Calling all Paddlers... Camping sites or Aires in France for Kayaking ?

scotjimland

scotjimland

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Eriba Touring 540
Anyone have first hand experience of a lake or river with an aire or campsite with direct access to the water for kayaking .. ?

Been looking at CAMPING DU LAC DE ST-PARDOUX, but cannot be certain if you can put a kayak in from the site beach .. (some beaches don't allow boat/kayak launching, may email them) ,, it's also a bit far from any local shops..

there is also a Camping-CarPark aire also on same lake .. but the reviews are all in French.. and don't see a mention of kayak or canoe

Been searching Campercontact and S4S but neither have a filter for kayaking

. No sea or fast rivers please ..
 
No first hand experience but we are presently touring around the Tarn Gorge near Millau. There are loads of campsites and canoe kayaking places along the river so I assume it is a good place for such hobbies.
 
We parked by lac guerledan in Brittany a few years ago , we mainly swam but Sandra and Colin Armytwowheels took their sup’s out on the lake . We stayed in the campsite next to a restaurant on the opposite side of the lake to the main resort.

There was an aire there as well (no idea if it’s still there), we stayed at this campsite below as it was nearer the lake.

www.brittanytourism.com

Camping Merlin les pieds dans l'eau - Saint-Aignan

The Camping de Merlin is located in a sheltered spot on a loop beside the Lac de Guerlédan. It’s right by the water and is ideally located for watersports and trips to explore the countryside.
www.brittanytourism.com www.brittanytourism.com


Much further south we like the aire ( which is an old municipal campsite ) at lac Aydat , again the sups were easily launched on the lake.
 
Camp site at Langeac is right on the Allier river and you can launch from the site. Short walk to town.
 
Quite a few around lake Annecy. Lovely village as well.

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Embrun in the Ecrin (Southern Alps) campsite beside the lake - great for easy flat water kayaking, swimming, and sailing. Water sports centre on site which hires out paddle boards, sailing dingies etc.

If you want to go high up, the Lac Matemale in the Catalan Pyrenees has a water sports centre - has a camping carpark aire

Lac Annecy - campsite at the southern end of the lake has direct access (but busy in summer)
 
Camping StCado, Belz. large inland tidal ria - access directly across the road.
 
The Camping Municipal at La Roche Bernard has good access to a slipway where you can launch into the attractive river Vilaine. The river is pretty deep so it works all year round and the flow is slow enough that you can paddle in both directions alright. There are nice bars and restaurants near the campsite. Just remembered, there are some aire style pitches for motorhomes near the entrance, slightly cheaper than the main site but not as desirable being a bit cramped.
Camping Municipal le Patis
 
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scotjimland said:
Anyone have first hand experience of a lake or river with an aire or campsite with direct access to the water for kayaking .. ?

Been looking at CAMPING DU LAC DE ST-PARDOUX, but cannot be certain if you can put a kayak in from the site beach .. (some beaches don't allow boat/kayak launching, may email them) ,, it's also a bit far from any local shops..

there is also a Camping-CarPark aire also on same lake .. but the reviews are all in French.. and don't see a mention of kayak or canoe

Been searching Campercontact and S4S but neither have a filter for kayaking

. No sea or fast rivers please ..
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I looked at stopping at this one while I was away but I don't believe it's bang next to the lake. There is a campsite though which I have stopped at in the past which is next to the lake I think it's a acsi site as well

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Lake Settons in the Morvan area, loads of sites on the lake. Fairly quiet even in the height of summer.
 
Parrot Face said:
Lake Settons in the Morvan area, loads of sites on the lake. Fairly quiet even in the height of summer.
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thank you.. this suggestion it's looking favourite .. not to busy and also plenty of good cycling in the area.. with plenty of sites on the waters edge ..

haven't booked anything yet . . .and we may wait until we go before finally deciding ..

yesterday we had a nice paddle in the River Stour from Cattawade to Flatford Mill.. one of our favourite paddles where we live .. it was also a 'test drive' for our latest inflatable.

A Gumtex Thaya ... a cracking inflatable double kayak with a 'drop switch' floor , this makes it rigid, it glides easily with just one of us paddling.. we are so looking forward to some paddling in France .

a few pics


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Stoosal said:
No first hand experience but we are presently touring around the Tarn Gorge near Millau. There are loads of campsites and canoe kayaking places along the river so I assume it is a good place for such hobbies.
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Yes, we're here now for a Tarn paddle. Class 2 white water, very moderate. Just had a paddle at Millau white water course.
Mike.
 
