Ever fancied camping in the grounds of a French chateau? There are a handful of campsites in the expansive Loire Valley where you can do just this, but Le Château de Chanteloup Campsite set in 50 acres of parkland is perhaps the most idyllic and peaceful of them all, and with it’s woodland playground and summer kids club, it’s a great French campsite for families.
Disclaimer: TraveLynn Family were provided a complimentary stay at Le Château de Chanteloup Campsite through Eurocamp Independent in exchange for this honest review and social media coverage. As always, these are all my own words. Also, this post contains affiliate links, should you click to purchase, it is at no additional cost to your, although I receive a small commission.
This was the final stop for us on our 6 week road trip around France in our Mazda Bongo camper. We stayed 5 nights from the 30th August, right at the end of the summer season. By the time we had arrived, the autumn leaves had begun to fall from the towering oak trees and summer kids club was finished for the season, but the afternoons were still beautifully warm for a dip in the pool and the restaurant remained open.
The campsite
This is a beautifully quiet and idyllic site. I’ll be honest, on arrival I was a tad nervous that our two boys (age 6 and 7) were spoiling the peace for some older campers without kids. But with all the woodland to explore and the fantastic playground area, there is more than enough space for kids to burn off some energy.
The facilities here are excellent and in keeping with the chateau. You will find a swimming pool, woodland playground, basketball court, rowing boats on a small lake, table tennis, and even goats!
Camping pitches
Pitches are set along the far edges of the lawn, so that everyone has an open view to the chateau, and which also leaves a big open area for kids to play. The rules are that the long edge of your camper/tent aligns with the edge of the woods, so that your main door opens out towards the middle.
EHU points sit between every two pitches and there’s a water tap in the middle of the field. Do note that the toilets and wash facilities are quite a trek from the pitches; you need to walk to the other side of the chateau.
The swimming pool
There’s a rectangular swimming pool heated to 26°C with loungers set around the lawn. There’s also a small toddler pool, and a cold plunge pool.
Men are fine wearing normal swim shorts, and inflatables are allowed.
There were many times we had the pool to ourselves, but being a small pool it doesn’t need many more people to make it feel ‘busy’.
Playground
The woodland playground is a wonderful space. The zip wire has a bit of a wild finish, and there are two trampolines as well as swings, seesaw and a play village. The playground is right next to the swimming pool.
Food
You can purchase your baguettes and croissants each morning from a lady that sets up a table outside reception from 8:30 to 9:30. If you want the chocolate croissants, make sure you’re there by 8:30am. There’s also a small shop onsite selling essentials.
A takeaway serving pizzas, nuggets, burgers and fries, is available every evening, you don’t need to book for this.
You do however, need to book for the restaurant. The food at the restaurant is rather basic (just an extension of the takeaway menu). We recommend going for the burgers rather than the pizza, as the latter is made on ready-made frozen bases; the veggie burger was lovely. The restaurant is in a beautiful setting and the wine is good value.
Make sure you treat yourself to a cocktail from the bar to enjoy in the gardens. It’s pretty special.
WiFi
There is paid WiFi available onsite; you will be given 2 hours free on arrival. However, the internet on her phones worked brilliantly, so we just used that.
Things to do in the area
Le Château de Chantelou Campsite is rather out in the sticks and there isn’t much around unless you jump in your car or van for a drive. Check out our guide to the Loire with kids for some of the best chateaux for families to visit. This really is a campsite to slow the pace, enjoy the grounds and relax.
The campsite has a map of some suggested walking routes, but much of this is along roads or steep gravel tracks. Don’t try these routes on bikes (the campsite staff had recommended the walking routes for a family bike ride, but the paths were steep and stony, and the map is poor quality to work out where to go).
Instead, we found the number 15 cycle route and followed this to the charming village of Savigné-l’Évêque, 6.5km away. To get to this cycle route:
- take a right out of the campsite and follow the lane up to the main road
- cross the main road and continue straight ahead, following the bend in the road around to the right
- at the T-junction, take a left
- after 400 metres going slightly uphill, you will find the turning on your left to the number 15 cycle route.
You can then follow this all the way to Savigné-l’Évêque. This is along quiet roads rather than traffic-free cycle paths. In the village there is a church, small supermarket, and a couple of bars.
The vibrant city of Le Mans is also just a 30 minute drive away.
Final thoughts on Le Château de Chanteloup Campsite
This is a beautifully idyllic site to get away from it all with no pressure for ticking off local sites. We’ll definitely be back.
Older kids may find that there isn’t much to do, but it’s perfect for very young families in particular who will love the woodland playground, the goats, the chilled out swimming pool, and playing in the woods. For us, it was a welcome relaxing end to our summer France road trip before the craze of back to school in the UK, and was extra special as my parents joined us here too.
How to book Le Mouline de Paulhiac Campsite
Head over to the Eurocamp Independent website to check availability, pricing, and to book a camping pitch. The advantage of booking through Eurocamp Independent is that during these uncertain times, they act as a central point to change any bookings; we found this particularly useful with having six different campsites booked for this summer trip, as we had to change plans so many times on the run up to leaving due to regulation changes and bubbles bursting at school.
Please note that there are no chalets or glamping tents at this campsite, only camping pitches.
You may also like to read:
Loire with kids: the best chateaux to visit
The best family campsites in France
All about our Mazda Bongo 4×4 camper