# definition of wild camping/municipal sites in france



## anteater (Oct 29, 2009)

Hello everyone,

With everyone raving about wild camping, please give me a definition. Does it include places like vineyards etc. in France Passion, or does it only refer to stopping in a layby in the middle of nowhere?

Regarding municipal stopovers, i.e. in or on the edge of towns in France,how does one locate them without having the use of GPS co-ordinated system? We have ordinary sat nav, and envisage getting lost late in the dark. If we can't find the municipal we have chosen, can we just overnight in a layby or on the side of a road if safe parking?

Thanks for any replies from all you seasoned francophiles.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

*Re: definition of wild camping/musicipal sites in france*



anteater said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> With everyone raving about wild camping, please give me a definition. Does it include places like vineyards etc. in France Passion, or does it only refer to stopping in a layby in the middle of nowhere?


In France it's just about anywhere where you will not be a nuisance to anyone else. We usually ask unless we are "out in the wilds", just to be sure, but have never been chased away from anywhere.



anteater said:


> Regarding municipal stopovers, i.e. in or on the edge of towns in France,how does one locate them without having the use of GPS co-ordinated system? We have ordinary sat nav, and envisage getting lost late in the dark. If we can't find the municipal we have chosen, can we just overnight in a layby or on the side of a road if safe parking?
> 
> Thanks for any replies from all you seasoned francophiles.


Two ways we use.

Get the book "All the Aires in France" from Vicarious Books. Only about 15 quid, in English, and an excellent guide to most . . . if not literally all!

Get a file of POIs from someone, with literally thousands of stopovers instantly accessible via the satnav. (I have such a file, but not with me.)

Hope this helps - there will be loads of other suggestions I expect, but those are the methods we find most convenient. 

Dave


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Unlike Britain, France rarely goes in for "Motorhomes Prohibited" signs.

You are more likely to see signs at the approaches to and within villages/town/cities pointing the way to _Aires de Camping-Car_.

Some coastal areas do get a bit fed-up with motorhomes and can be unwelcoming.

Near Cap d'Agde we had no problems at Vias-Plage.

At nearby Marseillan-Plage motorhomes were definitely persona non grata to the extent that even the Tourist Information Office car park had a 2m barrier and the Mayor must have spent a fortune on "no motorhome signs".


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## anteater (Oct 29, 2009)

Hi Dave,

Yes, we have All the Aires book and most are not open in winter, and/or do not have EHU. But my biggest concern is how to find a municipal parking place - and thanks for saying we can stop just about anywhere! 8) 

Pippin - yes, thanks, we will try to look for those signs. It is just a matter of getting up confidence in the van. I've done loads of hols in France, but it is very different in a van, at least, it is when you haven't done it yet!

anteater


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

In a nutshell Anteater, just get yourself across _La Manche_ in your van, drive in whichever direction your fancy takes you and you will have NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER finding somewhere to park or to stay, whether it be _Aire, Camping Municipal_, commercial site or out in the sticks.

Unless you have special needs (like young kids!) there is no need to book ahead unless you want a big all-singing-all-dancing site by the coast during the French school hols.

Don't even think about it - just do it!

Vive la France!


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## anteater (Oct 29, 2009)

Sure will take your advice! - just hope The Stick agrees!!


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## CaGreg (Mar 28, 2007)

Don't make the One Big Mistake that I did last year when taking the van abroad for the first time.

I didn't believe everybody that it would be so easy! So I wasted valuable energy worrying about it. They kept saying it, I kept worrying about it. 
They were right and I was silly!

Driving on the wrong side of the road . . .No problem
Finding somewhere to stay . . . No problem
Getting water and dumping . . . No problem
Buying food and supplies , , , No problem
Finding our way around . . . No problem
Using toll roads . . . No problem

Tell the lady that I said it is easy and I am lady-person too!

Ca


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## Koppersbeat (May 10, 2005)

Hi Anteater,
There is one place not advisable to stay and that is a town square when it is market day the following morning! Or you will become a market stall.

There are always signs to advise you of this,if not check with the nearest shop.
Helen


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## blondy (Aug 23, 2007)

In my view, the caravan club book europe 1 is the bible, it has 100s of municipal sites listed with directions to find them and descriptions, all by members so not a sales book.
We have for at least the last 7 years relied almost totally on this and have not been let down.
Happy new year.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Agree with Blondy - the CC book is very good for proper campsites.

Further to the warning from Koppers, don't stay on motorway Aires or rest stations either. They are the one place in France that really isn't very safe, but if you avoid those you will be fine.

They are usually not very nice anyway, so it's no big deal to avoid them.

Municipal sites and Aires are your best bet for an ovenight stop - or just find a spot up the far end of a car park and ask a local shopkeeper if it's OK. The answer is usually, _"Of course it is OK Sir. You have money in your pocket and we want some of it!"_

Ca is dead right. Stop worrying and get on with it . . . then come back and advise others how easy it is. The advice of a first-timer is arguably more valid than that of we "so called experts". 

