# France - Is it really that MH friendly?



## 88797 (May 9, 2005)

OK before I start Appollagies to All you Aires fans especially Gillian and Peejay - Im shure there are plenty of nice ones and if we had the book we could have found them - our fault :roll: 

So France is motorhome heaven is it???

What I perseaved was a coordinated campaign to segrigate us. Yes the Aires are very handy and welcome but I would not stop overnight in one - We felt very uncomfortable placed in a badly lit carpark at the back of a village. We felt much more comfortable in a quite lane away from everyone.
How many times do you go to towns in France and see a sign barring caravans / motorhomes? They are everywere, you are directed to designated parking which is not in the centre - thanks Ill come back again! If that was a hight barrier in Britain we would all be screaming.

This is a serious point tied in with the stop over campaign here. As I have said before - If you create designated areas you will give the right to dictate exactly where and even when we can go - this is discrimination. At the moment we are tolarated quite happily when we wild camp. I know many people do not like wild camping and I totally sympathise and would welcome stop overs but not at the price payed in France.

A

(Donning the asbestose suit)


Oh we had a wonderful time bytheway


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

Your perception of France is not the same as mine and I have a feeling that you know that Peejay and I along with others here just cannot be as wrong as you suggest.

I won't even try to change your view.
To each his own.


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## crissy (May 15, 2005)

We went to France for our first 'van overseas holiday inspired by all the reports on motorhoming over there, and we loved it. Admittedly we skirted around large towns (not THAT brave first time), but we found some good aires and sites, including France Passion, and I can't remember any parking problems in small towns. Perhaps you were just unlucky but glad it didn't spoil your holiday.
Chris


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## chrisgog (May 17, 2005)

Must say that this year was the first time I encountered height barriers. The first we came across was around Le Mann but what shocked me was the large number of hypermarkets that have height barriers
I too noticed around seaside towns in the South, loads of signs barring vans in the villages but I think this was sensible due to the increase of vans in the area and France in general. The streets were narrow so obviously the towns were very motorhome aware.
Anyone else noticed more height barriers?


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Hi Chuggs,

OK I'll bite,

I'm a bit dismayed by your observations, you've obviously visited a few bad aires and they do exist, the same as there are bad campsites and bad aspects of everything In life. I think you're not giving it enough of a chance unless you visit more aires and, like you say, have the book with you so you can plan better and don't be put off by a few bad experiences, what I will say though is this;

In France I regularly use aires as a cheap purpose designed way of traveling with a motorhome.
In UK I don't because they simply don't exist (apart from a token few at the moment).

In France I occasionally wildcamp and haven't yet felt unsafe, even in town centres.
In UK I don't wildcamp, in my opinion (and only my opinion) it's too risky.

In France I occasionally use cheap municipal sites that only cost a few euros.
There are few sites in this country that offer his value for money and that are as widespread.

The only reasonably priced option for camping in UK is CL's or CS's and as you know, a similar system is available in France, 'camping on the farm'.

In France we take advantage of well placed service points provided by local communities to empty waste and take on water at no or minimal cost.
The only similar option in this country is the CCClub scheme but is expensive in comparison and nowhere near as widespread.

You can park in the majority of towns and villages of France in a motorhome for free (puzzled by your comments).
In UK parking is expensive and motorhomes are in most places actively discouraged from parking, read 'the height fight' in MMM.

Not sure how the above can be viewed as France being Motorhome unfriendly.

I'm obviously heavily biased as I love France and the facilities they give us motorhomers (this extends to other European countries as well, in particular Germany) but please don't give up after a few bad experiences, give it another chance, it really is a motorhome friendly country, honest, trust me, I wanted to be a doctor….

Happy travels.


Pierre.


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## 88781 (May 9, 2005)

Thanks PeeJay, 

I've been knuckle chewing after reading Chugg's post, and you've summed up what I was considering posting myself!  

Chuggs.. The French aren't trying to segregate the M/H community, they welcome it with open arms, more so than any other country in western europe IMHO.

Personally I think you may have been unlucky with choices regarding places to stay. (you haven't mentioned where you went yet!)

No need for asbestos suiting mate, nobody's going to flame you on here! 8) 

M&D


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## Nora+Neil (May 1, 2005)

*France - Is it really that MH friendly?*

We have been to France in the last 4 years and have stayed in some lovely Aires.
Some in villages and others overlooking lakes and ocean. Ok some were just like carparks but it was legal to park in them.
We have just been away for 2 days here in Ireland €20 per night for a camp site, we used electricity from 7 to 12 midnight and had a shower in the morning. We feel that it was a rip off. Most campsites in Ireland are that so BEWARE. So Roll on Aires in Ireland. We will wildcamp next time.


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## musicbus (May 1, 2005)

Gotta go with majority - we love france because they love MH's


Allons enfant de la paris!! :lol: 
barry


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

I'll just add a small extra which hasn't really been explored.

We met a couple from Belgium last year who told us that although they liked the countryside and the historical sights in the Uk they wouldn't come again after having a holiday here.
There main grouse was the lack of campsites on the edge of villages which would have enabled them to walk into the village and get a meal in the evening. This one of the reasons aires were developed in France, to give income to local establishments.
Also the lack of aires to give them the chance to travel further before seeking an overnight stop. They complained that to ensure a pitch they had to start looking for a campsite too early in the afternoon. The essence of aires, I believe is the ability to go as far or as short a distance as the mood takes you.

