Overnight in French Autoroute aires

[Ch1pbutty]

Hi calibusje. How flexible are campsites in France? For most of them do you need to book in advance or can you just turn up. Also, do they have strict booking in times?

It's usually to better to book during peak season, especially in France. Otherwise you may have to waste time driving around finding one with space when you would rather be enjoying your holiday!
Also if you are not pre-booked, you might be asked to move pitch during your stay.

Most sites have a barrier, but often easy to get it opened after hours provided its not too late (ie - before 10pm). They quite often have space outside the barrier to allow for late arrivals.

 

[Elly Swanson]

It's usually to better to book during peak season, especially in France. Otherwise you may have to waste time driving around finding one with space when you would rather be enjoying your holiday!
Also if you are not pre-booked, you might be asked to move pitch during your stay.

Most sites have a barrier, but often easy to get it opened after hours provided its not too late (ie - before 10pm). They quite often have space outside the barrier to allow for late arrivals.

Thank you

 

[calibusje]

Thank you

No problem

 

[Geoff York]

Quick question- is it Ok to spend night in french autoroute aire/ service station pls? Will need a few hours sleep on way down to south of fracnce over Easter. Probably somewhere near Reims

Thanks

Most towns including small ones have sports halls
If you can’t find a small site non autoroute then sports halls are a great option
Never failed us in 25 years… originally towing caravan
Do not use autoroute aires…. It’s only a matter of luck wether you get robbed…. Also noisy and spilt diesel to tramp into your van
Non voyage

 

[Romandier]

Quick question- is it Ok to spend night in french autoroute aire/ service station pls? Will need a few hours sleep on way down to south of fracnce over Easter. Probably somewhere near Reims

Thanks

Good question, would recommend not to park overnight in any autoroute parking place in any country. Living in Switzerland we hear of cases across the borders (5) and here( be it transients mostly) of break-ins and thefts.
Besides, there are lots of beautiful stops without going too far off any autoroute with no worries! Try the app Park 4 Night.
Sleep well, stay safe and enjoy.

 

[edocali]

Every time I cross the continent quickly to get to my destination in the south, I always sleep overnight in aires along the motorways. Big time saver.
Never had issues so far.

 

[peregrinus]

Agree that the municipal campsites are best as they are inexpensive, good and plenty and using it supports the local people.

We have stayed at several Aires just for a quick heads-down after a long day, or in the middle of the night. We have done the same in UK and once parked up on a very posh street in Bath. Baie de somme aire is very good as it has toilets and a cafe. Good one at Beauvais near the municipal swimming pool. We stayed in cite de Europe car park several times when our crossing was late/early.

There is a risk you will be robbed although it has never happened to us yet and that can happen anywhere. The dog would go ballistic if anyone tried. I personally do not believe the gassing stories. They are never well reported, e.g. a random person on a forum claims they know someone it happened to. Also, Jenson button was in his mansion, not a Camper van and he is minted with watches and jewels. It was a spokesman who claimed it "may have been gas" and claim was later debunked.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

As far as Aires the only ones we stay in are the ones in the environs of a French or Spanish village. But never if there’s nobody else staying. And as far as gassing I think that story has run it’s coarse now. My son in laws father told me when we first had our van 3 things to be careful of. 1: Never use you Awning as it will end up on the top of your van. 2: watch out for Immigrants at the docks as they will hide under your van. 3:

 

[Ozzy Pete]

As far as Aires the only ones we stay in are the ones in the environs of a French or Spanish village. But never if there’s nobody else staying. And as far as gassing I think that story has run it’s coarse now. My son in laws father told me when we first had our van 3 things to be careful of. 1: Never use you Awning as it will end up on the top of your van. 2: watch out for Immigrants at the docks as they will hide under your van. 3:

3: Don’t get Gassed.

 

[Bartje]

We have slept in Aires.

Peage aires might be marginally safer.

We prefer non service station aires as they tend to be quieter. The biggest annoyance are refrigerator trucks.

Depart London after school at 3.30. In France by 7pm. Drive with the boys in pyjamas until 1am. Sleep in aire until 8am then on the road again by 8.30.

It is an excellent way to make very rapid progress south. We are hoping to get to the south of Spain this Easter - but that will depend on getting Jack’s passport renewal in time.

