*Al Fresco Holidays gifted our stay at La Croix du Vieux Pont for the purposes of this review.
Last month we were lucky enough to be invited to a beautiful campsite in Northern France, courtesy of Al Fresco Holidays. This was a wonderful opportunity for us. We do not have the funds to travel much and planning trips is always a challenge. We need to make sure that Biggest, who is autistic, is safe and supported. When we do venture from home, having a self-catering facility and some quiet, private space for the children is essential.
Nestled in the Royal Compiégne countryside, close to the quiet town of Vic-sur-Aisne, La Croix du Vieux Pont campsite is jam-packed with things to do. There is a covered pool complex with water chutes and slides and a lake for canoeing and cruising by pedal power. There are also sports and amusements for children of all ages. In addition, the park boasts crazy golf, tennis, football pitches, cycling, restaurants, bars AND a supermarket.
This was perfect for us. It meant that there were so many possibilities to push out of our comfort zone – but there was always a safe place to retreat to when things became too much. We had an absolutely wonderful time and made memories that we will look back on for a very long time.
La Croix du Vieux Pont Vlog
Offers from Al Fresco
Al Fresco Holidays offers a seven-night holiday at La Croix du Vieux Pont on the 15th June for £210.00 (discounted from £490.00) and based on a family of six sharing a three bedroom Vivaldi mobile home. (OFF-PEAK)*
Al Fresco Holidays offers a seven-night holiday at La Croix du Vieux Pont on the 17th August for £1134.00 (discounted from £1260.00) and based on a family of six sharing a two bedroom Rossini Lounge mobile home. (PEAK)*
Plus receive an additional 10% off any arrival period when using promo code 19AF10P *See terms and conditions
All parks have a range of entertainment and facilities. Travel by ferries, flights or train can also be arranged by Al Fresco Holidays.
For more information or to help find the perfect park and to book, please visit www.alfresco-holidays.com or call 0161 332 8900
Al Fresco Holidays is one of the largest mobile home operators in the UK, with over 14 years’ experience as European specialists in mobile-home holidays, offering a wide range of the best quality 4-5 star camping resorts.
Accommodation at La Croix du Vieux Pont
Our static mobile home at La Croix du Vieux Pont was compact but clean and attractive. It had everything we needed. It was important for us that Biggest had his own room as a place to retreat. He also has quite severe anxiety during the night and so a separate room ensured he did not disturb his sister too much.
Our Vivaldi Lounge 3 bedroom mobile home had a fully equipped kitchen, living area and separate shower and toilet. We also had a lovely decking area, with furniture, which was great for sitting outside in the evenings. You can take your own linen and towels or pay for a linen pack from the park – but do not forget to add this as an extra!
In our section of the park, the mobile homes were situated in little neighbourhoods with hedges creating privacy and blossom trees lining the roads.
Food
During our stay, we dined at the Brasserie and used the takeaway. The Brasserie was a little more expensive, as you may expect, but the food was delicious and the atmosphere was lovely – the perfect place for a special meal. The service was excellent they also catered well for the children. Biggest had some of the most delicious chicken nuggets I have ever tasted!
I forgot to take a picture of the pizza that we enjoyed from the takeaway – I was too busy eating it! However, it was delicious and convenient to collect.
The on-site shop/supermarket was also very well-stocked. It had everything we needed to make our own meals, which we did for the majority of our stay. Again, this is a real advantage for us as Biggest can struggle with some foods. We were able to keep many of his meals close to what he would have at home.
Activities
It would be almost impossible to get bored during a stay at La Croix du Vieux. There is something for everyone and for all weathers. We were blessed with beautiful sunny days during our stay, which meant we spent a great deal of time using the lakes and playing on the beach. The children also loved the bouncy castle (only 4 Euros for an unlimited day of use!) and we used the pedalos on the bigger lake several times.
We were out of season for the kids’ clubs run by Al Fresco but, during the summer months, they run awesome looking age-specific activities for children big and small. These include everything from dressing-up and messy play to archery and zorbing.
There is also a playground, crazy golf, karting, table tennis canoeing and cycling – just to name a few.
One of the best features of the park is the huge pool complex, with both indoor and outdoor sections, water slides and a jacuzzi. Some of the extra activities, like the clubs and canoeing, do cost extra. However, there was plenty to do that was included, such as the pool complex and lakeside beach. The beach was our absolute favourite and we visited most days. Both kids loved playing in the sand and water.
Days Out
We enjoyed two spectacular day-trips during our stay at La Croix du Vieux Pont. The campsite is only an hour away from Disneyland Paris. We have wanted to take the children to Disney for a very long time. The campsite runs coach trips to Disneyland. However, we were lucky enough to have our own car. We got up early and headed off to the park and had the most exhausting but magical time.
We also visited the breathtaking Château de Pierrefonds, a 19th-century restoration of a medieval castle. The castle is a formidable sight and the surrounding village is stunning. It is only a short, ten-minute drive from La Croix du Vieux Pont. We enjoyed a walk up to the castle and viewed the exhibits. Entry was only 8 Euros each for adults and the children were free. Biggest and Littlest were thrilled by the castle and the exhibits. I do not think they had ever seen such a huge building or such impressive architecture and there was lots of ‘ohhhing’ and ‘ahhhing’ as we explored!
La Croix du Vieux Pont - Conclusion
We had a wonderful time at La Croix du Vieux Pont. I would like to thank Al Fresco holidays for giving us such a wonderful experience. There was only one issue that was slightly less positive. We did have to wait past our given check-in time. There was a delay with our mobile home being ready and it meant we were waiting for a significant amount of time. I have since spoken to Al Fresco about our trouble and they assure us that the delay in our check-in was due to a new season just beginning and new staff training. They have also assured us that they will do all in their power to make sure such delays do not happen in the future.
However, apart from this slight blip at the beginning of our stay, we would whole-heartedly recommend a stay with Al Fresco Holidays. We made some treasured memories there and we would love to visit again.
Please note, Al Fresco holidays gifted us our park stay and travel to La Croix du Vieux Pont. However, we paid for all food, meals out, day-trips and any other extras ourselves. This includes our trip to Disney. For more information, please see our Disclosure Policy.
We have been looking at this kind of holiday for next year, as we have three kids so finding hotel rooms that sleep five is expensive. So it was interesting to read what you thought and It sounds like you had a lovely time on your family holiday x
It looks like you had such a wonderful holiday x
It looks like an amazing holiday and the fact you were only an hour away from Disneyland is amazing!! Makes me want to book a holiday asap