# Calais Aire - Bulldozed



## stewartwebr (May 27, 2005)

We came through Calais last week and intended to stop on the Aire unfortunately, it was sad to see the bulldozers were in demolishing it. The famous wall at the entrance with the mural of the beach was half down and the embankment between the old municipal campsite was half away as well. We all knew it was coming but when it does come I felt quite sad.


They have opened the car park up closer to the waterfront and that is being used as the aire but it was very busy and due to no markings people were being rather generous with the spaces which led to even less space. The height barrier has been opened but it is extremely narrow. I had about 2 inches at each side of my wing mirrors and it was not an easy manoeuvre to get through.


There is a lot of construction going on at the marina aire, I can only assume and hope this is the planned upgrade which was shown on the area redevelopment with improved motorhome facilities. They are currently only working on the access road and a building foundations in the middle of the carpark and there were no motorhome in the area parked up.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

We tend to stay at either the Gravelines or Boulogne Aires these days and did not know the Calais aire was to be demolished. As you say, a shame the wall mural is down and it would be nice to think that the new aire will have something similar. 

We've got some great photos from the old one of ferries looking as if they are about to bid for a pitch among the motorhomes on the front row. I hope the frites vans will have enough business to keep them going until the new one is ready.


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## clianthus (Jul 8, 2006)

stewartwebr said:


> We came through Calais last week and intended to stop on the Aire unfortunately, it was sad to see the bulldozers were in demolishing it. The famous wall at the entrance with the mural of thye beach was half down and the embankment between the old municipal campsite was half away as well. We all knew it was coming but when it does come I felt quite sad.
> 
> They have opened the car park up closer to the waterfront and that is being used as the aire but it was very busy and due to no markings people were being rather generous with the spaces which led to even less space. The height barrier has been opened but it is extremely narrow. I had about 2 inches at each side of my wing mirrors and it was not an easy manoeuvre to get through.
> 
> There is a lot of construction going on at the marina aire, I can only assume and hope this is the planned upgrade which was shown on the area redevelopment with improved motorhome facilities. They are currently only working on the access road and a building foundations in the middle of the carpark and there were no motorhome in the area parked up.


I'm probably just being dim here but I don't really understand your last sentence. Can you just confirm whether the marina aire is still open and did you happen to notice if the aire at the yacht basin was open, always useful if the marina is full.


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

Can anyone else confirm that the yacht basin aire / parking is still available? Heading across next weekend, and would normally stay at the beach aire and go to au cote d'argent for a nice meal to set us up for the trip (Belgium first!)


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## j50jwr (May 9, 2006)

If we are going north or west we tend to stay at the Bergues Aire, just off the A25, never found it full yet, and kostenlos!

John


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## Solwaybuggier (Mar 4, 2008)

j50jwr said:


> If we are going north or west we tend to stay at the Bergues Aire, just off the A25, never found it full yet, and kostenlos!
> 
> John


Very brave of you to go either North or West from Calais, John!:wink2:


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

Just to avoid confusion with different aires here........................

Is there any construction taking place at the Yacht basin (also known as marina) aire or is it only the beach aire (the one by the ferries with the mural) that is affected?

We always use the beach aire (like bognormike) but turn to the yacht basin (marina) aire if the beach aire is full.

We know there are dozens of other aires available nearby but we want to know about the Calais aires - not all the others thanks.


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## j50jwr (May 9, 2006)

Yeah OK, live on east coast, so away from coast is always west


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## stewartwebr (May 27, 2005)

Okay, perhaps I have caused confusion...sorry!


There is construction work on going at both locations. The aire at the beach (ferries & mural) is being demolished, but the aire has been moved to the area which was in front of the aire towards the sea and war memorial. However, it is extremely crowded with difficult access via a narrow height barrier which has been opened. It has no marking as an aire and as such people are taking larger than required spaces causing further issues.


As for the marina aire, it too has some on going work at the entrance. The road which runs parallel with the aire and the one you would use if you were coming from the beach aire, after you cross the bridge which opens and you take a right turn at the round about has width restrictions, and is one way, but the correct way if you were coming from the beach aire and crossing the bridge. You could still stay there as I saw nothing to say otherwise but during our visit no one was there. The plastic red and white barriers between the marina and the carpark were moved and placed randomly all over. to get out of the marina carpark is very difficult as the access road has been placed at a strange angle which looked to me as if it will be a slip road to allow you to come in, using it to exit was awkward and I could see no other way out.


Hope this makes things a little clearer and sorry for the confusion. We are going to avoid Calais until they sort things out.


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## stewartwebr (May 27, 2005)

Should also add that the service point at the Beach Aire (ferries and mural) is still in operation. They have erected barriers further into what was the aire, but you will still be able to empty and fill up if need be,


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## stewartwebr (May 27, 2005)

This may help clarify what I was trying to say!


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## Wilmannie (Feb 7, 2010)

There were lots of motorhomes parked on the remaining area at the beach Aires last night but the construction noise kicked off at 7am today! I'm not sure that it would be a good idea to rely on the service area being functional much longer, the water pressure seems very low and there are construction works right next to the services.

The yatch basin parking is available as before, lots of space there.


