Wood you believe it? The forests of northern France are a fine place to go campingLooking for a change of pace and a chance to get away from it all? There's still time to squeeze a camping holiday from 2010 - and the forests of northern France offer enchanting playgrounds for family breaks. Think pine-fresh air, beds of orchids and fir canopies - as well as plenty of energy-burning, child-tiring activities guaranteed to ensure a good night’s sleep. Rhonda Carrier picks five great hideaways in the woods...
Tree-mendous fun in RambouilletBlessed with a handsome chateau that doubles up as the official summer residence of the French president, Rambouillet, in the far south-western suburbs of Paris, is the chic gateway to the huge national forest park of the same name.
Situated just 20 minutes from the Eiffel Tower, it’s still stuffed with the big game - including the wild boar and deer - that made it a favoured hunting ground of the French kings. A popular spot for walking, cycling, horse-riding, and mushroom-picking, it is blessed with long straight paths that make rambling a pleasure. But the real winner for kids is the Espace Rambouillet, a wildlife park with walking circuits, observation points, bird-of-prey displays, and the fantastic Odyssée Verte (www.odysseeverte.com) - a treetop walkway with 18 platforms, each home to a themed display on the forest, from caterpillars to sustainable planting, ideal for kids aged four and upwards.
Where to stay: Also deep in the forest, Huttopia (0033-1-3041-0734; www.huttopia.com) is a great campsite offering both pitches and Canadian-style tents, wooden cabins and roulettes (Gypsy caravans), plus bike hire and environmentally friendly activities for all the family - from farm visits to story-telling evenings.
Crocodile rocks in FontainebleauOnly 40 miles (45 minutes by train) southeast of Paris, this is another vast forest which still feels wild, with its 7,000 animal species, countless varieties of mushroom and preponderance of oaks, Scots pine, beeches and orchids.
But Fontainebleau’s real attraction is its massive limestone boulders, which are shrouded in mystery and legend. Some look like human heads, or types of animal that never lived in these parts - raising the question of whether human settlers here had knowledge of faraway lands (and if so, how?).
Take your children to spot the shapes in the boulders with the help of the invaluable, family-oriented tour map ‘Walks in the Forêt de Fontainebleau’, available from travel specialists Stanfords (020 7836 1321, www.stanfords.co.uk).
Fontainebleau – said to have been roamed by wood nymphs as well as a ghostly hunter– is also a great spot to bring the family to celebrate the spooky season of Halloween. (It is also only 40 minutes shy of Disneyland Paris, which puts on special events and parties for the occasion.)
Where to stay: On the edge of the forest, on a loop of the Seine at Vernou, the fairytale Château de Graville (0033-1-6423-0897, www.chateau-graville.fr) lets you sleep in the treetops in its various treehouses named after French kings and queens - one of which sleeps up to five, including children as young as two. Ask for a picnic basket to be delivered to your eyrie and you’ll never want to come down again.
Fit for a president: The Chateau de Rambouillet stands as a gateway to an area of wild woodlandHorseplay in ChantillyBest known for its frothy cream, the elegant Picardy town of Chantilly, 45 minutes or so north of Paris, is also the horse-racing capital of France, and home to the Musée Vivant du Cheval (Living Horse Museum), housed in the former stables of the Prince of Condé.
Trot into the surrounding forest and you’re likely to see some of the 3,000 local thoroughbreds being trained on its long, straight galloping tracks. Some of these equine beauties belong to the Aga Khan, whose Aiglemont estate is nearby.
Head to the Office National des Forêts (1 Avenue de Sylvie) to pick up walking guides and hiking trail maps of the forest. The main attraction is the Etangs de Commelles – large artificial fishing ponds created by Cistercian monks, home to thriving colonies of birdlife. If all the natural wonders get too much for the kids, the Parc Astérix theme park is right nearby.
Where to stay: Handy for the forest, Camping Campix (0033-3-4456-0848, www.campingcampix.com) is tucked away in an abandoned stone quarry lush with vegetation - and comes with a wild, away-from-it-all feel that is enhanced by the fact that campfires are permitted. There are cabins and bungalows too if you don’t have a tent.
Learning the ropes in GuînesThe least-known of these fab forests, but the handiest if you’re arriving by ferry (Calais is just 10 miles north), the pretty forest of Guînes is a local favourite for family walks, bike rides, mushrooming outings and wildlife-spotting excursions.
Roe deer, hares and pheasants are just some of the creatures you might encounter. Also look out for the Blanchard Column, which marks the site where the first Channel crossing by hot-air balloon was completed in 1785.
On the Mont du Fiennes at the edge of the forest, an orientation table helps you to get your head around the stunning views toward Calais, the Channel and the North Sea, Dunkirk and even Belgium.
Lovers of Go-Ape-style treetop adventure courses (a craze even bigger in France than it is in the UK) should head for the Base Passion d’Aventure (0033-3-8761-3272 www.passiondaventure.com/guines), an action-packed park with trails for kids (over 5) to teens, plus tightrope-walking tuition.
Where to stay: Camping Castels La Bien Assise (0033-3-2135-2077, www.camping-bien-assise.fr), on the edge of the forest at Guînes, is a family-oriented site with wooden chalets, as well as mobile homes. It’s also bookable through Eurocamp, Keycamp and Canvas Holidays.
P&O Ferries' family travel expert, Rhonda Carrier is author of the Frommer’s guides 'Normandy with Your Family' and 'Brittany with Your Family'. Visit the P&O Ferries website for more of her advice about family holidays in France.
source: dailymail
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