7 days in the Champagne-Ardennes Region, France
Our first trip post lockdown was as ‘easy’ as we could make it. We had a voucher for the Eurotunnel (from a trip cancelled during the lockdown) so we decided to book up a villa and head to the Continent for 7 days in the Champagne-Ardennes Region of France.
We booked via Olivers Travels, who we’ve never used before and by and large our experience with them was good. Their selection of villas on their website is huge and they all look really nice.
Our trip to Bourbonne Les Bains
The Eurotunnel trip was straightforward, you weren’t allowed out of the car during the crossing but had to have your windows half down. We didn’t have contact with anyone during the whole journey from Dover to Calais, it only takes 45 minutes so easily doable.
On the other side we had a long drive ahead of us to the Villa. About 4.45hrs in total. I wouldn’t really want to do a longer journey than this in one go with a 5 and 2 year old! However, with one break to stretch our legs it was fine – and we got there early evening which was perfect.
The Villa was an annex of a Chateau and the owners (who live in the main part of the house) were away for most of our visit. We got let in by a neighbour and were soon picking bedrooms and settling in. The Villa slept 8 so there was plenty of space for us all, the girls chose to share a bedroom.
It was a departure from our normal style (we tend to go for modern or faux modern at least!) but it was authentic and big and very clean. I took a box of cleaning products and our own bedding just to be on the safe side but I was impressed with how clean it was.
The next week was spent very low key, just us 4 exploring the local area. In the next sections I’ll explain what we did during our week in the gorgeous Champagne-Ardenne Region of France.
Exploring the Haute-Marne Region we mainly stayed in that region but did go out for a couple of day trips to Dijon and Nigloland.
Langres and the Lakes
The nearest town to the tiny Hamlet where we stayed was Langres. It is a very pretty town surrounded by defensive Walls that offer great views of the local countryside.
We spent a lovely day there walking the streets, visiting the HUGE church and taking a 4 person go kart around the walls. We also ate out in a restaurant for the first time since March! It felt like such a treat.
The 4 Lakes of Langres
Surrounding Langres are four Lakes. We visited Lake Liez and Lake Charmes, which we found to be very family friendly and a great place to spend the afternoon.
Lake Liez was absolutely gorgeous. Easy access with plenty of parking and a short walk down to the sandy beach area. We went on two occasions, once it was a lot busier than the other but it was never unpleasant. There are toilets and a cafe, as well as water sport activities to hire.
The water was shallow and clean and unlike the sea it was calm, which is so nice for young children. The swimming area was roped off and there was a lifeguard in the afternoons.
Lake Charmes was also really pretty, and also had great accessible parking and food/toilets. We found it a bit harder to find somewhere to sit as it was very hot and not much shade. Plus needing to stay socially distanced!
The lakes were a real highpoint for us on this trip. We hadn’t expected to find somewhere that the girls could swim, and so safely too.
Dijon
We weren’t sure whether to visit Dijon, as it was a National Holiday and with the Pandemic still looming large we wanted to keep ourselves to ourselves where possible. We needn’t have worried, Dijon was very quiet.
It is a gorgeous city, and has much more to it than just the mustard! It is a city full of beautifully restored Medieval buildings, and there’s a brilliant Owls Trail around the City taking in the best of the sights.
We spent a long time in one of the Plazas playing in the fountain and eating lunch. It was calm, clean, warm and really just a lovely way to spend a few hours!
Nigloland
Nigloland is a large Theme Park in the Champagne Region of Eastern France. Due to covid we weren’t sure whether to go but after a reassuring email from their customer service team, explaining all the precautions they were taking, we decided to go for it.
We’re really pleased we did as we had an excellent day out. We always really enjoy European theme parks as they tend to be a bit quieter than those in England! This was no exception, we didn’t have to queue for long for any rides.
The variety of rides was great and there was plenty to keep both children occupied at 5 and 2 years old, as well as some brilliant rides for bigger kids (I did sneak off to go on one or two).
It’s not a cheap day out at 36 euros per adult, and 33 euros per child over 1 metre tall but considering what it offers it felt worth the cost.
Conclusion
If I’m honest, I doubt we would have considered the Champagne-Ardenne region for a holiday if the need to drive somewhere hadn’t arisen. But thanks to Covid and all the changes it made travel wise in 2020 we experienced this wonderful region and had a fantastic holiday with the children. I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone. Watch our drone footage below to see where we stayed from above!
Please check out our Youtube Channel here for a visual guide to Langres, Dijon and Nigloland!
For more European villa holidays like this check out our trips to Tuscany, Sicily and Sardinia here.
