Camping de la Chesnaie

Le Mans' most famous race, the 24 Hours, takes place (alas) but once a year. If you can't make that all-important weekend in September, the next best thing is to head to the 24 Hours of Le Mans Museum (25 minutes' drive) and relive the racing triumphs of yesterday. While in town, swing by the stunning Saint-Julien Cathedral and medieval old town too. Central France has plenty of wide open spaces and sparsely populated wildlife hubs to explore. Carnuta (10 minutes) is a good place to start: this eco-museum is entirely made out of wood and has loads of interactive info to help guests get to grips with their surrounds. Those planning kid-focused days also have plenty of choice: Papéa amusement park (half an hour) has tiddler-friendly rides that are likely to make the grade (the waterpark is also pretty handy if you're here in hot weather). If it's wildlife you seek, Pescheray Zoo (half an hour) is home to an array of exotic beasts in the elegant grounds of a château, while highlights at Zoo de la Flèche (40 minutes) include sealion feeding time.