

Facilities: Excellent restaurant, games area, and regular bus service to Tossa de Mar.

Swimming pool: No slides, but in a stunning setting.

Location: Beautiful bay just steps from our bungalow — amazing snorkelling. Beautiful bay just steps from our bungalow — amazing snorkelling.

Downside: Noisy in the evenings near the games area.

Overall rating: ★★★★☆

Kids’ rating: ★★★★☆

La Siesta Salou Resort & Camping

We got the last pitch here! Chosen for its proximity to PortAventura. Large site with friendly staff and good-sized pitches.

Facilities: Spacious, clean showers with great water pressure. Pitches were a good size but not very private.

Swimming pool: Plenty of pools and slides for the kids.

Location: Walking distance to town, restaurants, and PortAventura.

Downside: Long walk to facilities from our pitch.

Overall rating: ★★★☆☆

Kids’ rating: ★★★☆☆

France (Return Leg)

Bord de Mer – Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Picked for its beach access and great reviews, this site had a shaded pitch under the trees. With the ACSI discount card, it was our cheapest stay — €80 for 3 nights.

Facilities: Minimal — one toilet nearby, no toilet roll or soap, and only one water fill point.

Location: Perfect! Next to the beach and close to a bus stop in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. A few options for eateries nearby, too.

Downside: No nearby shops — stock up beforehand. Facilities were a fair distance from our pitch.

Overall rating: ★★★½☆

Kids’ rating: ★★★½☆

Yelloh! Village Ilbarritz – Bidart

Close to Bidart and Biarritz, with bike hire, a great pool, and an arcade. We splurged on a pitch with a private sanitary block — toilet, shower, basin, fridge freezer, microwave, washing-up sink — plus a picnic bench, canopy, and BBQ.

Facilities: Excellent, with thought put into every detail. Good restaurant with veggie options, laundry, kids’ play area, and boules court.

Location: Beach within an easy cycle ride.

Downside: Very expensive — definitely book in advance.

Overall rating: ★★★★☆

Kids’ rating: ★★★★☆

Spain (Final Stop)

Camping Playa Joyel – Noja

We booked here for our final nights to avoid daily pack-up and because of its pools and beach location near Santander.

Facilities: Superb — spotless toilets and showers, baby wash station, shop, arcade, takeaway, laundry, bike hire, and great play areas.

Location: Right next to the beach.

Downside: Pool rules (swim caps required) were tricky with a toddler. Busy and noisy at times, though quiet after midnight. Pitches are not very private.

Overall rating: ★★★★☆

Kids’ rating: ★★★½☆

Final Thoughts

We were blown away by how well campsites in France and Spain cater for children — incredible pools, playgrounds, and family-friendly touches. We did pay a premium for facilities, but it was worth it for happy, occupied kids.

If you’re on a tighter budget, I’d recommend using the Search for Sites app and looking for ACSI Camping Card sites — we made some great savings with it. A bit of research goes a long way to finding the perfect stop for your trip.