# Aire at Tremolat on Dordogne River



## Yaxley (Jul 25, 2008)

Visited Tremolat while in France in June. There is now an overnight parking charge of 5Euro where previoiusly the Aire was free. It is a lovely village with an excellent restaurant, pub, shop etc. We have visited and stayed 2or3 nights for the past few years, had dinner in the restaurant, a few pints in the pub etc etc. I advised the girl in the Tourist Office that we wouldnt be staying this year and spending money in the village. She was sympathetic but her hands were tied. I asked her to pass on my views to the beaurocrat in the local council who made the decision. It is a 15km round trip off the main road so it is not as if they are inundated with motorhomes. We never saw more than two others whenever we stayed there. As far as I am concerned it is not the amount of 5Euro but the principle.
Tried to advise Vicarious Books website to update 'All the Aires' book but the computer wouldnt accept the form. After two tries I gave up.
Ian


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Its a lovely little Aire, the village is nice and there are some lovely places to visit nearby. The wide slow stretch of the Dordogne there is superb for a row up the river as well.

Wonder why they started charging. I would probably pay 5 euros though to be fair.


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## Philippft (Feb 16, 2008)

I think as long as Aire prices remain the cheapest option to legally park overnight and provide basic services we can expect a steady increase over time.
I'm already aware of one Aire now charging €15.00 with the nearest campsite charging €22.00. So on this basis they will always do well.


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Unfortunately, more and more aire's are becoming pay aire's, but at least the French do offer the facility, which is very good of them.
We obviously prefer free, but 5 euro's is not too bad and we would not object if we liked a place.
Coastal aire's are usually more expensive, and we would only use these if we really liked a place and for a limited period!


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

The reasons are surely obvious? French councils, like UK Councils are strapped for cash - how many libraries have closed in the UK?

How many bus routes have stopped due to the cessation of subsidy from the Council?

How many services have been cut for e.g. care of the elderly, or the disabled?

€5 per night is about £4.20 per night........ and you do not have to pay tourist tax on staying there......

Principles are a very hard thing, but if you choose not to use that lovely aire, that is your loss rather than the commune's since the €5 is only a token towards the provision of the services that you get there - water, emptying, rubbish, clean aire to say the least........

and of course, the pub you mentioned, the restaurant and the other local facilities........ as I said principles are a hard thing.............

But that means it will be less crowded for those that want to use the site - which includes us............. funnily enough we will not lose any sleep if there is one more space since camping cars are a massive growth industry in France at present and there will increasingly be pressure on aires......

Many others in the locality have simply vanished e.g. Bergerac beside the river........ I would rather pay €5 than lose it completely, and as a local tax payer (OK in the next Departmente down), I wish to keep my local tax as low as possible.......

Dave


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

The French are a victim of their own success.

The Aire at Tremolat is smashing. Lets imagine that some lovely little village in the Cotswolds or the Yorkshire Dales where I live opened up a handy little Aire in a nice setting and charged us just £4 for using it. We would be on it like a tramp on chips!

There are plenty of free Aires in France and these are the ones we usually end up on as I avoid the popular busy ones generally (and because I have a deep aversion for paying for parking but think nothing of spending £50 in a local market before I get called tight).

The French often feel the same though. If you read some of the comments on camping car infos many of them complain about prices or having to pay at all. They don't know how lucky they are or have been so far!


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

I'll happily pay €5 next time I'm there - a lovely spot.

What I find amusing about Tremolat is the majority of the population appear to be English speaking.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

tonyt said:


> I'll happily pay €5 next time I'm there - a lovely spot.
> 
> What I find amusing about Tremolat is the majority of the population appear to be English speaking.


This seems to be true of the whole area ! It's Little Surrey.

As I said in another thread; the golden days of motorhoming are over. I've never seen so many on the roads as we did these last few weeks and dread to think what it is like in Late July/August when everyone is wanting to find somewhere to overnight.

Those villages with aires will naturally want to make them pay for themselves or make a bit for the village and those with a nice little municipal at 8 euros per night and run by the community will - as many seem to be doing- sell out to someone who wants to run it commercially.

G


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Grizzly said:


> ...................
> . I've never seen so many on the roads as we did these last few weeks ......................G


Very noticeable this year. 99% French. It's getting very crowded over there - maybe time to seek out a "new" destination?


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## Ian_n_Suzy (Feb 15, 2009)

tonyt said:


> Very noticeable this year. 99% French. It's getting very crowded over there - maybe time to seek out a "new" destination?


Hi,

Please don't take this the wrong way. But, personally, I don't mind in the slightest paying for a Aire. In fact, from a purely selfish point of view, if it gives me more chance of finding a space I would be happy if they put the price of them all up (as per the Collioure thread).

If they are cheaper than the alternative (campsites) I really don't see the problem, and maybe the answer is to start charging or increase the charge, rather than to seek out a new destination.

