Independent Campsite Reviews

We have been here twice, once in a tent (not to be repeated LOL) and once in a lovely caravan, but the site itself is gorgeous. I hear it has been extended, I hope not too much, but in the meantime I can't wait till this summer to see it all again.

My family (three children under 4)) went to this site in May last year. We went with Eurocamp, and were offered a tent which was well away from the lake and very near the shower block. My experience is similar to Martin's - someone was always cleaning the toilets.

It was an excellent site, but the service from Eurocamp was very poor. They advertised "sprung beds" which are metal bars with a wire mesh.

We are going next week for our second visit, and very much looking forward to it. We booked directly with the site, and are going under our own steam this time, with a very comfortable airbed (four children this year!).

The facilities were excellent for the children - play areas good for adults too.

As for the swimming pools - spotlessly clean - guard even asked me to spit out chewing gum!

Location is lovely - lots of kiddie free areas, although need to be careful near the lake.

A real oasis to chill out in!

The campsite is near Vic-Sur-Aisne, between Compiegne and Soissons. We stayed here for 5 nights commencing 6.5.2002. It was very quiet. Most of the facilites had only just opened. The majority of the camping companies kids clubs were not operating. Most of the major camping tour operators were on this site. The site also takes tourers. Lots of different nationalities on site, most were Dutch.

The site is very pretty and very green. It has a lake. Parents please note the lake is very accessible. Carp fish in the lake. Fishing allowed by licence, which are available from site reception. Reception staff speak fairly good english.

Opposite site is The Poney Club for horse riding.

Shop, restaurant/takeaway and bar on site. Shops in Vic-Sur-Aisne are cheaper than those on site. Cannot comment on restaurant or bar as we did not visit them.

Plenty to do. Pedaloes & Canoes on the lake, approx. cost 4 Euros per person for half an hour. There was a fairground roundabout for children, fee payable. Cycle hire available, also Table tennis tables, pool tables, tv & arcade games room to name just a few more.

Vic-Sur-Aisne is within easy walking distance and makes a pleasant walk.

Laundry facilities on site. Plenty of toilet blocks and personal wash facilities available.

Swimming - 3 pools, one outside, one inside and a small pool for children. There is a waterslide. We only used the indoor pool once. The changing rooms are just inside the pool building. Footwear has to be removed before accessing the pool. Campers have to walk through an area of very cold water. Once through the water the pool is up a flight of steps. These became very slippy as people went up and down the slide. My husband nearly fell down the steps on leaving the pool because he slipped. The outdoor pool was closed but you could use the sunloungers situated around it to sunbathe.

The play areas are not suitable for under 3's but very popular with the older children.

The campsite runs day trips. Varies as to demand. At least two trips to Disneyland whilst we were there. It is possible to drive there and it is not too difficult.

About 60 kms from Paris Centre. If you want to use French Public transport the nearest train station is in Soissons (approx. 10 kms away).

We have been to La Croix du Vieux Pont 3 times always in Sept and although the grass has normally seen better days due to a long season the whole site is spotlessly tidy. Whenever you go to the toilet/shower blocks there always seems to be someone there cleaning them.

The food from the bar/restaurant is excellent as is the takeaway food.

The pool is accessible from the bar area, if you ask the bar staff to open the gate they will, as for the steps to pool, yes they can get slippery but after all it is a pool and is prone to get wet after people coming back up from the waterslide and they are mopped pretty regularly to remove water.

I think it is an excellent well maintained site with courteous staff from reception to gardeners and believe me the gardens are not to be missed

Can't wait for Sept 2003

We went to this site in August 2003 and had a wonderful time. We booked via French Holidays and found the caravan very clean and well equipped (the only thing we needed that wasn't there was a corkscrew.)

The site was well laid out, food was reasonably priced in the take away and in the on-site shop, the pool was easy to get to and was clean and well looked after.

On a daily basis we had a short walk down to Vic sur Aisne to the Boulangerie for our daily dose of croissants (lovely), baguettes (delicious) and cakes (to die for)

The site organises trips to Disneyland Paris and to Paris itself. I would advise a word of caution here as the trip prices were a little expensive.

Overall, a great holiday and we would certainly visit again.