Seems rather stressfull in my opinion. The whole idea of having a vehicle that allows one to travel the slow routes and enjoy the trip itselve but using it just to speed to a destination in a hurry seems somewhat weird to me. In my opinion you’re missing out on a lot of fun.

More important. People who prey on tourists go where you find lots of them, preferably in tired condition and in an area where the culprits can blend into the normal activities of the surroundings.

Nobody is completely safe in this world but I think those fundamentally different approaches to travelling with the van do have a verry different outcome when it come to chances of becoming prey.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Seems rather stressfull in my opinion. The whole idea of having a vehicle that allows one to travel the slow routes and enjoy the trip itselve but using it just to speed to a destination in a hurry seems somewhat weird to me. In my opinion you’re missing out on a lot of fun.

In the past we could take forever & just came home when the funds ran out…but now 25days holiday a year combined with school holidays means that we tend to drive direct to destination with minimal stops and spend as much time in the surf as possible.

 

[calibusje]

In the past we could take forever & just came home when the funds ran out…but now 25days holiday a year combined with school holidays means that we tend to drive direct to destination with minimal stops and spend as much time in the surf as possible.

So you have a destination? We have a region, a few POIs that we want/can see (or not) and two children, so also depending on the school holidays. Everyone travels how they want of course and no comments on that, just we do it differently; in the summer thousands of kilometers -rather slow- touring with a few 'destinations' along the way, so to speak. As long as you have fun and enjoy a lot.

 

[Amarillo]

Seems rather stressfull in my opinion. The whole idea of having a vehicle that allows one to travel the slow routes and enjoy the trip itselve but using it just to speed to a destination in a hurry seems somewhat weird to me. In my opinion you’re missing out on a lot of fun.

More important. People who prey on tourists go where you find lots of them, preferably in tired condition and in an area where the culprits can blend into the normal activities of the surroundings.

Nobody is completely safe in this world but I think those fundamentally different approaches to travelling with the van do have a verry different outcome when it come to chances of becoming prey.

We all use our vans differently, and differently at different stages of our lives.

Between June 2017 and June 2018 we spent 375 nights away in our van gently meandering around Europe with two toddlers our dog and her puppy.

But now our boys are at school we are confined to school holidays. A two week Easter break will see us heading to the warmth and sun of southern Spain as quickly as we can.

Stopping overnight in motorway aires alongside truck drivers has little risk - especially peage aires where escape for a would be criminal can be made difficult.

 

[CaliAzur]

Quick question- is it Ok to spend night in french autoroute aire/ service station pls? Will need a few hours sleep on way down to south of fracnce over Easter. Probably somewhere near Reims

Thanks

Legally I believe so, but I would not do it (and I live in France). If you have to do it to get a few hours rest, then choose an Aire d’Autoroute that has a full services area, like fuel and cafeteria; and stick to the main parking area close to the main building where there is constant activity, people and often CCTV surveillance. NEVER leave the vehicle with the top popped, and do not open the awning on the outlying grassy areas. If you do choose to sleep at an Aire d’Autoroute, then I recommend keeping the top closed, and sleeping on the lower bed, even if it’s hot.

Some of the Aires are remote and without services, and though they may look tempting during the day, at night they can attract thieves and other dubious people and activities. As noted by another member, Police will ask you to change places or Aire if they find you in a known problem zone.

Forewarned is forearmed .

 

[CaliAzur]

I will just add that mostly it will be solitary vans with couples that are picked on. If you are several vans and couples travelling together, or a family, you are unlikely to be bothered unless you are broken into whilst shopping or eating in the cafeteria at the service area.

One known, commonly used technique in the Aires d’Autoroute here is the ‘tampon’ (shunt). Someone in an old car will reverse into the front of your van causing no or minor damage. Preoccupied and distracted by the accident, you both get out of the van to discuss with the other driver who is anyway part of a team and has set you up. Whilst your attention is turned, his accomplices discretely open the boot and/or side door and slip away with anything easy to carry. All too often this is a light bag or backpack with passports, cash, credit cards etc! Beware of the ‘tampon’ lol, and if it happens … get suspicious right away and lock the vehicle while you sort things out.

