Caravans are moving in!

[yodeli]

A lot of French arrive late and leave early to avoid paying.

Oh I bet some do yes! And probably quite a lot. This annoys me at least as much as a MoHo parked within a few centimetres away from my habitation door! Definitely not my cuppa. I park as far as possible from the others, and always pay wherever I have to, even though some places don't deserve it. But it's the game ....

 

[nicholsong]

I am aware of the titles and the supposed laws regarding them but please give a logical reason why caravans can not use them for the same purpose as Camping Cars.....short stays or transit stops.

Because some small Aires only have 2-4 short spaces, so tuggers have to unhitch and occupy two of the spaces.

Seems very selfish to me.

Several Aires I know have signs with 'No caravans' - seems plain.

Geoff

 

[2657]

Because some small Aires only have 2-4 short spaces, so tuggers have to unhitch and occupy two of the spaces.

Seems very selfish to me.

Several Aires I know have signs with 'No caravans' - seems plain.

Geoff

Lots of aires have plenty of space.

Is it selfish for a large motorhome/RV to occupy the same space that a car and caravan would take?

In my opinion it would be equally selfish for any large vehicle to take up two or more spaces on a small aire and any considerate motorhomer or caravanner would not do so.

 

[keithchesterfield2]

[QUOTE="matamoros, post: 3469758, member: please give a logical reason why caravans can not use them for the same purpose as Camping Cars.....short stays or transit stops.
[/QUOTE]

One reason is the attempt to stop 'Travellers/Gypsy'' parking on free village Aires and staying for as long as they wish.

Any commune of 5000 or more residents must provide adequate parking for long or short terms for them.

Aire de Camping-Cars are for short term stops for Motorhomes only and this discourages any other type of vehicle.

And this includes Caravans who have separate parking sites.

Municipal Police will move Caravans from the Aires if a complaint is made - and I've seen that done.

?

 

[Clarky]

but please give a logical reason why caravans can not use them for the same purpose as Camping Cars..

Cos we don’t like tuggers.

Richard

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[bobandjanie]

Cos we don’t like tuggers.

Richard

Or sliding doors.

We pulled into one place today, two caravans in there, but then the motorhomes were parked like a*$$***** , but never mind found a better spot near the beach, and dogs are allowed, but many don't like them either. Bob.

 

[Stewart J]

On an Aire at Ceves in Spain cracking resource and the rules are in English Motorhomes only, no tuggers here mind you large Police station just yards away.

 

[Edenside]

The company taking over a lot of the Aires in France where you need a card to enter have just sent me an email stating Caravans and even tents are allowed on some Aires.

 

[Loveshack]

Seen a lot of “supposed to’s” on here today. “Supposed to this, or supposed to that” and equally, not supposed to’s.
One of the reasons we’ve avoided Aires, is that as I understood it, an Aire was “supposed to be just an overnight stop”, and, as understood it, most people ignored that.
Was my understanding wrong, does everyone do what they’re supposed to?
Ten years ago, an Aire was free, very basic and not the sort of place you’d park a car and caravan. Now they make a charge, and offer a more civilised overnight stop and are less crowded, maybe they need to appeal to “tuggers”.
The opportunity to use a van and a caravan in the same way appeals. If caravans start to carry fresh water and grey water it also challenges the basic difference that many “banners”seem to identify with.
Aren’t we all just “travellers”?

 

[Scotsblood]

In France this year we stoped at an Aire that had a specific area for trailers and the very clear signage explained they must be unhitched and only a single vehicle should reverse to the hedge boundary to take a space.
It was on that aire we also saw two couples pack up their chars and table at lightening speed when the guy appeared to collect the cash. I’ve never seen stuff away and people walk so quicker on the other path into town to save €12!

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[138go]

The Caravaners using the Aires are just a load of Freeloaders! Why don't they pay to use the Campsites?

 

[2657]

[QUOTE="matamoros, post: 3469758, member: please give a logical reason why caravans can not use them for the same purpose as Camping Cars.....short stays or transit stops.

One reason is the attempt to stop 'Travellers/Gypsy'' parking on free village Aires and staying for as long as they wish.

