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As per the subject title, just wondering how it works. More of a stop over to split the journey up rather than finding a nice spot to spend some quality time. Can I just use a motorway service station car park or get off the motorway and find a nice spot off the road or picnic area? The only complication is that i'll need to put up the pop top as i'm traveling with a mate and there is no way i'm bunking up with him!
Could just try to book a formal campsite but would rather drive till we can't drive any more then bunk up wherever we may be and get up and on the road bright and early the next day...the further we can get on day one and the less we have to do on day two the better.
Cheer.
You want an aire, you do. They're minimal, often municipal, parking / camping spaces aimed at camper vans and motorhomes and scattered across the country. Free to use. There's a guidebook, called 'All The Aires' and, probably by now, an app as well:
Brilliant things.
It's so easy. As above, just pick an Aire.
I tend to prefer well lit ones with a bit of activity, maybe a service station. I always feel a bit safer than parking up in the pitch black, silent ones. Plenty to choose from though.
Sound like just the ticket. Thanks.
There are some brilliant Aires. I'd stay off the motorway services though.
there are also some horrific aires where theft is rife.
one of the rabble was woken up by someone who picked the wrong camper to break into in the middle of the night upon a french aire.
Pick your aire wisely. normal advice is to pick busier ones
Yeah, I some think people tend to let their guard down as soon as the scenery starts getting nice. Just because you're on holiday doesn't mean they're aren't local scum bags creeping around looking for easy pickings.
Yeah, I’ve read a few comments on here about that, and scumbags are everywhere. We wouldn't Be leaving the van at all but will have bikes on the rack but under cover. Will double or triple up on locks or even lay across the front seats. Hopefully the app or website will contain info about how busy they are.
Out of season you might get treated to some dogging or cruising action, too!
If possible, I would try to find some places to sleep off the motorway. The airs appear nice but I know several people who have been robbed on them. I even know someone who was gassed at one... Personally I wouldn't take the risk. Its too easy for someone to rob you and be on the motorway disappearing into the distance.
We've wild camped a lot in France and have found success with an app called park4night. Depending on roughly where you want to stop I could make a recommendation. If you're driving to the alps then a pretty decent stopping place is in the forest around Fontainebleau. It's about halfway depending on where in the UK you're leaving from.
Thanks unclesomebody. Given the time we land at Calais and head down we’ll be around Dijon by about 7pm assuming a clear run, so I would imagine we wouldn’t be going a huge amount further than that.
I’ll take a look at the aire site and the park4night sights.
Funnily enough the prospect of dogging is not a plus point!
Park 4 night locally is a list of dogging spots I'd approach with caution.
camper contact app.
https://www.searchforsites.co.uk is pretty good but doesn't include all the Aires.
Done get motorway aires a campervam aires confused, heard lots of horror stories about motorway aires but I've stopped on loads of campervam aires without any problems.
M-way aires will do in a pinch but even if the tales weren't true, you've still got the stench of eau du lorry driver, and diesel engines /fridge units running all night. I've stayed on a couple of nice ones though, and there's a great one near us but it's too close to be of much use!
Many campsites will let you pull on for the night for a tenner or so, some have a dedicated area. Worth it for the shower in the morning.
Not much to add about Aires but you may find you are happy to drive later. French motorways are very easy to drive on and not at all stressing. We usually drive til pretty late to shorten the run in the morning. Only issue is finding food if you don't want McDs or motorway services. Our preferred method is to take a picnic, stop at a reasonable hour for supper then get a few more miles in.
Only issue is finding food if you don’t want McDs or motorway services.
Yeah, but French motorway services food is not necessarily bad 🙂
If possible, I would try to find some places to sleep off the motorway. The airs appear nice but I know several people who have been robbed on them.
Just to avoid confusion, the camping aires that are being talked about are not the same thing as the aires on the autoroutes. They're basic sites, usually run by local municipalities, where you can park up a camper van or mobile home for a night or two. Facilities are limited, but they're usually free - you might have to pay for water, waste disposal etc.
