# French Aires



## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

Arrived back Thursday after a "Working holiday" in Burgundy and Centre.

We stayed on a different aire every night and only paid once and that was at Amboise. A gated entry to the aire cost was €10.00 for 24 hours that included electricity and services. The aire was grass and would be a major problem in the wet, it was bad in places when we visited and it had not rained for a week.

We had no problems getting fuel but I did notice that in a few places people were panic buying. We paid about €1.13 per litre in the hypermarkets and paid €1.22 at Zeebrugge (Belgium) before getting the ferry to Hull.

I was also very surprised at the lack of LPG outlets. In years gone by many garages sold the product but now it seems restricted to the motorway service areas, some hypermarkets plus a few Total garages we came across on our travels.

Super "U" have defiantly gone up market since the last time we were in the area. The new stores we used were very good according to the boss.

It is many years since we toured the area and I was surprised at the number of height barriers on car parks in some of the more popular areas. It is not at all surprising as the number of motorhomes has increased considerably over the years.

For those thinking of visiting France and using the aires here are a few pics of the latest type of Borne (service point).









This borne was credit card only









This borne was tokens (jetons) usually states on the borne were tokens are availble from.









This borne was credit card only










This is an aire that charges and payment is by credit card only









This is another system where tokens are available from one machine (credit cards only) for use in the other two bornes.

Safe travelling.

Don


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## rayhook (May 15, 2005)

*Basic hygiene*

Don,

I'd like to add a word of caution about drinking water in aires. We've just spent a couple of months, mainly on aires, and have seen on numerous occasions people filling up water bottles from the cassette rinsing tap. OK, it's (usually) always on and so you don't have to pay.

Now I've run a water bottling plant and I do know about 'bugs' in water. If you want to be very ill, even die, just carry on with this practice. It's VERY dangerous.

There's a similar problem where some aires have only the one tap anyway so they do come into contact with cassettes. And then there's the Flot Bleu hose arrangements. I would never take drinking water from any of these; in the UK the Environmental Health would shut them immediately.

Bottled water in France is cheap, why carry some 'just in case'?

Ray


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Thanks Don for the info.
You can often get a booklet of LPG outlets from the suppliers. Trouble is they rarely amalgamate all and a separate book for each companies LPG outlets are necessary.

Ray.


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## rayhook (May 15, 2005)

*Autogas*

There's not much benefit in buying autogas in France, the cost saving is insignificant when compared to the installation cost of the cylinders.

Buy a couple of Intermarche cylinders - 1€ each! 10Kg butane or 9Kg propane for about 17€. Autogas I seem to remember in the few places I saw it was about 73c/litre so say 1.40€/kilo. You'd need to burn an awesome amount of gas to recoup the cost of fixed cylinders.............

Ray


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## rupert1 (Feb 13, 2009)

*Re: Autogas*



rayhook said:


> There's not much benefit in buying autogas in France, the cost saving is insignificant when compared to the installation cost of the cylinders.
> 
> Buy a couple of Intermarche cylinders - 1€ each! 10Kg butane or 9Kg propane for about 17€. Autogas I seem to remember in the few places I saw it was about 73c/litre so say 1.40€/kilo. You'd need to burn an awesome amount of gas to recoup the cost of fixed cylinders.............
> 
> Ray


Thanks to Don useful as ever although I had no problems this year getting gas anywhere, when I needed it. When my first cylinder runs out I have a couple of weeks to refill so no problem. Ray you are rather missing the point, it is not all about saving some money. The convenience of having refillables makes it worth while, if you want to mess around lugging cylinders round, changeing the connection points whenever you change country then fine, personally I do not. One other point about refillables, this year the number of outlets I saw in Switzerland had greatly increased but be aware they are all the new EU type connector.


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## rayhook (May 15, 2005)

Rupert1,

Not sure what you're talking about here. 

Lugging bottles? Why? The guys that sell the stuff will do it for you. 

Changing connection points? Why?

Have you tried buying autogas in Spain? It's not very convenient having to drive 50 Km to a town centre to get it, is it? Have you not seen the posts on MHF from folk who have Gaslow and are going to Spain for the winter who now want to buy Spanish gas cylinders, regulators, hoses etc. Convenient huh?

