[youngy]

Heading out to font march 13th-21st does anyone know if the campsites are going to be open then?
if so which are the best ones to stay in?

any advice would be appreciated
cheers

[andy_e]

we stayed in the one in samoreau, it was cheap and not too far out from the climbing. much cheaper than la musardiere!

[SA Chris]

Samoreau for us too.

[dave]

if you're staying for a week then a gite could well be as cheap, not to mention more comfy. Either way avoid musardiere cos its expensive and shit.

[slackline]

Stayed at Les Courtilles du Lido a few times myself.

[erm, sam]

Stayed at Les Courtilles du Lido a few times myself.

Me to and I liked it.
But you can't beat La musadiere for location.

[Richie Crouch]

Just a quick update, it's getting a bit close to the trip and we are yet to make an arrangement for camping! There are only 3 of us, so we figured its a lot cheaper to camp without more people to share a gite?

I checked out Samoreau campsite and it seems it doesn't open till April 1st. We are staying 20-28th March so this is a bit of an issue! 

Anyone with some further knowledge of good campsites to stay at other than Musadiere  The Samoreau place worked out roughly £65 each for 8 nights inc tents and a car, so something close to this would be great. Cheers guys/gals.

*edit* Found this place.. http://www.camping-belesbat.com/spip.php?rubrique24

Anyone stayed here before or know the cost of an extra tent? If its the same as adding a car at 2.50 a night then that's 59 euros each for 8 nights roughly, seems a bargain!

[Charlie Small]

This campsite is awesome, if you ask to stay in the bivouac field you're allowed to have fires:
http://www.camping-grez-fontainebleau.info/caravanning.html

Last year for my group of friends it worked out around half the price of Musardiere:
> Adult                    2.80       (Euros)
> Tent ( 2 pers)        2.25
> Tent (3 pers & +)   2.80
> Car                       2.00

[Drew]

I've stayed here a few times, and thought it was pretty reasonable. A nice short walk to the boulangerie in the village, pretty close to Nemours for the supermarche, and closer to the more Southern venues. If you go through to the rear portion of the campsite you can have a camp fire too (just have to find dead wood).




EDIT: turns out that's two votes for Grez-sur-Loing.

[Richie Crouch]

Good knowledge guys. Cheers!

Clicked on that link and it says the season begins 20th March, what a fluke 

[JohnM]

Yeah my vote goes to Grez-sur-Loing.  It is a really nice location near the river, the owners are really friendly and you can light camp fires in the back field which is always welcome at this time of year.  When are you off Rich?

[psychomansam]

If you should find yourself without accommodation for a night, just park up in the forest in one of the more secluded car parks. Sabots has running water.

It's technically not allowed, but as long as you're not littering/being a tit, the police and park rangers don't seem to mind. The police were checking roche aux sabots car park regularly last summer, presumably for the weed smoking chav locals (yes, france has them too) that came through occasionally, though they always seemed to miss them. Didn't mind the climbers camped there at all.
And i woke up in another car park one morning to find three park rangers were the only other people about, standing about ten metres from my car and having a chat. I opened my boot, got out my sleeping bag, went off for a piss and said bonjour as i walked past -- they didn't even blink.

[chris20]

Yeah another vote for Grez-sur-Loing, owners were great and speak english.  River was great in the summer for a swim, not sure in March tho!

[galpinos]

If you should find yourself without accommodation for a night, just park up in the forest in one of the more secluded car parks. Sabots has running water.

It's technically not allowed, but as long as you're not littering/being a tit, the police and park rangers don't seem to mind. The police were checking roche aux sabots car park regularly last summer, presumably for the weed smoking chav locals (yes, france has them too) that came through occasionally, though they always seemed to miss them. Didn't mind the climbers camped there at all.
And i woke up in another car park one morning to find three park rangers were the only other people about, standing about ten metres from my car and having a chat. I opened my boot, got out my sleeping bag, went off for a piss and said bonjour as i walked past -- they didn't even blink.

If you are goign to do this, please find a toilet to shit in. When I was in forest last November, the amount of shit and toilet paper scattered about a meter into the forest around the carparks was disgusting.

