Before we went to Brittany, I was convinced I knew where I stood in the great tent versus mobile home debate. A previous camping trip, to the same region some years ago, in an ancient frame tent had firmly made up my mind on that score. As far as I was concerned, mobile homes were far superior to their canvas counterparts.
But having experienced both a tent and a mobile home during our two weeks in France in August - we actually found that we preferred the tent. The tent felt much more spacious than the narrow Jubilee mobile home - which had a more claustrophobic and airless feel to it.
When we stayed in the tent at Camping Le Chatelet, in St Cast, which is named after the old white chateau which stands next to the campsite, we were quite close to the facilities - the shower and toilet block, the swimming pool, bar and small site shop. Our pitch had a great view over the bay where locals were harvesting huge bag loads of mussels and oysters.
The proximity to the toilets was also handy as my five-year-old daughter had a urine infection and needed to dash off with alarming regularity. The Canvas reps were very helpful in promptly finding medical assistance in St Cast.
The tent was divided into three separate areas; a kitchen with everything (except a sink), a child's bedroom with two beds, a large living area and bedroom for the adults. After an initial: "Where's the sink?" moment in the tent, we discovered it was actually quite fun to traipse off together to the communal sinks. It was a sociable way of meeting other families as well. The novelty didn't really wear off for all three of us.
The weather was so grey and cold that we spent the second part of our holiday in a mobile home, a five-hour drive south, in the Royan area. We stayed at a large mobile home site called Camping Loisirs at Palmyre. It couldn't have been more different than the beautiful Brittany coast - set in a large forest off a main road.
Initially, we were very excited about having running water, with a sink and great shower. But we found the mobile home much more cramped. My daughter's bedroom felt more like a broom cupboard - but she loved being on the top bunk. The mobile home did have its saving graces, however. Most notably our own toilet, which was particularly useful on the fateful afternoon when the three huitres (oysters) from lunchtime disagreed with me in a spectacular fashion.
For the last few days of the holiday, we returned to St Cast. The weather had improved and there were hardly any other people near our tent, which further added to the feeling of space.
Way to go
Helen and family travelled with Canvas Holidays (canvasholidays.co.uk, 01383 629000).
Twelve nights at Camping Le Chatelet in late August costs £1,502 for two adults and two children. Price includes a return overnight crossing from Portsmouth to St Malo in a four-berth cabin and accommodation in a fully-equipped tent.
· Dave Hill explains why the mobile home is the only choice for his large family
