St Malo

ACSI Site La Ville Huchet

This is a large site situated in the grounds of an old chateau and has all the facilities that you would expect from a large site including a heated indoor swimming pool. We found that it ticked all the boxes and our only complaint was that the washing up area was rather cramped. Talking to a Brit caravaner, it is however, interesting that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. He was not happy that the grass was long and the hedges had not been cut. I was thinking that he was looking for the manicured sites of the Caravan Club, blissfully forgetting that they would probably charge double for the privilege. Additionally it has been very wet, so the pitches were struggling ,though to be fair it is not uncommon for French hedges to be untrimmed on campsites.

The main attraction of Saint Malo  is its old walled town, Intra Muros and a full half day can be had exploring the ramparts and the town. The easiest way to get to the town is by bus and even if you are a caravaner, this might be the best option as parking is not easy in the town. It is a short 10 minute walk, if that, to the bus stop at Saint Etienne to catch the number 4 bus into town. The site will provide timetables and directions to the bus stop. It is a half hourly service but it doesn’t run past early evening, though I doubt Saint Malo is renowned for its nightlife. There are more frequent services at peak periods and we experienced the afternoon school run which was very entertaining.

One of the best places to get off is the Gare Maritime as you can then walk through the harbour area. From here you also catch the ferry to the seaside resort town of Dinard, crossing the Rance estuary.

At the end of the day you can walk along the seafront to the right of the old town, following the beaches of Le Sillon, until you reach the Avenue de Moka where you turn down right and pick up the number 4 bus. The advantage of this is that if you hit the afternoon school run, you will get on the bus before all of the schoolchildren.