Independent Campsite Reviews

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From 10-17 September in a mobile home.

Friendly welcome.

Accommodation disgusting. On arrival, we had to de the cleaning, and disinfect everything. The bedding was covered in stains, the curtains and the sofa sticky.

The premises were certainly old, but with a bit of maintenance, could have been habitable.

You have to pay careful attention to the inventory, as the management respect nothing and no one, as long as they've paid.

I found that I have paid dearly for a 3 star service that I didn't get.

And as for the postage stamp TV at €28/week – that's embezzlement!

We will not be returning to this place, and the cicadas will have to sing without us.

We are regulars at Vacanciel at Vias, camping and mobile home. We spent a week here in September. The mobile home was dirty, really dirty, with paper tissues under the beds. I even found used plastic glasses pretty much everywhere. The dishes – don't speak of them. And the TV did not work. Although we reported it the second day, the manager wanted us to pay for fixing it. Someone had told us that there were no 4-bed mobile homes available, so they hired us a 6-bed for €380 for the week. It wasn't true – there were plenty of others free. It was awful, not even a blind at the kitchen window. And bathing in the pool: you needed a wash afterwards. There was filth all round the pool. Being regulars here, I cried for three days. I couldn't wait to get home. I am disappointed. One word of advice: look elsewhere, Vacanciel is crap.

Hello, we went here at the end of August 2010. First of all, the campsite is not bad, but there was no entertainment on offer, maybe because it was end of season, I don't know.

The accommodation was really really dirty, and there was a terrible smell from behind the fridge for the whole week. Despite this, the staff were really very nice.

Hello, we spent 2 weeks of our holiday at the Cigales campsite at Vias. At the start, it was good, but having to listen to the same thing every day becomes tiresome. This site needs an entertainer who is young and dynamic. The karaoke evenings are rubbish, and hearing him sing is worse. It's the only negative point that bothered us. The welcome was ok, but the entertainers lacked experience compared with other campsites. They were not at all cheerful, especially the girls. And another thing, there was nothing to do on Saturdays; they were tired, whereas other campsites have a party. They should realise we're on holiday. The setting is pleasant and shady, as well as clean. I hope that you take these criticisms on board, and in future improve things, as I reckon that every year, holidaymakers make a long journey to come to this site. There you go, that's my opinion.

Hello,

I stayed at Les Cigales from 1 to 8 August.

At first, I was a bit nervous, as I had read the reviews of the site before going. It's true that the other reviews here are generally true. When we arrived at the site, I have to say that the welcome was excellent, warm and efficient. So we got ourselves installed. I think that we had the best pitch of all the site (in a chalet). That was just luck, but luck did us a good job. The only thing I would say against the accommodation is that the toilet facilities were a bit dated (if you make a judgement on quality/price). Apart from that, the bedrooms and the kitchen/diner were fine, even very pleasant, with their wooden walls.

After settling in, we thought we'd take a tour of the campsite. Here, we were disappointed. The tour didn't take long. There was little to see. The pool was rather small, the sport facilities barren, the snack prices were very high, and the little shop was very expensive, very small, and with little on the shelves. We did our shopping in the neighbouring campsites' shops, which you could reach on foot, and which were better stocked, with more reasonable prices.

Anyway, we were only here for a week, so we decided to get on with it! So, the next day, we decided to look around the area. Catastrophe! It took at least 20 minutes just to get out of or back into the site. So we decided to go on foot. We found some super walks, but again, this exploration did not take long.

Happily, my two girls (13 and 15) signed up for the teen club straight away, and from morning till midnight, or even 1am, they were with other youngsters (beach activities, outings, evening BBQs, dance evening, games) led by the campsite activity leaders. They came back just to grab a bite to eat, showers and change for the evening, and to sleep. I honestly believe that they will have happy memories of this week. At home, they don't get as much freedom. So, if only for that, it was worth it. As for us parents, we were able to do things for ourselves, rather than for our children. If I were to summarise our stay, after a catastrophic start, it was after all not so bad as all that.

If I were to note a few possible improvements, the first thing would be a shop with more reasonable prices and a bit more stock, to save us having to do our shopping at the shop 3km away through the traffic, and allowing us to do our shopping each day. Apart from that, the prices at the snack bar were also too expensive. With the cost of the week around €850, I think they could have a rather better pool.

The beach (rather, the beaches, as if you search diligently, you'll find plenty of little creeks, and some are better than others) are a bit occupied by the 'local set', but if you choose carefully when to go, it's not so bad.

As for the staff at the site, and their availability, and the evening entertainment, nothing to say against any of that. I really liked the concert evening!

Would I return to Vias?

No! But not because of the campsite. Because of Vias. It's too crowded if you want to take the car anywhere. But as I have said, the fact that my girls loved it the way they did, means that I will nonetheless have good memories of this week.

