IF YOU’RE fond of sand dunes and salty air, quaint little villages here and there...then a trip to this wonderful campsite in Brittany is just the ticket.

You may recognise the start of that first line from a song by the group Groove Armada, I only mention it because my memories of Camping L’Atlantique seem to have that dreamy song as the soundtrack.

If you do not know the song let me try and put you in the picture.

Long sandy beaches with a great expanse of shallow water for you to paddle in well into the long bright evenings with the bright sunlight on your back.

The dunes behind the beach the perfect backdrop. No high rise hotels, barely any people spoiling the karma in fact. Restaurants dotted around in little towns and villages with beautiful coves.

Ride your bicycle to the beach, through the woods from the campsite, just a quick but beautiful journey away.

My family are now veterans of the French caravan holiday.

Of those that we’ve been to, in central France, on the Mediterranean, others in Brittany too, Camping L’Atlantique is right up there. For me it was those beaches, just like the ones you see in photo shoots for fashion magazines or posh catalogues, all white sand and rustic beach buildings.

For the children it was the beach too, but probably even more the softplay, the campsite playground, the water slides and the swimming pools.

The softplay has a full on multi level climbing section and then on the other side of the huge hall they have bouncy castles and an inflatable assault course. It also has a free computer game area. It’s all inside too so if you have any rainy days, there's no problem. It was sunny while we were there and the children still wanted to go in there every day, the parents taking the chance to enjoy the perfectly located bar so you could relax with a beer or coffee and still watch over the children.

The on site football pitch is the best I’ve seen, when my son is old enough to play and I have an excuse to get involved, I’ll be back, getting in there whether he wants to play or not.

And the caravan, which like most at the park was new, was amazing with a lovely decking and garden area complete with picnic table and sun loungers. The site does good food and entertainment too.

It was a fantastic place to explore the area. The on-site bike hire provided us with two adult bikes: one for our daughter and I carried our young son in a trailer, which fitted in his sister too when we went out in the evening for dinner - for one of the best meals I’ve ever had - at Chez Alain in nearby Beg Meil.

I loved the network of tracks all along the coast here for you to ride safely between all the beautiful villages.

When we rode on the road to Fouesnant, to buy some fantastic fresh Atlantic prawns, strawberries and cherries, that felt safe too as it was so quiet.

One place we’ll never forget is Concarneau, a medieval walled town on an island in the middle of a harbour that you access on one side via a bridge or across on a ferry.

The cosy picture postcard streets are full of little shops and restaurants including a creperie that we loved and there is a free museum too.

After walking through we came back round on the walkway on top of the old walls, with a great view of the little ferry.

On the way back to the campsite we took the chance to visit the idyllic beach at Cap Coz which ends on a spit with water on both sides.

We had a great day out at Quimper too, the capital of the Finistère department, sampling the biscuits at a biscuiterie the local speciality.

And the great thing is that the Finistere area of Brittany is only a short trip away, following a fantastic crossing in a cabin on the Seven Sisters DFDS ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe and a drive of under six hours, getting there before dark.

Arron Hendy’s family holiday to Brittany was organised by UK camping specialist France Break.

A week staying at the four-star Sunêlia l’Atlantique in July, with accommodation in a two-bedroomed mobile home (sleeps five) costs from £1008 or around £202 per person when fully-occupied.

A week staying at May half-term costs from £343 or just £67 per person.

For further details and bookings, call 0131 510 6944 or visit www.francebreak.co.uk.

DFDS offers three daily sailings between Newhaven and Dieppe from May 1 to September 30 and two daily sailings at all other times. Passengers can travel in a car or on foot and the crossing takes four hours.

Onboard facilities include a dedicated children’s area, shop and restaurant serving hot food, and a number of cabins. The Newhaven-Dieppe DFDS service is the most direct car and ferry route between London and Paris.

Prices start from £49 for a car and four passengers.

To book visit www.dfds.co.uk or call 0871 522 9955.