Dave 8O


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## rupert1 (Feb 13, 2009)

Not everyone is keen on so called wild camping, we are not for a start, we like the security and facilities of campsites. However we do use some aires, the best of which these days are not usually free however, we use them for one night stays only. Municipal sites we use a lot but most of the good ones are not cheap alternatives and will cost the same as other local sites, they are usually well located though for visiting towns and villages. Agree the best books are the C. Club ones although again on a personal note we use the ACSI book extensively for the prices out of season. Everyone is different and does what suits them but you will certainly have no problems finding somewhere to stay in France.


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## anteater (Oct 29, 2009)

Thank you, last few posters. Must say I already feel much more relaxed about it all!!


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## anteater (Oct 29, 2009)

Well, a few days have passed, and we have now discovered that in past years, the night temperature has dropped to -8C around Dijon on the day in Feb that we will be there...

It would be all right if there were any places to hook-up, but try and find a campsite open, or even an aire with electric in February in that part of France and there are none.

With just a small gas fire, we will freeze to death. Our only hope is to hope the weather is mild, or that we don't run out of gas on our return journey through northern France.

Has anyone else had this problem of being very very cold and absolutely not being able to find a suitable place to hook up in winter in France?


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

The only time we visit France in winter is while travelling down to Spain which we will be doing starting on the 31 Jan.
There are sites open and according to the 2009 ASCI DVD the following two sites should be open and they are the nearest ones to Dijon

Camping De L'Arquebuse at Auxonne Tel ( From France )03 8031 0689

Les Bouleaux at Vignolles Tel 03 80222688

Mike


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## anteater (Oct 29, 2009)

You are a diamond!! Thanks very much!!

You don't happen to know of a site between Calais and Reims for instance, do you? We are coming through the Tunnel on the Friday night and arriving in France at 7.30pm. We may have to stay at St Omer Aire as it seems the only place not actually in Calais, and starts us off on our long journey.

Where do you spend your first night - or are you going all the way to Dijon? If so, could you tell us how long it takes/took you from Calais to Dijon.

Seems the Alan Rogers guide is better than the ACSI which is the only campsite guide we have. (and the all the Aires book)

Thanks again, and look forward to your reply.

ant


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

As far as I can see there are no sites on a direct route from Calais to Rheims but there are a couple if you do a detour, these are:
Camping La Croix du Vieux at Berny Riviere Tel 03 23555002

Camping Municipal at Attichy Tel 03 44421597

The nearest site to Calais that should be open is 

Hotel Bal Caravanning at Tournehem Tel 03 21356590

According to the 2009 ASCI DVD which contains over 8500 sites and which I highly reccommend, these should be open but worth a phone call first.
We do not go through Dijon as we head down to Bordeaux and the western route into Spain so I cannot help with times.
We do however stay at campsites in Winter while driving through France and Spain

Mike


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## anteater (Oct 29, 2009)

Thanks a lot, Mike. We are now in the process of contacting one of the Dijon sites - don't know what we would have done without you!
 
ant


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## karenmac (Jan 26, 2008)

Sorry if this is off topic a little but we are heading off mid March and will be using Aires and Stellplatz (sp) for the first time -- is mid March Spring or still WInter? We are also "nervy" about Aires too but our trip is for 4, 5 or 6 months so we are looking at the budget closely. Any help or suggestions......ta


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Why are you "nervy" about _Aires_?


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## karenmac (Jan 26, 2008)

I suppose I think that's where Mhs get burgled! Reading all the posts though I think I have confused "wild" with "aires".

Pipin is mid March still winter or will we find they are open for business?

THnx karen


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## hblewett (Jan 28, 2008)

blondy said:


> In my view, the caravan club book europe 1 is the bible, it has 100s of municipal sites listed with directions to find them and descriptions, all by members so not a sales book.
> We have for at least the last 7 years relied almost totally on this and have not been let down.
> Happy new year.


I've heard this said by others, but we don't have a copy as we are 'mover-oners'. so when we first went 2 years ago we decided too try Aires, and never looked back (along with wildcamping whichever suited).

But if the CC book contains postcodes, if your sat-nav takes postcodes, they will very likely work in other countries too. We have been pleasantly surprised to find they work in our sat-nav in France and Germany - they may well work in other countries too, but we haven't tried so far.


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## hblewett (Jan 28, 2008)

karenmac said:


> I suppose I think that's where Mhs get burgled! Reading all the posts though I think I have confused "wild" with "aires".
> 
> Pipin is mid March still winter or will we find they are open for business?
> 
> THnx karen


I can't be too sure about 'winter' as regards Aires, but we have been in France and Germany in late October/ early November and had no problem with finding Aires open. We have NEVER felt threatened when using an Aire or Stellplatz, but if we didn't feel happy about one, we would move on somewhere else. The same goes for wildcamping - we only do when we feel OK about it. If you travel the byways (by which I mean anything but the motorways), you will be in little country towns and villages where life is very gentle and no threat to anyone.

