recommendation for a campsite nr Orange/Ventoux?

CyclepathToHell

I will be cycling down from Le Havre an intend to stay a week in the Orange/Carpentras area before either pushing on to Nice (and flying back) or extending the tour and going to Bilbao - no commitments until September.

anyway, I digress. What I really wanted to know is if there is a well known site that a lot of CT's use? I prefer the municipals and the quiet ones with decent but basic facilities.

i always feel like a spare part and grouchy in the campsites full of massive camper vans and kids ( sorry, I'm a bit of a misanthrope ) [:)]

seeing as I'll want a base for some unloaded exploring it's worth finding the right kind of place for a longer type stay. any thoughts?

TOTOISHEAVIERTHANME

We went to Orange 4 years ago and stayed in a nice little municipal site there. I was very impressed with the town as well. I can't recall exactly where the site was but seem to recall it was just off the main road as you enter from the north. I know that the town was within easy walking distance of the site. Hope this helps!

Take the long way home

daviddd

There's a decent campsite 400m from Malaucine, just on the western edge of the town. Can't remember the name. It has a nice pool with snack bar / bar and 5 mins walk from lots of restaurants in town. Only think is the ground was hellish hard to borrow a hammer if you use tent pegs. There was a heatwave when I stayed there, over 40 deg C in the afternoos so the pool was very welcome. Ascent to Ventoux starts straight out of town, quickly to 9% climb (for 21 km or so!!). See my blog below for more details.

Alpine Tour July 2006:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=l ... =1914&v=9d
Forthcoming lap of Australia:http://www.davidddinoz.blogspot.com/

craigenty

We don't get too many campers but my advice would be to head for the area just west of the mountain.
Malaucene, Vaison La Romaine or even the Dentelles with great little villages like Beaumes de Venise. All with camping municipals.
There are some nice campsites near Entrechaux and Mollans to the east of Vaison and good striking distance for Bedoin and Malaucene.
It's a much nicer place than the flat lands near Orange and Carpentras is a bit busy and quite a "scruffy" town.

Craig

www.montventouxwebcam.com
www.veloventoux.com

russell_in_france

I've stayed on the campsite in Bedoin on a couple of occasions - it's the one that you turn left to when you arrive in Bedoin after arriving from Carpentras. Nice access to the two ascents of the Mont Ventoux, and a short walk into Bedoin to get some food in the evening. It's a small site, and I remember everybody being friendly.

I spent six months camping around Europe in 1996 so I can tell you about some real horror campsites. :-)

Russell
www.grenoblecycling.com

CyclepathToHell

thanks all. as usual some great advice from all parties

Tourist Tony

In Orange, on the Colline de Ste Eutrope, there is the summer swimming pool, over the back of the hill from the Antique Theatre. Nice views of Ventoux, and while the pool is a little scruffy it is absolutely the right temperature on a hot day. I found it a Godsend.
The pool next to the motorway tolls, where the Bike Express stops, is closed in the summer.

If I had a stalker, I would hug it and kiss it and call it George...or Dick