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

Wilmannie said:


> There were lots of motorhomes parked on the remaining area at the beach Aires last night but the construction noise kicked off at 7am today! I'm not sure that it would be a good idea to rely on the service area being functional much longer, the water pressure seems very low and there are construction works right next to the services.
> 
> The yatch basin parking is available as before, lots of space there.


I can't remember the water pressure there ever being anything but "very low", they seem to use the water pressure as a self limiting device - at least it's free.
The construction noise is something that's been going on for a year or two now, if you can sleep through the ferries a bit of construction noise isn't likely to put you off. :wink2:

No services at the yacht basin so I imagine they'll have to keep the ones at the beach aire useable.


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Wait until August when the fair takes over the whole of the yacht basin :surprise:


tony


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

GEMMY said:


> Wait until August when the fair takes over the whole of the yacht basin :surprise:
> 
> tony


Yes, that's a good enough reason to wait until September like us. :wink2:


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

Having stayed on the beach aire on Wednesday night I can update..................

The area in front of the aire will take approx 50 vans if they park sensibly - that's a big if. The entrance is narrow but do-able for normal M/Hs but would be a real struggle for RVs.
The construction work is extensive and intrusive, we were woken at 7am sharp on Thursday morning by not one, not two, but three hydraulic concrete breakers within 30m of us - we decamped PDQ to Auchan car park for breakfast. Wasn't helped by the fact that we had a 40mph gale blowing all night which kept waking us and covered the front of the van with salt spray and sand. Even worse was that the back of the van was covered in concrete dust from the construction site.

The yacht basin was deserted except for one solitary van but looked to be almost taken over by construction equipment.

My advice would be to avoid the area for the time being, it's really not inhabitable.

BTW: The exit from the tunnel has now been moved so you no longer pass the fuel station or the Cite-Europe entrance.


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

Thanks Ken: have booked a table at au cote d'argent for tomorrow night. Hopefully they won't be working Sunday morning!!


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Oh dear I read the heading wrong, I thought it said bulldozing Calais, that made me think, why not.>>00 maybe other places could be added in time.

cabby


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## Wilmannie (Feb 7, 2010)

gaspode said:


> The construction noise is something that's been going on for a year or two now, if you can sleep through the ferries a bit of construction noise isn't likely to put you off. :wink2:
> 
> Ha Ha!


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## emjaiuk (Jun 3, 2005)

gaspode said:


> Having stayed on the beach aire on Wednesday night I can update..................
> 
> BTW: The exit from the tunnel has now been moved so you no longer pass the fuel station or the Cite-Europe entrance.


Where do you go now?

Malcolm


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## stewartwebr (May 27, 2005)

I'm with Gaspode on this one, Calais is off the list until they get things sorted out. I could see how close the hydraulic breakers were and I can assure you they are going to be a hell of a lot louder than the ferries and the boy racers put together.


So on that note, which other aires can people recommend? I dislike City Europe..... any more???


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

stewartwebr said:


> I'm with Gaspode on this one, Calais is off the list until they get things sorted out. I could see how close the hydraulic breakers were and I can assure you they are going to be a hell of a lot louder than the ferries and the boy racers put together.
> 
> So on that note, which other aires can people recommend? I dislike City Europe..... any more???


There's always Wissant or Bolougne I suppose but we'll probably still use Calais for the last night on the way back (early train). Next time over I'll probably go straight to Le Crotoy and miss Calais out altogether, it's only an hour away. There were a couple of vans that appeared to have overnighted on Auchan car park when we turned up there, maybe that's an option for some. Personally I don't like car park type overnight stops.


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

stewartwebr said:


> I'm with Gaspode on this one, Calais is off the list until they get things sorted out. I could see how close the hydraulic breakers were and I can assure you they are going to be a hell of a lot louder than the ferries and the boy racers put together.
> 
> *So on that note, which other aires can people recommend? I dislike City Europe..... any more*???


Gravelines would be my preferred option but it's not very big and likely to get full quickly given what's happening in Calais


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

It doesn't take very long( 20 mins ) to get from the Boulogne aire to the tunnel check in and it's very straightforward. If you do overnight there then take a few minutes to walk over the road to the Field of the Legion d'Honneur. Lots of explanatory plaques etc. Once thing worth bearing in mind, if you need the borne, is to do it as you go in. It's a one way system and a long way round to go out and back round next morning. There's a good bus service past the site into town and the free navette up to the old town is at the same stop where you get off at the bus station.

An aire we like very much, a bit far for pre- crossing overnight, is Long in the Somme valley.


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## pete4x4 (Dec 20, 2006)

9 motorhomes at the Citie Europe Aire on Monday


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

We got back to Calais a day early and stayed there Saturday night, no work going on at the weekend so quiet apart from the usual noise of the ferries, it was jam packed.
Haven't used it for quite a while but thought we ought to pop in and pay our respects before it is no more :wink:
Sunday we stayed elsewhere as rumour control said they were due to start early on Monday and we don't do loud noise or early starts :lol:


As I suspected from a thread a while back they have started working on the new 3* Municipal Campsite just up the road on Blvd Charles De Gaulle ( 50.95982 1.83144 ) due to be completed by Apr 2016 and rumour has it there will also be an aire outside the site but that's not official. Doubt if we'll use it as its not the greatest of locations imo.


Some piccies att'd inc one of the work schedule for the new campsite..


Pete


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