Taking children to the Tourmalet / family holiday ideas

Ands

Hi all, am struggling to commit to booking next year's holiday. Can't decide where to go. Was all set to book Bourg d'Oisans (again) but having been to Bourg the last 3 years, I feel like we need a change. So we had been looking at going to the Tourmalet to coincide with the Tour but I'm hesitating about that as I'm not convinced that taking small children (3 & 5) to a mountain stage is a great idea. (Went to Annecy this year and they did do a whole day at the TT but we had a great spot half way round the course in a park sandwiched between the road and the lake and next to a shady bar/restaurant.).

So, is it daft to take small children to a mountain stage? (I'm thinking yes!!)
The Pyrenees is a bit of an unknown quantity to us. Does anyone have any campsite recommendations in the Pyrenees? (Must have swimming pool).
If we went to the Alps, where else might we consider apart from around Bourg d'Oisans? Doesn't have to be France but somewhere with good cols essential for Mr A and things to do for the children (usually happy with a pool, park and somewhere to ride bikes).

We would probably be holidaying in July/Aug, or possibly 1st 2 weeks of June if we decided to go to the Alps for the Dauphine.


Thanks

andymiller

Have a look on the Camping Qualité website. There's also whatshisname (Alan Rogers?). Every area will have an Office du Tourisme with its own website with information about accommodation and things to do.[/url]

andrew@snowrace

Hi Middle two weeks August is fiesta season in the spanish pyrenees Panticosa El Pyuo Hoz de Haca Escarillia all on the Quebrantahuesos route althoug thats in June great fun for the kids My three have been going for years and now bring their friends Fab Biking both Road and Mountain if you head that way let me know and I'll let you have some routes. Really Good campsite at Escarillia (spelling may not be perfect but on the map). Andy www.madaboutthemountains.co.uk

andrew@snowrace

Hi Middle two weeks August is fiesta season in the spanish pyrenees Panticosa El Pyuo Hoz de Haca Escarillia all on the Quebrantahuesos route althoug thats in June great fun for the kids My three have been going for years and now bring their friends Fab Biking both Road and Mountain if you head that way let me know and I'll let you have some routes. Really Good campsite at Escarillia (spelling may not be perfect but on the map). Andy www.madaboutthemountains.co.uk

Garrigou

Camping Pradelongue just outside Luchon is pretty popular and well-located. Puts you in good position for access to two mountain stages (Pamiers-Luchon and then Luchon-Pau). You'd be close to the finish of the first and start of the second, so probably no need to make it an all-dayer.

v718

Try http://www.l3v.fr/ puts you within 1 hr 30mins of the Tourmalet summit on a bike 40 mins in a car is in a place called Argeles Gazost.

Camping International http://www.international-camping.fr/ Luz St Sauveur you would right on the route it would go by their front door, albeit at the bottom of the Tourmalet. Both have swimming pools, but the one at Argeles tends to have more amenties see website. You will have to be quick though as the campsites are now getting lots of enquiries as most of the Hotels and Gites in the Area are booked up.

Ands

v718 wrote:

Try http://www.l3v.fr/ puts you within 1 hr 30mins of the Tourmalet summit on a bike 40 mins in a car is in a place called Argeles Gazost.

Camping International http://www.international-camping.fr/ Luz St Sauveur you would right on the route it would go by their front door, albeit at the bottom of the Tourmalet. Both have swimming pools, but the one at Argeles tends to have more amenties see website. You will have to be quick though as the campsites are now getting lots of enquiries as most of the Hotels and Gites in the Area are booked up.

Thanks. I was on the l3v.fr site at the weekend and it looks nice. Had also been looking at the Airotel in Luz-St-Sauveur.

I'm mainly concerned about taking young children somewhere to watch the Tour and then being 'stuck' there all day (especially if there is no shade, etc. I suspect a flatter part of the course with an easy get-out would suit the children more but not my husband who will want to be half way up the Tourmalet. This is why I don't think a mountain stage + 2 children is going to work very well! He'll have his bike with him so perhaps I would have to let him do his own thing and I'll do something else (in which case I'm not too sure I want to be in Luz-St-Sauveur with closed roads for 2 of the days that we will be there.)

Ands

andymiller wrote:

Have a look on the Camping Qualité website. There's also whatshisname (Alan Rogers?). Every area will have an Office du Tourisme with its own website with information about accommodation and things to do.[/url]

Good site - will have a good look thru that tonight. I have trawled the Tourism sites but it's always good to hear what other people have tried with a young family. I think we are so concerned about whether anything can match up to the holidays we've had in the Alps that we're hesitant about trying somewhere new (must be part of getting old as when I was younger I would never dream of holidaying in the same place twice!)

Ands

andrew@snowrace wrote:

Hi Middle two weeks August is fiesta season in the spanish pyrenees Panticosa El Pyuo Hoz de Haca Escarillia all on the Quebrantahuesos route althoug thats in June great fun for the kids My three have been going for years and now bring their friends Fab Biking both Road and Mountain if you head that way let me know and I'll let you have some routes. Really Good campsite at Escarillia (spelling may not be perfect but on the map). Andy www.madaboutthemountains.co.uk

Cheers Andy, will check it out. I'm very tempted by the Basque region and we have promised the children a week at the beach as well so we're thinking of the Atlantic coast as an alternative to the Med.

Ands

Garrigou wrote:

Camping Pradelongue just outside Luchon is pretty popular and well-located. Puts you in good position for access to two mountain stages (Pamiers-Luchon and then Luchon-Pau). You'd be close to the finish of the first and start of the second, so probably no need to make it an all-dayer.

Sorry, ,missed this one earlier - VERY well-priced campsite for high season. Thank you.

alan_a

Hope you don't mind me jumping in here for some advice.

We (me & currently pregnant wife with baby due in March) are planning to follow the tour in a motor home.

We don't plan to follow every stage, instead pick 3 or 4 key stages and park on or near the route for 3 or 4 days at a time, watch the stage and spend the other days enjoying the area.

For me the hotspots are Pave, Avoriaz, Tourmalet & Bordeaux TT.

Tourmalet is the place posing the problem. I'm also hoping to do the Etape, so we'd be in the same spot for 6 nights. Were we to set up camp on the mountain for the 6 or 7 nights. Is this advisable or should we seek out a campsite nearby?

If we were to choose to park on the ountain would it be likely that we (ok mother & child) would get no sleep due to the large number of other spectators?

Or are we just kidding ourselves on and we should go to pontins?

v718

would def seek out a campsite you might find space here http://www.laribere.com/ otherwise check out the other links above.

The Basque supporters will be having a week long party!!!!!!!! Very very noisy take my word for it.............

malcolmfrost

If you're thinking about the Tourmalet stages, the Etape is 2 days before so campsites will be chokka.