# Sites or Aires?



## Gwendolyn (Jan 11, 2011)

From reading this, and other, forums, I am learning that some Motorhomers avoid sites and stay, in the main, on Aires. Having previously used a tent / caravan, we have had to stay on sites. During our first trip in a Motorhome last year, 4 weeks in France, we once again used sites – using the ACSI card. The few Aires we looked at simply did not appeal at all. We must have gone to the wrong ones! 
This year we are going away for 3 months and I suppose from a financial angle staying on Aires some of the time would be sensible. 
However, I like campsite life – relaxing on a pitch for a day or two, going to the site bar, and sometimes having dinner in a site restaurant. 
Is life on Aires relaxing in the same way? Is staying on a site a tent / caravan habit we should break? 
What experiences / advice can anyone share?


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## dealgan (Jun 26, 2006)

Hi. 
We have never stayed on an aire. With 2 young kids in tow we prefer to pay the small fee for a campsite. I noticed last year a lot of campsites offering a cheap rate for camping cars. 

Good luck with whatever way you decide to go.


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## alphadee (May 10, 2009)

Aires every time for us. Although we do use campsites about once every 10 days to use their washing machines etc. Aires vary enormously in quality and location. Buy the book "All the Aires" and choose from the details and photos or post on here your intended holiday area and lots of knowledgeable people may be kind enough to pass on their favourites. Have you also considered France Passion ?
Have a good trip whatever you decide to use.


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## ardgour (Mar 22, 2008)

It's horses for courses - we don't particularly like sites whereas others, like yourself, find they provide what they want. Aires vary enormously but they are a different experience to campsites. France passion similarly, only one night stay and no on-site bar etc. it suits us but many others shudder at the thought.
Look through the aires listed in the database on here and see if any can provide what you are looking for, I can think of a couple that might work for you

Chris


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## MEES (Apr 20, 2006)

We spent 8 months abroad last year May-Dec. 60+ couple with Dalmation.
We used a mix of Aires, French Passion and Campsites.

Large campsites with all facilities are not good value for us especially for short stays.

We found the variety exciting and much better value.

North Coast of France, Brittany, vendee are well blessed with a variety of Aires. Many are close to restaurants etc.

We prefer to use an Aire or French Passion and spend the cash on eating out.

Then when we stay on a site we cook more.

Areas of vineyards are thick with French passion sites which are sometimes a little more remote so you may have to cook  

Enjoy whatever you choose to do!


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

Gwendolyn said:


> Is staying on a site a tent / caravan habit we should break?


Not break - modify.

You're in a motorhome now so forget about the booking in advance, arriving just after lunch, spending an hour setting up and staying a minimum number of nights, you don't need to and if you do you'll miss the whole point of a motorhome. What you may need to do is make sure that your overnight stop is somewhere convenient to the local attractions because you won't have the car to do the 5 mile trip into the village - and that's where aires have the big advantage - they're often in the village or town centre.

The best way is to decide where you're staying for the night at 4pm and head in that direction, whether it be aire or campsite. Use whichever is convenient, sometimes an aire is best, sometimes a campsite (especially when you have some laundry or want a few days chilling out). Most of the time when we use aires it's because we've driven to a town or village, parked on the aire to look around and then just stayed overnight - simple.


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

It all depends on your expectation of an aire and the type of holiday that you want. For me, I use an aire as a motorhome friendly carpark - somewhere to park my van while I go off an explore the local area and return to it to cook, sleep etc. 

If you are the type of person who goes away and spends most of their time sat about in or near the van then I can understand why some might not appeal but that said we've stayed on some wonderful seaside and city aires which have rivaled some campsites! My view is, once I close the blinds I could be anywhere.

Aires are plentiful and with the right databases to hand (GPS POI's, a couple of books and so on) you can often move onto another aire less than a few miles away. I always leave enough time when pitching up for the night to move on before dark in case choice #1 is closed or otherwise unsuitable.

An alternative is something like the French Passion where you are staying often in farmland and we've enjoyed every one we've stayed on.

Our strategy is to stay on a site once every 10 days to keep on top of washing, have a 'proper' shower and sort our van out!


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

I the past eight years we have in the main used sites. 
Usually ASCI, Camping Cheque, Municipal, France Passion or whatever takes our fancy. We rarely stop for just one night especially now fuel is so expensive we plan on stopping at least three nights.

We will only stay on an Aires if its a one night stop and we feel comfortable. We don't really like stopping on glorified car parks with a tap and drain.

A comment made by a fellow MH'er a few years ago "if you go for a couple of months every year its not so much a holiday as living overseas" his point was that in the main normal short holiday extravagances need to be curbed a little.

Steve


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## kc10 (Jan 28, 2010)

Aires - The French gave them to the world so use them. Maybe once a week we go on a site because we have to. Spend your money in the town. Enjoy it.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Pretty much what Gaspode and Addie said, but we would sum it up as "_Whatever seems like a good idea at the time_."

The motorhome is so flexible. If you don't want electric you pull on the handbrake, switch on the gas and you are set up . . . and just as quick to take off in the morning. (Electric takes about a minute longer!)