This campsite is good for people who are not too demanding, and who are looking for comfort, with nearly-new mobile homes, fully equipped. One could start by saying that the site is at the end of a narrow, damaged road, surrounded by closed, isolated land, with mobile homes, caravans and chalets. In short, for a disorienting arrival, I found it a bit of a downer, you'd think you'd arrived in a rural campsite. On site, there is a volleyball court on a slope with a torn net, a football field on a slope and half covered in sand and left to go wild. There's a well thought out golf course, but also covered in sand and full of leaves. What's more, the clubs available for children are either too big, or in a really bad state, and golf balls are rare. During our stay, we didn't see anyone playing on these facilities which are, you'll have gathered, badly maintained, apart perhaps from the boules court. There's a main tarmac road that takes you to several metres from your pitch, the rest of the tracks are sand (unmaintained). We hired a mobile home, and I have to say it was very clean. The TV is extra (€28). Well positioned for the pool, but too near to the evening entertainment (till midnight). The campsite is shady, but there's not always enough shade in the caravan areas. You'll find no good palm trees (badly kept), just some poplars (20 years). There are 3 pools in the pool area, one of 1m60 depth, one for little ones, and one (1m20) to receive two slides which are great fun for the kids and teenagers. There are sunbeds available, but it's best to arrive early, or you'll find yourself lying on the ground. No id necessary to get into the pool, nor into the campsite, so you can invite your friends (like our neighbours did).

The day's activities are led by youngsters of about 18-23 years for adults and for children only between 7-10 and 10-13. There was a pétanque tournament, water polo (adults), volleyball and football (on the beach). The same people did the evening entertainment. And this, quite frankly, lacked structure. You could think you were at school. The first evening (Sunday) was an introduction to the site, and a free drink. Second was a Creole dance, third pétanque and bingo, fourth mimes on a chosen song (and it was the entertainers who danced), fifth was two good musicians in concert, sixth a stage show by the children, and seventh nothing. The evenings often finished with a dance, where the night owls would stay dancing or drinking in the bar. The entertainment was poor, and seriously lacked creativity and depth. Only the two musicians from outside the campsite showed any evidence of professionalism and organisation. In 6 evenings, I found two interesting. No TV in the bar, which is closed in the afternoon. Afternoon excursions are arranged, at extra cost (visits to the wine cellars at €8 a bottle of non-AOC wine, AdventureLand, and visits by canal to the lake).

The beach is wearyingly distant (20 minutes on foot, better with a bike). There is a beach 300m away, but it is unsupervised and full of rocks. The sea is often at the mercy of the wind, which makes it cold (16deg) at times. To do your shopping, there is a Lider Price at Vias village, otherwise you need to go to Agde (with it's traffic jams). You'll need a vehicle in any case, as everything is too far on foot, and the way is not lit (across fields).

I'll finish with the staff, who are very welcoming and dynamic, especially during the gatherings around the pool at noon for the dancing (every day the same dance and the same music, but it was ok by me. You may have your own opinion).

I won't be coming back to this campsite, the countryside is too poor and there's nothing special in the campsite.

To take up Ulysse on his words, quite detailed but some are false. First of all, the activity leaders were between 18 and 32 years old, and there were three children's clubs, 7-10, 11-13 and 14-18.

Yes, it's true that the road leading to the site is not a motorway, but is narrow and damaged, but you have to realise that this is not the fault of the campsite, you'' have to complain to the Vias council for that.

As for the clubs and balls for the mini-golf, it can happen at times that the quantities are limited, but not the fault of the site, but because of theft.

And the supplement for the TV in the accommodation, and the lack of TV in the bar, if you go on holiday to spend your time in front of the TV, and you want to avoid paying €28 per week, then I suggest you bring your own.

I could go on about all the idiocies written above, as they are not objective, nor justified.

[Just a comment from the webmaster - whatever YOU think about spending your holidays in front of the TV, it could be useful to other potential visitors to know that there's not one provided, couldn't it? And likewise for the access road - it may not be the campsite's fault, but that's irrelevant - it's still useful information.]

Hello, we went to this campsite for a fortnight at the beginning of July 2007. Everything was brilliant; the mobile home was clean and well equipped, the activities were very good, as was the staff. My three children (7, 13, 16) has a great time. The little restaurant was good, but was a bit lacking in choice of dishes. We'll be back this year (2008).

I've been here two years. Les Cigales is brilliant. The pool for the kids is super. The evenings could be better - they're not brilliant, as they lack atmosphere for youngsters.

We spent a week at this campsite from 21 to 29 July 2007. We hired a 4/5 berth mobil home.

As regards the kitchen equipment, lots of problems. Wobbly handles on pots, half the screws missing. There was no inventory on arrival and departure so... The mobile homes are too crammed and you look out on your neighbours. Last year, we were in another site on the coast, and its level of care and maintenance was something else...

The beach also was pretty basic, with all the attributes of a storm.

On the other hand, bravo for the activities! Entertainment every evening, lovely pool, especially the slides for the children, not bad bar apart from opening at 11:30. Restaurant and grocery store.

