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Looking for ideas for places to stay whilst driving around western France.
We like campsites but sometimes when driving across France/Germany/Austria it's really nice just to pull up at a random town and then go and have a nice meal in a local restaurant/bar. It's even better when you're tired from a long drive and you find a one attached to a lovely restaurant. You get cheap digs, great food and wine plus someone else does the washing up!
I think it would have to be the air of insouciance.
Provins - nice Aire right outside the walls of a medieval town to the east of Paris. There is also a really nice one in Concarneau, right on the waterfront with a short walk along the shore to the foot passenger ferry into the old town.
It was a few years ago, but the ones at Courseulles sur Mer and Mont St Michel were pretty nice. At Courseulles, it wasn't by a restaurant, but a few take-away kiosks (so no washing up) and the merguez and chips was tasty.
The Mont St Michel one was opposite the campsite, and seemed barely different (I think no showers), but was much cheaper, though not free.
We've stayed on a few others, but none stand out - just the whole system works for me. We also stayed on night in the carpark of a chain hotel - it was late, near Paris and the only campsite we had found looked more like a semi-permanent travellers' site, so we went to the hotel; they were full, so I thought it worth asking if we could kip in the carpark and they said OK - we ate in their restaurant that night, which seemed fair.
I think it's Marie Besnier Beauvalot - she's inherited a fortune
pre-footy bump
Not an Aire, but we stayed a night at this carpark in a lovely little town near Caen, before an early morning ferry:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/30+D60B,+14780+Lion-sur-Mer,+France/ @49.3012205,-0.3139626,19z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x480a42bd4c04c933:0x3da5749f30d00859!2s14000+Caen,+France!3b1!8m2!3d49.182863!4d-0.370679!3m4!1s0x480a60dcfcbfb7e7:0x5d0a1dabf59cdf70!8m2!3d49.3012205!4d-0.3134154
Right on the beach, loos in the town hall across the road.
Any more?
Have a look at the park4night app, it's lists unnofficial places that are good for spending a night in a camper/motorhome. It's a bit clunky but it's how we found that car park.
There is also the Camperstop app.