AS the first warm winds of spring waft in, thoughts begin to turn to summer sun and where to spend the holidays. And for a single dad pondering what to do with the precious time he has with his children, a EuroSite holiday may provide the answer.

Camping in a caravan city may seem a middle-class, middle-England sort of thing to do, but whichever way you look at it, it offers the perfect balance for anyone with active children.

But before venturing off, a salutary word of advice: if they're not already on yours, get your children on their own passports well in advance. There is nothing like a good dollop of pre-holiday angst, with the prospect of not making it until the last minute, to get the heart going.

With only days to go, there was still no sight of the vital travel documents. The Home Office computers had crashed again, surprise, surprise. Not able to risk the post, I had to make a huge detour from Newcastle to Liverpool to pick them up, before the long and exhausting trek down to Portsmouth.

After a brief scrap between Ian, 11, and Ruth, nine, over pillows and duvets and whose turn it was to sit in the front, we were off.

Liverpool by lunchtime, the obligatory burger (of a particular brand) to keep them happy, and we were off again. With only a slither of British (and more expensive) petrol left on the gauge and ten minutes to spare, we arrived wearily on P&O's, Pride of Bilbao. The largest passenger-carrying cross channel ferry, it housed a veritable microcosm of society. The children rushed off to find the duty free to spend their pocket money. Having braved uncomfortable couches on overnight ferries before, it was a pleasure to settle into our own cabin, arriving refreshed in Cherbourg. Then came the long haul to St Jean de Monts in the Vendee, with the Chinese torture cries of "are we nearly there?", drip, dripping in the background.

Their behaviour was otherwise impeccable. Until, that is, we meandered into Nantes and got hopelessly lost. With patience fraying, all reason flew out of the window, as did Ian's hair as Ruth lost her temper. With everything approaching meltdown, my sanity depended on getting to our destination.

We had barely arrived at St Genets campsite and the children were whisked off by what I fondly got to know as Danni, the Dolphin's Adventure Team. Still rubbing the road from my eyes, I saw them marching past, faces painted with a gang of children, singing songs.

Once at Les Genets, they simply would not budge, not even for a short shopping trip. And who could blame them? They had everything they could have wanted there; tennis, table tennis, swimming, football, disco, quizzes and plenty of other children to play with. Even the prospect of miles of beach outside would not convince them to leave. The Danni club freed me for two hours a day, so all sightseeing excursions were finely-timed races against the clock. I explored as far as the Ile De Noirmoutier, and Pornic to the north and les Sables d'Olonne to the south. The surrounding countryside is not classically French. But, characterised by salt marshes criss-crossed by channels and distant trees and an upturned bowl of blue sky, it possesses its own indelible charm.

The Les Genets site, under the shade of tall pine trees, is said to be one of the most popular with EuroSites customers. It has a both indoor and outside pools, jacuzzi and waterslide, with a full entertainment programme. It's a ten-minute stroll to the beach, which has a lifeguard patrol in high season. The staff could not be faulted for sincere friendliness, enthusiasm and willingness to help.

And what would a holiday camp be without the obligatory pub quiz? And a children's disco, where Ian started his first faltering holiday romance.

After they blushingly exchanged necklaces and addresses we were off. And no, I had to explain to Ian, "we can't just pop down to Peterborough for the weekend to see Carlie".

And the children's verdict on the holiday? "The best holiday we have had in our whole lives." Hyperbole maybe, but not far off the mark. To be recommended.

EuroSites caters for children of all ages with activities and games at over 40 sites. Says general manager Deborah Beckett: "The standard of activities we offer is very high and we are scrupulous about the type of representatives who work with the children on our sites. All children's representatives are police-checked and need a minimum of one year's experience with children. While activities are important, the issue of safety and peace of mind for parents with all age groups is paramount."

TRAVEL FACTS:

A family of five staying at Les Genets campsite at St Jean de Mont, Vendee, France, in a luxury Cezanne mobile home arriving on site on June 27 for one week can expect to pay £439 (£87.80 per person). This price includes a return short sea ferry crossing for one vehicle on the Dover to Calais/Ostend route with Hoverspeed.

The prices for a Lautrec is £419, a Monet £539 and a Renoir £699. Tents are £369, but are sold out for this arrival date.

For details call the brochure hotline on 0870 608 1913 and the booking helpline on 0870 751 0000, quote 9BPR32.

Sailing from Portsmouth to Cherbourg may cut down on driving time. A ten-day return ferry crossing with P&O for a car and up to eight people in June starts from £190, a standard return is £236. The Pride of Bilbao is the largest passenger-carrying cruise ferry to operate from the UK, with a capacity of 2,500 passengers and 600 cars. Onboard facilities include a pool, sauna, cinema, casino, hair and beauty salon and gaming room. Call reservations on 0870 2424 999.