Camping de La Rivière

Camping de la Rivière occupies a 2-hectare hill in the village of Exideuil-sur-Vienne, in the Charente, on the banks of the Vienne. The site is laid out in terraces: two levels of pitches, one level for the accommodation and another for the restaurant, the swimming pool and the play areas. Limoges is easy to reach, as the motorway runs as far as Exideuil, and Angoulême is a little further away. The campsite is rated three stars and describes itself as family-friendly.

The owners, Christophe and Rianne, offer 25 pitches of about 100 to 130 m², separated by trees and bushes, including three comfort pitches with a gazebo. For rentals, there are two chalets for six people, two mobile homes (for 2 and 4 people) and three fitted-out boats for two or three people. Next to the campsite, the “Les Peinards” motorhome area has twelve large hardstanding pitches.

The campsite says it is open all year round. The published rates distinguish only a high season, from 10 July to 31 August, and a low season covering all the rest of the year, from 1 September to 9 July, for pitches, mobile homes, chalets and the motorhome area. The boats, on the other hand, can only be rented from mid-June to mid-September, and the restaurant also opens from mid-June to mid-September.

Off-season, the motorhome area even offers a monthly rate of €300, electricity consumption extra. Any winter closing dates are not published: it is best to confirm by phone before coming.

Walks and bike rides, a visit to Oradour-sur-Glane (30 km) and the Gallo-Roman baths of Chassenon (12 km), rail bike at Roumazières (6 km).

The washroom block has washbasins, spacious hot showers and toilets, with sinks for washing up and a laundry tub around the building. All pitches have electric hook-up, most often 16 amp, and those on the first terrace also have water and waste drainage. An ice machine fills a bowl for €1, barbecues are allowed and you can rent a barbecue or a fridge on site.

The snack-restaurant “La Guinguette” has a large covered terrace. It serves, among other things, large Limousin rib steaks and all-you-can-eat moules-frites, as well as Dutch specialities; it operates from mid-June to mid-September and also welcomes locals. In high season, bread and pastries can be ordered the day before and delivered to your pitch. Wifi is free.

To cool off, the campsite has an outdoor swimming pool, surrounded by a play area: inflatable structures, a trampoline, a sand area and a beach volleyball court. Swimmers also have the Vienne, where a small beach is accessible, and a lake with a sandy beach 6 km away, enlivened in summer by a snack bar. The rental units include a fitted kitchen; the large mobile home is well insulated, and bed linen, towels and tea towels can be rented for €10 per stay.

At the motorhome area, electricity (10 amp), water, waste disposal, access to the washroom block and the tourist tax are included in the nightly price.

On site, the activities are aimed mostly at families: mini-golf, trampoline, table tennis tables, pool, table football, pétanque courts, darts, children’s games and inflatable structures, offered in the afternoon, from 2pm to 6pm. Fishing is possible in the river, and walks and bike rides start from the campsite.

Canoeing or kayaking down the Vienne is the star outing: the 7 km stretch between Exideuil and Manot takes about two hours, with rapids and rocks, helmet and life jacket provided. A minibus then brings participants back to the campsite. A canoe for two people costs €26, a single kayak €17, and a package with a meal at the Guinguette is offered at €31 per person.

Around the campsite, several visits are possible. The Gallo-Roman baths of Chassenon are 12 km away, a rail bike at Roumazières 6 km, a treetop adventure course at Massignac less than 20 km and a lake with a beach 6 km. Oradour-sur-Glane, the martyr village destroyed in 1944, is 30 km away; the Lacs de Haute-Charente, Angoulême and Limoges are other destinations, as are the Vallée des singes an hour’s drive away and the Futuroscope near Poitiers. An educational farm at Lesterps offers guided visits.