Camping Sous Les Étoiles Normandie

An appropriate way for campsite owner Steve Davis to practice his growing French language skills might be to sing that most French of ballads: “Non, je ne regrette rien”. The song, made famous by singer Edith Piaf, neatly summarises Steve and wife Dawn’s feelings about leaving the UK behind to run a campsite in Normandy. They have no regrets and, we’ll hazard a guess, nor will you should you choose to pitch up in one of their super-spacious pitches.

Sous Etoiles Normandie offers 50 pitches ranging from quite large (for campers with tents) to very large (big enough to accommodate twin-axle motorhomes), all spread across 14 green and leafy acres. Mature trees and hedges ensure there’s plenty of privacy, though even if that’s what you’re after, chances are you’ll soon be drawn to the festoon-lit communal areas of this site on a former farm. Le Cowshed Bar & Grill serves up a menu of international favourites from 6 pm to 9 pm each night and, in the summer months, Le Snug is the place for a refreshing pression (draft beer) or Normandy cider. These renovated former farm buildings are the rustic but lovely heart of the campsite run by a couple with an eye for what looks good and works well.

Steve says it was TV programmes extolling the virtues of a life in the country that inspired the move to France after his early retirement from movie post-production. He and hospitality expert Dawn made the move in 2019 and, after a lot of work, have transformed an existing mediocre campsite to one that gets glowing reviews.

Situated 40 minutes inland from the port of Caen (from where ferries ply the route to and from Portsmouth), Sous Les Etoiles Normandie is both an excellent place to pitch up for a night and a holiday destination in its own right. If you’re staying for more than the night, you’ll have time to discover the D-Day landing beaches and nearby village museum, to visit medieval Bayeux and Mont Saint Michel and to explore the Normandy countryside. And, if you're planning on using the place as a stopover, be warned that plenty of campers who book in for a night end up staying a week. You might be tempted too, once you’ve experienced the campsite’s “La Vie en Rose”. If you’re not yet fluent in Edith Piaf that’s: “life in happy hues”.