Travel review: Basque Coast

Wafting aromas of freshly baked bread signals the start of new mornings in France and collecting this warm and doughy delight became a daily routine my family and I wholeheartedly adopted while visiting the Basuqe Coast this summer.

Imagine allowing a six-year-old the freedom to ride his bike to the onsite patisserie, practise his language skills and bring home freshly baked pastries for everyone?

Well, that's exactly how each morning began on our glorious Eurocamp holiday at Le Ruisseau Campsite set in 18 hectares and just five miles from historic Biarritz.

Having always hired privately for family holidays, the mobile home park experience was new to us and from start to end we found it ideal for our family of mum, dad and two boys aged four and six.

Varying in size, guests can chose from off the beaten track sites to full on fun resorts at 180 destinations across Europe at top destinations like Lake Garda, the Costa Verde in Spain and even Switzerland. Being a traffic-free site meant only the occasional comings and goings of vehicles and strict speed limits means children can whizz around on bikes and play in safety.

After a hearty breakfast delivered proudly by our eldest, on the decked terrace of our Espirit, three-bedroomed mobile home, most days were spent around the site enjoying the facilities which I can honestly say were fantastic.

Accommodation was perfectly functional and included three bedrooms, a kitchen diner with gas hob and oven, WC and shower room For our needs the mobile home was perfectly adequate but if you are looking for a little more luxury the higher spec models may be more suitable. My only gripe was the mattresses which were basic and a little uncomfortable but not enough to stop me sleeping. Positioning of the homes are close together, maybe too close for some, but we made friends with our neighbours and kept a lookout for each other's children so the arrangement can work well. Daily, there are various kids' clubs and activities geared to suit children up to the age of 12. Then, there's the evening's entertainment – discos, magic shows, comedians...the list is endless.

Blessed with glorious sunshine meant the children played in the pools, making friends and wearing themselves out splashing down the slides. Even parents got a break as loungers are carefully placed allowing full view of the swimming areas.

Tearing the children off site was the hardest part of the holiday. Having made so many friends they were reluctant to leave but it would have been a crime not to venture out.

For a start the beaches around the coast offer some of the best waves and the clearest waters, there are six to choose from and one of the longest stretches of coastline of all the Côte Basque towns await – all of which have life guards during the high seasons.

For us the beach at Guéthary was ideal for families, rock pools teeming with enormous crabs and fish of every colour kept the children entertained for hours and the waters are such a beautiful deep blue, you can spend hours gazing out to sea.

Being so near, San Sebastain in Spain at the heart of Basque country was another worthy day trip with its famous La Concah beach, considered one of the best city beaches in Europe and how could I not mention the food? It's the place to head for artistic pintxos which are dished up in the old town and comprise of elaborately designed miniature mouthfuls – originally held together with a cocktail stick or 'pintxo'.

• Eurocamp is the leading provider of outdoors holidays and helps more than 500,000 holidaymakers plan trips each year.

• More than 180 prime locations offer options for beach, city breaks to stays amongst mountains and lakes.

• Most importantly, more flexible than other operators and offers a range of travel options, including flight, ferry and driving and total flexibility when it comes to arrival and departure dates.

• To book visit www.eurocamp.co.uk or call 0844 406 0402.

• For a two-bed mobile home, prices start from £52 per night.

• For information regarding Puy du Fou visit www.puydufou.com [/breakout]

Being this far south means plenty of sun-filled days but be under no illusions, Le Ruisseau Campsite is a long journey even by adult standards and took a lot of planning – eight-hour's drive from the north coast. But there are ways of making it easier.

First, if you are happy to make do without the car, hop on a flight to Biarritz and take a short transfer (7km) to the park.

Keen to explore the area we drove and crossing the Channel couldn't have been easier. We opted for Brittany Ferries, Portsmouth fast-craft ferry crossing to Cherbourg which takes just three hours with daily departures. By the time we had waved goodbye to the ships at Portsmouth, had brunch and wondered around the ship we had motored across the Channel and arrived at Cherborg in record time.

To break up the journey we took an overnight break in at Puy de Fou, a historical theme park in Les Epesses in the heart of the Vendée region.

The park brings in some two million visitors every year and prizes have also been won for the world's best amusement park, including two US "World's Best Park" awards where history collides with extravagant shows in spectacular French fashion. It's an ideal break from the road.

When booking at Le Ruisseau, requesting a plot towards the back of the site would advisable with young children as the evening's entertainment was disruptive for the camping plots adjacent to the bar.

Summer holidays never seem long enough and when friendships are made it's even harder to leave but the memories will carry us through to next year when we will be booking again and exploring some of the highlights we didn't have time to experience this time.