Information about La Tranche sur Mer and the availability of camping holidays in the region

La Tranche has been an exceptionally popular town for camping holidays for many years now, indeed, tourism is the mainstay of the local economy. La Tranche has a holiday atmosphere which makes you feel good even on a rare rainy day. There are plenty of shops for you to exercise your plastic, and usually enough parking for most of the visitors it receives.

The town itself is one of the most southerly in the Vendee and getting there from any of the ferry ports in the north is a doddle apart from the one place which looks so simple on the map.

Assuming you are setting off from Le Havre, Caen, Cherbourg or St Malo then you will most probably get to Rennes and further on down the same dual carriageway Nantes. When you get near to Nantes you need to take the Nantes périphérique (ring road) or you'll be there all day! Seriously though, follow the signs for Bordeaux when on the périphérique otherwise you will undoubtedly have to go through the city - easy enough but time wasting. Get off the périphérique at junction 48 and head down the D937 to La Roche sur Yon.

La Roche is quite industrial, and for a French city it can be quite confusing getting around it, but take any sign for La Tranche because from there you haven't far to go.

We hate to be negative but the main beach at la Tranche is not the best you will encounter, but nearby - 6km is Longeville sur Mer where the beach is BLue Flag and fantastic for surfing, indeed, when the surf is right you will notice that there is an influx of young people from all over Europe who turn up for weekends of surfing.

To get there you need to go to Les Conches area of Longeville. So exit La Tranche and your camping site starting at the big supermarket and get on the road to Longeville, drive 5 to 6 K north and turn left where you see a plastic poly tunnel - it's been there for years. Go up the hill to the top, find the car park and you're there.

Slightly further afield from Les Dunes is the bustling town of Les Sables D'Olonne - take the D747 from La Tranche and then head for Les Sables on the D949 - it's about 40Km or 25 miles. There is a wonderful outdoor Zoo where very few of the animals are caged. Monkeys steal your food in the Zoo restaurant and all of the exotic birds that we saw were free to fly if they wished.