A little bit about Marennes in the Charente Maritime, the immediate area, how to get there, and the camping holiday facilities and resources you will find in the region. 

Marennes is an ideal camping holiday venue and we are constantly surprised that more of the larger tour operators don't have a presence there. Still, in a way that makes it better for the Brits who eventually make it to this little haven which is so close to the Ile d'Oleron on the west coast of France.

Apparently Marennes, which is on the right bank of the Seudre, was the birthplace of French oyster farming, the capital of the green oyster didn't you know, and today Marennes-Oléron is the leading European centre for oyster farming with a production varying between 40 and 60,000 tonnes depending on the year.

Apart from that it has great beaches nearby and tourism now supplements the local income during the summer months. Apart from the Ile d'Oleron, the town of Marennes is surrounded by other places of interest such as La Rochelle and the Ile de Re to the north with Rochefort slightly nearer and Saintes inland, whilst Royan is a little to the south at the mouth of the river Gironde.

There are stacks of camping and mobile home sites in the area and it seems that the French also like to take their holidays there as well. Like most of the west coast you will find the weather is usually excellent and especially in the Charente Maritime which is supposed to have more sunshine than anywhere else in France apart from the true south. To be honest, the Charente Maritime area has a nicer climate to suit most Brits, and the shops etc are cheaper too!

Getting there is easy peasy but obviously depends on which ferry port you use. Most of the tour operators who sell camping holiday packages will offer you the short crossing by boat from Dover to Calais, but whilst you don't have much sailing time on that route it is well to explore other ferry options because you will be able to cut down your driving time and mileage substantially (fuel is money!) by using one of the more westerly ports such as Caen, St Malo or even Cherbourg.

From St Malo, the most westerly and port viable for this journey you need to head south to Rennes and then to Nantes where you will pick up the Nantes peripherique, or ring road, heading for Bordeaux. Exit the peripherique at junction 48 and zoom south, heading for La Rochelle and passing La Roche sur Yon on the way. Bypass La Rochelle and head for Ile d'Oleron initially but near to there you will pick up the sign for Marennes.

From Calais and Dieppe you need to head for Rouen and Le Mans, and from Caen you also head for Le Mans, and from there on to Angers, La Rochelle and then slightly south to Marennes and your camping site.