A little information about Notre Dame de Monts and camping facilities in the area

Every summertime, British holidaymakers flock to the beautiful beaches along the Vendée coast in western France in droves. After Brittany, the Vendée is one of the most popular destinations for camping holidays in France, and with some of the best beaches, not to mention more campsites than any other département in France, it's easy to see why.

Yes, the Brits love to go camping in and around Notre Dame de Monts, just a few KM along the coast north of St Jean de Monts, and on the edge of the Foret des Pays de Monts, not far from the Ile de Noirmoutier.

Getting there is a piece of cake and if you follow these directions carefully you will not need to use a map from getting off the ferry until you actually get very near to your destination in the Notre Dame de Monts area. It's that easy!

We have to start somewhere so let's assume you have used Le Havre, Deauville, Caen or St Malo as your ferry port of choice, and you have just gone around Rennes and are now on the way south to Nantes where you will see a sign for the Nantes peripherique (ring road) 4 KM before you actually get there. Get onto the peripherique and head Ouest (west) for Bordeaux, and keep on following the signs for Bordeaux until your exit junction which is No 48.

You are now on the free part of the A83 autoroute and take care here because you have to make a turn off in less than 2 KM to Challans onto the D178. From there just follow the signs for Challans and after that for St Jean de Monts where you will pick up signs for N.D. de Monts, so you actually skirt St Jean.

This is an idyllic and peaceful little place, far, far smaller than St Jean and far les busy too. You will find camping sites all along the roadside between St Jean and N.D de Monts, none of them far from long, golden sandy beaches where there is good swimming and watersports in general.

Camping sites there, like so many other places in France, cater for people taking their own equipment and just hiring a pitch, for hiring pre-erected tents which are kitted out with all the goodies you need for a camping holiday, and for mobile home holidaymakers too who demand that extra little touch of luxury when they are on hols.