Le Moulin Fort

Being a rookie parent of a school age child, and fearing that there may not be a single camping spot free in the whole of France during August, we booked our spot at Le Moulin Fort in the dark days of January. This early booking meant that we rolled into a coverted riverside pitch when we arrived at Le Moulin Fort following a one-night stopover in Rouen.

The campsite is set in a beautiful spot and it is clean, tidy and well run. There’s a nice pool for a bracing dip (it’s unheated) and a toddler pool, an impressive playground, a book swap, crazy golf and a cosy brasserie and bar serving pizza and all things with chips (bit stingy on the mozzarella at times…).

Ten minutes walk down the river is the beautiful 16th century Chateau du Chenonceau. It’s definitely worth a visit although we just admired it from the bank.

It’s really worth being by the river if you can book early (or get lucky!) enough. There’s beautiful views, boats for hire opposite and you can take a picnic rug right down to the riverside.

My only niggle with Le Moulin Fort is that the many, many notices, rules and posters plastered all over every surface are all a bit…reproachful. You constantly feel like you’re being told off for something you haven’t done and had no intention of doing.

Aside from that this campsite is a real gem. Although it was full you never felt like it was unbearably busy, there was usually a spot to sit at the pool and the service is friendly and quick at the bar and brasserie. I’m sure we will return next year (if I can get over my fear that going back to the same campsite is the first step towards wearing matching outfits and refusing to eat foreign food…).