School Watersports Tour to the Côte de Lumière

The Côte de Lumière (‘Coast of Light’) stretches along the Vendée coastline and is known for its golden sandy beaches, dramatic dunes and endless Atlantic views.

With over 250km of coastline, the region offers the perfect setting for outdoor adventure - from watersports and coastal walks to simply relaxing on wide, unspoilt shores. The Côte de Lumière also boasts a rich maritime heritage and charming seaside towns, making it an inspiring place to explore both nature and culture.

You’ll be based in La Roche-sur-Yon, the prefecture and heart of Vendée, where you’ll be within easy reach of all the region has to offer.

And that includes some of the best beaches in France (in our opinion) - some bordered by dunes and preserved maritime forests, others by charming seaside resorts. It’s no wonder this corner of France has become such a hot spot for watersports.

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

Meet at the school in the early hours, ready to set off on your French adventure.

Board your coach to Dover and catch the ferry to Calais.

Afternoon

Continue your journey south through the French countryside, with time to relax on the coach.

Evening

Arrive in La Roche-sur-Yon and check in to your accommodation.

Evening meal at the accommodation

Take a short 15-minute stroll to Les Flâneries, a lively local shopping and leisure area where you can stretch your legs.

Day 2

Morning

Breakfast at the accommodation before travelling to Saint-Jean-de-Monts, one of Vendée's most popular seaside resorts.

Group to be divided into two smaller groups to rotate between activities on the beach.

Group 1 to enjoy an exhilarating session of sand yachting.

Group 2 to enjoy a surfing lesson.

Afternoon

Groups to swap activities - group 1 will have a surfing lesson and group 2 will go sand yachting.

Evening

Evening meal at the accommodation.

Day 3

Morning

Breakfast at accommodation.

Split into smaller groups for the day's watersports.

Group 1 will test their balance with a session of stand-up paddleboarding.

Group 2 to enjoy a windsurfing lesson.

Afternoon

Groups to swap activities - group 1 will have a windsurfing lesson and group 2 will have a go at stand-up paddleboarding.

Evening

Evening meal at the accommodation.

Day 4

Morning

Breakfast at the accommodation and check out.

Board your private coach and begin the journey north towards Calais.

Afternoon

Channel crossing.

Continue your return journey by coach.

Evening

Arrive back at school.

3 nights' half-board accommodation
Return coach travel from the UK
Channel crossings
Motorway tolls and taxes
Free staff place ratio 1:8
Itinerary planning service
Detailed final information pack
Vamoos travel app - giving you access to all your trip documents on your phone or tablet
VAT at current rates to tour operators

Accommodation

ibis La Roche-sur-Yon

The ibis La Roche-sur-Yon is located just outside the centre and is a fantastic base for your school trip to the Vendée and the Côte de Lumière. There's a lovely heated outdoor swimming pool, a bowling alley and a cinema, as well as meeting rooms available to hire. The on-site restaurant serves seasonal, local dishes. All guest rooms benefit from air-conditioning and en-suite bathroom facilities.

Excursions

Windsurfing on the Côte de Lumière

Harness the power of the wind with a thrilling windsurfing lesson.

Stand-Up Paddleboarding

Try your balance with an exciting session of stand-up paddleboarding.

Sand Yachting on the Côte de Lumière

Take to the wide sandy shoreline for an exhilarating session of sand yachting.

Surfing on the Côte de Lumière

Enjoy a surfing lesson on France's spectacular Atlantic coast.

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect sports tour

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in school sports tours and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a tour to suit your group’s needs and meet your tour objectives.

Launching your tour to parents and students

The next step is to get your tour approved and then get students signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. Here you’ll find loads of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start working on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your tour (making the whole process a lot less stressful for you).

Support while you’re away

While you’re out on tour, we’ll be at the end of the phone 24 hours a day to provide support should you need it. We’ll also send you a final info pack before you go and you’ll be able to access all your tour documents via the free Vamoos app.

After your trip

When you return from your sports tour, we’ll ask you to complete a detailed feedback survey, which helps us continue to improve the service we offer. And we can start planning your next tour too, so you can give parents plenty of time to pay for it (and so it’s less stressful for you).