Maybe the French don't appreciate just how good they have it. I do.


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

I've updated the price in our database....

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Campsites&op=display_results&csid=5387

It would be great if anyone who has stayed there could take a few minutes to add a review and even better add a photo as it hasn't got one yet.

Thanks in advance.

Pete


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## eurajohn (May 9, 2005)

Just seen this thread, how tight can you get! Still reading all of the post I'm surprised they didn't ask the T.O. to refund the cost of fuel for the 15km detour.

As virtually all of the other replies, I wholeheartedly agree with the idea of the local community raising a very small amount of return from what is a priceless facility. Barry d sums it up very well with his reference to the likelihood of such facility in Cotswolds etc or indeed most anywhere in UK.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

peejay said:


> ..........It would be great if anyone who has stayed there could take a few minutes to add a review and even better add a photo as it hasn't got one yet.Thanks in advance.Pete


Ouch 

I didn't have any pics when I submitted the review, and still don't so I've snitched a few from Street View until such time as someone has some better ones.


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Thanks Tony.

:thumbup: 

Pete


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## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

I find it difficult to understand motorhomers who, having paid tens of thousands of pounds for their pride and joy, complain about paying a few euros to stay on an aire overnight.

The land upon which the aire is situated has to be acquired from the owner, then there are the costs of the infrastructure and running costs all of which are paid for by the local ratepayers who, by definition, will never use the facilities themselves. I accept that some trade will be generated by visitors to the aire but I doubt that it will be substantial.

If the aire is not self financing then the obvious course of action is for the council to sell it to a commercial undertaking and the price will then increase substantially.

Personally I am extremely grateful to our French cousins for the aires network and I am quite happy to pay the very small amount that some of them charge.

Mike


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I don't agree that the Golden age of motorhoming in France and Europe are over. We did six months last year including Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Italy and France and our spend per night worked out at £2.90 and that included the entire peak season.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

barryd said:


> I don't agree that the Golden age of motorhoming in France and Europe are over. We did six months last year including Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Italy and France and our spend per night worked out at £2.90 and that included the entire peak season.


Excluding cheese, of course


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

The OP describes Tremolat as "a lovely village", with an excellent restaurant, pub, shop etc. He has used the restaurant and the pub and enjoyed both. I am completely mystified as to why a fee of 5Euros would put him off from staying at a place he has so clearly enjoyed.

Still, different strokes etc etc..........

Caulkhead


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## Camdoon (Sep 21, 2012)

I too have an aversion to paying for parking and having visited the Lake District last year you would do well to be able to park for an afternoon for £4.20.
Similarly the major car parks in Blackpool are over £10 per night. 
Both have been lucky spots for me. At the lake district we had decided to stop beside a lake to let our boys out to cool down. The money was half in the bandit when the OH shouted that swimming was not permitted. I pressed the reject button and kerching an extra £8 came out.
At Blackpool a couple had to go home early and gave me their ticket for 3 days. I had no money as I was going to pay by card so thanked them profusely. Leaving at the beginning of the third day I handed onto another couple who insisted on giving me money which I refused. They then gave it to my kids when my back was turned. Another time I hit a £25 jackpot at Blackpool.
The France Passion concept appears one of the ways forward, I don't mind buying/browsing at farmyard prices for good food/wine in return for a quiet corner to park in.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Camdoon said:


> I too have an aversion to paying for parking


I reckon most of us would agree that if a town, city or beauty spot did not provide parking of some sort then there would be chaos at busy times; cars parked in streets and on verges and difficult driving conditions because there would be no thought for others ( think French Sunday markets....)

That said why should we expect a local authority to provide, staff and maintain parking for those who visit, entirely at the local ratepayers expense ? I live in a beautiful part of the Thames valley and we get a large number of visitors, many of whom come to see the colleges and dreaming spires but spend very little. It's also a very busy university city and does not need constant traffic and people. If there were no P&R and car parks then the outcome does not bear thinking about. If there were no fees coming in to fund said P&R and car parking then the local authority could not afford to provide them.

G


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## Yaxley (Jul 25, 2008)

I appreciate all of your replies and agree with most of your views.
On reflection it would appear that I came across as a cheapskate which I am not. I really do appreciate the facilities for motorhomes right across France. Wish we had the same here in Ireland. I have no problem paying for water etc. What annoyed me was the fact that I was going off the beaten track to visit Tremolat to spend money locally and they now wanted to charge me for parking while cars could park for free both at the aire and in the centre of the village. The 5Euros was neither here nor there.
We were in France for nearly 8 weeks and spent over 2500Euro on diesel, groceries, meals, clothes, wine, beer, aires & campsites etc etc.
Ian


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## bellabee (May 16, 2010)

Just planning a trip through the Dordogne, and thanks to this thread we'll be heading to Tremolat for the night, with our 5 Euros in our hot, sticky, little hands. It looks just the sort of place where we'd happily pay 5 Euros to spend the night!


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