La Sauzelle

The campsite La Sauzelle is at 1613 avenue de la Liberté in Saint-Aubin-de-Blaye, in the Gironde. Rated one star, it occupies a wooded park at the edge of a forest, beside a shaded river. Exit 38 of the A10 is one kilometre away and the citadel of Blaye, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, about 18 kilometres. The village is also a stage on the Voie de Tours, on the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela.

The site has twenty fully equipped mobile homes for one to four people, pitches for tents near the water and, still being laid out, an area for motorhomes whose opening date has not yet been published. The owners welcome holidaymakers as well as pilgrims and employees travelling for work, notably for the Blayais nuclear power plant.

Opening period: the campsite is presented as open all year round, notably by the Gironde Tourisme guide, and it announces no winter closure. Outside summer, the mobile homes are the simplest option: they can be rented by the night, by the week or for a longer work assignment. The reception office is open on weekdays in the morning and afternoon (8am to 12pm, then 2pm to 6pm) and on Saturday and Sunday in the morning only.

The published rates range from €40 a night for one person in a mobile home to €150 a week for the same option, and from €10 a night for one person in a tent.

Each mobile home has a full kitchenette, separate bedrooms, a bathroom reserved for the occupants, television and wifi at no extra charge. The campsite stresses the independence this provides, compared with a hotel room, for a working stay. A set-up fee of €30 is charged for rentals of a week or more, a deposit of €300 is required on arrival and a flat fee of €100 applies if the accommodation is not returned clean. Smoking is strictly forbidden inside. Arrivals are from 4pm to 8pm and departures from 8am to 11am.

Tent campers have a washroom block with two showers and two toilets. A vending machine with fresh bread, accessible at any hour at the campsite entrance, saves a trip to the bakery before heading off to work or on a hike.

There is no restaurant at the campsite, but the O’Minote establishment, right next door, offers takeaway food to enjoy on the terrace of your accommodation. A large stone fireplace in the middle of the shared areas allows for grills and barbecues. Payment is by cheque, in cash or by bank transfer. The campsite does not mention a swimming pool or water area. Business guests receive proper invoices for their expense claims.

The campsite does not offer organised entertainment. It serves rather as a quiet base for exploring the Haute-Gironde, between land and estuary. Walkers on the Camino de Santiago stop here, as the Voie de Tours passes at the edge of the village, and can continue on foot from the site without taking the car.

A few minutes away, the citadel of Blaye, fortified by Vauban, can be visited and overlooks the Gironde estuary. Along the riverbank, the carrelets, fishermen’s huts on stilts, form a typical landscape that can be admired on walks. The nearby bird park Terres d’Oiseaux appeals to nature-watching enthusiasts, and the prehistoric cave of Pair-non-Pair rounds off the possible visits for a day.

Food lovers can go and meet the producers of the Blayais vineyards. In summer, the Conservatoire de l’estuaire de la Gironde organises guided nature tours, which end with a tasting of Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux wines. The campsite does not mention any sports activities on site: for leisure, it is best to ask at reception, where the owners give advice on the surrounding area.