# Should we get new campsite books?



## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

We got most of our books in 2007 and 2008 when we went full-timing around Europe.
we've been doing the UK for the last few years but are off again to France, Spain and Portugal and maybe Italy next Spring.
We'll be getting ACSI but should we get new campsite and Aires books or just rely on the old ones and the internet?


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

My suggestion, on top of the ACSI book, just get Camperstop Europe. 
That's all we use nowadays, and it gets us all round the main countries right across Europe very easily.


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Yes. I'd forgotten about that. we had one before so maybe I'll just get that. What about All the Aires?


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

If you plan on using Aires then the latest book is a must !!

A few years we relied on a 4 year old book, tried to find the Aire in Delft. Went down smaller and smaller roads through a housing estate until we reached a dead end !!! 

I asksed a local and she said we were certainly not the first motorhome to be looking for the Aire, she kindly pointed out where it was, UNDER a nearby (and very recently constructed) block of flats !!!! She kindly allowed us to use her driveway to turn around. Lesson learnt, new book purchased !!!!

They are only published every couple of years so can be out of date before you get hold of it

Andy


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

"all the aires" is patently not! They are well produced, but if you want details for most stopovers in Europe, go for the camperstops book. ACSI is also a must for me.


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## Nethernut (Jun 4, 2008)

I would agree with the camperstop book, for the price of one Aires book you have most of Europe. Our ADAC stellplatz fuhrer seems to have s lot of Aires in France that are not in the Aires book!!


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

Each of the All The Aires books are country specific, so you'd need to buy several of them to cover the main mainland European countries. Just the one Camperstop Europe book does the same thing whilst also showing loads of tolerated wildcamps as well as 'proper' Aires.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

One bitter, very wet March, en route home from Spain, we chose a lovely sounding campsite in northern France from our CC Europe book as we wanted hook up and showers. We were not surprised by being asked to park in the farm yard but did wonder when the EHU was a long lead from the barn and when the showers were cold and clearly long neglected. However, we paid up and went on our way next day. It was not until I went to add my two pennorth to the MHF review of the place that we found out that a new family had taken over the château and farm and closed the campsite some years ago.

Moral: don't try to stay at places selected from a 9 year old campsite guide.

G


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

hi,

if you have a smart phone or android device, camper contact, park4night,i.camping all have offline apps for a very small price,i,e £4.50 campercontact,offline maps, and all the things you need to know about a stopping place. still carry camperstop.

mags


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Books generally take a couple of years to get into print, maybe longer, so a book can NEVER be up to date....

Internet resources may also suffer from delays of updating so whatever system you use is bound to be out of date by the time that you use it, so you cannot rely on it as accurate, only as a guide.

In the end use a book, or an app, or the web and then check personally before parting with money or committing yourself to staying.

We recently went to fontainebleau south of Paris, we had planned using MHF, Vicarious Books (brand new) plus campsite books, we still rejected several that we had short-listed to stay at on close inspection...... The VB were by far the most accurate - but the editions were only released earlier this year......

Sadly, things do change - owners of sites, facilities, even road development may all significantly change how a stopping place appears.... or if it even still exists.....

Dave


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

havingfun said:


> if you have a smart phone or android device, camper contact, park4night,i.camping all have offline apps for a very small price,i,e £4.50 campercontact,offline maps, and all the things you need to know about a stopping place.mags


I agree. The Camper Contact app is the only thing I use now. Far more aires and stopping places than the regular books and up to date because it is regularly updated by users. The only drawback is that most of the comments are in Dutch but the ratings give a very good guide as to whether it's any good or not. Available on both Android and Apple (look for 'all motorhome parkings'). Usable offline but you need to download the maps first.

JohnW


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

hi,

sorry, meant to say that, you need internet or wifi, to set them up, download nmaps etc, but once set up, just comes up on your device as if you are on intenet, and you can use the maps to look round where you are, and how long to next place you fancy, AND the best bit, it has a wheres my camper, so when you decide to go wandering in some old town, and get lost, no not lost, just taking longer to find our way out as oh always says,you can use it as a gps to take you back to where you parked up, even useful in somewhere like the trafford centre carparks.

and i am a map person, can spend a day just playing with google,from here to the corner,or how could we get to alaska, just love them, but in the van we had ended up with 2 cupboards just for maps and books,something had to go,,,,,,,, but i now use some of the space for travel books,etc lonly planet,so i know more of whats in an area.

mags


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## buxom (Mar 20, 2008)

I would recommend the ACSI book as it pays for itself in no time and sites do drop in and out of it but that and the all the Aires book are well worth the money. Also you can get them preloaded on a lot of the up to date sat-navs


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

StephandJohn said:


> We got most of our books in 2007 and 2008 when we went full-timing around Europe.
> we've been doing the UK for the last few years but are off again to France, Spain and Portugal and maybe Italy next Spring.
> We'll be getting ACSI but should we get new campsite and Aires books or just rely on the old ones and the internet?


You asked about books and the internet.

I think your question about books has been answered - in that your old ones are probabbly well out-of-date.

As for internet, you do not say what access you have. However, as has been said, several of the suggestions have a download for a few quid. Probably less than ost of books.

We, being fortunate enough to have (almost free) internet just rely on on-line 'campercars-info' , 'campercontact' and 'promobil'.

Of course we could get caught out if no internet signal. Maybe I should also download as well.

