Camping-Car parks

[CherylnMick]

We used CCPs for the first time this year. Our card was sent to our home address (2023) and I tried to book a site but the app said I had to pay 40€ for a pack privileges to enable me to use that function, I didn’t bother. Never had a problem getting a pitch. Some were very scruffy whilst others were pristine, I guess it depends on the town and how they look after the site.

All in all more good experiences than bad so would definitely use again. Perhaps we should invite them to set up in the UK, wouldn’t that cause an upset

 

[OwnedbyCollies]

They are great for off-season touring - in the main, the bornes are heated and water is always available.

 

[CherylnMick]

I think they’re great. Used them in our last trip and it was a breeze.

However I’ve just downloaded the app update, at the apps request and it no longer functions properly.

When you click on a review it closes the app. It wouldn’t let me email them from the app either, so I’ve done so on their webpage.

Anyone else having trouble with the update?

Try deleting the app and switching phone off, then back on again the reinstall app. That usually works for me.

 

[Ber090]

We used CCPs for the first time this year. Our card was sent to our home address (2023) and I tried to book a site but the app said I had to pay 40€ for a pack privileges to enable me to use that function, I didn’t bother. Never had a problem getting a pitch. Some were very scruffy whilst others were pristine, I guess it depends on the town and how they look after the site.

All in all more good experiences than bad so would definitely use again. Perhaps we should invite them to set up in the UK, wouldn’t that cause an upset

I understand that they looked at the UK and decided that they could never make their system work here. I guess that they would have massive problems with the major clubs objecting and the attitude of councils in general.

 

[InvictaMoto]

Has anyone considered why CCP are taking over the management of so many old municipal campsites and aires?

Just a thought.

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[Kups]

Has anyone considered why CCP are taking over the management of so many old municipal campsites and aires?

Just a thought.

Yes, I've answered this before in an earlier thread.
My career has been in leisure and tourism management both in public and private sector.
The main reason (as always) is money, or more accurately, the lack of it in The Marie, Rathaus, Town Hall. Across most European countries local authorities have had their budgets squeezed/reduced year on year. Leisure and tourism services are generally a discretionary expenditure well down the list of priorities, slightly higher up in popular tourist areas. Motorhome area expenditure is a cost most have paid out to keep the white boxes coming and local businesses happy. Except Le Touquet who seem to abhor them!

Then along comes a well financed and organised company offer the Mayor to lease their costly aire, pay for lots of improvements, fully maintain it , pay for the electric and services and give the Mayor an annual rent. The Mayor gets an improved aire (good for PR), CCP take all the grief and cost of running the aire and pay the Mayor or profit share etc for the privilege.

Win: win for the mayor, more money to spend on higher priorities and the much improved aire stays open.

It's a good business model which obviously works for not just CCP but AireParkReservation as well. Other companies will no doubt join the market.

Not so good for the UK as you have to own an existing aire preferably with room for expansion to attract these companies.

 

[InvictaMoto]

Yes, I've answered this before in an earlier thread.


Then along comes a well financed and organised company offer the Mayor to lease their costly aire, pay for lots of improvements, fully maintain it , pay for the electric and services and give the Mayor an annual rent. The Mayor gets an improved aire (good for PR), CCP take all the grief and cost of running the aire and pay the Mayor or profit share etc for the privilege.

Win: win for the mayor, more money to spend on higher priorities and the much improved aire stays open.

It's a good business model which obviously works for not just CCP but AireParkReservation as well. Other companies will no doubt join the market.

Not so good for the UK as you have to own an existing aire preferably with room for expansion to attract these companies.

I asked as I knew the answer having a friend whose wife, although British, is on the local council in a small rural village not far from Carcassonne. They have a small free aire. No services but bins. The Mayor and most of the council want to get rid of it as it's either an eyesore, underused or simply space wasted. Another council member contacted the aire management company (AMC). They had a visit but nothing happened as the AMC didn't want to take it over as it's not liable to generate much income and they would have to spend a lot to make it to their specs. They partner with the actual owner.

They would upgrade the infrastructure. Put in the barrier and services and take a management fee but the council would be responsible for its upkeep for a share of the dosh.. So AMC wouldn't own it but would expect a decent ROI.

I can see why many municipalities are going down this line with one or other of the aire companies.

 

[EuroTrotters]

This year we used 6 of them in august/September.

The app says we will receive an email on 1st october informing us of how many free nights we will receive to use off-season. 1st October 2024 to 31st March 2025.

From my calculations, it will mean 7 free nights.

Sadly, we won’t have any Schengen days left to use them .

I like them. They do vary from a muddy old field to very pleasant vineyard areas with views, even brand new town & city ones.

We have enjoyed them. The only one we really disliked was this one …..

Small group of youths arrived Friday night . Used the basketball cage to play football.

Cage getting smashed by the ball was bad enough. But the boombox speaker they brought, blasting out vile French and American rap was mental torture.

Expecting a peaceful Saturday, we were disappointed as they returned. Bigger group, riding bikes through the site at speed. Swearing and spitting.

