Connect with us
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Posts Tagged ‘belle dune’
Pierre & Vacances: Family Fun in Belle Dune!
This week, our blog comes from Nick Vowles, the UK marketing manager for Pierre & Vacances.
A family holiday in France with the grandparents – and Aunty Hilary from Australia!
Last time we were in the Pierre & Vacances Belle Dune Holiday Resort in Picardy, France, it was just the three of us, the wife, myself and our then 1 year old Fred.
One and half years later we thought it was time to visit again. But this time we were the double the size, my Mum and Dad and Aunty Hilary came along for the ride plus the newest addition to the family; 8 month old Jo Jo.
Ferry to France
We all decided to meet on the P&O Ferry from Dover to Calais. Having not been on this route for a few years it was a great experience. As the grandparents grabbed a seat in the bar we treated Fred to fish and chips from the restaurant – a very generous portion at 5 quid, and of course some extra chips for Mum and Dad!
We then joined the oldies for some sandwiches and a Costa coffee. There were lots of indoor viewing areas for Fred to see all the boats passing by. A quick 5 minutes on the top for some fresh air and views of the French coast and we were there!
I’lle aux Oiseaux, Pierre & Vacances Belle Dune Holiday Resort
One of the best things about Belle Dune is its only an hour from Calais – so you can get there in no time at all and get on with your holiday.
Back in May 2008 we had a lovely refurbished villa close to all the facilities with a little balcony overlooking the main lake. This time we went for something different. Two adjoining 3 bedroom villas in the I’lle aux Oiseaux area which is about 5 minutes walk from the main centre. This was perfect for us as it was nice and quiet for the oldies, and the kids didn’t wake anyone up in the morning – apart from Granny – who was quite happy to be called upon!
The villas themselves were just what we needed. Ours had 3 bedrooms with a bathroom upstairs – perfect for keeping an eye on the little ones. Downstairs was a nicely laid out lounge, kitchenette and dining table plus a shower room. This worked out really well for the grandparents next door as my Mum and Dad like a bath, but Aunty Hilary, being an Aussie, loves a shower. Both our villas had lovely outdoor spaces and access to a bit of grass. The kids loved the freedom to flip between our two adjoining villas.
Our villas didn’t directly overlook the main lake of the area but a smaller lake overlooking the golf course. Luckily the weather was fantastic so we could lazily watch the local birdlife in the morning – including a patrolling heron who seemed to rule this particular lake. And though there wasn’t room for my clubs at least I could see some other golfers enjoying the course – which apparently is one of France’s top 50 golf courses.
Swimming pools, farms, shops and much more
On the Belle Dune site there’s loads for kids to do. Grandad loved taking the kids to the resort shop in the morning to pick up the baguettes and croissants (including a pain au chocolat for Aunty Hilary!) and Granny was in charge of taking Fred to the water park area in the afternoon, which he loved. Onsite there is a little farm, plus a restaurant, bar, tennis courts, the golf course of course, plus an indoor sports hall, bike hire and much more that we didn’t have time to explore…
Beaches
With a name like Belle Dune you won’t be surprise to hear that the beach isn’t far away. The Belle Dune Holiday Resort itself is located between two small town’s Quend and Fort Mahon. The beach is vast at low tide and nice and sandy, so perfect for kids. We even got a rare chance for a Mum and Dad jog one morning. Of the two towns Fort Mahon has more to offer with a nice selection of bars and restaurants, a couple of boulangeries and other shops.
Out and about
My Dad and Hilary enjoyed a ‘cultural’ (read boozy) day out in Montreuil. And the whole family had a fantastic day trip on the ’Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme’ – a fantastic 80 year old steam train that chuffs between Le Crotoy and Cayeux-sur-Mer.
As the kids are still quite young we decided to drive to Noyelles-sur-Mer and do the half hour journey and back to St Valery sur Somme. This was very fortunate as we discovered a lovely café in Noyelles run by an English couple. Its called Relais de la Baie and is well worth a visit. St Valery itself is equally enticing – we explored the market and old town before settling for a family lunch ‘a la Francais’ with Moules frites for everyone!
