Canada

Founded in 1970 by Alcide Beausseron and still in the same family, Camping Canada stands on the route de Septeuil in Épône, in the Yvelines department. Paris is about 45 kilometres away. Versailles palace is said to be half an hour away, Thoiry zoo about twenty minutes and Saint-Germain-en-Laye thirty minutes. The site is rated two stars.

The pitches are marked out by hedges or fences, and caravan pitches have electric hook-ups. A tent area is closed to cars, which park nearby, and six gravel pitches take passing motorhomes. For rental, the campsite offers mobile homes for two to six people and Club-type chalets with one to three bedrooms, ready to move into.

The website says the campsite is open all year round, with one caveat: reception hours vary with the season, and it is best to phone before arriving. Off-season, the campsite points to its tarmac paths and heated washrooms. It presents itself as a practical base for business trips, as a country retreat for mobile home owners and as a starting point for trips to Versailles or Paris.

Worth knowing: the indoor pool and the inflatable play structures only operate from April to September.

Day trips to Versailles, Thoiry, Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Paris; pick-your-own at the Ferme du Logis in Jumeauville.

Three sanitary blocks, named Le Tikida, L’Olivier and La Lavande, serve the site; two of them are heated in winter. They have individual washbasins, coin-operated shower cubicles, hairdryers, a dishwashing sink and a large shower adapted for people with reduced mobility. A laundry corner groups washing machines, tumble dryers and an ironing area. At reception, a small shop sells food, drinks, ice creams, charcoal, gas and paraffin for heating. A letterbox lets guests post mail, collected every weekday morning.

The water facilities are the site’s main feature: a heated indoor pool with a water cannon, a contoured bench, a lazy river, a geyser and a spa area. It is open from April to the end of September, from 11am to 1pm for adults and then from 1pm to 7pm for everyone. Inflatable structures with water spray, a snack bar and a cooling shower are added in the same way during the season.

A games room with pool tables, paddle games and table football, as well as a fitness room, complete the offer. Wi-fi is stated to be free and unlimited. The website mentions neither a restaurant nor a snack bar on site.

There is plenty to do for a campsite of this size. On site, there is a mini golf course with clubs and balls lent out at reception, a tennis court, a table tennis table, a multi-sport pitch, petanque courts, a mountain bike trail and a fitness trail. Children have a play area with swings, a slide and trampolines.

The mini farm is home to ponies, a donkey, goats, pigs, ducks, hens and a peacock; pony rides and carriage rides are organised in season. An entertainment programme is published every year and available at reception: theme nights, 80s and 90s evenings, cabaret, bingo, flea market, aquabike sessions and balloon releases.

Around the campsite, the Ferme du Logis in Jumeauville, ten minutes away, offers pick-your-own fruit and vegetables every day from 9am to 7pm. Versailles, Thoiry, Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Paris can all be visited as day trips. Off-season, the website does not publish an events calendar for autumn and winter; outings to Versailles, Thoiry or Paris remain the main things to do.