Aren't campsites god forsaken places

[Northernraider]

Personally think a lot Aires resemble car parks and can’t understand why anyone would want to pay £1,000’s for a motorhome then sit on a car park. Of course there are some beautiful Aires out there but equally some not so nice ones. I don’t want to have to stay out all day and much prefer to sit outside my van, pop to the shower etc.,

Likewise many can't understand the appeal of sitting in neat little rows in a van the same as you'd do in a house.

Why buy a van with a toilet shower etc and not use it.


Takes all sorts .

 

[MR BLO]

Why buy a van with a toilet shower etc and not use it.


Takes all sorts .

We all know that it is each to their own. I love some aires, I love some campsites and I personally love using the van facilities, makes it feel a bit different from being at home.
Due to the current situation with parents health we don’t get away much so I often go for the morning sabbatical or sometimes a shower in our van parked at the bottom of the garden. Bet the horses think I’m a right pillock in my dressing gown, cup of tea in hand and paper under the arm. Don’t take the washing up though because that would be just silly.

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

Why are people with no Idea, first hand, of what a lot of aires are like, commenting?

Because its an open forum where all opinions and personal preferences can be aired.
And why Not

 

[chaser]

Because its an open forum where all opinions and personal preferences can be aired.
And why Not

I didn't start this thread for an argument, just saying what I thought about certain campsites , I even came here knowing what it is like, just because I can't find anywhere else so convenient for where I wanted to go.
But the thought of just coming to stay here and setting up camp and wandering up and down to stinking toilets and washing up sinks and that's the total day is way beyond my comprehension but if that's what people want well pay your 30 quid and good luck with it.

 

[VXman]

Yeah got a car. Yep done hotels all over. Prefer the motorhome as we can park on aires, CCPs, vineyards, pubs, municipals, full campsites and any combination we fancy. I can use bars, showers, pools or none of the above. That’s the beauty of it. No?

Certainly is. Currently sitting in a 'carpark' in northern Italy as we just needed somewhere to sleep. Later on we wil find a nice campsite further south with a beach nearby, or stuff to explore and to chill for a while. We enjoy car parks, Aires (good and bad) wild camping, and campsites (like a decent long shower sometimes).

However, some of your other posts seemed to suggest otherwise...

Personally think a lot Aires resemble car parks and can’t understand why anyone would want to pay £1,000’s for a motorhome then sit on a car park. Of course there are some beautiful Aires out there but equally some not so nice ones. I don’t want to have to stay out all day and much prefer to sit outside my van, pop to the shower etc.,

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[Shrimp]

Woman just gone past with a suacepan in her hand.

I often walk across a campsite (CS) with a saucepan in my hand.
Hard boiled eggs need cooling down so a trip to the tap!

 

[Lenny HB]

I often walk across a campsite (CS) with a saucepan in my hand.
Hard boiled eggs need cooling down so a trip to the tap!

I've got a tap in my Motorhome

 

[Ridgeway]

I like campsites, I also like chocolate

 

[Barti Ddu]

We're happy to stay on campsites, but generally prefer Aires, and wild camping.

This is where we've woken up this morning. Nouvion-en-Thierache on the edge of the Ardennes forest.. Free Aire. Loads of space between vans, immaculately kept site, picnic tables, free grey disposal, and 4€ if you want fresh water, elsan and EHU. Walk one direction into the forest, or 5 minutes the other direction past the lake into town.

Not sure exactly where we'll end up tonight but aiming for the beautiful Meuse valley so thinking of an aire by the river near Monthermé. That's the beauty of motorhomes (and Aires), no need to plan. Have an adventure.

 

[TM59]

No one is forcing you to read this thread if you want technical info just read the technical threads instead of moaning about the rest of us having a bit of fun.

What on earth has not liking sites got to do with people affording their subs on here or the price of their Motorhome.

I have just ordered a new van well over 100k it won't be going on many sites because we don't like them nothing to do with cost. Its simple we don't like sites, we prefer Aires or wilding.

Thread started as banter, then turns into the usual moans about campsites v aires v wild camping. Usual strong opinions. Congratulations on your new van and we all know it won’t be on many campsites you have reminded us so many times.

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[Zoobec]

I didn't start this thread for an argument, just saying what I thought about certain campsites , I even came here knowing what it is like, just because I can't find anywhere else so convenient for where I wanted to go.
But the thought of just coming to stay here and setting up camp and wandering up and down to stinking toilets and washing up sinks and that's the total day is way beyond my comprehension but if that's what people want well pay your 30 quid and good luck with it.

