Now that you have decided to take a family holiday camping in France, there are a few things to consider. There are many campsites suitable for family holidays in France to choose from; each one as beautiful as the next. However, there are a few things to check you have with you before you get underway. These vary slightly depending on if you are using a mobile holiday home, or a camping resort.

You will want to be sure you have your passport, driving licence and car insurance details for any road trip on the Continent. It is likely you won’t need them of course, but better safe than sorry.

It is highly advisable to have travel insurance and the E111 to provide basic medical cover. French law also requires that you have a warning triangle in your car (in case of breakdown), and you should also have a basic first-aid kit and fire extinguisher.

The majority of campsites are fully equipped with everything, including barbeques. If you wish to tent, you must verify that you can use your own. Some will only allow touring guests to bring a personal tent, and offer pitch areas at reasonable cost.

If you are camping in a mobile home you can carry your favourite perishables with you, as they are equipped with fridge/freezer combos, but in gastronomic France, this may not be necessary of course! There is a variety of bedroom choices available, depending on how many you take on your camping holidays.

Most importantly, you will want to bring bedding, towels, basic toiletries like toothbrushes and paste, and you should check to see if cooking supplies are provided. Often they are; however you may need to provide bottle and can openers. Waste bags, a torch and matches are must haves, regardless of how you camp. There are stores near all major campsites for you to purchase perishables or other needs.

Camping in France is so incredibly popular, and not just with the British. Regardless of where you choose to stay you will find that there are Dutch, German, French and lots of people from the Eastern European countries on campsites in France. You may not speak the same languages but it is amazing how quickly all the kids start to play together; football seems to be universally understood.

Making a success of your family holidays is simple because it is largely a state of mind. The pace is whatever you want it to be. You can eat when you like, get up when you choose and sit outside until the small hours just having a glass or two and talking. Of course booking a mobile home on a good site is pretty essential if you know that you would hate being in a tent. Mobile homes come with everything including the kitchen sink and even the most basic come with a good bathroom, a cooker and a fridge. Most camping holiday companies offer various levels of home and some of them are downright luxurious.

There will be holiday reps on the site to help you if you need any advice or have any problems and if a holiday company has invested in putting mobiles on to a campsite it is because they know that it has something special to offer. Whether it is a fantastic pool complex or direct access to a stunning beach you will find that they are perfect for family holidays. In fact once the children have left home you will probably find that you are still going to a French campsite because you will love just being able to relax and go with the flow.

When considering children’s holidays in France, Italy and Spain, what comes immediately to mind are camping holidays in the countryside or a beach location that will give all the family as much freedom as possible without overly denting the holiday budget. Camping resorts these days also provide much in the way of sophisticated mobile home holiday living which is far removed from the uncompromising family tent.

Facilities on camping sites are well set up for family holidays and parents will probably not see their older children for most of the holiday. Campsites are often placed near to the beach which gives an added dimension to the holiday fun. Both parents and children have the freedom to enjoy the thrills and spills of the beach, water sports and the open sea, but the campsite with its endless facilities is also on tap. So when a long hot day of swimming and beach fun is over, the nightly discos provide entertainment for parents and children alike. Campsites also provide for younger children too where there are designated play areas, plus swimming pools for more contained family enjoyment.

Camping sites will always provide the ultimate in kids’ holidays purely by fact that they cater so beautifully for all the family. It is the informality of the camping site where both children and adults are free to do exactly what they want. Adults can relax round the pool, enjoy the beach, and the local bars at night firm in the knowledge that their children are safe, also having fun and making new friends.

There is something very special about attending music festivals during the summer. The hoards of people, the top of the bill live bands, the camaraderie of everyone camping out and swapping stories (and supplies); it’s a unique experience and something that everyone should experience at least once.

Of course there are also downsides to music festivals, especially in the UK. With UK festivals you can be fairly certain that the weather will play at least some part in the event and will turn a plush field into a mud filled arena from which nobody will escape unsullied.

Camping in the UK can have big disadvantages. This is one area where the rest of Europe has a distinct advantage over the UK, as camping in Europe for music festivals can be an entirely different experience, and something that could persuade those put off by the mud in the UK to give it a go.

If camping in tents isn’t your thing, you could try holiday parks that contain mobile homes. You still get the feeling of camping out, fulfil the desire for self catering, but you don’t have to wrestle with a tent in a field while the rain beats down on your face.

British music festivals have a special place in people’s hearts, but for those who don’t like to ‘rough it’ then continental Europe offers a much more civilised camping experience.

The credit crunch is taking its toll on almost everyone in the current financial climate, with many holidaymakers choosing to remain in the UK rather than go abroad for their annual summer family holidays. A dim economic forecast doesn’t mean however that you have to suffer the dim British weather as well. On the contrary, summer breaks in Europe can be just as cheap as they are in the UK, especially if you travel by car or ferry across to the continent and avoid the unpredictability of flights.

European holiday parks are also perfect for family breaks as there are many holiday parks in France, Italy and Spain that offer luxurious, fun family holidays in peaceful, entertaining and most importantly ‘warm’ surroundings. Children love the sort of family holidays you can experience in mainland Europe for the excitement and fun factor, and adults enjoy them too because of the fabulous areas the holiday parks are situated in. Areas such as Tuscany and Brittany, famed for their beauty and their history, are also great for kids as they have many family holiday parks.

The best part about summer breaks in Europe in countries such as Italy, Spain and France is that these countries are so easy to get to. Via the Channel Tunnel you can be in France in a matter of minutes and from there can easily make your way to neighbouring countries.