We've used them a few times en route to the Alps, there are plenty within 10km or so of the main autoroutes. Some are quite scenic, others are more like an urban carpark. There are reviews on the web. The downside if you're in a camper may be lack of toilets, but quite often there's something not far away.
Are they safe? It's hard to generalise, but the missus spent several months touring round Europe in her T5 on her own a few years back and didn't have any problems even as a woman on her own.
Edit: I see the point about the difference between motorway aires and camping ones has already been made, but there you go.
Echoing what someone else said, pick your spot wisely and don't be lulled by a picturesque spot. We live in very rural SW France and it's not unusual to see a car running outside a shop while the owner is inside discussing the weather....
However, we went to a MTB event on the outskirts of Toulouse, very nice area, plenty of fields and cows and some low life broke into our van and went through everything. They only nicked 20 euros and left the wife's pants, so they weren't sailors or parachutists, but it did bring it home to us that just because a place looks nice, you still have to take a bit of care.
Just to avoid confusion, the camping aires that are being talked about are not the same thing as the aires on the autoroutes. They’re basic sites, usually run by local municipalities, where you can park up a camper van or mobile home for a night or two. Facilities are limited, but they’re usually free – you might have to pay for water, waste disposal etc.
I hadn't fully appreciated that. Thanks for clarifying.
Park 4 night locally is a list of dogging spots I’d approach with caution.
Oh... never came across that in the alps. Or maybe we just went to sleep too early...
Stayed on lots just off the motorway/autoroute with no issues apart from the noise from a refrigerated lorry. Arrived late got up had a poo in the loos have breakfast at picnic bench, chat to some Frenchies. I’ve missed all the ones we’re you get gassed and sold into slavery. Just usual common sense applies.
We did similar a few years ago, tried to get as far through France as possible on the 1st day and ended up in Dijon here,
http://www.camping-du-lac-dijon.com/
I think it was ~10 Eu to park on the front, there's electric hook up available, shower/WC etc and a short walk into town for a kebab.
We lost 2 hours on the ferry crossing then another hour due to the time difference. Also worth mentioning it was pretty much toll roads all the way through France.
Getting gassed in a motorhome is utter bollocks. Either people are pissed or trying for an insurance scam.
I even know someone who was gassed at one
Ah yes that old urban myth. Anaesthetists in hospitals get paid hugee salaries,have hideously expensive technology and assistants to keep people asleep during operations.
But in rural France there are roaming groups of neerdowells with the ability to anaesthetise multiple people of disparate ages, sizes, weights within the same vehicle from a remote position. Somehow they manage to keep everyone asleep and yet never kill anyone.
Or perhaps someone has been doing some insurance fraud and word of mouth has turned it into fact
There’s a guidebook, called ‘All The Aires’ and, probably by now, an app as well:
I'd second that - fantastic resource. There are two - all the aires north and all the aires south.
Personally I've never had a problem in any of the aires we've used - generally we turn up quite late to them tho, so the scum bags are probably asleep! Obvs don't use the motorway ones - but the ones in a random french village are more than likely fine.
The last one we used we turned up to at 00:30 to be greeted by a local lady being shagged over the bonnet of a nice car. Made us laugh, she seemed less impressed.
Was it Nicole?
I’d second that – fantastic resource. There are two – all the aires north and all the aires south.
There's also a mountains version.
I've used Aires de Camping a lot over the years and never had a problem, if it looks at all dodgy we move on and stick it in a municipal campsite for the night for a few euro's. Wouldn't stay in a motorway or side road Aire, just like I wouldn't spend the night at Leicester Forest East services for the night.
The gassing thing is lolz. Do they don breathing apparatus to enter the van like a scene from a sci-fi movie? Imagine 2 crims in a bar deciding to stealth gas some old couple rather than risk holding them up by knife (too risky they might deploy dentures).
We've stayed at stacks of motorway Aires. No probs yet.
Bear in mind that if they're planning on nicking heavy stuff then they're going to have to drive there, on the motorway, with all its peages and cameras etc etc
Kinda leaves an easy to track trail...