Le Bois Guillaume

Le Bois Guillaume is a friendly four star family campsite hidden in a 7 hectare wood near Villeneuve les Genêts, in the green Puisaye area of Burgundy where the writer Colette grew up, about an hour and a half from Paris. You stay among tall oaks, hornbeams and birches, and wake up to birdsong, with a squirrel here and a salamander there. The campsite holds the Camping Qualité and Qualité Tourisme labels.

The pitches are large, shaded and separated by hedges, between 120 and 200 m², all with 10 A electricity and water points nearby. Motorhomes have a service area for fresh and grey water and a room for emptying cassettes. If you prefer a roof over your head, choose one of the mobile homes, including one adapted for reduced mobility, a cosy wooden chalet for up to twelve people, a lodge tent for a simple summer stay, or the group gîte that sleeps twenty. The chalets and the gîte are open all year, with a wood stove for winter evenings in the gîte.

In summer the heated outdoor pool and paddling pool, both at 28 °C, are the place to be. Children love the playground, the trampoline and the small zip line, and the whole family can try the mini golf, the orienteering course in the woods, table tennis, boules, basketball, the outdoor fitness area or one of the two escape game rooms. The restaurant serves traditional Burgundy dishes with local products, the bar has a terrace for an ice cream or a craft beer, and bread, pastries, take away meals and pizzas are available in season. In July and August there are activities for children on weekday mornings and concerts on Tuesday evenings.

Two hiking routes of the GR de Puisaye start right from the campsite. The Lac du Bourdon, great for fishing and water sports, is about 15 minutes away, and the medieval castle building site of Guédelon about 25 minutes. Nearby you can visit the castles of Saint Fargeau, Ratilly and Druyes les Belles Fontaines, the sound and light show at Saint Fargeau, the house of Colette and the potters' village of Saint Amand en Puisaye. Families enjoy the Boutissaint animal park and the farm animals at the Moulin de Vanneau. Auxerre and Montargis are 45 minutes away, and the vineyards of Chablis about an hour.

Pitches and mobile homes are open from mid March to mid November; the chalets and the group gîte can be rented all year, and the lodge tents from May to mid September. Arrival for rentals is from 15:00 and departure before 10:00; for pitches arrival is from 14:00 and departure before 12:00. In high season rentals go from Saturday to Saturday. The pool is open from mid June to mid September, from 10:00 to 20:00; it is not supervised and swim briefs are required. Pets are welcome for a fee, except in the lodge tents and the gîte. Pillows and blankets are provided in mobile homes and chalets; for the lodge tents please bring your own bedding or rent it. Sheets and a TV can be rented. WiFi is available for a fee. A security deposit is asked on arrival for rentals.