Using Aires in France

[PhilG]

Hoping for a bit of advice for a newcomere here.

We are planning a drive down to the South coast of France next May and are planning on leaving the Midlands straight from school pick up and just driving as long as we can then hopefully crashing out in an Aire half way down through France, probably around 3-4AM.

Doing some research I keep coming across these stories of gas attacks and robberies. I'm not really one to read much into news stories but wondered if anyone had ever come across any issues at any of these Aires? or had any advice on where to get the best info on which Aires to use.

I get the impression that the village ones are a lot more secure than the Autoroute ones, but can I pull into the village ones at 3AM without causing a disturbance to everyone already there.

Cheers

 

[GrannyJen]

I use French Aires all the time and are amazed firstly at how many there are and secondly at how laissez- faire everything is. No regimentation, no formality. I was on an Aire in Arras last Saturday that had 8 marked bays, and there were about 15 units, a couple parked on the access road, a couple parked on the "parking interdit" public road, a couple in a handy layby and a daft old tart in a blue camper parked up on the grass verge squeezed between the boundary fence and the junior relais

It depends who/how far from you are parking up but I've had people depart in the middle of the night next to me and no problem. If, say, an Aire like the one at Bergue, which is the size of a couple of playing fields, your arrival will not even register. As long as you respect that others are asleep then you will be fine on most that I have experienced.

The stories of gas attacks are more like stories of bungled, childish attempts at insurance fraud. I do not use motorway aires, partly security but mostly noise, but I feel perfectly safe in a municipal Aire. Let's face it the security on a Cali is equal or more to any security found on a domestic property. Aires, and French Passion, in my view, are one of the finest features of continental touring and I have only ever been welcomed, never threatened.

 

[jts46]

I agree with granny jen, we have had no problems on autoroutes or villages. good luck.

John

 

[PhilG]

Thanks for the info guys. I gues common sense is the over riding factor here.

 

[ejmoore]

A village 'aire du camping car' is a different thing from a motorway aire. Don't stop over in a motorway aire. The gassing stories are likely to be nonsense, but a motorway aire is not a good place to spend a night.

For all the information you need on aires, and everything else to do with campervanning, look at Vicarious Books co uk. Their book 'Go motorhoming and campervanning' is very useful and also entertaining, and they sell guides to all the aires in various countries.

 

[Young]

We travelled to Provence last year with absolutely no probs.
Would suggest small village aires or even supermarket car parks...E Leclerc and SuperU are good.
Joan Young

 

[GrannyJen]

We travelled to Provence last year with absolutely no probs.
Would suggest small village aires or even supermarket car parks...E Leclerc and SuperU are good.
Joan Young

Go LeClerc ...

Their wine selection is superb

I always park up at Bergue at leclerc if the municipal Aire is empty (too quiet to be on my own).

 

[KernowLad]

We stayed at an Aire near Roscoff last Easter; all fine, nice views but SO close to a fast road it was worrying. Two cars also blasted their horns in the middle of the night!

TBH we had better luck wild camping in Galicia.

 

[fergie]

I was in an Aire in the South of France near Perpignan in 2006. Not in a Cali but in a camper van when we were gassed in the night. The front door broken into (it was locked) and we had money,credit cards, phone, and a backpack with climbing gear stolen. We woke feeling dreadful, headaches and woozy. We suspected what had happened and went to the Police. They were not surprised nor very sympathetic. When we were there another couple arrived who had had EVERYTHING of value taken from a different Aire. This French couple were completely distraught. Fortunately I had slept with my handbag by my head and had both passports, my money and credit cards and phone so we were able to cancel the stolen items. This is still going on and NOT fun to experience. The gangs are apparently from E. Europe. I would NEVER stay in an Aire again.

 

[rod_vw]

We're impostors here not being Cali owners but we can vouch for the pleasures of wandering France using their Aires de Camping Car.
As said above the best English language source if information is 'All the Aires France' from Vicarious books. The 4th Edition is now available and has been split into two volumes, one for Northern France and one for Southern France. See https://www.vicarious-shop.com/All-the- ... ition.html
We simply rely on a gut feeling about a place when deciding on a location and there are very few that get the thumbs down.
If you are able to use POIs on any type of navigation system then the following websites may be of some help...

