# Aire at Ouisterham?



## ThePrisoner (Jan 13, 2009)

Is there one or one near?

We will need to park up for the night at the end of our trip to catch the ferry back the next morning.

Any help appreciated.


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## scrinchy (Jul 17, 2007)

yes theres one very close by down near the port. But others have said here and I'm sure they'll repeat it that you can park as you wait for the boat


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

49.2875.........-0.249907

tony


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## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

We parked at the aire after our trip to Brittany & Normandy last year. According to notices, it was chargeable (about €10 IIRC) but we couldn't see any way of paying & no-one came to collect any money. 8) 
We cycled down to the nearby restaurant for dinner. 
The aire is right by the dock so you can see the ferries coming in, we watched the one coming in the night before.


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## bigcats30 (Aug 13, 2012)

You can sleep at the port...don't pay for the aire!

I've done it many times in both a Caravan and my camper

AND you are closer to town AND they come and wake you up AND you can use their shower block for free.

AND you're in a secure compound!!


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## Scattycat (Mar 29, 2011)

As has been said, don't bother with the Aires.
Either park within the port area or the car-park just outside the port.
Loads of folks do it


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## MrWez (Sep 25, 2011)

emmbeedee said:


> We parked at the aire after our trip to Brittany & Normandy last year. According to notices, it was chargeable (about €10 IIRC) but we couldn't see any way of paying & no-one came to collect any money. 8)
> We cycled down to the nearby restaurant for dinner.
> The aire is right by the dock so you can see the ferries coming in, we watched the one coming in the night before.


If you DO have to end up parking in the aire, you buy your ticket at the bourne, you pay using your credit card. We've seen the local police mooching around checking people have bought tickets.

As others have said, you're better off parking at the port (wish we knew that the first time we needed to).

MrWez


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## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

MrWez said:


> If you DO have to end up parking in the aire, you buy your ticket at the bourne, you pay using your credit card. We've seen the local police mooching around checking people have bought tickets.
> MrWez


Yes, we thought that too as we'd used that system at other aires. But despite looking all over the aire we never found any pay point. Maybe we were just lucky.


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## brynric (Oct 17, 2009)

We had the not unusual situation of the machine not accepting our card. We soon had a fair size group of different nationalities suggesting what to do in a range of languages, non of which we understood. In the end the quietest if them all, a Frenchman, paid with his card and we gave him cash. 
But we also found the aire very noisy when the morning ferry docked.
There is an interesting museum 5 minutes walk away, set in a WW2 observation post oddly at the end of a residential street.


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

We stay on the DFDS ticket office car park regularly 6 times a year.
The only time we have a problem is on our return sailing to the UK in early July.

This is simply the numbers of people as the holiday traffic develops and the consequent increase in movement of outfits overnight.
It has never been sufficient to cause us to look for somewhere else to stay. It's still so much better than Dover overnight.


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## bigcats30 (Aug 13, 2012)

If you get to the port AFTER the ferry has sailed (ie before your ferry) then you will be allowed inside the port where you line up.....it's what we have done every single time with lots of others in caravans and Motorhomes.


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## ThePrisoner (Jan 13, 2009)

Thanks for all your brilliant help so far. 

We are thinking of staying on for another day and will end up at Caen. Would we be able to stay on this car park as well?

Just to let you know, this is our first venture to France so are very nervous.


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## Sideways86 (Feb 25, 2009)

Its the land of motorhomes, take your time and relax. You will have a blast !


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## DavyS (Jan 10, 2009)

The aire is only a couple of hundred metres to the NW of the port - by the beach. Allows a walk on the beach, relaxed evening with a drink (cos you will not be driving to the check in lanes) and can go to bed as early as you like. 
But many men of north African appearance loiter around. Paying for parking at the bourne but is a hassle cos bourne does not accept UK cards (so impossible to get water but waste always open?); notice says if bourne does not accept your bank card then pay in morning at nearby campsite - but you are away so early that is not practical.


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

I've tried to use this Aire on several occasions but have always found it to be full of people who seemed to camp there on a permanent basis. As has been said the best option is to park in the Port alongside the many others who stay overnight. It's perfectly safe.


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