One of the great joys of using village aires for us the the ability to wake up, have a cup of tea and then for one of us to nip over the road to the local boulangerie for a bagette and/or coissantes for breakfast.

Chuggs, I'm not saying all aires are great. Some of them are barely adequate but they are in the minority. There are aires we have pulled onto and gone away to look for another.

Do try them again and build up your own list of favourites in key areas.


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

Hello Aireistes,
We went to Normandy and Brittany for two weeks at Easter knowing nothing about Aires but having the book(didn't understand it cos it was in French).
Stayed the first night in a campsite near Ouisterham, cost £36, not very good site cos all the facilities were shut being early in the season.
Stayed every other night in Aires or wild camped. Needed to visit a Bourne every day as we all like our showers and so get through lots of water.
Some were free, some were 2 Euros.
Some were in picturesqe Aires, some were stuck on a bit of wasteland that no-one else wanted.
If we didn't like the situation we moved on to somewhere prettier.
I was very impressed by Bayeux. Medieval town, world famous. Free car park 10 mins walk from town centre/tapestry museum. Free water. Launderette and bakery just round the corner. A similar town in England wouldn't let motorhomes park anywhere near the town centre and would charge like a wounded rhino for the privilege. :evil: 
Only payed for two car parks all the time we were there and one of them was Mont St Michel which is worth it for the view.
The only height barriers we saw were in the Pink Granite Coast area of Brittany. I think that is because it is one of the top tourist areas and they don't need more cluttering the place up and not spending much money.
Normandy was much friendlier and more welcoming, even the D-Day beaches.

Sorry to go on so - turned into a bit of a rant.

TTFN, Hemlock


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## 88838 (May 9, 2005)

oooo chuggs - what you gone and done now!!

but, I did notice more campingcar restricted parking signs in the popular tourist spots, don't use aires - at least not o-night - but have in the past found facilities useful. - popular ones are just too crowded - like sardines [thinking specifically of St Valery en Caux peejay, now - you used to be able to use a vast car park on other side of river, now all changed and cc banned to bottom bit near the casino. but - there is a nice little site - up on the hill with good loos [including disabled] and fabulous views.

imo - the municipal sites are generally very good, excellent value, well worth a stay - 
and, yes, France still very mh friendly

8)


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## 88966 (May 11, 2005)

Hi Chuggs,
I have just read your piece and it is so far removed from our experiences over quite a fair number of years that I felt quite sure it was a wind-up!
Then I thought again why would anyone write that way unless it was what they felt?
Two questions come to mind:
1. You were presumably over there recently, i.e summertime. We have only been over there once in the summer and had our only bad experience (in La Rochelle) where all camping-cars were herded into a very congested space, over fifty of us in a space with one entrance, no facilities and parked about 4 feet apart.
Our fault we should not have stayed!
2. You don't say where you were - my guess is it must have either been in or near big towns or in the French Reviera - we don't go near either!
Realistically, it obviously doesn't matter too much to me what you think about it but I hope you don't put others off. I would like to see you flesh out the story a bit more
BillD


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## 88797 (May 9, 2005)

Gosh! that was a bit venomous of me wasnt it!! :? 

Must have been the downer after coming back folks sorry  

Anyway yep it was our fault for not buying the book and hasnt stopped us from trying again next year I promise.

We travelled down the west coast mainly on the Mways to the Basque area then back up hugging the west coast and the middle to Normande to see the British beaches etc (Got some nice pics of me next to tanks) Hopefully I will post a few in time.

One thing we were impressed by was the actual number of camping sites. They are everywere and easy to find no matter how small or big.

Maybe Aires are just not our thing - not shure why but I wasnt taken with them sorry but will persevere.

A


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## Raine (May 10, 2005)

:violent3: lol just for a laugh!!!!!cos somebody said nobodies gonna flame ya so i thought i would, hehehehhheheheh :lol: 8) :roll:


> M&D


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## 88797 (May 9, 2005)

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm...... Toasty :wink: 

A


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## Raine (May 10, 2005)

:lol: Its nice to have buddies ain't it! :roll:


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## 90473 (May 1, 2005)

Chuggs, you must be blushing like a shy virgin  

I won't give you any sort of arrogant reply m8 because we've always agreed on previous posts. I've noticed plenty of no camping cars signs in various places over the years but I put it down to local 'commune' restrictions (bit like our bye-laws in UK I suppose).

It is such a vast tourism friendly country that there is plenty of scope to cover every aspect of how you want to spend your holiday. I speak from experience when I say that I have gone there for nearly 30yrs, progressing from motorcycling (sometimes with a tent, sometimes not  ), frame tents and trailer tents to this year in our first van.

I live for the day when my wife and I can decide to move on or stay in the same place for a few days at a time (still have 2 giant rug rats with us each year but wouldn't have it any other way ............... I think :roll: )

The aires are definitely something we will be trying out at some stage but at the present time it's a compromise - I get 1 week to tour then it's 3 weeks on various 'big sites'.


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

When we go to France we always use the aires when we can, but we usually tour Normandy & Brittany. We have a book listing some of the aires but have loads of pushpins in autoroute along with GPS co-ordinates to find them.


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## 88797 (May 9, 2005)

We are definatly buying the book for next year I promise.

A


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