Camping du Lac de la Chausselière

It’s absolutely worth spending a whole day at Puy du Fou (30 minutes’ drive), where history comes alive in colourful pageants and immersive shows packed with action. Every day rounds off with the Cinéscénie spectacular, involving a cast of thousands and winding up with an awesome fireworks display. It’s not often you see a gigantic mechanical elephant lumbering along the quayside. But you might do in Nantes (45 minutes) – and you can have a ride on his back too (check schedules before setting out though, because Le Grand Éléphant is not always operational). If he’s not making an appearance, take the kids to poke around medieval war machines at Château de Tiffauges (15 minutes). You can mix up kids’ fun with a bit of culture too; learn about regional history at Historial de la Vendée (30 minutes), a cracking contemporary museum, or book tickets for classical music festivals at the Logis de la Chabotterie (20 minutes), which also has gorgeous gardens to explore.