We’ve stayed on a few different campsites and none of them, even those with basic more rustic facilities, had stinking toilets!

We use the toilet in the van overnight and do small washing up inside the van but we do tend to use the toilets and washing up facilities on sites during the morning and evening if we are on site at that time, before and after whatever daily outing we have planned. A lot of them have facilities as good as some hotels. And one the other week even had an outside dog shower, with hot and cold power shower! I think others do similar, others do different, each to their own personal choice and I’m too busy enjoying life to be wondering what other people are doing or why they are doing it!

I wouldn’t stay on a site or an aire that is tightly packed / car park like unless it was an emergency overnight stop.

 

[Lenny HB]

We’ve stayed on a few different campsites and none of them, even those with basic more rustic facilities, had stinking toilets!

Try a CMC site then I think I've only stayed on 3 of them in my 50 years of camping and one of them had nice stinky loos. Urinal leaking nobody bothered to fix it & the showers were naff, really small no door just a manky shower curtain and it looked like a new block. I really don't understand why people like their sites.

 

[simsy56]

Aires are more convenient, many towns and villages have them, whereas a campsite can be far, far, away from some interesting places.

Take Frias, in northern Spain for example. An interesting town with Roman influences, a delight to walk around, with an ancient fort built on rocks in such a way it almost defies gravity. Plenty of restaurants and bars, shops and banks, Roman baths and bridges. The views from the top of the town are breathtaking. And a nice free aire is provided for your custom. It does state on the aire that it is e6 pn payable at the towns information office, we went to pay and was told that they don't charge anymore.

Segovia is also a place to see, with its vast aquaduct crossing the town, 2000 years old and not a bit of mortar holding it together, and also the castle which inspired Walt Disney. Again another free aire is provided in town which can be crammed to capacity at times.

We prefer to wander around in our RV, rather than stay put on a campsite.

Craig

 

[Zoobec]

Try a CMC site then I think I've only stayed on 3 of them in my 50 years of camping and one of them had nice stinky loos. Urinal leaking nobody bothered to fix it & the showers were naff, really small no door just a manky shower curtain and it looked like a new block. I really don't understand why people like their sites.

not tried a CMC site. Only independent ones and a CCC site but if that’s what all cmc sites are typically like I wouldn’t bother trying!

 

[Billylou]

Aires are more convenient, many towns and villages have them, whereas a campsite can be far, far, away from some interesting places.

Take Frias, in northern Spain for example. An interesting town with Roman influences, a delight to walk around, with an ancient fort built on rocks in such a way it almost defies gravity. Plenty of restaurants and bars, shops and banks, Roman baths and bridges. The views from the top of the town are breathtaking. And a nice free aire is provided for your custom. It does state on the aire that it is e6 pn payable at the towns information office, we went to pay and was told that they don't charge anymore.

Segovia is also a place to see, with its vast aquaduct crossing the town, 2000 years old and not a bit of mortar holding it together, and also the castle which inspired Walt Disney. Again another free aire is provided in town which can be crammed to capacity at times.

We prefer to wander around in our RV, rather than stay put on a campsite.

Craig

Good info simsy56, we’ll drop into Frias.

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[jumartoo]

Aires are more convenient, many towns and villages have them, whereas a campsite can be far, far, away from some interesting places.

Take Frias, in northern Spain for example. An interesting town with Roman influences, a delight to walk around, with an ancient fort built on rocks in such a way it almost defies gravity. Plenty of restaurants and bars, shops and banks, Roman baths and bridges. The views from the top of the town are breathtaking. And a nice free aire is provided for your custom. It does state on the aire that it is e6 pn payable at the towns information office, we went to pay and was told that they don't charge anymore.

Segovia is also a place to see, with its vast aquaduct crossing the town, 2000 years old and not a bit of mortar holding it together, and also the castle which inspired Walt Disney. Again another free aire is provided in town which can be crammed to capacity at times.

We prefer to wander around in our RV, rather than stay put on a campsite.

Craig

We were at Frias only yesterday. We didn't stay though cos its FIESTA weekend.

View to the motorhome area from the village.

 

[Northernraider]

You generally don't get a pitch this size on campsites or aires. Which is why I'll always prefer a selection of carparks

This is my stop last night .