 

[calibusje]

We all use our vans differently, and differently at different stages of our lives.

Between June 2017 and June 2018 we spent 375 nights away in our van gently meandering around Europe with two toddlers our dog and her puppy.

But now our boys are at school we are confined to school holidays. A two week Easter break will see us heading to the warmth and sun of southern Spain as quickly as we can.

Stopping overnight in motorway aires alongside truck drivers has little risk - especially peage aires where escape for a would be criminal can be made difficult.

Hellow, I remember your Eurotrip and I enjoyed following you here.
As for the use of the van: true, it changes; we also changed from never sleeping more than one night after another in one place (camperplace) to the same but with a short stay at a campsite with a swimming pool paradise during the summer holiday for the children (of course ).
Just one thing: I have already written this on this subject/post and I will write it again: the robbers do use parkings at péages; they don’t use the motorway but come and leave from outside the terrain. This info comes from the police itself, didn’t make it up. It’s a misconception that they need the motorway to get away. Also cctv doesn’t scare them. (And don’t be afraid for gassing: that’s just a story) The thieves know you think you’re safe there and they are swift, ruthless and have nothing to lose. And they know the ways in and out; you’re at their turf sort of speak.
I just say it to help. My dad (couple alone) got robbed at night at a parking (aire) at a gasstation even with physical surveillance (!) & cameras. Along with everyone around them (couples with and without children or dog). I can’t recommend sleeping at those places. It is so easy to find a nice place not far from the motorway.
Greetings

 

[Amarillo]

Hellow, I remember your Eurotrip and I enjoyed following you here.
As for the use of the van: true, it changes; we also changed from never sleeping more than one night after another in one place (camperplace) to the same but with a short stay at a campsite with a swimming pool paradise during the summer holiday for the children (of course ).
Just one thing: I have already written this on this subject/post and I will write it again: the robbers do use parkings at péages; they don’t use the motorway but come and leave from outside the terrain. This info comes from the police itself, didn’t make it up. It’s a misconception that they need the motorway to get away. Also cctv doesn’t scare them. (And don’t be afraid for gassing: that’s just a story) The thieves know you think you’re safe there and they are swift, ruthless and have nothing to lose. And they know the ways in and out; you’re at their turf sort of speak.
I just say it to help. My dad (couple alone) got robbed at night at a parking (aire) at a gasstation even with physical surveillance (!) & cameras. Along with everyone around them (couples with and without children or dog). I can’t recommend sleeping at those places. It is so easy to find a nice place not far from the motorway.
Greetings

Our dog would bark like mad if someone tried to break into our van while we were sleeping. Once in, she'd be more likely to lick their face than try to bite them, but the robber wouldn't know that!

I think the last time we spent the night in an aire was here:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

goo.gl

 

[calibusje]

A

Our dog would bark like mad if someone tried to break into our van while we were sleeping. Once in, she'd be more likely to lick their face than try to bite them, but the robber wouldn't know that!

I think the last time we spent the night in an aire was here:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

goo.gl

A barking dog would scare them off, that I am sure.
I know that air, don’t sleep on aires like that. Not being robbed doesn’t mean it’s safe to sleep there for others. Btw, with Google maps one can see for himself there are small roads to an air: that’s the ones the thieves use…
There are nice camperplaces/sites in the vicinity. But as always: you’re all grownups so do as you please. I just can’t recommend them…

 

[dazcleveland]

Some great advice and info regarding this subject. I think it's very much a case of "horses for courses" ie. what you want for your particular needs but here is our experience for what it's worth! We have owned a holiday home in the Alps for 11 years now and have driven over in our Cali, on average, 2-3 times a year at varying times during the year. My leave from work is limited so we try to get down there as quickly as possible and leave there as late as possible so often drive late evening / through the night. If we become too tired we stop for a few hours kip but always in Aires on the péages with petrol stations and facilities - never in the remoter ones with just toilets - selecting our parking spots fairly close to the buildings and around others. The Aires we tend to favour are located near Troyes or Reims but we have used ones in the Champagne region and further north on occasions. We were very wary on our first few trips over after hearing the stories of people being gassed / robbed and whilst I am not denying robberies are a definite possibility, they can obviously occur anywhere (even at home!) and common sense must prevail. We have slept with the roof up and down, depending on the temperature / time of year and have personally never had any issues whatsoever. Yes, these Aires can be a little noisy sometimes but we tolerate this for the convenience of being able to stop and restart our journey quickly without wasting valuable holiday time at our property. All that being said, in the near future when retirement arrives we hope to be able to take more leisurely journeys and make the trip part of the holiday by exploring all the other beautiful regions of France. Therefore, we appreciate the recommendations for apps that provide details of nicer campsites in villages adjacent to the péages and look forward to experiencing them in the near future!!

