# Aires book - which should I buy?



## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

Hi

I am looking to buy an Aires book for France. Which do you think gives the clearest directions to the aires and info possibly regarding unit size? 

I do not use sat nav so GPS details are irrelevant. 

Russell


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## Jented (Jan 12, 2010)

Hi Russell.
We use the Vicarious "Aires of France book",i think it is being updated this year,so get on their web page and check,so you get the new one. We have S/nav,and have tried GPS/Lat/Long etc,but with the book and a map,we get straight to them,hope this helps.
Ted.
PS.We STILL!! use a map to check the sat/nav?.Belt and braces?.lol.


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Hi Russell

"All the aires" is pretty good, but sometimes the directions aren't brilliant. I downloaded the Camping Cars Infos database to my computer while we were away, and that's pretty good, although again, directions are sometimes a bit hit-and-miss (and an understanding of French is a help).

There was an aires website which had little Google maps of the location. As does, of course, the MHF campsite database.

I think you should invest in a TomTom, Russell. The official Aires POI information is very good (but very little information other than location).

Are you going to be touring around, or going to specific places, Russell?

Gerald


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## MicknPat (Jul 18, 2005)

I just wonder what information any 'new' aires guide contains?

For example can we compare French aires with British CL's and CS's where each year several are added or close?

Does anyone know lets say in the last five years of any new aires being built or others closed?


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## mandyandandy (Oct 1, 2006)

We wouldn't be without camperstop but that is mainly because you can link up to GPS and there are hundreds in there, we found the All Aires France book a bit lacking in quantity 

Mandy


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Aires*

Hi

I am wanting the book so that I can plan journeys through France without having to slog it out for hours on the motorway etc.

When I was in Spain in October, I looked at a book that a neighbour had. It described the aire at St Pourcain and had directions such as "turn right at the post office" but I can't remember what book it was.

Not keen on satnav, prefer a look at a map and Google earth etc.

Russell


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Russel;

Most of these aires books are out of date as soon as they are printed, just go onto campingcar-infos and print off the very latest lists by dept.

eg, see this list for Dept 88....

>Vosges<

You can print them off with/without the French comments.

Most have an address, then just ask a local for directions.

Pete


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## andyandsue (Sep 7, 2008)

*why*

you say you dont use GPS why? get one for 50 quid . ours stops wife / driver map reading rows, it finds us lidls and other supermarkets , it finds us petrol stations and water. ive noted that some people in the uk have a strange attitude to sat nav( whilst every mh in europe uses them) it seems to echo the strange Daily Mail attitude that gps , phones, the sun,and everything else gives you cancer or is somehow bad for you.... GPS is an everyday thing not to be scared of and has been of continiuos help to us over 4 years fulltiming


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Sat nav*

Hi

I just don't like satnav, just as I don't like having a reverse monitor! There is another thread running whereby the GPS take you down a narrow alley etc etc. Not likely in this van!

Russell


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## dragonflyer (Nov 4, 2007)

*Aires book*

Hi Russell

We use the 'Guide officiel Aires de Services Camping-Car' [green] from the french camping and caravanning club. Some entries give directions (in french) others only the location in town.
Also gives website if appropriate.

We also like the camping sites book [blue]. This has more comprehensive directions to site.

We buy the books early in the year from Auchan at Calais. I believe they are also available from Vicarious books.

Joyce


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## andyandsue (Sep 7, 2008)

*o*

ok ,, best book for france is all the aires which is being updated as we speak,, or the white french one available in supermarkets in spring ...for germany its bord atlas,italy is guida camper sosta.. i dont have a reversing sensor( except sue waving her hand like a mad woman) of couse dont leave home without an acsi card best of luck sue and andrew


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## grouch (Oct 1, 2005)

We use All the Aires Book from Vicarious Books as I like the pictures but it is not always totally accurate. We also use Aires de service-Camping Cars. This is not as good as it used to be as it includes French Passion and loads of campsites which we are not interested in. However, between the two and a certain anmount of wild camping we get by. Do not like the idea of sat nav as instead of two arguing there would then be three.


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## andyandsue (Sep 7, 2008)

*oh and camperstop too*

we forgot to rec camperstop whilst all the aires and other guides like to be as sure as poss a place exsists before printing details camper stop seems to be written by one of those dutch vans you find over nighting next to a french disco and drugs needle exchange unit wildly over optomistic but usefull as a last resort and to cross ref sites,,interested in other peoples views on camperstop guide ....its most outragous listing is for ......free mh parking in genevra which took us to the front gate of the UN building amonst the protesters, it took us an age to blag our way past the security!!!


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## andyandsue (Sep 7, 2008)

*joaana lumley*

i call my sat nav Joanna it it sounds like miss lumley...... id follew her every wored till the end of the world


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

I think the problem with All the Aires is that it's so out of date. Some of the aires were visited in 2007. We found a number that were closed, and some which were obviously not used any more, since there was car parking and aggregate dumped all over it.

There are new aires opening up all the time. I bought a magazine when I was over there (Le Monde du Camping Cars, I think) which had several new aires listed.

Gerald


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Don't forget, there are details of 600+ Aires here


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## grouch (Oct 1, 2005)

When we were in the Alps during the summer we met a couple free-lancing for Vicarious Books who were very efficient so perhaps the new book will be improved. With the last book it appeared they were just relying on the public to update them.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Dont forget ther is always the "France Passion" book. Overnight stops fro free but NO facilities.

I have used it a fair bit and some of the stops are just sublime !!!


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## grouch (Oct 1, 2005)

Don't they limit you to just one night. We usually like to arrive at a spot, explore the next day and leave the next.


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

tonyt said:


> Don't forget, there are details of 600+ Aires here


Yes, but you need to be online to look at them :evil:

Gerald


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

geraldandannie said:


> tonyt said:
> 
> 
> > Don't forget, there are details of 600+ Aires here
> ...


Not if you put a little time into downloading.

And don't forget - the USB is on its way - maybe, just maybe, in time for next year's travels (or the year after or the year ......)


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## Sprinta (Sep 15, 2010)

*Re: Sat nav*



Rapide561 said:


> Hi
> 
> I just don't like satnav, There is another thread running whereby the GPS take you down a narrow alley etc
> Russell


edited.

you could always use the GPS unit simply to give you a better idea where somewhere is and as an aid to your mapreading

As has already been said it can show you where facilities are in relation to your current whereabouts, e.g. fuel stops, hotels, hospitals, points of interest etc.etc. You don't need to rely on it to guide you if you don't want to.

Having said that I've used my sat-navs to help me all over Europe on my m/cycle and I no longer take a map with me at all - that included a trip to Poland where even the GPS lacked suitable mapping, and yet it still enabled me to refind my hotel in Krakow as I'd set it as a waypoint and used the compass facility to navigate by.

why not borrow one for a while and see how you could use it?


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## andyandsue (Sep 7, 2008)

*just go*

an up to date michillin map ,all the aires from the uk , the white and green book from french supermarkets,and a bit of sun and yur set, you might not come back !! whilst on here can i make a plea ,,dont just complain about wrong cords ,, fill in the correction sheet and send it off..we are only a few( uk vans) who use aires in europe we need to help each other with info . also big tip...after france go to germany..toll free motorways and clean organised locally run aires or stellplatze


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## Solwaybuggier (Mar 4, 2008)

Just to muddy things still more - we use mainly the Guide National des Aires published by Le Monde du Camping Car, and the campingcarsinfo website. If you're comfortable with French, I think they're both far more comprehensive than All The Aires - which we have but really only use for the photos!


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