Eurocamp France: The 5 best Dordogne holiday parks for families

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I’ve been hunting out the best Eurocamp holiday parks for a family-friendly trip to the lovely Dordogne region of France. We find Eurocamp such a fantastic way to explore Europe with the kids because they offer lots of budget-friendly places to stay to make family travel affordable, and the Dordogne is a great region to explore, particularly if you prefer a more nature-based holiday. It’s a great destination for active families with kayaking, cycling and hiking in abundance – or take some time to explore the history of the area with caves, castles and medieval towns. So, if you’re looking to head to France for some adventures in the sunshine this summer – here are my top 5 picks for the best Eurocamp holiday parks in the Dordogne for families:

1. Eurocamp: Domaine de Soleil Plage, Sarlat

Domaine de Soleil Plage, near the medieval town of Sarlat, is one of the best Eurocamp holiday parks for a nature-based getaway in the Dordogne as it has direct access to the river for wild swimming and canoeing. Plus, there’s also a lovely pool complex with several swimming pools and a couple of waterslides for the kids too. There are kids’ clubs available for tots through to late teens, and plenty of sports, play areas and activities on offer – including mini golf. Indian Forest Perigord is a 15 minute drive away (with a climbing adventure course), Chateau de Castelnaud is a 20 minute drive and you’ll want to check out Sarlat too – particularly on a market day. The nearest airport to Domaine de Soleil Plage is Bergerac, 1 hour and 20 minutes away, or drive from Calais in 8 hours. For more information, and prices for your dates, click here to check out Domaine de Soleil Plage on the Eurocamp website.

2. Eurocamp: Château de Fonrives, Villeréal

Set in the grounds of a lovely 16th century Château, with direct lake access, the popular Château de Fonrives campsite has a great swimming pool complex with some fantastic big waterslides and a lazy river. The site offers plenty of sports, mini-golf and even pony rides, as well as kids’ clubs to suit little ones through to late teens. For the adults, there’s a spa, sauna and jacuzzi on-site – with the option of massages or beauty treatments too. Within an hour’s drive (or less) of the campsite, you’ll find Chateau de Castelnaud, the medieval town of Begerac and the Gouffre de Proumeyssac caves – so there’s plenty of interesting days out on offer. The nearest airport to Château de Fonrives is Bergerac, just 25 minutes away, or drive from Calais in just under 9 hours. For more information, and prices for your dates, click here to check out Château de Fonrives on the Eurocamp website.

3. Eurocamp: Saint Avit Loisirs, Le Bugue

Saint Avit Loisirs Eurocamp is one of the best options for a Dordogne holiday if the kids love swimming – the huge pool complex is fantastic for children of all ages! It’s the star of the show with multiple pools, giant waterslides, a lazy river and a toddler splash zone. (Check out my Saint Avit Loisirs Review for all of the details). There are kids’ clubs and sports on offer too, and the nearby historic villages like Sarlat, Le Bugue and the beautiful Limeuil make this a great base. Around 50 minutes away you’ll find Lascaux IV caves, and Roque Saint-Christophe is half an hour away with its cliffside shelters. Parc Le Bournat is a 12 minute drive and you can go kayaking nearby too. The nearest airport to Saint Avit Loisirs is Bergerac, 40 minutes away, or drive from Calais in 8.5 hours. For more information, and prices for your dates, click here to check out Saint Avit Loisirs on the Eurocamp website.

4. Eurocamp: La Bouquerie, Souillac

Tucked into the peaceful Dordogne countryside, La Bouquerie is best suited to families looking for a smaller Eurocamp holiday park – though it still has loads to offer. The swimming pool complex features indoor and outdoor heated pools, a couple of waterslides, a lazy river and a toddler pool. The park also offers kids’ clubs and sports like archery, tennis and volleyball. Plus, there’s a playground, mini-golf and a fishing lake. For days out, Lascaux Caves are just a 15 minute drive from the campsite and Chateau de Castelnaud is around 30 minutes away. You can also kayak from La Roque‑Gageac along the Dordogne river – with stunning villages and castles along the route. The nearest airport to La Bouquerie is Bergerac, around 90 minutes away, or drive from Calais in 8 hours. For more information, and prices for your dates, click here to check out La Bouquerie on the Eurocamp website.

