Over the years, camping holidays have become a traditional British family holiday. Even the traditional British weather has failed to dampen the spirits of campers enjoying their family holidays, although most would agree that glorious sunshine does make for better camping holidays than the usual downpour of rain.

Camping holidays are great for family holidays for a variety of reasons, not least of all the cost. Camping is one of the cheapest forms of holidays in the UK, and when you’re camping you’re able to venture further afield into Europe, to France for example, for very little increase in the expense of your family holidays.

Children love camping holidays because they appeal to their love of the great outdoors and offer them the chance to sleep under the stars, play with tents, outdoor toys and make new friends.

These holidays also offer you the chance to get back to basics; a roof over your head and a fire for warmth are all that you need to be happy, away from the stresses of everyday life. That is after all, what a holiday is all about.

One of the best ways to enjoy camping is with mobile home holidays. France, being such a large expansive country has countless holiday parks catering to mobile homes and campers alike, and its weather conditions make it a more hospitable country in which to go camping than the UK.

Camping is a perfect solution for cheap family holidays, and mobile home holidays to France are a great option that thousands of Brits choose every year.

France is a large country and as such has contrasting regions, from the sunny holiday resorts and beaches of the south of France to the museums, art galleries and hustle and bustle of Paris, there’s something for everyone in France.

If you’re interested in cultural weekend breaks around Europe then you needn’t look any further than Paris, the capital of France. From London via the Eurostar you can be in Paris in just over two hours, making Paris a convenient destination as well as a cultural one. Paris has art galleries such as the Louvre, where you can see the famous Mona Lisa, and landmark attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, from which you can see the whole of Paris.

If it’s a large family holiday you need then the south of France has what you’re looking for, with many holiday villas available in areas such as the Côte d’Azur and Provence.

Villa holidays in France in the Côte d’Azur allow you to spend time on the glorious beaches of Cannes and Nice, enjoy the friendly nightlife where children are always welcome and even visit the millionaire’s playground of Monaco, which is just a short drive away.

As if that wasn’t enough, every area of France has its own story to tell in the wine it produces, with Provence producing the Côtes de Provence. France has such as great variety of holidays available, there is something to suit everyone.

Has the recent series of Hells Kitchen inspired you to flex your culinary skills? Perhaps all the fascinating cookery programmes on TV have persuaded you to find out more about the different cuisines available across the globe? If so, then why not consider blending cuisine with culture on a gourmet break.

On coach holiday website Door2Tour.com there are a selection of tours to delight a holiday palate. Wine connoisseurs can follow the infamous Wine Trail taking you from Burgundy to Alsace and enjoy a spot of wine tasting along the way.

If pasta’s your passion, head off to an undiscovered region of Italy and discover the culinary delights of Italian gastronomy in Piedmont, where you can hunt for white truffles with the locals, dine out in many Turin restaurants and finish it all off with a vineyard tour.

With winding rivers, lush green valleys and scenery straight off a postcard, you’ll certainly enjoy sampling the local Riesling and Pinot Noir in Germany as well as brushing up on your historical knowledge by touring local castles.

Take a look at the selection available at www.door2tour.com.

Just a short way across the English Channel by ferry, Normandy, offers you its own special version of France, with its local dishes, verdant landscapes, historical towns, and friendly people.

With its 350 miles of coastline and richly varied regions, Normandy gives the visitor a wonderful choice of landscapes, scenery and culture: the stunning beauty of the cliffs at Etretat or the long sandy beaches, steeped in history, from Caen to Arromanches, the Seine Valley winding between wooded hills and chalk escarpments, the craggy hills of “Norman Switzerland”, and the patchwork of fields and hedges of the Calvados region with its orchards and timber-framed cottages.

Enjoy Normandy’s warm hospitality, its unique blend of maritime traditions and rural way of life. Marvel at its historic towns and monuments, stroll down quiet country lanes and enjoy local dishes in picturesque villages, or sip a drink by the quayside of one of its old ports while fishermen repair their nets and seagulls soar overhead.

Visitors have a choice between seaside and countryside. There is so much to do within either option. The stunning beauty of the region’s interior, with its thatched cottages, traditional farming and ever-changing landscapes, is matched by a long coastline which stretches from the romantic cliffs and sandy beaches of Seine Maritime in the East, to the wild Cotentin seaboard and the World Heritage Site of Mont Saint Michel and its bay, with its huge tidal range and strong currents.

Of course the main attraction of the area is the The Battle of Normandy Historical Area, a veritable open-air museum covering the three departments of Calvados, Manche and Orne, and includes all the sites, museums and memorials associated with D-Day and the invasion. High quality English-speaking tours of the sites run 7 days a week from all major and even many minor hotels and chateaus. Reservations for Normandy tours will be made directly through the tour operator, at the hotel, or online before you leave. Many are surprised to learn they have several museum options while in the Normandy region. There are major museums worth checking out in Arromanches-les-Bains, Ouistreham Riva-Bella, Bayeux & Caen.

While in Bayeux, don’t miss the chance to view the Bayeux Tapestry, a 50 cm by 70 m long embroidered cloth—not an actual tapestry — which explains the events leading up to the 1066 Norman invasion of England as well as the events of the invasion itself. The Tapestry, annotated entirely in Latin, has a museum of its own in Bayeux that is well worth a visit.

Of course, the river Seine also flows through Normandy and provides the quintessential backdrop to an already stunning French countryside. Recommended towns to visit along the Seine include Elbeuf, Duclair, Vernon, Mantes-la-Jolie, Lillebonne and others.

Normandy France makes a perfect getaway weekend this summer. Condor Ferries leave several times daily from Portsmouth, Weymouth or Poole, England. You can reserve your seat online today through their website. For places to stay, Cottages and Villas in Normandy and the surrounding area can be booked online through VFB Holidays.