# Which way back and where to stay?



## Moonlight (Aug 12, 2006)

Calais to Bourg St Maurice (approx 720miles)

Going - no problems, quickest way via toll roads. 
Possibly going to be stung with toll charges, due to weight and axles? :evil: 
But have to accept this.  Just want to arrive a.s.a.p.

However, coming back we leave site on Thursday, New Years Day, about 10am. And Ferry leaves Calais on Saturday 3rd Jan, checking in at 0825hrs.

Wanting to travel back though using non toll roads after Lyon, but where do we stay over night? :roll:

Aires on route are closed, except Charmes. (I think?)

Proposed route back is -

Bourg St Maurice _(leaving site at 10am)_

Bourg St Maurice to Lyon. _126 miles = 2½ hours (none stop) _
Arrive Lyon 1230ish

Lyon _(to Calais 590 miles to go)_

Bourg en Bresse

Besancon

Epinal

Charmes _(aire) 236 miles from Lyon = minimum 5 hours (none stop) averaging approx 50mph_

Arrive Charmes 530pm.

*But, will be dark and will also be knackered without any stops.*

_(Approx 355 miles to go)_

Nancy

Metz

Belgium

Calais Aire (evening of Friday 2nd Jan)

Ferry - Sat 3rd Jan

Has anyone any advice on this route or would you suggest a different route, or have any suggestions of where to stay overnight? :?


----------



## Moonlight (Aug 12, 2006)

Two weeks later and not one single reply.

Ok. I'll take that as a no then!!


----------



## dragabed (May 24, 2008)

*which way back and where to stay*

we have done the same journy using aires in winter -just past bourg en bresse follow signs to ornathalogical gardens large tarmaced area on lake you will then have to cut across to macon and on to beaune aire is next to the bus station on the ring road we then carrid on to compiegne and then calaise


----------



## Moonlight (Aug 12, 2006)

Thanks for that dragabed. Very much appreciated.


----------



## 101405 (Oct 15, 2006)

Surely ! Lyon -Paris -Periferique ,A1 -A26 - Calais ?


----------



## AndrewandShirley (Oct 13, 2007)

We stopped of at the Loire Valley - cheap site @ Loire Valley.

Just off the motorway and very quiet.

There is an aires in the lcoal town.


----------



## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

The open air Ecomusee d'Alsace near Ungersheim just off the A35/E25 Basle to Colmar to Obernai motorway has a nice Aire-type place to stay.

The Museum is open all year round so it should be possible to stay there.


----------



## hmh (Jun 25, 2008)

*which way back . . .*

If in doubt we often park up at a large supermarket - you can always ask the night watchman, but they have never objected, you can shop there in the morning, they are well lit, and easy to find - might even be on the GPS, listed under Fuel. Some even have campervan facilities.

Someone mentioned Compiegne - be careful round there, we once had a minibus stolen at 4 am from outside a hotel, in the sweet little village, with chateau and lake, of Pierrefonds. Apparently it is a honeypot. Compiegne itself has a 24/hr underground carpark - probably not much use for campervans though.

There is a German site 
http://mitglied.lycos.de/womosp/womo_SP_D.asc

which lists lots of "Aires" in most European countries, by Postcode and GPS reference.

Have a nice trip!

Helen


----------



## Boff (May 10, 2005)

Moonlight said:


> Aires on route are closed, except Charmes. (I think?)


Nope, they are actually open. Quite a few of the aire's _service points_ might be closed due to frost, but the aires themselves are available for overnight stays.

Your route seems to be OK to me. However for the part through Belgium I would recommend to change from the A4 to the A15 towards Lille (France) just after Namur, and not go via Brussels.



Moonlight said:


> Proposed route back is -
> [...]
> Besancon


From here it is only a few klicks to the nice and all-year-open aire of Baume-les-Dames



Moonlight said:


> Epinal


As far as I remember Epinal meanwhile has an aire of its own. Might be an alternative to the almost always overcrowded Charmes aire.

And should you make it past Charmes the first day, then there are further aires at Millery and Metz waiting for you.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


----------



## Moonlight (Aug 12, 2006)

Thank you all for your replies.

I'm sat here at the moment, 2 Aires books, ( so wish my French was better) :lol: ACSI DVD on the go, Google Earth, Autoroute and French Autoroute. Oh and two maps.

Trying to work out rough travel times, where we'll be by pulling up time, which is the better road. 

It'd be so much easier just to come back on tolls, but then that would be too easy, as I hate knowing what's around the corner, if you catch my drift? :roll:


----------



## hmh (Jun 25, 2008)

*which way back?*

Why worry unduly? Take the maps and books of Aires, and play it by ear . . . you can always get water from a filling station.


----------



## Moonlight (Aug 12, 2006)

Oh, not worried. Just like to be organised that's all.


----------



## Moonlight (Aug 12, 2006)

> Nope, they are actually open. Quite a few of the aire's service points might be closed due to frost, but the aires themselves are available for overnight stays.


Bit confused now. So if Guide says- open 1.5 / 1.11
It means that they're not closed from November 2nd through to 30th April.


----------



## hmh (Jun 25, 2008)

No.
It means they are open from 1st May to 1st Nov and closed otherwise.


----------



## Boff (May 10, 2005)

Moonlight said:


> Bit confused now. So if Guide says- open 1.5 / 1.11
> It means that they're not closed from November 2nd through to 30th April.


As I said: Most probably the services like fresh water and hookup are not available during winter.

But with the exception of the "Paul Feval" aire at St Malo I have never seen one that would really be closed off. And even if so, then there certainly are other suitable places for an overnight stop nearby.

BTW, in my opinion the most up-to-date and comprehensive information about French aires (unfortunately only in French) can be found here: http://www.campingcar-infos.com/

Best Regards,
Gerhard


----------



## hmh (Jun 25, 2008)

I could have more helpfully added, agreeing with Gerhard, that over the winter months there are any number of attractive and enjoyable places to pull into.
You'll be spoiled for choice!
David


----------