Archies Camping -- http://www.archiescampings.eu/eng1/
Camper Contact -- http://www.campercontact.com/
Campingcar-Infos -- http://www.campingcar-infos.com
DoYourDream POI Files -- http://www.doyourdream.co.uk/resources- ... poi-files/
Furgovw -- http://www.furgovw.org
I-Camping Car -- http://www.i-campingcar.fr
Motorhome Belgium -- http://www.bipa.be/index_en.htm
Pub Stopovers UK -- https://mapsengine.google.com/map/viewe ... FuH_Bv_vUY
Spanish Camper parking -- https://sites.google.com/site/acactivoguia/home

Although many French Aires are still free more and more require some form of payment. A minority are barrier controlled others rely on a collector calling around either morning or evening, some even collected by the local police but you will always get a receipt for your payment. On the other hand there are some that have water, electricity, toilets and waste disposal completely free of charge.

Rod

 

[KernowLad]

I was in an Aire in the South of France near Perpignan in 2006. Not in a Cali but in a camper van when we were gassed in the night. The front door broken into (it was locked) and we had money,credit cards, phone, and a backpack with climbing gear stolen. We woke feeling dreadful, headaches and woozy. We suspected what had happened and went to the Police. They were not surprised nor very sympathetic. When we were there another couple arrived who had had EVERYTHING of value taken from a different Aire. This French couple were completely distraught. Fortunately I had slept with my handbag by my head and had both passports, my money and credit cards and phone so we were able to cancel the stolen items. This is still going on and NOT fun to experience. The gangs are apparently from E. Europe. I would NEVER stay in an Aire again.

Blimey, that's pretty nasty. I wonder what they use to knock campers out?

 

[BerndRos]

It's all nonsense....there is no gassing......if true there would proof as in corpses due to incorrect amounts of gas.

As for our UK feelings about Eastern Europeans that's also total nonsense. The safest time I had was sleeping wild for a month in Romania. On the other hand the coast from south of Barcelona to Nice....BEWARE...!

 

[A'dam]

We have used French motorway aires for as long as I can remember, and it has always been perfectly fine. We drive along French motorways- peage- at least six times a year. It might well be that some people were unfortunate in that they got mugged in one way or another, but let's face it...you wouldn't consider not driving eventhough many many people get killed in traffic each year, would you? The safest thing is to stay home, and watch a bit of telly....

 

[GrannyJen]

to echo some of the above comments, I have never felt unsafe on Aires. My only comment re security on motorway aires stems from an unfortunate incident with a rather overweight truck driver (British) who seeing me pull up, go to eat, and obviously saw me returning, decided to make himself thoroughly obnoxious whilst not quite understanding that I was totally uninterested in his male desires.

I got it into my head then that a woman travelling alone and stopping on a motorway aire would be seen as something I would rather not be seen as

Quite the opposite on municipal aires where I have found people to be very helpful, friendly and give me, as a solo traveller, a welcome feeling of security.

 

[HistoryBob]

I was in an Aire in the South of France near Perpignan in 2006. Not in a Cali but in a camper van when we were gassed in the night. The front door broken into (it was locked) and we had money,credit cards, phone, and a backpack with climbing gear stolen. We woke feeling dreadful, headaches and woozy. We suspected what had happened and went to the Police. They were not surprised nor very sympathetic. When we were there another couple arrived who had had EVERYTHING of value taken from a different Aire. This French couple were completely distraught. Fortunately I had slept with my handbag by my head and had both passports, my money and credit cards and phone so we were able to cancel the stolen items. This is still going on and NOT fun to experience. The gangs are apparently from E. Europe. I would NEVER stay in an Aire again.

At last! The source of all the gassing rumours has put their head above the parapet. Come on Fergie let's see the proof and pray tell us more. There is a whole group of anethasis that say this is impossible.

 

[fergie]

I am by no means the source of all gassing rumours. I was travelling in a German Camper van and can't remember whether it was by then transferred to French plates...( a bit of a Faff with French regulations and I wasn't the owner). It was never reported to the Press. The Police said the gangs use kids to crawl inside. They said they were from E Europe.Your attitude towards my truthful story Berndros is arrogant and unworthy of an open forum where the basis is honesty. I was there. I was gassed (some sort of anaesthetic). I know how I felt for hours afterwards. I have no more to say under the circumstances of my contribution not being believed. I have better things to do.

 

[HistoryBob]

Sorry Fergie I didn't disbelieve you. It's just that we've heard these stories from time to time and we've also had the experts (anethasis ) along with fellow calli owners decrying them. You were the first person I had come across that could authenticate the stories and I for one was greatful that we had at last got back to the source (one of them at least) and wished to give you the opportunity to enlighten us further.
I have travelled extensively through France and always been aware of my surroundings and never come across any of the problems you had (lucky I suppose).
Again I apologise if I have upset you.