 

[calibusje]

Some great advice and info regarding this subject. I think it's very much a case of "horses for courses" ie. what you want for your particular needs but here is our experience for what it's worth! We have owned a holiday home in the Alps for 11 years now and have driven over in our Cali, on average, 2-3 times a year at varying times during the year. My leave from work is limited so we try to get down there as quickly as possible and leave there as late as possible so often drive late evening / through the night. If we become too tired we stop for a few hours kip but always in Aires on the péages with petrol stations and facilities - never in the remoter ones with just toilets - selecting our parking spots fairly close to the buildings and around others. The Aires we tend to favour are located near Troyes or Reims but we have used ones in the Champagne region and further north on occasions. We were very wary on our first few trips over after hearing the stories of people being gassed / robbed and whilst I am not denying robberies are a definite possibility, they can obviously occur anywhere (even at home!) and common sense must prevail. We have slept with the roof up and down, depending on the temperature / time of year and have personally never had any issues whatsoever. Yes, these Aires can be a little noisy sometimes but we tolerate this for the convenience of being able to stop and restart our journey quickly without wasting valuable holiday time at our property. All that being said, in the near future when retirement arrives we hope to be able to take more leisurely journeys and make the trip part of the holiday by exploring all the other beautiful regions of France. Therefore, we appreciate the recommendations for apps that provide details of nicer campsites in villages adjacent to the péages and look forward to experiencing them in the near future!!

France is so much nicer off the highways. Even if you want to get somewhere quick, you can get off the péages and sleep elsewhere, that’s my idea. I would not put it like you do: ‘stories of peoples being gassed/ robbed’: the gassed ones are the stories, unfortunately people get robbed and it’s about the parking with or without gas stations, not about home robberies. That’s a different case.
Maybe I sound a little harsh and sorry for that but I don’t think it’s ok to recommend those places to sleep, certainly not nowadays. And it only gets worse when people become more divided and the poor become even poorer and have even less to lose. I said it enough now and hope people think about it: it’s not safe there at night and police know. I think that safety is more important than the little time gain that many talk about. Make sure you are certain about your sleeping place. That all.

 

[Amarillo]

France is so much nicer off the highways. Even if you want to get somewhere quick, you can get off the péages and sleep elsewhere, that’s my idea. I would not put it like you do: ‘stories of peoples being gassed/ robbed’: the gassed ones are the stories, unfortunately people get robbed and it’s about the parking with or without gas stations, not about home robberies. That’s a different case.
Maybe I sound a little harsh and sorry for that but I don’t think it’s ok to recommend those places to sleep, certainly not nowadays. And it only gets worse when people become more divided and the poor become even poorer and have even less to lose. I said it enough now and hope people think about it: it’s not safe there at night and police know. I think that safety is more important than the little time gain that many talk about. Make sure you are certain about your sleeping place. That all.

I’ve met people who have been held hostage at knifepoint in their own caravan and robbed on French campsites. It doesn’t put me off using French campsites.

 

[calibusje]

I’ve met people who have been held hostage at knifepoint in their own caravan and robbed on French campsites. It doesn’t put me off using French campsites.

