DIY Camper Van France Road Trip with Dog Part 1

Work hard, play hard. I think that's a good motto to stand by. Not reckless play, of course. But for the last two years running now, I've completed a major DIY job in my house, then milked my much needed til the cows came home.

This time, the cows were French. Not that I can remember seeing any!

But, in true holiday style, I'm not going to type endless details about out trip. I'll be brief as I've spent a bit longer than I anticipated trying to edit part 1 of the France vlog because I've been ill all week since returning. Stupid, stupid flu and migraines.

Anyway, it was fantastic and probably in this case, photos speak a thousand words. We cross Dover to Calais on Ferry with a dog and found our Camping & Caravanning Club membership came a treat, giving the cheapest tickets we could find.

And the moment we arrived, we kept to the West coast in search for sun, sea, sand, culture and dog friendly areas.

Although we were pretty frugal mostly sleeping in wild camping spots or Aires, it still wasn't that cheap. But you know what? It was a holiday to remember. We'd never taken a dog abroad, nor a camper.

We spent most mornings trying to embrace a true petit dejourner, nibbling on croissants, then baguettes and salads for dinner and tea. And so many coastal walks to send a fitbit buzzing.

But as this is part 1 of our holiday, my favourite spot featured in the vlog was a Camping les Dunes municipal campsite. It was as secluded as possible with easy access, very affordable and perfect for doggy adventures. I could've happily stayed here all week in fact.

Once we'd moved in to the Vendee and the Med (chasing the weather), so had most tourists, making it difficult to be choosy. We found most campsites had pools and great amenities that were better suited to families. We turned away from 58 euros a night.

If you want see any useful links, such as how to find good aires, then you'll find them in the description box of my YouTube video at the bottom of this page.

I was also initially nervous about the trip as I'd read about people's bad experiences of being robbed in Aires, but I soon it was like anywhere else and felt very safe.