But then I also have a 'Nose' for wildcamping spots - we have never gone without a 'bed for the night' - but how can you in a MH and some resourcefulness; once stopped to ask neighbours if we could park on a building site opposite them? Answer 'Not sure, come and park on our drive'. Left them a bottle of wine with a 'Thank you ' note.

Enjoy the trip.

Geoff


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I never use the books anymore for Aires etc. All I have used this year is www.campingcar-infos.com online (translated when connected to the internet) and their offline version which you can use with a laptop or tablet without an internet connection. Think its about a tenner.

The offline version of course is all in French but I discovered a neat little trick (all too late) on my iPhone the other day. The google translate App can use the camera to translate stuff into English. Even signs, menus, laptop screens etc! How cool is that? Blooming Witchcraft if you ask me as it can do it without a mobile or internet connection as well. 

Sad as it seems I think the guide book days are over.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

What happened to the MHF dongle? not Nuke, > > the Camping one which was supposed to be all bells and whistles.


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## blondel (Jun 12, 2005)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> What happened to the MHF dongle? not Nuke, > > the Camping one which was supposed to be all bells and whistles.


think mine is down the back of the sideboard - haven't seen it for years! Never did find it was up to much, not worth carrying!


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

I've splashed the cash and bought the new Aguri satnav AND the 2015 Camperstop book.
The Aguri has a particularly good 'user POI' selection of overnights and campsites installed. 
The categories include Camperstop, Bord Atlas, Aires EU, Acsi, Camping EU, Campsites of Europe, Here Campgrounds, CC and CC&C.
Comparing the Camperstop Book and the Camperstop Poi's all the 2015 sites appeared to be on the satnav, plus it has lifetime updates which, hopefully, will include the Poi's.


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Gave up on books years ago apart from Rough Guides and road atlases.


All I have is various POI's on the satnav - CC-Infos, Campercontact and an occasional more country specific one depending on which countries we plan to visit, eg, off to Belgium soon so going to try out the Bipa ones.


Its also mirrored on my tablet with the paid for version of campercontact for offline use and all my satnav poi's on Maps.me so I can check out locations and what's nears each poi.


It's important to make sure you renew each poi before each trip for the latest updates.


Works for us.


Pete


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Interesting. I'm getting a tablet in January. I've never had one before but what you suggest Peejay sounds good.
Any ideas what the best tablet would be?
Steph


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Steph, I've got a Nexus 7 (2013) and have been very pleased with it.


I haven't looked but would imagine there are quite a few more recent alternatives out there.


Might be worth starting a new thread (?)...




Pete


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Thanks. I think I might have done a while ago so I'll have a look and update it if I did. If I didn't - well its another senior moment!


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## christine1310 (Apr 10, 2008)

Spacerunner said:


> I've splashed the cash and bought the new Aguri satnav AND the 2015 Camperstop book.
> The Aguri has a particularly good 'user POI' selection of overnights and campsites installed.
> The categories include Camperstop, Bord Atlas, Aires EU, Acsi, Camping EU, Campsites of Europe, Here Campgrounds, CC and CC&C.
> Comparing the Camperstop Book and the Camperstop Poi's all the 2015 sites appeared to be on the satnav, plus it has lifetime updates which, hopefully, will include the Poi's.


Hi Spacetunner, 
We are looking to buy a new satnav, is the Aguri any good? Does it try and take you down narrow lanes like some satnavs that are supposed to be for caravans/mhs do?

Christine


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

christine1310 said:


> Hi Spacetunner,
> ri any good? Does it try and take you down narrow lanes like some satnavs that are supposed to be for caravans/mhs do?
> 
> Christine


Ah Christine ! You've missed the point of all those dead ends and narrow lanes.

Somewhere in NASA satellite maps HQ- or wherever these things are done- sit a body of young men. They are the sons of the same men who used to put Easter Eggs into serious software. These young men spend their time plotting impossible journeys to be inserted, at random, into the software of satnavs. I guess that it's possibly illegal for them to end some journeys with the words " Hi there; got you for a sucker didn't we ? " or " How long did it take you to retrieve your car from the front room of that building ?" or I am sure they would do so.

However good the sat nav is you will never manage to purge it of these, deliberate mis-directions. Contemplating the chaos and angst they have caused all over the world is what cheers them up as they go off to work each day.

NB I say " young men". Older men or all women haven't got quite the same silly sense of humour.

G


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

christine1310 said:


> Hi Spacetunner,
> We are looking to buy a new satnav, is the Aguri any good? Does it try and take you down narrow lanes like some satnavs that are supposed to be for caravans/mhs do?
> 
> Christine


So far, so good.
I've only done one long trip, Hampshire to Kent. 
It worked extremely good and there was good clear info on the screen. I especially liked the speed limit and own speed display.
The speaker is a bit tinny but they generally improve with use.
The interface is different but not difficult.
Free updates for life which loads quickly.
The only drawback so far is that you can't install your own POIs, but as mine were mainly overnight and campsites its no problem to me.
You can save any favourites and navigate directly to them.


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## christine1310 (Apr 10, 2008)

Spacerunner said:


> So far, so good.
> I've only done one long trip, Hampshire to Kent.
> It worked extremely good and there was good clear info on the screen. I especially liked the speed limit and own speed display.
> The speaker is a bit tinny but they generally improve with use.
> ...


Thanks for the info.


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