Close also to EuroPark. Not bad.

The big problem this year was the mosquitos - consider Citronella!

Hello. A few criticisms, not of the campsite which is good, and the mobile homes very clean, and the staff friendly and helpful. But I think that the owners of the campsites should put some pressure on those responsible for the community, to get them to clean up the area, which is very dirty (bin bags, bottles of every sort, and other garbage) which irresponsible people throw where they like. Also the little beach, which is covered with stuff thrown up by the sea (see photos).

Otherwise, I spent a good week's holiday in a mobile home here.

We spent 3 weeks at this campsite in August, with our own caravan. Peaceful campsite, with a warm welcome, plenty of varied activities, and the children's club... no problem. On the other hand, the surroundings didn't please us at all; very dirty, lots of rubbish, no maintenance, it's really the epitome of "tourist alley"! The Cap d'Agde was very disappointing, people were not very welcoming, and even in the town of Sète, it was the same thing. Of course, they have to provide for every taste. What's more, getting anywhere by car was almost impossible; it took us two hours to go 3 miles. On the other hand, I must admit that the last week of August was much more pleasant, as the majority of holidaymakers had left.

UNFORTUNATELY I spent only a week at les Cigales in June 2006 with my children and my husband. Nothing to say against it, it was very pleasant, the team was very dynamic. Everything was well managed: excursions, evenings,... The mobile homes are new and very well kept, the site is very clean, and they have two superb pools, one of which has two slides. We had expected to use a tankful of fuel for getting about in the area, but we needed the car only twice, to do the shopping, and for getting to the boat. My children don't stop talking about this holiday. Thank you for having given us such a good holiday, and WELL DONE to the whole team!!

We went out of season, Sept 2005.

The welcome was very warm, activities are on offer each day, for every age and every taste.

I found the campsite calm, clean, and the mobile homes were new and well equipped.

There is a restaurant on site, midday and evening, not too dear, but we didn't try it. Also a grocery, but this was expensive, and not too much choice.

A nice spot, which I recommend to those who a restful family holiday.

The only downer was the so-called 300m beach: in fact a tiny patch of sea, nothing but rocks, and a real tip.

What's more, the campsite is a long way from everything: a car is essential for the least excursion.

I can make no criticism of this superb campsite. We'll be returning.

I hired a mobile home at les Cigales for the weekend. Reception friendly; accomodation: new mobile home, superb.

I've been going to this campsite for 4 years, and I'm getting to know quite a few people, including the entertainment staff.

For those who complain of a lack of structure, it's not so much a lack of structure, but that the Cigales is above all a family campsite, made for relaxing (not like some Yelloh sites and others, where the commercial concerns have the upper hand).

Certainly it is not a luxury campsite, but with what they provide, we have succeeded in having a peaceful week every time, mixing the simple things of life on holiday. And above all, in this campsite, it's the sociability!

Have a good holiday, everyone!

We had a good stay here, the setting is very pleasant. We went for 2 weeks, with my children of 13 and 16 years. They made good use of the pool, but the children's club is frankly rubbish: playing cards, cutting bamboo, they came away with aching fingers. There are lots of wasps around the pool, and even a viper at the bottom! As for the entertainment, it is rubbish. It's for pensioners. The 54-year-old entertainer does not take the evenings on. The entertainer from the previous year was much better. This year, the entertainment was ridiculous, even worse, he sang music from the 70s, 80s and 90s, only once doing anything up to date. Really, you need to change your entertainment team, they don't know how to say hello to people, and they are aggressive to the children.

Otherwise, the management is very friendly. Bring back the younger, more dynamic entertainers – we're not on holiday to be bored! Back to the children's club: the leaders don't speak nicely, use bad language, and don't supervise the children at the pool.

Even so, we have good memories.

15km from Béziers, between the Cap d'Agde and Valréas, discover Vias-Méditerranée, the old town, the 7km beach of fine sand, alll drenched in sun.

Vacanciel les Cigales welcomes you, 300m from the sea, on a shaded site of 6 hectares, 3km from the village of Vias.

Campsite ***, open from 15/6 to 14/9/02

- 85 pitches for tent or caravan with electricity

- 3 fully equipped toilet blocks

- Hire of refrigerator: 2,5 € (16,39 F)/day.

- Easter holidays and from 15/06 to 14/09 : catering, grocery and restaurant.

- Bar with terrace, events room, private parking (unguarded), laundry, pool complex.

Free activities :

Mini-football, volleyball, bowling, table tennis, playground, pool complex : pool with two slides and paddling pool (from start of june to mid-september), mini golf.

Payable activities :

Bike hire, horse riding, tennis, golf, sailing cruises, canoeing, hydrotherapy.

Free evening entertainment :

Dance evenings, productions, concerts, themed evenings in summer.

What joy! I loved holidaying here in peace with my family. It's super, nothing to say but wow!

I recommend it.