 

[philann]

Try a CMC site then I think I've only stayed on 3 of them in my 50 years of camping and one of them had nice stinky loos. Urinal leaking nobody bothered to fix it & the showers were naff, really small no door just a manky shower curtain and it looked like a new block. I really don't understand why people like their sites.

If you have only stayed 3 times in 50 years when was the last time and how long since the leaking urinal? Difficult to make a judgement against CMC on that basis. Things change, we’ve been to lots of CMC sites and all the shower cubicles have had doors. Many people go to those sites because of the quality of the facilities!
There are lots of other things to moan about CMC buts that’s another thread

 

[Simon Meadwell]

I stayed on a site in Spain.
I’m sure my wife thinks that we are hooked up to the town mains as I spent everyday making 8 trips to the tap with a watering can and 8 buckets going the other way. I used to
Joke with the Dutch neighbours that we had a bath in our motorhome. I would go to the site block - for a rest

Thats a lot of water, in France this summer i got the waste water down to two buckets a day and obviously two watering cans of fresh back in.
We did use site showers and washed the pots at the block though.

 

[Lenny HB]

If you have only stayed 3 times in 50 years when was the last time and how long since the leaking urinal? Difficult to make a judgement against CMC on that basis. Things change, we’ve been to lots of CMC sites and all the shower cubicles have had doors. Many people go to those sites because of the quality of the facilities!

It was about 6 years ago and I forgot to mention the arsehole warden.

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[TM59]

Oh yes the poor old ****hole wardens, time to give them a touch. Must be time for a gassing thread or towing a car in Europe thread. More moaning.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Try a CMC site then I think I've only stayed on 3 of them in my 50 years of camping and one of them had nice stinky loos. Urinal leaking nobody bothered to fix it & the showers were naff, really small no door just a manky shower curtain and it looked like a new block. I really don't understand why people like their sites.

..We have used a few of the club sites and they have been fine, don’t need the facilities just the location for us..

 

[PORKSTER]

Do you get invited to many parties ?

 

[uzsnowdrop]

Small vws are fine if they have their own toilet and shower, one across from us whoosh banged twice in the night to walk to the toilet.

I sometimes do a whoosh, bang, then just a whoosh… leave it for a while , so everyone gets the fun of waiting for the bang

 

[Minxy]

Oh yes the poor old ****hole wardens, time to give them a touch. Must be time for a gassing thread or towing a car in Europe thread. More moaning.

Are you stalking Lenny? You seem to like picking on his posts, or do you really fancy him?

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[tribalbrit]

I find people moaning about people moaning quite amusing, otherwise I view this and other threats as a discussion.

 

[John Barrett]

Oh yes the poor old ****hole wardens, time to give them a touch. Must be time for a gassing thread or towing a car in Europe thread. More moaning.

We have encountered similar personages on two occasions out of five. They do exist and we left the Club soon after!

 

[TM59]

Are you stalking Lenny? You seem to like picking on his posts, or do you really fancy him?

Like Lenny HB. A lot. He is a man of great experience and will impart knowledge and help others especially anything to do with electrics when he can. When it comes to campsites/aires/wild camping it becomes a tad boring. Arguments or debates that have been well rehearsed so many times. Each to their own, don’t need to tell everyone I like a mixture of all.

 

[simsy56]

Good info simsy56, we’ll drop into Frias.

It's a really nice place, hope you enjoy it.

Craig

 

[MikenPauline]

Iv

Aires are more convenient, many towns and villages have them, whereas a campsite can be far, far, away from some interesting places.

Take Frias, in northern Spain for example. An interesting town with Roman influences, a delight to walk around, with an ancient fort built on rocks in such a way it almost defies gravity. Plenty of restaurants and bars, shops and banks, Roman baths and bridges. The views from the top of the town are breathtaking. And a nice free aire is provided for your custom. It does state on the aire that it is e6 pn payable at the towns information office, we went to pay and was told that they don't charge anymore.

Segovia is also a place to see, with its vast aquaduct crossing the town, 2000 years old and not a bit of mortar holding it together, and also the castle which inspired Walt Disney. Again another free aire is provided in town which can be crammed to capacity at times.

We prefer to wander around in our RV, rather than stay put on a campsite.

Craig

I’ve heard a few good reports about that Aire and will give it a try next time we go to Spain. Morella is another beautiful one.

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