Camping des Gayeulles

Camping des Gayeulles lies in the middle of the Gayeulles park, about a hundred hectares of woods, clearings and lakes in the north-east of Rennes. The historic centre is about 5 km away: the cycle path that follows the green corridor and the Ille-et-Rance canal reaches it in half an hour by bike, and the Les Gayeulles metro station (line b) is 1.3 km away. The railway station is 6 km away, the airport 15 km, and Saint-Malo, Dinard and Mont-Saint-Michel about an hour’s drive.

The site is rated 3 stars and holds the Clef Verte label. It has 128 unserviced pitches: 45 on grass with electricity, 11 hardstanding without water or electricity and 72 hardstanding connected to water, electricity and drainage for motorhomes, caravans and vans. As for rentals, there are 18 Citylodges of 25 to 40 m² (one to three bedrooms) and 4 Cabanétapes, small 4 m² shelters equipped with electricity. Booking is online only.

The campsite closes very little: it is open every day except from 25 December to 1 January. However, the washroom blocks close on 2 November. In winter, you can therefore stay in a motorhome or caravan with its own washroom facilities, provided you take a pitch with three hook-ups: water, electricity and drainage. A stay spanning December and January is booked by phone or email with the team.

The site caters as much to urban weekends and cycling stopovers as to business stays, as it states itself.

From October to May: Le Blizz ice rink in the park, covered municipal pool, fitness and cycling trails, and the centre of Rennes 5 km away.

On site, the offer remains modest and practical. Wifi is free at limited speed, with a faster connection as a paid option. A washing machine and a dryer operate on payment, a self-service kitchenette provides a fridge, freezer, kettle and microwave for guests on pitches or in Cabanétapes, and a baby kit (travel cot, bath, high chair, potty, tableware) can be rented. For cyclists, the campsite lends repair equipment, sells puncture repair supplies and has a cleaning area. The Citylodges have a flat-screen TV with channels in 17 languages; bed linen, bath linen and end-of-stay cleaning are offered as extras.

The campsite has no pool of its own, but the covered Gayeulles municipal swimming pool is in the park: a 25-metre pool, a 10-metre diving pit, a lagoon for toddlers and a wave pool, with paid access. The Le Blizz ice rink, also in the park, is open from October to May.

Food and drink depend on the season: food trucks come by in July and August, a bakery service operates from June to September with orders the day before, and the restaurant-guinguette Au Parc des Bois, about 100 metres away, serves lunch on weekdays all year round, with evening events in summer. The washroom blocks, up to five depending on the season, close on 2 November.

The Gayeulles park serves as a playground: fitness, hiking, cycling and jogging trails, an inclusive play area for children, a picnic area with communal barbecues, tennis, squash, football and rugby pitches, and two fenced areas for dogs. The restaurant Au Parc des Bois offers two 18-hole mini-golf courses, the Forêt Adrénaline park has 17 treetop adventure courses and a net course without harness, and Le Garden hosts racket sports, with the Gardenoo for sheltered children’s games.

Rennes is easy to discover from the campsite, by bike, by bus (line C5, 500 metres away) or by metro. The City of Art and History offers half-timbered houses, lanes and squares, the Thabor park, as well as events such as the Heritage Days in September. The Ille-et-Rance canal and the green corridor serve as a guiding thread for cyclists and walkers.

Off-season, the programme remains decent: the Le Blizz ice rink offers two ice rinks from October to May, with a café and themed evenings; the covered pool remains nearby; the park restaurant serves all year round; the cultural life of the Breton capital, according to the campsite, knows no pause over the twelve months. Promotional offers are regularly made for the All Saints holidays.