Camping Les Cyprès

Two-wheeled travel is king here, with around 450 kilometres of cycle paths crisscrossing the Vendée region making it an excellent area even for less experienced bike handlers. Pedal your way around the salt marshes close by, down to the beach or along to the riding stables and canoe centre if you fancy a different way to see the scenery. Pedal off to Saint Gilles Croix de Vie (20 minutes) to hit the water too: this is the place for surf lessons, scuba diving, windsurfing and boat trips to the island of Yeu (bring your bikes along for the ride on this day out, as the island’s another fab place for cycling). Of course, there are times when a car is a handy thing: perhaps for the 20-minute drive to Atlantic Toboggan waterpark, the 45-minute jaunt to Noirmoutier island or the hour-long journey to Puy du Fou theme park.