Final straw, we left and headed to the coast .

We stayed at a municipal aire. We were the only British van. The rest were mainly French with a couple of Germans. €9 and of the 16 vans, we were the only ones displaying the very large, obvious parking fee receipt. FLT’s that will hopefully get a knock or help lead to it’s closure.

 

[Reallyretired]

We use them a lot. Swmbo likes sites and these are a good compromise between sites and free aires (my preference as a tight bastard)
We prefer the open grassy ones though the new one at Le Puy is OK.

 

[Smokaijo]

I put this in France touring but they do have a few sites in Netherlands and Spain and no doubt they will spread further, basically they have taken over a lot of the old municipal sites so many have electric included and some have a toilet block so then they allow vans without own facilities and tents as well.

We are on our first one tonight and it was so easy, I registered for a card before we came away and loaded a few €, I though the card would come in the post but no instead I just got a code to retrieve the card at the gate on first visit, a couple of minutes looking the screen and then I pressed the right button and out came my card waved it at the barrier card reader and we are in the cost varies but this is €15.20 per night but for €6 you can have 6 hours and use the service area and I guess electric as well.

Apart from all of the above what we really liked was that you just roll up, flash your card at the barrier and in you go, this one we are on is at Saumur and is actually just outside the gates of the campsite which had a queue of caravans waiting to check in (I hate the check in process) you can check the available spaces on the app although I am told it isn't 100% reliable but you can also book ahead.

And you are allowed to put your table and chairs out so it's really more like a campsite, but easier.

View attachment 947347
https://www.campingcarpark.com/en_GB/

After all this you will most likely all come back and say "we have been using them for years" it's just a while since have been in France so are a bit rusty.

I must have missed something in the thread but what card are you talking about please ??

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[MichaelT]

I must have missed something in the thread but what card are you talking about please ??

You have to register to use CCP and you get a card that you can then top up with credit or just pay for the night you are using it. You present the card at the barrier to enter and exit and a lot to get water.

If you register online I believe you get a code sent via mail that you enter at the first aire you go to which then dispenses the card. Old fashioned way is to turn up and register on the machine on entry.

 

[Carpmart]

We are staying on one this Sunday after a 400km blast (@95kph ) from the Champagne region across to Le Mans. Only reason is we need a full tank of water (320L) and it’s 3km from the lake I’m fishing.

 

[funflair]

I must have missed something in the thread but what card are you talking about please ??

The card you get when you sign up with CAMPING-CAR parks.

 

[BrianS]

Simple question, what do the three colours (blue, orange and green) on their map symbols mean please?

 

[chaser]

I have finally found out what it is about these places that gets me .we are up dressed and showered in our own van eating our bacon and eggs but through the window folks walking up and down in dressing gowns and bowls of washing up and toilet rolls hanging out of their pockets.
It's not an Aire it's a bloody campsite
They might as well be here in a tent , we don't want any of that we just need water and a hole in the ground.
15 quid

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[Skez]

I have finally found out what it is about these places that gets me .we are up dressed and showered in our own van eating our bacon and eggs but through the window folks walking up and down in dressing gowns and bowls of washing up and toilet rolls hanging out of their pockets.
It's not an Aire it's a bloody campsite
They might as well be here in a tent , we don't want any of that we just need water and a hole in the ground.
15 quid

Yep!! Exactly my thoughts. I know they serve a lot of people who enjoy the 'certainty' of a safe spot to park, but to me they are pseudo campsites. If I liked campsites I'd have bought a caravan. When CCP have taken over the world I shall miss the traditional French Aire enormously! I would far rather pay 12-15 euros for an aire please.

 

[Kups]

I have finally found out what it is about these places that gets me .we are up dressed and showered in our own van eating our bacon and eggs but through the window folks walking up and down in dressing gowns and bowls of washing up and toilet rolls hanging out of their pockets.
It's not an Aire it's a bloody campsite
They might as well be here in a tent , we don't want any of that we just need water and a hole in the ground.
15 quid

You must have stayed in one of the Mon Village sites which have seasonally available shower and washing up facilites. These are very much the minority of sites. Shock horror, they also allow caravans onto those sites.

 

[funflair]

Simple question, what do the three colours (blue, orange and green) on their map symbols mean please?

The blue ones are for Motorhomes with own facilities, the orange are also for caravans and tents as obviously old camp sites with a block still, the green is just service and no overnight, there is also a faded mauve colour which is closed.

 

[LesW]

Yep!! Exactly my thoughts. I know they serve a lot of people who enjoy the 'certainty' of a safe spot to park, but to me they are pseudo campsites. If I liked campsites I'd have bought a caravan. When CCP have taken over the world I shall miss the traditional French Aire enormously! I would far rather pay 12-15 euros for an aire please.

Not all the CCP sites have toilets and showers, most are just very nice places to stop without these facilities.

 

[hja]

Playing devils advocate to some extent, you would think some councils might like to engage with them because they put barriers in and councils seem to love barriers. And everyone would have to pay.

