Great for camping (Vendee)

Member Name: mizzy

Product:	Vendee
Date:	30/04/09 (156 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sunny, great beaches, good nightlife

Disadvantages: Not much to do if you dont have a car

The Vendee is an area on the coast of west france, just above royan, below Brittany. I worked there for a summer a few years ago, and am heading back there in July to work.

Some parts are very pretty, like the town St Gilles Croix de Vie, an old port town with lots of photo opportunities and nice outdoor resturants. Theres a nice walk along the sea front, and later at night there are several lively bars in high season that have live music.

Further north is the town of St John de Mont. This town has a fantastic beach, and loads to do such as windsurfing, banana boat rides and other water sport activities. Personally I think its way too touristy, all the shops are aimed at tourists, in low season its like a ghost town. There is one lovely Italian resturant though, you just have to walk around a bit before you find it. Its in a sunken garden and has a green front, cant remember the name of it.

The Vendee is camping central, all along the coast are loads of campsites, very close to each other, sometimes with just a wall dividing them. Some of these campsites are not very nice, namely the ones with no UK companies on them. A lot of french chavs and teenagers go on holiday here, as theres a good nightlife, so just do your research before you go.

At night near St Hilaire de Rez, there is a bar called the Pint Pot. Its one of the best places to spend the evening, although its not really suitable for children late at night, and a lot of the reps go there after work. Its cheap, has karaoke, and lots of outdoor seating.

Next door is Cocos, a club thats a bit grotty but again you get a lot of the reps going there. The bouncers are very professional and any trouble is sorted out immediately. They also have a cloakroom so you dont have to worry about your bag. They make great cocktails and play some good funky french dance tunes. Only problem is the queue for the ladies toilet, so we always used to just go in the mens.

If you drive a bit further north theres the city of Nantes, which also has an airport so you could fly drive if you dont fancy the ferry. I didnt actually go there for more than 5 minutes because of changing trains, but it was busy and there were a lot more french people than english, so a bit more authentic!

If you head inland there are some lovely countryside walks, and also a medieval theme park, which again I didnt visit but the customers said it was very good.

Right at the bottom of the Vendee is La Rochelle, a beautiful town with pretty buildings, quaint little shops and a really sunny beach! Its a bit of a trek from the north Vendee but again there are loads of campsites around here so you wont be stuck for accomodation.

Theres loads to do beside the beach, but you really need a car to see it all. I would recommend either getting the ferry to St Malo and driving from there, or fly drive to either la Rochelle or Nantes and renting a car.

If its sunny its beautiful, the beaches are amazing, sandy and nice cold water for when you get too hot. If its raining try and visit the towns and get a bit of culture, which is rare in most of the Vendee but can be found if you have a car.

Summary: I loved working there