I attempted to relive my childhood holidays with a family trip to Eurocamp – this is what I discovered

It’s funny how treasured holiday memories are often born out of the most unexpected moments.

I remember, as a young child, laughing hysterically as my family found every space to stretch bodies in a tiny Vauxhall Nova for an overnight sleep in a lay-by outside Paris after failing to find a single hotel room.

I’ll never forget the relieved look on my mother’s face when my father and I eventually returned, thankfully unscathed, from a longer-than-planned trek in the Nevada desert, or the simple joy of kicking around empty ice cream cartons for goals in a deserted Lisbon street.

My childhood holidays were done simply, and independently (so far as a book from the Rough Guide series would allow my parents to be, anyway).

Any sort of pre-planned week of events or activities under the banner of a package holiday was pooh-poohed by my father. Best to find yourself lost, surrounded by people speaking a foreign language, than be whisked around by a holiday rep, was his mantra.

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The drawing out of stickmen on paper napkins to illustrate the need for a hotel room for five was not unusual for my father, who himself was taken by his mother on a holiday to Yugoslavia, then a Communist state run by the dictator Tito.

Such a thirst for adventure, even if it leads to uncomfortable events, runs in the family.

I mean no snobbery when I say I avoid package holidays. Seen as a quick, easy and cost-effective option, two-thirds of people who travel abroad booked them last year, with their popularity rising, with resorts in Spain, Greece and Italy the most-visited.

However, after an all-inclusive holiday in Girona, with my kids aged one and two, my partner and I felt that this year, two years on, was the time to rekindle the spirit of our childhood holidays.

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From the moment we arrived at Eurocamp’s five-star Domaine des Ormes, we knew we’d found the perfect match.

After a relatively short two-hour drive from Cherbourg, where we had caught the four-hour Brittany Ferries boat from Poole, we slowly pulled into the impressive park, our necks craning to look up at the huge treetop adventure course overhead.

To our right-hand side, we quickly made out the glass dome of the huge swimming pool complex at the park’s heart. Then we saw families on bikes, a line of small horses ridden by children and a calm lake with pedalos.

A five-minute walk from the “village centre” of the park was our home for the week, a three-bedroom Premium Lodge, which was a comfortable, spacious mobile home with covered decking, a fridge and freezer, oven cooker and shower.

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With hardly any cars using the road outside, we felt confident to let the kids scoot around as we happily immersed ourselves in our new surroundings.

A helpful mobile phone app displayed the daily evening events, including a winter-themed show and football tournament, plus a huge array of activities, from archery to zip wires to crazy golf.

The highlight of the park, set within 400 acres of woodland countryside, was the pool complex, both indoor and outdoor. The larger dome pool had waterslides, a wave pool, splash pool and a lazy river. There was the outdoor pool with more slides for when the sun was shining, plus a shallow area for younger ones with a Jacuzzi. Both were suitable for our two young children, but would also be perfect for teenagers.

Away from the water, we could not resist booking ourselves on the adventure tree course.

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Priced at around £10 for children, and £17 for adults, multiple courses of varied difficulty were open for anyone aged from four, with the toughest course testing my limits for heights and upper body strength.

A zip line going across the centre of the park cost just £4 each for two goes each, with children aged from three allowed to go on, including my eldest, whose delighted face at the bottom was only matched by my super-proud expression.

After some quiet time on the pedalo, just £1.80 for an hour, there was a good selection of bars and restaurants to get a beer and a glass of white wine. This year, work had just been completed to enhance the restaurant offering, with the newest – The Brasserie 1977 – being particularly swanky. There was also a very popular pizzette. But for those wanting to eat in, there was also a very well-stocked shop on site, with prices only slightly higher than outside.

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We took each day as it came, finding a new adventure to take each morning, in the park and outside. The major benefit of being on site with a car was the ability to get away quickly and explore the nearby attractions such as Mont Saint Michel, under 20 miles away, or the nearby medieval town of Dol-de-Bretagne and the beautiful seaside resort of St Malmo.

At Fougeres, about an hour’s drive away, the biggest medieval fortress in Europe was a fine day out, where the kids watched in amazement as a trebuchet was fired. My partner and I later enjoyed the crepes in the cobbled streets of the old town.

And for those wanting to leave the car, bikes are available for rent at the park, with the picturesque villages of Bonnemain and Saint Leonard a close cycle away. Unlike at a package holiday destination, it’s not like cycling on an endless tourist strip. Outside the park, you feel like you are in France.

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From flower-filled windows to fairytale buildings and open table bistros, it is pure wind-down heaven.

The week came to an end with my family racing through the events we’d not yet got to. Horseriding, golf and paintball are just some of the activities to try next time.

Eurocamp was a holiday I’d never considered before – now, with children of my own, it’s quickly risen to the top of the list for next year.

To be honest, it’s taken me by surprise. Packed and leaving in the car, passing through the exit barrier for the last time, my youngest said: “I want to go back”. We laughed in the car. “Next year, maybe,” I replied.

Seven nights from Saturday 23 May 2026 (May half-term) staying in a Comfort two-bedroom holiday home that sleeps up to four guests, from £1,430.03 per party.

Seven nights from Saturday 25 October 2026 (October half-term) staying in a Premium three-bedroom holiday home that sleeps up to six guests, from £494.76 per party.

Anyone who books their 2026 early by 31 October can save up to 20 per cent, by booking here.

Alex and his family were guests of Eurocamp and their travel was supported by Brittany Ferries.

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