My family and I have visited this site 5 times, three times with Keycamp, and twice with French Life, always at Easter. We have booked for 2005 as well. Every time we visit, we continue to be impressed with the facilities. The showers are spotlessly clean; we use the site ones, rather than the drip-drop showers in the mobile homes. My boys love the football pitch, the ping-pong tables and the parks. The fresh bread is delicious, and the shop is well stocked. The take-away is very handy and not expensive. The site is well placed for Disneyland Paris, and also trips to Paris itself. We took the train from Soissons to the centre of Paris for a great sightseeing day out. We are looking forward to seeing the changes in 2005, as the site is expanding with new pitches and another lake. We hope the site will not be spoiled by becoming too big.

I've been going to this campsite with my family on and off for the last 10 years and have not a bad thing to say about it. Some may find its recent expansion a bit excessive, and as I am leaving for 10 days holiday there tomorrow I shall soon see.

However, all my past experiences have been wonderful, it is safe, clean, and friendly, and for those with children there are a plenitude of things to do.

We the McGarry family (John, Judy, Wayne and Kelly) went for there first visit to France in 2004, as we all like camping and fancied the idea of an erected tent, rather than a DIY one.

We opted to visit La Croix du Vieux Pont in, Berny Riviere, Vic-sur-Aisne, Aisne. We went with Eurocamp and the service was not good (never seemed to know anything, and on three occasions we informed them of an issue and no one called to fix).

The site itself is gorgeous, the pool area has something for everyone, they should though, have railings around the pool steps leading into the pool as they are dangerous.

The restaurant and take away on site are very good. There is plenty to do for youngsters, fishing, table tennis, canoeing and pedaloes, etc.

The toilet and shower blocks are clean and we saw them being cleaned regularly.

We are looking forward to future visits to this lovely site.

We have been to this site six times and are eagerly awaiting our seventh visit in five weeks time. This is an excellent site it has everything that we need including a beautiful lake with carp up to forty pounds! which is where my husband can always be found. We have always had a great time, with many thanks to the haven reps Dave and Terresa who have now become our close friends. The bar and restaurant sell fine wines and good food, there’s bingo and quizzes for all. A short walk down the road is Berny Rivière, here you will find a quaint little bar called Chez Micheline, they also sell cheap home cooked food in pleasant surroundings. Thanks from Barbara and Wayne Phillips, from Swansea, South Wales.

The cleanliness is strikingly good at this site. We weren't impressed with Eurocamp, but now we go with Keycamp, and stay in mobile homes. The pitches for these are superb, but I would be careful if booking a ready erected tent, as one area is very crowded.

The site is very pretty, and ideal for Paris and walks in the surrounding countryside, but no one has mentioned the reason we go - the fantastic fishing. It is very popular with anglers: some even spend the night lakeside in bivvies. It is a very 'English' site, and we would, therefore, not spend our main holidays there, but we usually go out of season twice a year for the fishing.

Very warm welcome. Reservation through Haven Europe.

Good quality facilities. Excellent environment for the children.

We last went to la Croix du Vieux Pont last year May 4th 2005, and have been going every year since 2000. It’s a very clean and beautiful campsite and the Haven caravans we stay in are always clean and tidy thanks to our Haven reps (and now our good friends) Dave and Teresa Maskell. We will be returning there again 3 weeks from now and we both can’t wait to spend another glorious 3 weeks there, just hope the weather is fine to do some fishing, I’ve even got the wife into fishing now!!! On the right are a few pix from last year. Happy holidays!

From Wayne and Barbara Philips, Swansea, South Wales.

The site has been extended, with another lake & was much bigger than on our last visit. Must be careful not to get too big.

Toilets showers very clean but no toilet paper so go prepared. Also in the block we were in, the light in the toilet didn't go on till you locked the door. Very dark at night. I would think this might be scary for younger children.

Great pool my kids especially enjoyed the slides. When we were there only 1 pool was open - the undercover one.

Several rides, attractions for younger children the cost may mount up if staying awhile with several children. A pre-paid ticket can be bought which def saves money.

Used the supermarket in the village for most of our shopping; prices on site were high but this is to be expected. We did use the shop every day for fresh bread & croissants, which are baked on-site & excellent.

Site is near enough to travel to Disneyland Paris but will take at least an hour & half to get there.

Stayed with Canvas holidays, who in our opinion have the best tents on site & great service.

