# motorhomingfrance.co.uk



## mikebeaches (Oct 18, 2008)

Just came across 'Motorhoming France' http://www.motorhomingfrance.co.uk/

Is anybody on here a member, and is it any good?

Subscription £18pa, currently reduced to £12.

Any thoughts appreciated.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

looks like a previous member setting up their own website maybe, don't think it is worth £12 let alone £18.

cabby


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Had a quick look and there appear to be only 1,200 Aires in their database, which they claim is "THE MOST DETAILED FRENCH AIRES DATABASE ON A UK WEBSITE". _(Their capitals.)_

Not exactly a comprehensive collection - unless I have missed something. 8O

Ryan's (ActiveCampers) Aires database for the GPS has 5020 entries - and it's free.

Plus 4021 Motorhome Parking Places in addition. :wink:

Dave


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

The Motorhome Tours looks a good idea.

I imagine there'd be plenty of contributors to a similar section here.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Have a look at >> this << Tony.

Not exactly motorhome tours, but it looks interesting.

Dave


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

mikebeaches said:


> Subscription £18pa, currently reduced to £12.


Just shows what great value MHF is by comparison eh? :wink: :lol:


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Zebedee said:


> Have a look at >> this << Tony.
> 
> Not exactly motorhome tours, but it looks interesting.
> 
> Dave


Thanks Dave - looks interesting, as you say.

I'm finding Earth Simulator is very good for putting together scenic drives. My AA France Atlas is plastered with fluorescent highlighted plottings. A techie I am not so I like pen and paper aided by my gps.


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## mikebeaches (Oct 18, 2008)

Zebedee said:


> Have a look at >> this << Tony.
> 
> Not exactly motorhome tours, but it looks interesting.
> 
> Dave


By coincidence, I had the very same book out of the library a couple of weeks ago. And indeed, it was quite interesting.

Having said that, I enjoy making my own plans - sometimes on the hoof. :?


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

mikebeaches said:


> Just came across 'Motorhoming France' http://www.motorhomingfrance.co.uk/
> 
> Is anybody on here a member, and is it any good?
> 
> ...


I subscribed to it and then discovered camping-car infos which has a better interactive map and a downloadable version for the laptop. Never been above £12 to subscribe. One big advantage to compensate for the fair critical comments above is that it is in English and the aires have recommendations and photos so you can see what you can expect. The site now offers a version on a stick for £12 but the update process for it seemed a bit of a task but to be fair I didn't spend much time on it.
Probably as mentioned not as many aires as others list but I think they are all genuine aires that have been visited and not just parking spaces....

I used it for our first trips abroad, printing pages to take with us along the route we had chosen and it served us really well. Used in conjunction with a French version of the book "all the Aires". So as the first we had I've kept the subscription going for 4 years but nearly didn't renew the last subscription request.

Tours section is quite good to get you thinking, so if you want a guide to aires in English it may be worth the money?

Steve


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

gaspode said:


> mikebeaches said:
> 
> 
> > Subscription £18pa, currently reduced to £12.
> ...


I notice a lot of the foreign motorhome forums complain a lot about the MHF charges.

But all their forums are poor in comparison.

TM


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

Meant to include that it is very region/department orientated and although it is a bit frustrating not to be able to get interactive links from the main map it concentrates your mind on learning the relative positions of the regions and departments....

If you are not a member then you can't really get a feeling for the site but they do offer 7 day no-quibble money back trial.

Link to sample page
Sample page - free to view from main page

Quite a number of other sample views of the member's area that you need to scroll quite a long way down on the main page to see.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*MHF*

The Lake looks nice. where is it?


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

*Re: MHF*



teemyob said:


> The Lake looks nice. where is it?


Valanjou? between Nantes and Tours, south of Angers off A87 I think!


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

The problem with pre-defined tours is that there's no guarantee that the stopping place featured will be to your liking, or even still in existence. On the Chateaux of the Cathars example, they stopped at Trebes, which, as we know, is now closed >> LINK <<

We use the All the Aires book, as it's much easier to use on the move. And there's more than enough suggestions on MHF on places to visit in France.

Gerald


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

geraldandannie said:


> The problem with pre-defined tours is that there's no guarantee that the stopping place featured will be to your liking, or even still in existence. On the Chateaux of the Cathars example, they stopped at Trebes, which, as we know, is now closed >> LINK <<
> 
> We use the All the Aires book, as it's much easier to use on the move. And there's more than enough suggestions on MHF on places to visit in France.
> 
> Gerald


Like all tours if you read them on the MhFrance website as a member they are a guide with suggestions and pretty basic info which needs to be used in conjunction with a map, electronic or otherwise. I guess they come with the same warning as you get with regards to an MOT - only totally accurate at the moment it is done!


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

Trebes is actually flagged in the members area on Motorhomingfrance as being closed from 2009.... someone has added a nearby alternative at FONTIES D'AUDE.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Hmmmmmmm??

I had another browse and it looks a nice, well structured site. 

Problem is, there are so many sources of POIs, datasets etc., that it's difficult to avoid duplication. (Archie's, iCampingCars, GPS-Data-Team etc..)

When touring France (or wherever) we usually stay in one place for only three nights maximum, so we are more interested in knowing where an Aire or campsite *is* . . . rather than precise details of the facilities. 30 seconds is usually enough to tell us if it is so naff that we don't want to stay.

To be honest I don't think my trusty navigator could cope with any more detail than we have already. 8O :roll:

Dave 

.


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## mikebeaches (Oct 18, 2008)

Thanks everybody for all the helpful responses!

I'm going to hold fire for now and perhaps consider whether to join or not in the new year. In the meantime, hoping Santa might bring me a handy Aires guidebook of some description.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

mikebeaches said:


> Thanks everybody for all the helpful responses!
> 
> I'm going to hold fire for now and perhaps consider whether to join or not in the new year. In the meantime, hoping Santa might bring me a handy Aires guidebook of some description.


While you're waiting for your Christmas pressie -download Archies and spend a few enjoyable hours with Google Earth.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

mikebeaches said:


> In the meantime, hoping Santa might bring me a handy Aires guidebook of some description.


Check your Inbox Mike.

Dave :lol:


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## ruthiebabe (Aug 16, 2005)

I paid the £12 recently and think that it is a pretty fair deal really, a lot of work must go in to that site and there is a lot of information on there, in English, in one place...
very helpful for a new motorhomer to France I should think and Even as an experienced motorhomer I have found stuff on there that i didnt know or it has led me to something via a useful link. 

I can't comment on the poi 's haven't tried them

The 'best Aires in...' sections drawn from pols of camping-car magazine readers look useful, split in to departments.

A minor niggle is that there are one or two departments missing from the aires sections and also in general ie from the tourist info about each department. 

The forum is not as well used as MHF, no surprise there.

The tourist info and travel stuff is okay but after extensive look I think about.france.com is as good if not better and it's free.

However as a one stop shop, especially for a newbie, motorhomingfrance 
Has to be worth £12 IMO.


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## ruthiebabe (Aug 16, 2005)

Sorry I meant france-voyages.com for tourist info


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## oldtart (Mar 18, 2006)

We've used the Backroads in France book, Dave and found it really useful.


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