There's nothing worse than going on holiday, particularly abroad and the weather being rubbish. Unfortunately when travelling anywhere in Europe it's a risk that goes hand in hand with the closeness of the continent to the British Isles.
Our own families philosophy is forget the weather and enjoy being away from life's routine chores and being together and do what you can to make the holiday enjoyable as it's a while until the next !
Here in the sunny Charente Maritime region of France we get the second most sunshine hours after the south coast so a rainy week in summer is an exception rather than the rule. We let our families know before their arrival what the weather has been like and what it is forecast to be, so they can be prepared for the worst if necessary.
All our family holiday cottages are supplied with tourist information and also a handy list of rainy day activities. One such fun thing to do is Laser Lander in Saintes, just a 30 minute drive away.
Laser Lander is an ideal indoor activity, perfect for a rainy day or even an incredibly hot day when the kids need to burn off steam but it's too hot outside.
On a cold wet day in winter, we had friends over and had planned a fun walk through the local woods but had to change our plans due to the weather as it really was just too wet even for wellies and raincoats so we called up and booked a couple of sessions at Laser Lander.
It's a great activity for both boys and girls and for ages 6 years and up (younger children may like to play too but the jackets are too big.) It costs 10€ per player for one session of 20 mins (whether adult or child) but is slightly cheaper when there are more than 6 players and for further sessions. We have always found 1 session is not enough for our boys, but it's an active game so it may be for young children. It's essential to book to make sure you arn't hanging around waiting for a free session. You need to have about 4 - 6 players as a minimum to make it fun.
Two sessions would take up about an hour with a 5 minute 'training' video explaining the safety and game rules, a 20 minute session followed by a 15 minute break where you'll be able to buy a drink and get your breath back followed by a second 20min session.
We usually extend our afternoon outing by having lunch in the McDonalds opposite beforehand and a play on arcade games located in the waiting area afterwards. (The hurricane tube being a particular favourite) The McDonalds actually has a great play area and when our two were much younger this is all that was required to entertain them on a rainy day - I'd sit down with my laptop (didn't have a smart phone then) and a drink and the boys would come back to me every so often for a quick drink before running off again. Unfortunately that no longer cuts it with my too so I have to go to a bit more expense and be a bit more active.
If you have never experienced a laser game, it's great fun. You wear a jacket with a laser gun attached. You have lights or targets on both shoulders, the front and the back. When someone hits one of these targets with their laser you lose 50 points and they gain 100. It is all recorded who hit you and who you hit. You can all play against each other or have teams with different coloured targets (red, blue, yellow etc) Once your session is over each player is given a printout of their position and scores of their hits.
There are two 'salles' or rooms at the Saintes Laser Lander and with two sessions you'll play in each one. It is dark, with music and dry ice. You have two floors and on each one is a maze of passages with gaps in the walls so you have to be careful not to be 'shot through the walls'
Our kids always come out hot and sweaty and it's been first choice for their birthday parties for a couple of years now. It's perfect for wearing them out on a rainy day and highly recommended.
Content by Wendy Blakeman
