# Aires advice for first timer!!



## KTFC (Oct 25, 2011)

Traveling back from Brittany and fancy a stop off on route to Calais at a Aires. Do we just turn up at an Aires? Do we need to book? Just some general Aires advice please....

Many thanks in advance.


----------



## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

Description of an Aire:

Car park(or area) specifically for motorhomes to stop, either during the day or night.

Just turn up and park !!


----------



## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

Yes .. just pull up !!!!

The easiest way to descibe most aires are that they are dedicated parking for motorhomes only... Most are on hardstanding, some may be on gravel and some Grass..
The basic one's will just have parking and nothing else. Others may have facilities like toilet / grey waste dump, fresh water and electric points. Some free, some you pay.
Just go and try a few, if other vans are there go and chat if you need to know what facilities are there...

My only recommendation is that you dont judge aires on your first few visits in case they are not the better one's. There are some great locations from huge 100 van sites near the sea to small 2 van spots in the centre of pretty villages..


----------



## H1-GBV (Feb 28, 2006)

It helps if you know what you like and if you have some way of knowing what is available (and there are a lot of Aires de Stationment - do NOT use the motorway aires is the common advice).

We like beaches (Quend Plage, €7), we like sea views (Equihen Plage, €2), we liked the tranquil view over the busy Seine (St Nicolas de Bliqetuit, free), we hated Calais with the ferries roaring in reverse every 15mins throughout the night (€5).

You may have bought a book or a USB stick or you could access the campsite database on-line if only you'd paid your subs! Alternnatively, ask another traveller and they'll usually supply some info (I've sold two books in September, at greatly reduced costs, to folk just arriving on the continent, as I'm about to return  I've also given free advice!)

If you haven't visited at least one, you haven't lived (in a MH sense  ).

Depending on how far you are going, which route and in what time-scale, I would suggest hitting one early and seeing what you think - then you can try a different one for comparison. They are usually easy (avoid St Valery en Caux!) and the folk are usually welcoming - any problems just ask someone who's already there (GB plates help, but other nationalities often put us to shame  )

Enjoy - Gordon


----------



## KTFC (Oct 25, 2011)

Cheers guys, another question, what do the different colour Aries symbols mean? i.e Blue MH with water coming from underneath, MH on yellow background? and MH on yellow/night time background?

Thanks again.


----------



## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

Have a read...
http://www.motorcaravanning.com/travel/aires.htm

The last sign you mention, yellow/night sign I think is fairly new and means overnight stays are allowed.


----------



## peejay (May 10, 2005)

KTFC said:


> Cheers guys, another question, what do the different colour Aries symbols mean? i.e Blue MH with water coming from underneath, MH on yellow background? and MH on yellow/night time background?
> 
> Thanks again.


Presuming you are talking about the Campingcar-Infos logos, the signs have recently been expanded for more clarification and the most relevant ones as I interpret them are....








= Motorhome service point only, no overnight parking.








= Daytime parking only for Motorhomes. Overnighting not allowed and no servicepoint.








= Overnight parking specifically for Motorhomes and a servicepoint.








= Overnight parking specifically for motorhomes but no servicepoint








= Overnight parking for motorhomes allowed but no servicepoint.

Pete


----------



## oldtart (Mar 18, 2006)

Hi Gordon-what USB stick do you use, please?

We're going to France in September. I've got All the Aires and the Aires de Service Camping Cars, France Passion and the ACSI books!

Val


----------



## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

peejay said:


> KTFC said:
> 
> 
> > Cheers guys, another question, what do the different colour Aries symbols mean? i.e Blue MH with water coming from underneath, MH on yellow background? and MH on yellow/night time background?
> ...


----------



## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

All the Aires from Vicarious books and a SatNav have so far been enough to find Aires whenever or wherever we have been.
In my opinion, it is not until you experience using the European Aires that you can realise the full potential and freedom of Motorhoming but I appreciate they do not suite everyone.... but they suite my pocket!
Alan


----------



## peejay (May 10, 2005)

BrianJP said:


> Sorry but that doesn't make much sense to me as most of the village aires I have stayed at in France have displayed the first sign which according to you is no overnight parking ,although they clearly are designated for overnight parking and are listed in the "all the aires " bookas well as such
> ???????????


The first sign that you are referring to can also be a generic sign used by many local authorities as signage for an aire as you suggest, some with the bottom dump pictorgram and some with just a motorhome pictorgram.

The Campingcar-Infos website have further refined the general definition of a 'Campingcar aire' with the the signs I have shown in my post according to its facilities and whether or not overnight parking is permitted.

I have no experience of the 'All the Aires' book, but doubt if they have such in depth information as that supplied by the French Campingcar-infos website.

Pete


----------



## harveystc (Sep 20, 2008)

Hi, the only thing no one has told you is a lot of aires have payment machines at the entrance,so you need a credit card,as well as cash,some of the machines are a bit hard to ue but if you find it askes if you need a ticket this is not what you think it is,it means that if you want to stay there but go out and return you will need a ticket to get back in, if you pay for one night,then decide to stay longer you go back to the machine and pay for more days, :lol: :lol: if staying for one night press the no ticket button,these machines are the same as our petrol stations,on the pump you can pay for petrol at the pump,if you get to a aire and have trouble walk inside and ask someone for help,most times someone will come and help,regards harvey, :lol:


----------



## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

Randomly plucked from my blog...
Our view at Gente









Free - with electric and a nice clean WC.


----------