(Not accusing you Sam, just think it's worth saying)

[psychomansam]

well actually, shitting in the forest is just often necessary. No public toilets anywhere, and if you spend a day out, you've got to find somewhere to dump all that spent cheese.

On the other hand, i'm not responsible for the above issue. I always go as far from a path as i can within a few minutes walk, and don't use toilet paper. Nothing beats damp moss anyway, the stuff of kings!!

[bobkatebob]

>No public toilets anywhere

Ok, can I be a pedant?  There are public toilets at Buthiers.

[Jim]

2 simple rules for shitting in the forest:
if you can't bury it do it far from the path
if you use toilet paper, burn it when its used (obviously making sure you don't set fire to the forest)

[neil h]

2 simple rules for shitting in the forest:
if you can't bury it do it far from the path
if you use toilet paper, burn it when its used (obviously making sure you don't set fire to the forest)

the problem in font, you are never too far from a path, you walk away from one only to get closer to another, the amount of times I have done this ony to here someone walk past 

[Luthor]

Good knowledge guys. Cheers!

Clicked on that link and it says the season begins 20th March, what a fluke 

Hi. So which site did you go for in the end?

I'm planning a trip and trying to decide between La musardiere (stayed there years ago and remember location being great!) and Les Pres / Grez-sur-Loing.. Havent got much info on samoreau.

Cheers

[Richie Crouch]

Went for the Grez option which was a very good price and got a friendly reply straight away from the couple who run it saying our place was reserved. They said to just rock up sometime in the day to say we are about, or the following morning if arriving late.

[Luthor]

Cheers mate - sounds good!

[wiain]

Yeah another vote for Grez-sur-Loing, owners were great and speak are english.  River was great in the summer for a swim, not sure in March tho!

Well Carole is anyway. She was from Bristol if I recall.

Another vote for Greasy loins from me too though. We rocked up a month before they opened one year and they let us in anyway.

[rodma]

the problem in font, you are never too far from a path, you walk away from one only to get closer to another, the amount of times I have done this ony to here someone walk past 

 

I had an awful time at Cuvier on a saturday trying to get far enough away from the boulders, paths etc. I ended up far enough away that I was completely lost, but despite that, whilst I was squatted down under the bracken, someone walked right passed me without seeing me, close enough that I could have grabbed their ankles (not that I would of).

Nothing beats damp moss anyway, the stuff of kings!!

If you're a fan of ticks on your nether regions 

[Jim]

Planning on stopping in font for a couple of nights on the way further south at the end of June with la family.
Which campsite would be best for a family? needs to have some swings/boulangerie walking distance really
Les Courtilles du Lido looks pretty good.
Do they make you wear speedo's in the pool?
Ta

[slackline]

Planning on stopping in font for a couple of nights on the way further south at the end of June with la family.
Which campsite would be best for a family? needs to have some swings/boulangerie walking distance really
Les Courtilles du Lido looks pretty good.
Do they make you wear speedo's in the pool?
Ta

I've stayed there three or four times and really like it.  Crazy golf and a few beers have been obligatory.  They do nice pizzas in the bar too. 

Not having a family I can't really comment on whether the place is suitable, but there have been quite a few families milling around when I've been there, small park with slides, swings etc.  Only ever ventured to the swimming pool once though, it was fucking freezing (as you'd expect in April) and there was no one else around supervising, but wore swimming-shorts.  They may be stricter on this in the summer when its being used more, but I've no idea.

Jacques ( ) the guy who runs the place is very responsive on emails, his English isn't brilliant (and my French is shite), but successful communication was achieved using Google Translate at both ends.

If it turns out that you do have to wear speedo's in there and you don't have any/want to, you can always go "In Seine" (or Loing) which is < 5 minutes walk away (although I'm guessing this may not be suitable for the bairns).

Oh and the Crepiere (?sp) just by the cross-roads before you go into Moret-sur-Loing (just down the road from Veneux-les-Sablons) is well worth a visit, very good food and selection of wine, and the old town and the fortifications/bridge are very picturesque and make for a nice picnic area.

Have fun.