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[Rob Turner]

We’ve used loads of them all over France and Belgium and are very happy with the setup.
There was one that we didn’t like and I submitted a review and it was withdrawn as they didn’t like my comments which I think reflected the site.

 

[Solwaybuggier]

The blue ones are for Motorhomes with own facilities, the orange are also for caravans and tents as obviously old camp sites with a block still, the green is just service and no overnight, there is also a faded mauve colour which is closed.

But the orange ones (Campings de Mon Village) only accept caravans & tents in season - and the toilet blocks are only open in season as well. (What counts as high season varies from one to another.). The rest of the year they function as a CCP.

 

[Anjistar]

What we found really useful was wild camping in the Pyrenees and being able to drive a few km down to the valley and use the CCP services for free. We've used them a lot, mostly as stopovers on our way somewhere.

 

[alasdairandannie]

W

I put this in France touring but they do have a few sites in Netherlands and Spain and no doubt they will spread further, basically they have taken over a lot of the old municipal sites so many have electric included and some have a toilet block so then they allow vans without own facilities and tents as well.

We are on our first one tonight and it was so easy, I registered for a card before we came away and loaded a few €, I though the card would come in the post but no instead I just got a code to retrieve the card at the gate on first visit, a couple of minutes looking the screen and then I pressed the right button and out came my card waved it at the barrier card reader and we are in the cost varies but this is €15.20 per night but for €6 you can have 6 hours and use the service area and I guess electric as well.

Apart from all of the above what we really liked was that you just roll up, flash your card at the barrier and in you go, this one we are on is at Saumur and is actually just outside the gates of the campsite which had a queue of caravans waiting to check in (I hate the check in process) you can check the available spaces on the app although I am told it isn't 100% reliable but you can also book ahead.

And you are allowed to put your table and chairs out so it's really more like a campsite, but easier.

View attachment 947347
https://www.campingcarpark.com/en_GB/

After all this you will most likely all come back and say "we have been using them for years" it's just a while since have been in France so are a bit rusty.

We use them occasionally as some of them are in reasonable locations. Real mixed bag. BUT you can book and the services are generally good. We’ve used the outlier in Spain at Lorca a couple of times. Only a car park and a scruffy one at that but 1€ and close to the town.

 

[DerryW]

Only ever stopped on one which had a single mixed toilet, never mind showers.
Every other one has had the basic facilities; dump, fresh water, 6a power and apparently free WiFi which we don't bother with. I fully apricate a lot prefer the basic aire rather than the CCP network which is fine. For between 10e and 15e I only wish there was such facilities in UK. You'll struggle to find a CL for anywhere near those prices.

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[suavecarve]

We have used 7 in 7 years (2 on this holiday) and probably used 2-300 free (or very cheap) aires in the same period.

They have their uses especially as I don't have solar at the moment. I can top up my 300 lithium in only a 6 hour stay for 6 euros and charge both bikes up at the same time.

They aren't taking over in France, but are slowly becoming more frequent. Interestingly they only advertise 4 new French aires this year on their website but have ventured into Germany and Belgium which bolster their numbers. Perhaps they have reached saturation point with French local councils preferring visitors to empty facilities and a little money. Apt was empty CCP couple of weeks ago and next to a voie verte and free lake.

They have been going for 13 years and a quick search shows 7 of them within 50 km of me (middle of Provence) and 53 free aires within the same radius. That is excluding wild spots and France passion sites. It's a long way to go til the French regularly pay rather than use their Napoleonic right to do what they want for nothing (Imv)

 

[DaveS]

We’re on a month long trip around France and we’ve been using them extensively. We’ve been on some brilliant aires. I love that generally you can expect the same standard of services. Sure some are better than others but we read the reviews and leave reviews ourselves to help others.

 

[CherylnMick]

I understand that they looked at the UK and decided that they could never make their system work here. I guess that they would have massive problems with the major clubs objecting and the attitude of councils in general.

I completely agree but The clubs would still have the caravans and tents and some motorhomes to fleece with their prices. It’s the Council’s that I would see a problem with and the travellers/gypsies overtaking the pitches and not paying. I guess we just have to go abroad

 

[Ber090]

What we found really useful was wild camping in the Pyrenees and being able to drive a few km down to the valley and use the CCP services for free. We've used them a lot, mostly as stopovers on our way somewhere.

Interesting this one. If you mean you empty and fill without paying( which many French and Dutch do) then, to quote CCP : We try to make our service areas, card dependent, but where we cannot do that, we try to prosecute for theft and fraud.
I guess they do have cameras on most areas. I was surprised to be told this by one of there “ambassadors “ but I guess in fairness it is theft.
Get my tin hat now!
Cheers
Bernie

 

[SafetyPete]

Stayed at Mont St Michel last night and again tonight.
Site is easy to find, swipe card access, pitches are ok size, all have hook up.
Its almost full, think 170 out of 180 last night, but is quiet.
17€ inc hook up and water facilities.
Hard not to like tbh.
Cycle track to MSM has gate from site.

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