5. Eurocamp: Le Grottes de Roffy, Sarlat

A peaceful and rustic family escape, Le Grottes de Roffy is a small campsite located just down the road from the medieval town of Sarlat – somewhere you’ll definitely want to explore. The site has a heated swimming pool and a couple of waterslides to keep the kids happy, plus there’s a jacuzzi for the adults. There’s an on-site kids’ club, sports facilities and bike hire on offer too. It’s a great base for visiting the Dordogne Valley – including castles, caves and markets. Grottes de Cougnac is around 30 minutes away, there are plenty of places for kayaking on the nearby rivers and Chateau de Castelnaud is around a 20 minute drive. The nearest airport to Le Grottes de Roffy is Bergerac, 1 hour and 20 minutes away, or drive from Calais in 8 hours. For more information, and prices for your dates, click here to check out Le Grottes de Roffy on the Eurocamp website.

When’s the best time to visit the Dordogne?

We visited the Dordogne at the end of June, going into July, and there was a big heat wave – we had highs of 38 degrees! This was lovely for the pool but it did make it tricky for days out, and we tended to do our exploring of the pretty local towns in the evenings when it had cooled down a bit. If you can, aim for May, early June or September for your Dordogne visit. You’ll dodge the sweltering heat (and the highest prices) of July and August, but still get plenty of sunshine and warm days. In spring, everything is green and blooming; in early autumn, the vines are heavy with grapes and the markets are full of seasonal goodies. If the school holidays dictate your travel, July and August are still lovely – just be prepared for busier villages and book your accommodation well in advance.

Where is the Dordogne in France?

Tucked away in south-west France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, this beautiful area takes its name from the Dordogne River which winds its way past storybook villages. Think medieval market towns like Sarlat-la-Canéda, the wine-rich streets of Bergerac and the laid-back charm of Périgueux – the region’s capital. History lovers will be in their element with fairytale castles, ancient châteaux and the world-famous Lascaux Caves, home to prehistoric art. It’s the sort of place where you’ll happily swap busy tourist hotspots for slow days exploring cobbled streets, wandering along the river, tasting local produce and soaking up the sunshine. If you’re taking a road trip, the drive down from Calais is around 8-9 hours depending on where you’re staying.

How do I travel from the UK to my Eurocamp holiday in the Dordogne?

For ferry and channel crossings to/from Calais – Eurocamp have access to discounted slots which are usually significantly cheaper than booking directly. The prices fluctuate slightly, but a return on the ferry from Dover to Calais is typically £100 (it was £112 for an example holiday on 8-15th Aug and ours was £95 in September) and the Le Shuttle Channel Crossing is around £250 (it was £254 for 8-15th Aug and a similar price for us in June). These costs were based on August dates – the price doesn’t really seem to change during peak school holiday times which is awesome!

Other routes: I’m not certain how many different ferry routes Eurocamp offer, but if you are looking for affordable options to/from a different location then the Direct Ferries website is the best place to look. It’s a comparison website for ferry travel so you can easily see all of the prices from different companies, which route options are available and any current offers running. If it’s not included then Direct Ferries is definitely the next best place to look for cheap ferry options.

For Eurocamp holidays with flights – You can’t book your flights through Eurocamp as a package deal, so you’ll need to book the flights yourself if you’d prefer not to drive. When it comes to the budget airlines, I think the best options are Jet2 and EasyJet – and for price comparison the Skyscanner website can be a great place to start. You can sort car hire easily on websites like Expedia, or book your transfers to and from the airport on the Suntransfers website before you go to make your trip stress free.

Why is the Dordogne so popular – is it worth visiting with kids?

The Dordogne is absolutely worth visiting with the kids – it’s a great base for a family holiday. You’ve got beautiful villages and medieval towns, miles of peaceful countryside perfect for walking or cycling, rivers for kayaking and enough history to keep any castle-lover busy for a week. There are markets brimming with local produce, plus vineyards and caves if you fancy something a bit different. The area is beautiful, laid-back and you can make your family holiday as active or as lazy as you like. I hope that this article has helped you to find the right spot for your Eurocamp adventure and, for lots of ideas for your family holiday itinerary, check out my article: The 10 best things to do in the Dordogne with kids. Happy travels!