Ray


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Hi Don;

That third photo looks more like a Flot Vert to me. 8) 

Hope you enjoyed revisiting France.

Pete


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## rayhook (May 15, 2005)

*Aires de Service*

In our recent travels we came across a lot of Raclets that accept Euro Relais tokens instead of the more usual 2/1 or whatever - is this a new departure or pure chance?

A stock of tokens is always useful and the more that use the same ones (or a bank card) the better.............

Ray


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

peejay said:


> Hi Don;
> 
> Hope you enjoyed revisiting France.
> 
> Pete


Hi Pete,

Trip went very well, we found the food was very expensive even in the hypermarkets.

We did not hang around as we could see that there could be problems looming ahead. Lots of motorhomes about not many Brits, I think we met four or five.

The road numbering is a nightmare it could only happen in France. 8O 8O

I think we will stick to Greece and Turkey until we are really passed it 8O 8O then we can go back to France and potter with the golden oldies.  

Off to OZ after Christmas for a bit of culture   and the weather of course.  

Safe travelling.

Don


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## jeanie201 (Apr 22, 2008)

Do not see what problem is with French road numbering system. Yes many N roads are now D roads but numbers almost always relate to old N number. For example N10 becomes D910 or D9010 etc. Yes it changes with each department but is easy enough to follow and in any event does not seem to upset the sat nav!
Glad you were able to visit plenty aires Don, assume this is part of an update for the British "All The Aires France" guide book. Well it really does need it as many of entries are out of date or were never really correct. Part of problem is I think that many were visted but not stayed on; this results in an incomplete picture. For example now on aire at Anglet; book indicates 6 €/ night plus 2€ services, but this is only so in July and August not rest of year when no charges at all. A quick visit but not a stay and chat with French vanners does not allow for full info, particularly if done in mid-winter as much of "old" book seems to be. Enjoy visit to Oz Don, might bump into you as doing world cruise this year with Oz as one of destinations, but really looking forward to trip around S.America.


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## rayhook (May 15, 2005)

*Confused or what?*

Jeannie,

Despite what you say I, and I suspect a few others, could understand someone who is looking for the N10 to be confronted with the D9010 being confused. And, of course, the SatNav doesn't run on road numbers so it wouldn't be affected............

The best resource I've found for aire information is campingcar-infos.com; not only are there up-to-date reports from users (e.g. 'closed'!) but you can download the whole thing to your laptop for 6€. Or buy a French aires guide. Armed with all 3 you can look up the aire of your choice in each, see three differing reports and get 3 different GPS co-ordinates. Such is the world of aires.

Which isn't to say I don't carry All the Aires but I do treat it with caution!

Ray


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## jeanie201 (Apr 22, 2008)

Ray,
Still think road nos. not all that confusing but take your point. Agree that camping-car infos is a good way to keep upto date, not only in "main" part of site but useful also to go into forum and read what French vanners are saying about various aires. When in France also find it interesting to buy the camping car mags (Le Camping Car or Le Monde De Camping Car) as they report new aires changes to aires etc. Best guide, in my opinion, is Le Guide National de Aires des Services Camping Cars; buy it in France around Easter time.


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## rayhook (May 15, 2005)

*Yup, OK*

Jeannie,

Can't argue with any of that. Might even have the next edition of All the Aires by then.....

Ray


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

rayhook said:


> Rupert1,
> 
> Have you tried buying autogas in Spain? It's not very convenient having to drive 50 Km to a town centre to get it, is it? Have you not seen the posts on MHF from folk who have Gaslow and are going to Spain for the winter who now want to buy Spanish gas cylinders, regulators, hoses etc. Convenient huh?
> 
> Ray


Apart from it being cheaper to only fit one refillable, it is also another reason for retaining a non refillable bottle as backup. If I was overwintering in Spain the refillable would become the backup.

peedee


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## rupert1 (Feb 13, 2009)

rayhook said:


> Rupert1,
> 
> Not sure what you're talking about here.
> 
> ...


Really. You were talking about France and you are trying to tell me that you drive your van to a gas outlet, the supermarket then disconnects your cylinder for you and changes it, you have been very lucky then. What happens with your French cylinders when you, say, cross to Germany and need gas? As for Spain, never had a problem although have never been for the winter. However each to their own, if you are to happy to do this then fine by me. Me I prefer the easy way.