This year, I visited this campsite with my wife. I think that the site offers plenty for families with children. For those who do not have children, the impression could be different. For me, the following issues are important:

- Prices in the shop and the restaurant are high

- In various parts of the site, there are bungalow type tents that can be hired. Even when these tents are not occupied, one has the impression of being in an area full of things.

- The toilet block was not very clean, and it was really difficult to get any light.

It is for such reasons that we will definitely not be coming back, even though I admit that the surrounding area is very pleasant!

Do not use the pre-erected tents on this site, they are horrible the area is so overcrowded. It's a shame as the site itself is lovely.

This site is very good with lots to do for children and adults. We thought the restaurant was ok but not great and expensive compared to other parts of France we have been in. The kids really liked the beach on the site they thought it was a great idea. It was a pity about the weather and some high prices when we were there in July 2005. The pool complex was great: we could not get the kids out of it and the whole site was very clean.

Take your own tent or caravan, book it direct and ask to stay in the "parc". Big pitches, slightly sloping but next to the river. Great!

We regularly spend weekends here with our caravan, for the third consecutive year. It’s the nicest campsite that we know in France. Marvellously landscaped, perfectly maintained, toilet blocks not only super-clean, but also pretty (different coloured earthenware) and functional.

The welcome is the best you will find (staff really very friendly), price of pitches is very attractive given the facilities (especially the pool complex, really pleasant, and vast). As for the price of the services (baker, launderette, activities, restaurant), they are within the normal range, a little more expensive than outside, but with the advantage of being nearby, which allows you to forget the car!

We’ve just stayed at this campsite for a long weekend, which is very pleasant and magnificent: superb for children. The steps of the swimming pool are slippery; we hired a mobile home from Haven, which was not clean; leaking toilet flush; mouldy curtains, also one of the pillows. We don’t speak English, and the managers spoke not a word of French. But the location is very lovely.

Discovery of a gîte for two: a double bed in one room, 4 single beds in another. We wouldn’t be fighting at bedtime, with the embarrassment of choice we had. Lovely kitchen - I don’t have the like at home - shame I couldn’t take it with me.

Bathroom of my dreams, all tiled, which is great for cleaning. The only flat spot of our stay was the pond, where the croaking of frogs irritated our ears, but hey, after a night or two, you get used to it.

The adjacent pool was free, and I tell you we made the most of it. The town is not far, you can go on foot, if you want the exercise. You’ll find supermarket, baker etc. Friendly town.

We enjoyed walking around the campsite, with 3 hectares there is plenty to do and to discover, with here and there some magnificent trees.

All the best, Arlette

It’s a brilliant campsite: to wake up every morning to beautiful views, loads of fun activities for children, our kids loved it. There are 2 cities about 20 minuets away, which have loads to see and do. There are 4 pools on camp, which are brilliant: one with flumes, big slide and a selection of slides in young kids pool. The staff are friendly and helpful. We were with Keycamp. The restaurant and bar staff were wonderful and very good with their English. We spent our fortnight the same time as the latter stages of the world cup 2006 and watched the games in a little tabac/bar in Berny Rivière: the owner is a gentleman, always up for a laugh: go and pay him a visit you wont be disappointed

Visited in July 2006- with our own tent with Eurocamp Independent. Nice but cramped pitch, however the facilities were not working properly- sewer smell by toilet block and no toilet paper in any blocks: be warned take your own!! Swimming pool layout great however very dirty changing rooms and footbaths. Far too big a site if you are looking for a quite stay.

Great Site, We took our own caravan and stayed for 14 nights (they insisted on charging us for only 13). Went to Disney on three separate days which was about 50 miles away took us just over an hour and paid £5 parking. The Lake/Beach water was quite green but totally safe and we enjoyed this just as much as the Superb Pool Complex. They have their own coach, which rotates trips to Paris & Disneyland should you not wish to drive. There is a small supermarket, pizzeria, boulangerie (baker) restaurant and a bar that never really got full. We were quite away from reception and the pool complex by the Lake so recommend cycles for the kids. Soissons is about 15 miles away and has a hypermarket called CORA so you get some excellent wine to take home. They had a marquee whilst we were there in the huge car park and averaged 2Euro per bottle.

One thing is try to stay off the main Toll road from Calais it cost us £20 one way! so decided to go back the slower but nevertheless cheaper way back through the smaller roads and jumped back on the Toll road at the last possible place.

Myself, my wife and two boys (17&15) spent 9 nights on this wonderful campsite with Keycamp. There was virtually