[Jim]

cheers Slackers, looks like just the ticket

[slackline]

  No problem

(Makes a change from the usual petty bickering over OS/Flickr etc.  )

[Jim]

you love it really

[slackline]

you love it really

  t'is always good fun to have a bit of banter 

[stokesy]

Thought id tag on to the end of this topic even though were going in April. Were travelling down on the national express coach next week and looking for a place to stay. The samoreau campsite looks alright (in that if its near the village its close to font train station and the climbing), but I cant find a website, does it have one? If not can you just turn up and stay or do you have to book? What are prices like? Any other info would be much appreciated.

[SA Chris]

If you download the doc at the bottom it has details on last page

http://www.tourism77.co.uk/hebergement-restauration/campings-seine-marne/recherche.asp

There are 2 campsites, one is quite a long way out, the other is just over the bridge on the right. The one a long way out doesn't allow campfires either. . They are really close to Avon Station.

[SA Chris]

Had a closer look, the Samoreau one is the muncipal one close in, the one further away is the Samois sure Seine one.

Just turned up at the Samoreau one a couple of times in late April, no need to book, must have been about a dozen other people on the site, no more. Basic and good showers, little snackbar on site that does saucisse frites etc, and good takeaway pizza place just across river. supermarche just across road. Can't remember prices, but not too spenny.

[stokesy]

Cheers for the info mate.

[SA Chris]

All good. Just bear in mind that if you haven't been before you might want to get your head around distances - worth doing some googlemapping to get an idea of how far to different bouldering areas etc.

[slackline]

Has anyone stayed in the static caravans at Les Pres outside Grez-sur-Loing?

I'm trying to make sense of their pricing but can't make head nor-tail of it (despite being able to translate the individual words).

Seems that its €31 for the first person/day or €152 for the first week, with a supplement for additional people, but unfortunately its the one page which hasn't been translated (and Google Translate can't do it because the text is actually overlaid on the background image).

Anyone with the low-down on how much a weeks renting will be?

[robertostallioni]

150E for the week, for the first person and an extra 20E for each extra adult/13E extra kid  for that week?

[slackline]

Nice one Stallion, merci beacoup.

[robertostallioni]

Mange tout  Rodney, mange tout.

[wiain]

...I'm trying to make sense of their pricing but can't make head nor-tail of it (despite being able to translate the individual words)....

I remember finding their site a tad confusing so always just email them. Its run by Carol et Bertrand. Their English is better than most Brits French on account of her being Bristolian (and his being French of course) and they've always been super helpful to me.

[slackline]

 Excellent, good knowledge there,was to mail them tomorrow.

[rodma]

Any chance of a wee review of the static caravan facilities on your return??

Would be good to know for future trips, since lugging all camping gear etc as well as two pads in a tiny chav car is a bit epic.

[slackline]

Will report back.

Look further up the thread for my thoughts on such facilities at Les Courtilles du Lido near Moret-sur-Loing where I've stayed four or five times.

[rodma]

Had a wee read of what you wrote, would be interested in the comparison between the two.

I Need extra beta though  like pots, pans, bed linen cooking facilities, barbeque etc etc etc. since my only real beef with camping is having to take all of that stuff

[slackline]

Ok, not  problem.

With regards to Les Courtilles had pots, pans, crockery, cooking utensils, cooking facilities (hobs, I think an oven, and definitely a bar-b-q).  Beds I remember we took sleeping bags, but there was basic sheets and a few blankets from what I recall, opted to use sleeping bags anyway as it was usually early April and got a bit chilly.

wiain might be able to comment on Les Pres having stayed there before.

[rodma]

Decent, good info 

We camped at les pres last year, rather than mustardear as all previous trips and realised when we got there that we shouldn't have taken fold up chairs and table/barbq, which already makes a good bit more space in the car. Everything like this makes a big difference to how much nicer the drive out is and how much more booze can be brought back. Would also make the cabins a possibility for flying out for a shorter trip.

Actually, fridge beta would be good too, save on bringing the coolboxfridgamethingy.

[slackline]

Pretty sure there was a fridge in the static caravans at Les Courtilles, might even have been one in the static tents (but only stayed in those once and can't quite remember).