Some Aires, called Stellplatz in Germany, are magnificent. Most of them in the Mosel valley (for example) are situated right by the river and would cost at least €35 per night on a campsite just for the position.

Municipal campsites are often very good and usually quite cheap, and even car parks in town centres often allow M/Hs to overnight.

Consider the excellent Autoroute downloads offered by ActiveCampers. Ryan has done all the hard work, and it's dead easy to add or remove components to suit your personal needs.

This is my pushpin set on Autoroute - mostly thanks to Ryan but with some additions - like Decathlon which is a "must visit" for Mrs Zeb.

Hope this helps

Dave


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## MicknPat (Jul 18, 2005)

We have yet to try an aire and the only reason is our outfits size.

*Of our own choosing *we bought a 12m long motor home with which using an A frame we tow a car.

Before using an aire I would first have to check out there is space to accommodate us,that may require having to visit the aire on foot from its main rod junction because should space be so limited I may not be able to turn around without reversing .

I'm lead to believe that some aires can be some distance down lanes from the main road, this is where Google Earth can help. 

Unlike a camp site or municipal site I believe there is no way of telephoning ahead to check space availability so I would only attempt to visit those aires previously visited by owners of similar sized outfits of our own.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Be flexible.

I'm an Aires fan but, at times, use sites too.

I enjoy building up my own record of what I see as good sites and aires. Sometimes from actual visits and sometimes from recommendations. 

It doesn't take long to collect details and locations of the places that suit you personally and it's always comforting to be on the road heading for somewhere you know will be what you like when you get there.

As for planning to stop at a new (to you) aire for the night, my golden rule is to have 2, but ideally 3, potentials identified so if the first one doesn't appeal you don't have to panic about finding somewhere else.


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

Previous posts have covered it really but just thought I would show a sample of what we used in Germany last summer (Stellplatz similar to Aires in France but often have electric).


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

When we first started motorhoming we mainly stopped on Municipal camp sites with the odd aire thrown in, but as we gained more experience it reversed and we now almost exclusively use aire's with the odd Municipal campsite.
As said earlier, I would just go with the flow and do what you feel happy and relaxed with.


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

Some with lovely views  like Schulenburg.


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## mandyandandy (Oct 1, 2006)

I think it is what you are comfortable with, what I like about Aires is the not knowing till you get there. 

Will it be busy
Will it be noisy
Will it be clean
Will I have a good view
Who will we meet. 

Some people hate this idea of not knowing and it can be frustrating if the Aire is no longer there, full or not suitable. 

Stick with the rule if just one of you doesn't like it then don't stay, this has worked for us. 

I think I am a bit of a surprise junky though as I do this for a living, my job (nursing agency worker) means I start the week on nil amount of hours and they ring me any time of day or night and give me work anywhere in a 20 mile radius in any form of nursing/caring environment. I meet new staff and patients/service users all the time and I love the not knowing who, what or where. :lol: :lol: 

I think Aires were put there just for the likes of me!!  

Mandy

Forgot to add that my favourite place for finding them is on our campsite map on here and creating my own holiday brochure before we go. I then back it up with books. Have a look at Bouchermaine near Angers, excellent as was old site and has loos and showers and EHU for those who want it.


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## Westkirby01 (Jan 25, 2009)

We have just returned to Scotland after Four and a half months travelling. Two and a half of them in France. We used the Aires for the first two month. We never travelled on motorways and used only town and village Aires. We had absolutely no trouble. Very few have electric so you must be able to last by battery charge. We have a solar panel.

As the weather deteriorated we began to rely on ACSI sites as they provide electric. My bride does not like to use the gas for night time heating. These ACSI in the main, were mostly poor and run down at this time of year. France is a wonderful place for ACSI campers, but not after the main season. 

Our preference is for Aires.

We usually arrived by 1600 hrs, left at 1100 or 1200hrs the next day. Never rushing. Maybe 30 to0 40 miles a day.

We used the ACSI for clothes washing but on many sites there was no drier or the washing machine was inoperative, and the prices were prohibitive. £5 for a washer and £4 for a drier.

Aires are usually near or in a village. Campsites were normally 5 to 10 miles from a town or village.

Hope this helps

Regards

Westkirby01


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

The problem with these dicussions is the word itself. Aires are wide and varied in the environment and conditions. I like the ones that are part of, but seperated, from a town campsite which normally cost €5 per night or so.
A particular favorites of mine for a night halt is Neris-les- Bains [page 178 of All the Aires]. €7 a night but includes showers, EHU and service point inclding water.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I think if you do a little home work you can find some fantastic Aires which are not only free but often have more space and better views than a campsite. They are not all like that but there are some belters out there. The best site to find them (much better than the Aires book) is www.campingcar-infos.com. You can search my map and the comments and info is usually bang up to date. Right click and select Translate with Bing to translate it into English.

here is a selection of Aires that we have stayed on

Burgundy










View from the Aire in Quiberon, Brittany










View from the van on an Aire in Burgundy










An Aire or Stellplatz outside a completely packed campsite in the Black Forest in Germany










A lovely village Aire in Normandy










The Aire at Gavarnie on the Pyrenees. Had it all to ourselves. Stunning










A packed Aire at Erquy in Brittany. We didnt stay!


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