You should not worry too much about crime - there are plenty of discussions on here about it, and the advice is always

Only stop where you are happy to 
Take the normal sensible precautions 
Don't worry about stories about 'someone I met heard about someone who ... ... ' a lot of things get out of proportion and the few bad things become dozens (if not hundreds?) when they are re-told over and over again. My personal view, of course, but shared by many on here who have been motorhoming far longer than I have!


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## bazajacq (May 26, 2009)

hiya , i would think calais to dijon on the motorway at a steady 55 , 60 mph pushing 7 to 8 hours ? plus the expense of tolls , hope this helps a bit , aires , no problems , sverywhere , baz


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

www.campingcar-infos.com

This is a usefull site.
I purchased cd from them last year , only about £10 - £15.
If you take a laptop with you it makes life easy finding aires and stopovers.

You can use the site to see how you get on. I think there is an english version now.

Dave p


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

Hi!



karenmac said:


> I suppose I think that's where Mhs get burgled!


There are aires and there are aires. :wink: The french word _aire_ simply means _area_, and it is the location and the intended usage of the _aire_ that makes the difference:

Firstly, there are places called "Aire de Repos" and "Aire de Service" along the motorways. These correspond to lay-bys and service stations along UK motorways. And such motorway aires are indeed the places where about 90% of all MH burglaries in France take place! Especially dangerous are the large, well-illuminated aires where many MHs frequently pull up over night.

Secondly, there are aires of a kind which you will find almost none of in UK, these are called "Aire Camping-Car" (sometimes "Aire Service Camping Car" or "Aire de stationnement Camping-Car"). These can be found in many villages and towns in France, and they are *dedicated MH overnight stopover sites.*

There is absolutely no reason to assume that a reasonably well-kept Aire Camping-Car should be in any way less safe than a regular camp site at a similar location.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## anteater (Oct 29, 2009)

Spring officially starts on March 21st.

If it is cold, do what we are doing and use campsites with EHU, as Mike has kindly suggested some to us, above, which are open all year.

I notice that Aires even if open all year, (and not a lot of these are), do not necessarily have electricity all year. If you are not getting elec. and do not need water or emptying, save your money and wild camp.

When we get home in March, if I have seen loads of Aires open with EHU, I will certainly post about it!!


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## skiboycey (May 21, 2009)

Further to what other posters have written I'd say avoid the coast in July and August - and only then the busiest parts around the Med or Southern Atlantic - and you won't have any problems. I live in my motorhome 6 months of the year mainly in France and the only time I've ever stayed on a campsite is when I've had friends visiting who don't have a van to stay in.

Some easy rules to avoid confrontation.

1/ Move every day and don't set up camp with awnings out, BBQ's and other paraphenalia making you look like a gypsy site

2/ Pack up everything every night so it just looks as though you are parked.

3/  Move your motorhome every day or at least every couple of days. It's the idea that people are setting up a semi-permanent site that offends, not the fact that they are actually there

4/ Try to avoid parking right in the middle of towns as it both looks bad and there are often markets starting very early twice a week.

5/ Supermarket carparks are quite common places to stop and you'll often find others there for the night but don't stay more than one day.

6/ Never, ever, set up a tent, even for kids. This seems to be the 'fuse' that sets off the negative reactions.

7/ Be aware that the law was recently changed from legally being allowed to park for 48 hours anywhere to only 24 hours as a method to allow the police to move on large groups of Gypsies (I don't know what the current PC term is for these people so I've used the one that we all understand). The Mayor in St Jean de Montclar came and saw me when I'd been parked in the car park in his ski resort for a couple of days this summer and asked me to move because 'all the old people from Nice have been ringing me up complaining' and so I asked him where I could go. He very helpfully gave me directions to a nice out-of-the way car park on the edge of the village where nobody would notice us and then invited me to the Mairie for an aperatif that evening. You'll find this happens a lot in France if you're polite and willing to speak to people though I am lucky enough to speak French as well as I speak English which probably helps...

8/ You can find water in almost all villages from a fountain or similar. If it doesn't say it's unsafe to drink 'Non-potable' then it is. Having a good selection of hoses as well as some containers and a home made water pump rigged up to a hose pipe to pump water from your container to the reservoir makes life much easier.

9/ If you're not going to stay on campsites then invest in a good quality solar panel and some big leisure batteries. I have 2 * 130 Amp hour batteries and a 120w solar panel and this never gets low in summer months. In the winter you will need generators or other such stuff which require their own careful thinking about before starting up in public

10/ France is big with not that many people populating it which is the main reason there are seldom problems staying anywhere. Eat in local restaurants and stay low profile and you'll have many happy months or even years staying here.

Good luck, cheers, Mark


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