Our stay at La Paille Haute was certainly not one we had planned. We were travelling through France with our caravan on our way to Spain when our Land Rover broke down on the A1. Motorway recovery collected us and the caravan and brought us to La Paille Haute while we tried to work out how we were going to continue our journey.
This La Paille Haute campsite review is therefore a little different from our usual campsite reviews. We didn’t choose the site as part of our planned tour, but after unexpectedly finding ourselves here, we experienced a level of kindness and hospitality that we won’t forget.
Our Stay at La Paille Haute
Arriving at a campsite following a motorway recovery wasn’t exactly how we had imagined this part of our trip through France.
Our Land Rover was out of action, we had our caravan with us and we needed to find somebody who could diagnose the problem and help get us back on the road so that we could continue our journey to Spain.
This was where the owner of La Paille Haute really went above and beyond for us.
She spent a considerable amount of her own time telephoning garages and businesses around the region, explaining our situation and trying to find somebody who could help.
There was absolutely no obligation for her to become involved in our breakdown problems, but she genuinely wanted to help. When you’re stranded in another country with a caravan and an immobile tow car, that sort of kindness makes an enormous difference.
Location
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/10
La Paille Haute is situated in the countryside at Boiry-Notre-Dame, close to Arras in northern France. Our location score reflects our own experience and the fact that we were brought here by motorway recovery rather than deliberately choosing the campsite as part of our route. For our journey south towards Spain, the location wasn’t particularly convenient, although it could make a useful base for anyone specifically wanting to explore Arras and the surrounding area.
Facilities
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 7/10
La Paille Haute offers a good range of facilities and provided everything we needed during our unexpected stay. What stood out most for us, however, was the reception and the exceptional assistance we received from the owner. The amount of time she spent making telephone calls and trying to find someone who could help with our Land Rover went far beyond what we could reasonably have expected from a campsite.
Cleanliness
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 6/10
The overall standard of cleanliness at La Paille Haute was reasonable during our stay. Everything was usable and we didn’t encounter anything that caused us any major concerns, although there was room for improvement in some areas. Compared with some of the exceptionally well-maintained campsites we have visited, we felt a score of 6/10 fairly reflected our experience.
Pitch Quality
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 6/10
Our pitch provided exactly what we needed following a very unexpected arrival. After being recovered from the motorway with the caravan, having somewhere safe where we could get ourselves settled while dealing with the breakdown was a huge relief. The pitch was perfectly adequate for our stay, although it wasn’t particularly outstanding in terms of its overall quality or specification compared with some of the touring pitches we have experienced elsewhere.
Value for Money
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 6/10
We felt La Paille Haute represented reasonable value for money for the campsite and facilities provided. What cannot really be reflected in that score is the amount of personal assistance we received from the owner. She gave up a considerable amount of her own time trying to help two stranded caravanners find a solution to their breakdown, and that kindness was worth far more to us than anything that could be included in the price of a pitch.
Overall Score: 30/50
Our Verdict
A score of 30/50 might make La Paille Haute appear fairly average on paper, but that doesn’t tell the whole story of our experience.
We arrived here because our Land Rover had broken down on the A1 and motorway recovery needed somewhere to take both us and our caravan. It wasn’t a campsite we’d researched, selected or planned to visit.
What we’ll remember most about La Paille Haute isn’t the pitch or the facilities. It is the kindness and hospitality shown to us by the owner.
She repeatedly went out of her way to help, making telephone calls around the region and trying to find somebody who could diagnose and repair our car. She didn’t have to do any of it, which made her willingness to help even more appreciated.
Sometimes the campsites you remember most aren’t necessarily the ones with the highest scores. They’re the places where someone makes a difficult situation that little bit easier.
For that reason, we’ll always remember our unexpected stay at La Paille Haute and will remain incredibly grateful for the help and hospitality we received.
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