Camping La Renaudière

To the beach? A fine idea – Plage de la Source, Plage de Joalland and Port Meleu are all within a few minutes’ drive. Once you’ve had a stroll around all of these, make the next port of call Pornic (15 minutes’ drive) – there’s more beach action to be had here, along with a golf course, a high ropes course at Pornic Aventure and tons of watersports. For more water-themed days out, aim for Saint-Nazaire (half an hour) where you can experience life on a submarine and an ocean liner or take to something more traditional with a horse-drawn boat tour through the surrounding salt marshes. Noirmoutier (an hour) is a good destination to bear in mind if you fancy seaside cycle rides. Away from the coast, meet a multicultural collection of creatures from around the world at Legendia Parc (half an hour), or wander around Nantes (50 minutes) to view the gothic cathedral, the imposing château and the displays of the natural history museum. Don’t miss the famed Les Machines de l’Île while you’re here – where else will you get the chance to take a ride on a 12-metre-tall animatronic elephant?