20240518_183033.jpg

Well, I thought it was going to be another lonely night for BBF as we were the only van on this 60+ site, then Claud arrived!! Safety in numbers I suppose but it's going to be a bl@@dy small wagon circle if locals attack. I'm off to watch the Griffin vultures coming in to roost shortly.

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scotjimland said:
thank you.. this suggestion it's looking favourite .. not to busy and also plenty of good cycling in the area.. with plenty of sites on the waters edge ..

haven't booked anything yet . . .and we may wait until we go before finally deciding ..

yesterday we had a nice paddle in the River Stour from Cattawade to Flatford Mill.. one of our favourite paddles where we live .. it was also a 'test drive' for our latest inflatable.

A Gumtex Thaya ... a cracking inflatable double kayak with a 'drop switch' floor , this makes it rigid, it glides easily with just one of us paddling.. we are so looking forward to some paddling in France .

a few pics


View attachment 898648View attachment 898649View attachment 898650
Click to expand...
Quality boat the Thaya, we have the K2, Safari XL330 and the Twist 2.
Mike.
 
Montignac on the River Vezere offers canoeing so there is obviously potential there. Looking the current flow, it could be a long slog back upstream though. It had been quite wet rec entry, I believe.
 
cyberyacht said:
Montignac on the River Vezere offers canoeing so there is obviously potential there. Looking the current flow, it could be a long slog back upstream though. It had been quite wet rec entry, I believe.
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We've paddled from there in the past and chatted up the lads at the local hire base to give us a lift back up the river to base. I can't remember if they charged us or not as we've used that tactic in various locations on French rivers and some haven't wanted any money. Where we did pay it's only ever been a few euros but I notice that many of the hire companies now have quite specialist trailers that only take their own type of canoes/kayaks. With an inflatable I guess one could pack it back into it's bag and hitch a lift in the minibus if they are not too busy with their own punters. Either way, it doesn't hurt to ask.
 
Recently stayed at Huttopia Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne. Several canoe campers there; even a billboard on the river inviting passing paddlers to stay! There was a fair bit of water coming downstream, though the section above the weir (by passable) was calmer. Their site at Millau was close to a slipway onto the Tarn/Dourbie confluence: there’s active parapenting excursions there too, not with canoe obviously. And some sites near Mèze and Marseillan have access to the Étang de Thau.

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Bouchmaine I think that's how you spell it is an ideal little place its a municipal site just along the road from Angers. The site has a perfect view of the river which is about 40 foot away and it has a slip way

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scotjimland said:
Anyone have first hand experience of a lake or river with an aire or campsite with direct access to the water for kayaking .. ?

Been looking at CAMPING DU LAC DE ST-PARDOUX, but cannot be certain if you can put a kayak in from the site beach .. (some beaches don't allow boat/kayak launching, may email them) ,, it's also a bit far from any local shops..

there is also a Camping-CarPark aire also on same lake .. but the reviews are all in French.. and don't see a mention of kayak or canoe

Been searching Campercontact and S4S but neither have a filter for kayaking

. No sea or fast rivers please ..
Click to expand...
You could try Lac Pavin near Super Besse. Or in Orleans there is an aire (paid) right by the river.
 
There are more canoe businesses on the Dordogne than you could throw a paddle at.
I think I counted 20 in the village of Le Roque Gageac alone, and they let you go downstream and bring you back in a minibus.
 
scotjimland said:
Anyone have first hand experience of a lake or river with an aire or campsite with direct access to the water for kayaking .. ?

Been looking at CAMPING DU LAC DE ST-PARDOUX, but cannot be certain if you can put a kayak in from the site beach .. (some beaches don't allow boat/kayak launching, may email them) ,, it's also a bit far from any local shops..

there is also a Camping-CarPark aire also on same lake .. but the reviews are all in French.. and don't see a mention of kayak or canoe

Been searching Campercontact and S4S but neither have a filter for kayaking

. No sea or fast rivers please ..
Click to expand...
Beautiful family run campsite at Limeuil - medieval village at confluence of the Vezere and Dordogne rivers. I visit this most years when touring the France. Great facilities, pool, bar, restaurant and direct access to river from the site. Just left today as it happens after a stay of a week or so.
 
Camping au Rives do Lac at Sevrier on Lac Annecy. Direct access to the lake from the site. The photo shows the site pontoon.

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