 

[fergie]

No problem. It did happen and we weren't to know what they used. I have had migraines but this headache was completely different. A thick fog of pain. Felt ghastly for a couple of days. Didn't want to talk about it. Shocking invasion. My friend didn't speak French and it was his stuff that got nicked so I was the interpreter etc. I have heard of it also happening in Spain in one of those holiday home developments. To end on a more cheerful note, what about the Frenchman who was virtually left in his underpants?!

 

[Zebedee]

The previous owners of the house in France we have just bought were gassed twice in their motorhome once in Southern France and once in Spain. Apparently through the air vent for the fridge. Cali's don't appear to have one.

The local town to our house has a lovely Aire, Rostrenen. There is also a great municipal campsite for only 6 euros. Certainly at Christmas when we were there the Aire was well used. I am currently having a 5 bar gate put on our "garden" down the road from the house in our hamlet and having the 3 caravans removed that are on it. Then it will be perfect for wild camping. If anyone wants to use it in central Brittany in an area known as the Lake District of France and one of the best local markets do contact me.
Zebedee

 

[andyinluton]

Zebedee

Whilst I don't doubt what you have been told, the external air vent on the fridge for every motorhome that I have seen is sealed from the van internals, it is the air inlet & exhaust outlet for when the fridge is running on gas. Of course if it isn't sealed it could be that the occupants were suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning....

Andy

 

[GrannyJen]

This discussion can get rather fractious and it does not help the OP..

Lets just say that whilst scumbags will try every trick in the book to gain access most of the reports that I have read would strain the credulity of even the most gullible committed believer in the authenticity and veracity of tabloid headlines.

The OP asked about safety. I think given the thousands of Aires used each year by thousands of people and the very low incidence of problems reported it is safe to say that you are as safe on an Aire as practically anywhere else.

 

[englishmaneveryday]

I live in the Pyrenees Spain side and regularly take my Cali to Switzerland or England. There is such a Camping Car culture in France that you can park up pretty much anywhere you like. I have met people who regularly sleep with large Campers in Village Squares. I prefer the mountains or forests and never have had a problem except in Barcelona,Spain where they stabbed a tyre and whilst I was changing the wheel with my girlfriend on watch, they robbed her handbag- dozy cow. This is well known in Barcelona.
Once the Police woke me up on the banks of the Rhine in Germany to tell me I could not sleep there. But they had waited until 09.30 in the morning to tell me and he then told me it was best to get up and move on as they had found an unexploded bomb nearby. His Policewoman accomplice was smirking as he explained this and I told him that I hoped it was a friendly one. Being tri-lingual does help though I speak no French. In Spain wild camping is theoretically illegal but everybody does it without problem. If you cause no problems they wont cause you problems and if you use the woods like the bears do clean up the paper at least and carry a roll of doggy poo bags.
Have lots of fun.

 

[tommy2ties]

We live in Switzerland, and have used Aires a lot to stop en route to various destinations in France without issue. I have 2 good apps on my Android phone that finds Aires close to you and gives you directions, or allows you to plan ahead selecting the Aires by the amenities you want. They are Park4night and Motorhome Parkings. Both are in English and have found some excellent places to stop when shuteye became a priority !

 

[briwy]

We have not had a problem in aires but one thing to be aware of if travelling alone is not stopping if you get flashed/hooted at by a vehicle behind.
Our daughter got caught out in Barcelona, driving alone in her UK registerd car. Having lived in Colombia for a year she is fairly clued up on security but she noticed a newish Merc behind hooting and flashing it' s headlights. She duly stopped, got out and a very well dressed man got out of the Merc and spoke to her. Totally unnoticed until too late a second man got out, lifted her bag (which was on the floor in the rear) containing her money, cards, phone etc out of her car. They then both jumped back in the Merc and legged it. So if it happens, either don't stop or make sure you lock your vehicle if you get out. According to the Spanish police it seems it's fairly common down there.

 

[RonB]

We used the Vicarious Aires book for France last year on a trip down to Italy and as mentioned elsewhere, there are great variations in terms of facilities, location, etc, but for the most part, they offer excellent, inexpensive, stopping off points in the middle of long trips. Regarding security, it's very much a matter of turning up and making a decision when you get there, subject to your own safety 'comfort zone', although we would be very wary of stopping in an autoroute aire for reasons already posted.

One word of caution from our French friends, who decided to 'wild camp' in their old converted commercial van in the square of a small village! They were wakened up early on the Sunday morning with lots of noise outside, which was actually the weekly market being set up. As they had parked discreetly at the back of the square, they found themselves hemmed in and couldn't leave until after the market closed later in the day. At least they didn't go hungry although they never said if they took advantage of the situation to flog a few things and make a few euros!