Canvasholidays

We booked an eight day stay at in sept 2010 with Canvas holidays.(domaine des naiades port grimaud) As with most French campsites, the setting is lovely. However, the many of the pitches are very close together allowing little privacy. On arrival, the staff in the main reception were friendly and helpful.We then met the Canvas rep (who was helping out her colleagues and was not our regular rep)who showed us to our pitch and told us we would meet our regular reps the next day. Our temporary rep then dashed off. We did not see a Canvas rep again until day five.

The caravan stank of bleach but that was falsely reassuring. There was a general feeling of grubbiness about the unit and poor attention to detail as far as cleaning was concerned. When the bleach effect had worn off, the toilet began to smell. The inner rim of the toilet was encrusted!

Behind out pitch and to the side were some small chalets, occupied by 20-30 German students, some appeared to be 15-17, some a little older. By day, the students were at the beach but at night, they liked to party outside their chalets. Each night was noisier than the last. Their final night, we were treated to nonstop German disco music, shrieking and laughing and the tinkling of bottles. And I do mean ALL night.

We finally saw our canvas rep on the day after the all-nighter. We complained about the noise and he told us that the students were leaving that day and he would find out if more were taking their place. He said we could move caravan but we would have to go to another site.

Having had a number of camping holidays over the years in both tents and caravans, we have never had such a poor experience. Had Canvas made it clear that this was such a lively site; we would have chosen a venue catering for families rather than such a mix?

The holiday was not cheap and was not up to the brochures reviews. If the children are young do not expect them to sleep as there is a disco and band playing at the same time competing who can be the loudest. We will not be travelling to a canvas holiday site again.