A Week in France at La Croix du Vieux Pont

“Fun-packed and close to Paris, La Croix du Vieux Pont offers the best of both worlds”

I’ve just returned from a week in France with at La Croix du Vieux Pont, and it was exactly what the doctor ordered. A week of relaxing, reading my book, with no signal and spending time with Theo and his daughter Arabella.

There are so many properties with Eurocamp all across France, but La Croix du Vieux Pont is one of their best, offering 5* properties and facilities for you and your family.

Having never really been a campsite person before, I won’t lie to you and say I was dubious when I booked the trip. Over the last few years, I have been more at home in a holiday villa with private pool, or 5* hotel overlooking the Med.

However, when Theo said he wanted to take Arabella away somewhere this summer I knew it needed to suit her too, offering a kids club and activities throughout the week. Then I strolled across La Croix du Vieux Pont and realised it could be perfect for exactly what we wanted.

At the edge of the River Aisne, the well kept Park is spread over 100 acres with 660 seperate camping plots.

BOOK YOUR NEXT BREAK HERE

Things to do at La Croix du Vieux Pont

La Croix du Vieux Pont has four pools, including one with a retractable roof and an outdoor pool. There’s also a beauty salon on site, so you can treat yourself to a treatment or two. Add friendly bars and two restaurants, one overlooking the pool, plus a whole host of sports and activities like canoeing, tennis and karting, the whole family is sure to have a fun-filled holiday.

1. Swim in the beachside lagoon lake on parc
2. Send the kids to Kids Club
3. Enjoy a glass of wine in the evening at the beach bar terrace
4. Indulge in lots of Pizza
5. Perfect for taking a day trip to magical Disneyland
6. Spend your day relaxing in the space around your cabin

Where is La Croix du Vieux Pont

I had heard great things about the Aisne Valley, and having visited the champagne region a decade ago with my own parents, I knew it was a good location. The La Croix du Vieux Pont site has a great location; it is only 2 ½ hours from Calais, 90 minutes outside of Paris and 90 minutes from Disneyland Paris.

It was super easy to find from Calais, following more or less two roads straight from the port and as you approach there are a couple of signs along the roads.

The drive is stunning too, so make the most of looking out across the beautiful French countryside on your way to Vic Sur Aisne. As we arrived we were swiftly checked in and welcomed to France. 

A stay at La Croix du Vieux Pont was amazing!

Accommodation at La Croix du Vieux Pont

We stayed in one of Eurocamp’s La Croix du Vieux Pont Vista Two bed + One Bathroom cabins, which could sleep up to five people including two adults and three kids. The kitchen was small but well-equipped with cooker, fridge, freezer, microwave and all the basic kit you need for a self-catering holiday e.g. bowls, mugs etc.

Storage in our cabin at La Croix du Vieux Pont was a bit limited, and we ended up bunging everything in together in the two cupboards that weren’t taken up by utensils, but these cabins are huge so it’s expected.

On the warmer days, we had the doors open which led on to the veranda, meaning the outside became part of our cabin too. We ate outside on the veranda a couple of times both for lunch and in the evening for dinner. It was a great place to indulge in a gin and tonic as the sun went down. 

The rest of the living area included booth style seating with a pull-out table, with seats for eating inside. The cabin was compact, and I can imagine with more than one child, it could be a bit cramped so I’d suggest getting one of the larger cabins if you want more space.

The bedrooms were basic with a double bed, wardrobe and mirror in the double bedroom, and three single beds in the other room (kid’s bedroom). The beds were small and rather fragile, but compact and did the job. There was a lot of storage for clothes, both in the wardrobe and in the overhead cupboards. The bathroom again took a little getting used to, but was clean with a powerful shower.

The cabin was basic at La Croix du Vieux Pont but enough for a week!

Facilities at La Croix du Vieux Pont

There’s plenty to do and more at La Croix du Vieux Pont for the kids! There are two lakes, lagoon with white beach, fishing, kayaking, bowling, biking, archery, trampolines and more. Plus an indoor swimming pool, with outdoor section, including two slides, and a toddler pool. The outdoor pools were a little cold when the sun wasn’t shining.

There is also a selection of lovely play areas for the kids to play in, and lots of open spaces for you and the family to relax and have fun. I especially enjoyed the lagoon with the beach as it felt very relaxed there, with the bar and people sunbathing on the grass.

The main swimming pool at La Croix du Vieux Pont was far too much for me, with lots of screaming children running everywhere and bombing in the pool next to you, but Arabella loved it so I had to suck it up and join her.

The only thing I would say is that it’d be nice for there to be an adults-only swimming pool, where you can actually swim lengths or relax away from the kids. And they could also do with another pool, as when the sun is shining every pool, and the beach was brimming with people and you could hardly move at times.

In peak season there is a kids club at La Croix du Vieux Pont, which Arabella went to a few times, including the evening Pizza Party which she loved. It’s a great addition as it meant me and Theo could go for a run one morning, whilst the other we walked up into the town centre for a stroll and grabbed a beer whilst she was having a ball with all of her new friends.

The perfect place for action packed games and new friendships. Try something new, be a hero or a villain, clown about, then enjoy some treats at the chocolate party!

The park is definitely geared towards children and families as opposed to couples and groups of friends, so bear that in mind when booking. And if you don’t like children, do not go here. They’re everywhere!

And before I forget, food! Now I cant really advise on this as we ate in a lot, and we didn’t eat at any of the restaurants or bars on site. But I was told they are good and both the beach restaurant and the main one near reception were sold out more evenings. Instead, we opted for food in our cabin, or on the BBQ most evenings during our stay at La Croix du Vieux Pont.

Dining at La Croix du Vieux Pont 

Restaurant – Brasserie Macao

• Location: By the swimming pool
• Opening Dates:

  01/04/2020 – 26/09/2020

  12/10/2020 – 31/10/2020

• Terrace:The restaurant has a terrace area for dining

Restaurant – Macao Beach

• Location: By the lake beach
• Opening Dates:

  02/05/2020 – 25/09/2020

• Terrace:The restaurant has a terrace area for dining

Overall 

If you are looking for a self-catered family holiday with plenty of entertainment on your doorstep then you can’t go wrong with Eurocamp, and La Croix du Vieux Pont is perfectly located.

We had a wonderful stay at La Croix du Vieux Pont and we’ve already said that we’d return again with Arabella another year or maybe try another of Eurocamp’s sites next time! I may love my luxury holidays but to my surprise, I really fell in love with this style of holiday and would do it again in a heartbeat.

My Travel Tips and Recommendations

Flights

To book flights, I always use flight search engine, Skyscanner, I regularly use the Everywhere tool to find the cheapest places to travel. It’s how I get to travel so much all around the world. I find it the easiest way to compare flight prices across airlines and get the best deals. 

Accommodation

For accommodation, I usually book most of my hotels or hostels through Booking.com. I love using this platform as it provides me with some amazing deals for accommodation all around the world. Or if you prefer, I also recommend using Airbnb. If you haven’t signed up with Airbnb already, you can use this link to get £25 off your first visit!

Photography and Technology

Here is a list of the technology I always travel with:

• Canon G7X Mark II
• GoPro Hero Black 7
• DJI Mavic Pro
• RØDE VideoMic GO On Microphone

Travel Insurance

Picking travel insurance that covers you in all eventualities is an essential part of planning a trip for every single person. If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. You never know what’s around the corner. World Nomads is an affordable option that I personally recommend. BOOK HERE

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Thank you for reading and as always happy adventuring! If you have any questions about the destination please leave these in the comments below.

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Sophie X