no, neither do I, but I don't think it's these cases that we're talking about here. Are French campsiteS (plural you write) known for being unsafe then? Didn’t hear that one (yet). I know some who have been robbed at parkings along péages but for me it has been common knowledge long before that that it is simply unsafe to sleep in car parks along the motorways. I'm sorry you're being rather laconic about it. Another thing about myself: we rarely spend the night at a campsite (I'm not a camping person) and have no problem if we are isolated and alone at night. We apply the following rule for our overnight accommodations: if one of us does not feel safe, we look for another. So I'm not a scared man; many would not sleep where we already spent the night. But: I do not stay overnight in a parking lot (or air as it is generally called here) and with good reason. So I don't recommend it to anyone. For the rest, everyone decides for themselves where to spend the night; you can best feel for yourself where you feel safe. That's what it's about. And I think the feeling I have in such car parks is sufficiently substantiated. Talk to the police in the areas where these thieves do their job at night. I already did. Also: I’m not alone who do not recommend sleeping in those places.
Greetings

 

[chockswahay]

Crikey, this debate looks like it will run and run……. at the end of the day it’s a personal choice……me? I love using the French Aires (Aire du Camping Car) having spent hundreds of nights on them. They are great for touring France, if you wish to ‘holiday’ then campsites are more suitable.

I’m not sure if this has already been suggested but CamperContact is a really good resource for places to stop. It is a Dutch run website (the Dutch really know a thing or two about campervanning ) and has an app too, the nice thing is you can search for Aires and even filter by user rating. The app costs a few Pounds but I think well worth the money. One of the problems with the other free search sites is that they are not always very selective or trustworthy as often a site can be recommended without knowing the provenance of the author.

Onwards and upwards

 

[calibusje]

Crikey, this debate looks like it will run and run……. at the end of the day it’s a personal choice……me? I love using the French Aires (Aire du Camping Car) having spent hundreds of nights on them. They are great for touring France, if you wish to ‘holiday’ then campsites are more suitable.

I’m not sure if this has already been suggested but CamperContact is a really good resource for places to stop. It is a Dutch run website (the Dutch really know a thing or two about campervanning ) and has an app too, the nice thing is you can search for Aires and even filter by user rating. The app costs a few Pounds but I think we’ll worth the money. One of the problems with the other free search sites is that they are not always very selective or trustworthy as often a site can be recommended without knowing the provenance of the author.

Onwards and upwards

I think many here do not know about what others talk/mean: I already explained about using the apps for finding a sleeping place; this is not (I repeat not) the same as sleeping at the parkings along the péages or other motorways. I recommend those apps because they can bring you to safer, nicer places to spend te night. Campercontact I know, only used it for about 10 years but last years I use Searchforsites when we are in the UK and -sorry- found park4night just a little bit better than the Dutch app. Oh, and none of them have a system to filter trustworthy reviews.
So, there is clearly a misunderstanding about the word ‘aire’ but that I also explained in one of my many posts To be clear: we stay almost every night on our holidays at ‘ camperplaces’ (I don’t call them aires) that we find with those apps.

 

[Amarillo]

no, neither do I, but I don't think it's these cases that we're talking about here. Are French campsiteS (plural you write) known for being unsafe then? Didn’t hear that one (yet). I know some who have been robbed at parkings along péages but for me it has been common knowledge long before that that it is simply unsafe to sleep in car parks along the motorways. I'm sorry you're being rather laconic about it. Another thing about myself: we rarely spend the night at a campsite (I'm not a camping person) and have no problem if we are isolated and alone at night. We apply the following rule for our overnight accommodations: if one of us does not feel safe, we look for another. So I'm not a scared man; many would not sleep where we already spent the night. But: I do not stay overnight in a parking lot (or air as it is generally called here) and with good reason. So I don't recommend it to anyone. For the rest, everyone decides for themselves where to spend the night; you can best feel for yourself where you feel safe. That's what it's about. And I think the feeling I have in such car parks is sufficiently substantiated. Talk to the police in the areas where these thieves do their job at night. I already did. Also: I’m not alone who do not recommend sleeping in those places.
Greetings

This was the campsite.

Camping Le grillon montoulieu cévennes en hérault - Bienvenue à Montoulieu en Cévennes

Dans le sud de la France, au milieu des vignobles de la région Languedoc-Roussillon, entre garrigue et Camargue, à mi-chemin entre le Mont Aigoual (...)

camping.montoulieu.fr

The English couple who were held at knifepoint and had everything of value stolen while they watched on returned to the campsite the following year because the mayor and people in the village were so generous to them after it happened.

We have heard other stories, such as people having their tent canvass slashed and trousers (containing wallet) snatched.