See the Pierre et Vacances website for more tips on things to do in the area – there’s lots to do.
Ferry to England
And before you know it, it was time to head back to the UK. We were very lucky to bag a seat opposite the children’s play area, keeping the kids very entertained all the way home. I’m sure we’ll be a back to Belle Dune again very soon!
More about the Pierre & Vacances Belle Dune Holiday Resort
And Le Crotoy
Pierre Vacances: Visit Belle Dune with babies
This month, our staff entry comes from Nick Vowles, our Online Marketing Manager.
“Belle Dune is the home of one of PV-Holidays’ 16 family-friendly Holiday Villages in France.
As I’ve just started 1. A family and 2. Working with Pierre Vacances I thought I’d give it a try and take my wife and our one year-old baby, Fred, for a holiday to see just how family-friendly it really is.
Getting to Belle Dune
The Pierre Vacances Belle Dune Holiday Village is on the Opal Coast at the top of France between Calais and Dieppe. We’re based in Brighton so we decided to take the car (essential to cart all the baby stuff!) and took the Transmanche ferry from Newhaven – only 20 minutes away along the coast.
The Newhaven: Dieppe route (Website Here) used to have a bit of a bad reputation but we were very impressed; newly refurbished ferries with a choice of restaurants, nicely polished wooden floors, a kiddie play zone and a great outdoor viewing area on top of the boat, which Fred absolutely loved.
Top tip: we sat in an area close to the stairs, which we were able to fence off to create a mini-play area for Fred.
From Dieppe it took us about an hour to get to Belle Dune and when we got close, there were a number of supermarkets nearby so it was easy to stock up – the drive is quite beautiful in places.
Accommodation in Belle Dune
Belle Dune is an‘eco-friendly’ holiday village, and you certainly get the feeling of this straightaway. Having parked up, we walked over a bridge across one of the two lakes to get to reception. The staff were very friendly and we were able to check in to our lakeside house straight away.
We were pleasantly surprised to find that our house had obviously been newly refurbished. Downstairs was a toilet and modern living room with kitchenette, dining area, sofa and chairs with doors opening on to the deck looking over the lake.
The deck was a big hit with Fred who would happily spend ages looking at the ducks, fish and so on – a perfect distraction at lunch times. Upstairs, were two bedrooms – one with a lakeside view – and a compact but modern and clean bathroom.
The team at reception had also provided a baby kit – including cot and baby seat – so we had a bit more space in the car.
The Holiday Village
As Belle Dune is a holiday village there’s loads for the kids and Mum and Dad to do. There’s an incredible indoor pool with lots of slides and wave machine (though Fred was still a bit young to make the most of this). Fred loved the farm – with goats, sheep, ducks, and even a pony.
Both Fred and I enjoyed our morning walks through the woods which surround the lakes.
As a very amateur golfer I also managed to get 9 holes in on the Belle Dune golf course site. This is one of the top golf courses in France – the scenery is amazing! We also hired a bike (with Fred on the back of mine) and had great fun cycling round the area – there are dedicated cycle paths so you feel quite safe.
We found the onsite catering facilities quite handy, too. The shop is very well stocked and does fantastic baguettes and croissants in the morning. The restaurant was also very handy – we went for the takeaway pizza option!
Surrounding Areas
There are also attractions and lots to do in the surrounding area. You can walk to the beach from Belle Dune, and Fort Mahon has a number of restaurants, bars and shops.
If you really want to splash the cash, Berck Plage has a bit more to offer – the beautiful white sand beach has huge amounts of space for the kids to run around – or in Fred’s case to crawl around. For information on nearby beaches and activities, pick up a leaflet from the Belle Dune reception”
Nick and his family used the Dieppe to Newhaven route to reach Belle Dune. Find more information here:
Find more information, and the latest prices for Belle Dune Here