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## Madgebus (Sep 26, 2010)

*Re: Basic hygiene*



rayhook said:


> Don,
> 
> I'd like to add a word of caution about drinking water in aires. We've just spent a couple of months, mainly on aires, and have seen on numerous occasions people filling up water bottles from the cassette rinsing tap. OK, it's (usually) always on and so you don't have to pay.
> 
> ...


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

> There's a similar problem where some aires have only the one tap anyway so they do come into contact with cassettes..........I would never take drinking water from any of these; in the UK the Environmental Health would shut them immediately.


They obviously haven't found out about the one at Canterbury then :lol:


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## SidT (May 9, 2005)

Hi Jeannie. Hopefully you have/will inform Vicarious Books of these errors so they can update the next edition.
Cheers Sid


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

We're currently aire-ing in France. So far, we've paid once, and that was for a visit to a place that friends have told us about, and where we wouldn't have gone. Yes, some of the aire details have changed since our (2008) copy of All The Aires. Some GPS details are wrong, a couple have closed down, but basically it's been a good book. In future, we'll have alternatives on board too.

Fuel - generally, €1.14 or so in supermarkets, and we've seen a couple of small places closed, but the main supermarket outlets still seem to have supplies.

We love the huge hypermarkets, and we used to stick to E.Leclerc, but now SuperU now have HyperU, which is pretty good for all the stuff we need. And, of course, there are the local markets.

At this time of year, there are plenty of places available in aires. You might need to make sure you arrive by mid-afternoon at the latest.

Gerald


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## rayhook (May 15, 2005)

*Fixed vs removable*

Rupert1,

Sorry for the delay in replying. First off, and I appreciate that with refillables you probably don't get involved in this, yes in France I go to an Intermarche (because it's their own-brand gas I use and we shop there anyway) park near the kiosk and on every (yes, every) occasion they will take the cylinder to the m/h. No they don't undo the nut - are you suggesting you don't even want to use a simple spanner? When I was checking out the fitting on the Intermarche cylinders (Calor 21.8LH) they even brought an cylinder empty to the m/h for me to try. Gas is frequently bought by oldies in France and the kiosk staff understand the problem - if you watch, you'll often see them take a cylinder to a car and put it in the boot.

In Spain it's slightly different because we frequently buy gas on campsites (can you do that?). We've even been provided with a trolley at one site so that we didn't have to carry a cylinder but almost always, and certainly if we buy in a garage or Cepsa depot, the staff will bring the new cylinder to the m/h.

So, no real 'lugging about' as you put it and so far £500 saved. I should add that when we go to Spain I'll often take a Cepsa and an Intermarche cylinder instead of 2 x Intermarche.

So, what happens when I go to say Germany? Simple, we plan ahead and since we wouldn't be going for more than two months (in winter) that means just 2 full french cylinders even when staying on Stellplatz and using our gas heating. In summer it's a a no-brainer as 2 x Intermarche cylinders would last us 3 - 4 months. Since we enter through France with one cylinder full from the outset the average cylinder contents that would be wasted if we wanted 2 full ones for a trip would be 5Kg (half a cylinder) - say 9€. You get quite a lot of those for £500!

OK, suppose I needed to go for longer. Simple, just screw on a Gaslow adaptor and buy a German cylinder. An adaptor costs about £13 and they all fit the 21.8LH termination on my high pressure hoses. I've still a lot of change out of £500......

I note that PeeJay above takes a cylinder with him for Spain and we've been on sites (e.g. Bonterra) where folk have had to drive to Valencia to get their refills. A day out, yes, but convenient? I don't think so. And there's a problem with taking a seperate cylinder and regulator - the m/h is usually jetted for 30mBar; propane regulators are usually 38mBar. Maybe it'll make a difference folks - maybe it won't. It's your m/h.

Where does that leave us?

1. If you don't want to spend up to £500 on refillables there's absolutely no need to.

2. If you can't lift a cylinder into your gas locker and do up one nut or close the valve on one of Gaslow's adaptors then you're gonna have to spend the money.

But you'll never get your money back from savings on autogas purchases - just an element of convenience for your money.

Ray


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