Resort & Camping – Val de Braye

Resort & Camping Val de Braye is in Bessé-sur-Braye, in the Perche Sarthois, between Le Mans and Tours. The site runs along the river Braye and presents itself as a calm green space, rated 4 stars. The Le Mans 24 Hours, the Cité Plantagenêt and the Loire châteaux are the main reference points the campsite cites to place its location.

The accommodation is varied: about fifty pitches (57 according to the website) for tents, caravans and motorhomes, two-bedroom mobile homes for 4 to 7 people, one model adapted for people with reduced mobility, air-conditioned luxury mobile homes, a two-bedroom chalet by the river, tipis and a glamping dome. Advertised rates start at €14 a night for a pitch with electricity, €45 for a tipi, €50 for the chalet and €65 for a mobile home.

As for opening, the website says it welcomes holidaymakers all year round, with no annual closure indicated. No closure period is therefore published, either for the rental accommodation or for the pitches: online booking stays open in winter as in summer. The website does not say whether the washrooms or the accommodation are heated, so this should be checked at reception before a stay in the cold season.

The campsite has direct access to the neighbouring municipal aquatic centre, with indoor and outdoor pools, and has a bar, restaurant, grocery and laundry on site.

Indoor pools at the neighbouring aquatic centre, visits to châteaux and the Cité Plantagenêt in Le Mans, walks from Courtanvaux castle.

The services described on the website cover the essentials of a family stay: free wifi, a self-service laundry, bar and restaurant, grocery, free parking and the option of cleaning during your stay (charges apply). Pitches give access to showers, toilets, including adapted toilets, fresh water and waste water disposal for motorhomes, with a charging point available to motorhome owners.

The mobile homes for 4 to 6 or 5 to 7 people have two bedrooms, a dining area with a sofa bed, a fitted kitchen (crockery, fridge, coffee machine), a bathroom with shower and toilet, and a private garden. The luxury models add air conditioning, a hairdryer and a kettle. The chalet has a covered terrace, and the two-bedroom tipis are equipped with a microwave, a fridge and crockery.

Swimming is at the municipal aquatic centre, which is free to access for guests. It has a small indoor pool of 10 m by 3 m, an indoor pool of 25 m by 8 m, a paddling pool, a four-person jacuzzi, an outdoor pool of 25 m by 10 m and a 34 m water slide. The hammam operates only from mid-June to mid-September. Opening hours differ between school term and holidays: the indoor pools let you swim in any weather, which is an advantage off-season. Swimming lessons, aqua aerobics, aquabike and aquajump must be booked, and some sessions are paid.

On site, the campsite focuses on simple games: a tennis court, table tennis, pétanque, badminton, volleyball, darts, a trampoline, table football, giant garden chess, board games, a book-lending service and a children’s play area. The water activities at the neighbouring centre (swimming, aqua aerobics, aquabike) complete this offer, with compulsory booking.

Around Bessé-sur-Braye, the river allows fishing and canoeing or kayaking, while cycling and mountain bike routes, electric bike hire and horse riding are among the activities relayed by the campsite. The Perche Sarthois has many châteaux: Courtanvaux is about five minutes away by car, Montmirail 35 minutes and Le Lude 55 minutes.

Le Mans is about 45 minutes away by road: the Saint-Julien cathedral and the Cité Plantagenêt stand alongside the 24 Hours museum, which welcomes motor racing fans. The village of Troo, a small town of character with troglodyte dwellings, is also among the suggested excursions. Towards the Touraine, allow about an hour to reach Chenonceau. Off-season, these heritage visits, swimming in the indoor pools and the walking trails starting from Courtanvaux castle are the main pastimes, as the website mentions no winter entertainment.