Any commune of 5000 or more residents must provide adequate parking for long or short terms for them.

Aire de Camping-Cars are for short term stops for Motorhomes only and this discourages any other type of vehicle.

And this includes Caravans who have separate parking sites.

Municipal Police will move Caravans from the Aires if a complaint is made - and I've seen that done.

?
[/QUOTE]

Yes I know the rules, what I asked for was a logical reason.

I'm afraid the keep the 'travellers' out argument does not wash nowadays as there are plenty of 'travellers' using motorhomes now.

Where are these 'separate parking places' for caravans? Do you mean sites? Travelling through France in the winter months it would be difficult to find many convenient sites that are open

Aires, particularly in France, are intended for short term use by visitors to an area or for overnight stops, I see no reason whatsoever why caravans should not be allowed to use the ones with adequate space.

 

[rosalan]

I have yet to hear what the old Caravan Club thinks about Aires. They usually have opinions about most things. Perhaps now they include Motorhomes, they are reluctant to offer opinions on this topic.

 

[PeteH]

I was under the impression that so long as the caravan had fitted Water and Grey Tanks they could use aires?

 

[suavecarve]

Part of the reason we love going to France is they dont give a monkeys about rules.

Why it should upset anyone that somebody has taken their free or paying overnight parking space in a foreign country, where they dont respect rules, or are spoiling their view because an engine is not attached to the habitation, and it allows this to upset them, I dont understand it.

There are aires where caravans would be inappropriate and some where it really doesnt matter.

As for the 10pm rule, what happens at Cite d'europe ?

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[Shrimp]

Rules for the Aire de Camping Car state that you are not allowed to ‘camp’.
Nothing on the ground like mats, step, chairs, table, water barrels, waste hogs, not even levelling ramps!
An Aire is purely somewhere to stop overnight whilst travelling & for sightseeing.
We stopped at an Aire near the Sea and a Gendarme came in the morning to tell us that it was illegal to put levelling ramps on the ground & even our step (electric-not on the ground) was not allowed!
Some Communes are more lenient than others with their Aires.

 

[wiljoy]

Let's not knock the tuggers. They always supply the cabaret on sites when setting up. No offence intended brothers.

 

[chaser]

I'm well known as the miserable old bugger on here but I have some competition on this thread, what's wrong with live and let live, if there's plenty room why can't anyone park on the same Aire, in fact a lot of the places where we stop are normal car parks or truck stops, so I can't see the problem.

 

[keithchesterfield2]

I know that times are a-changing but in over ten years of using those 'nasty' Aires I can honestly say I've never seen a Caravan (except the one in the picture – horses in a nearby field) parked or allowed overnight on an Aire de Camping-Car.

Many Motorhomes and converted vans pull large trailers and they are often found taking up more room than a car and caravan would require but the French, and us, just let live and enjoy what France has to offer.

We often use the Aires and France Passion sites out of the main tourist spots as we meander around but worrying unnecessarily about where Tuggers stay overnight has never been one to cloud our holidays.

I'd always presumed they stopped on Motorway Services, Campsites and Routiers as we'd rarely seen then and certainly not seen them on designated Motorhome Aires.

I have no objection to them using Aires, watching the manoeuvring of the vehicles can be quite a spectator sport, but if the French authorities don't want them on Aires then that's fine by me.

 

[Norfolk Red]

Torch the bustards.

Reminds me of the scene in Snatch.

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[Scotsblood]

Let's not knock the tuggers. They always supply the cabaret on sites when setting up. No offence intended brothers.

Cabaret, no main headline act on far too many occasions watching the wobble box set-up routine played around various sites.
One of the best this past weekend was a particularly large van and very strident lady who was so very particular about the exact position of the van, on a completely uncontrolled park anywhere you like field that wasn’t very full at all, that tempers frayed.
The pilot ended up not being able to get the car turned around once unhitched and following obvious heated discussion they promptly departed to another corner to try again.

A few minutes later the very same spot was inhabited by an enormous Elddis Buccaneer with no fuss and was all set up with awning erected in about 20 minutes. The whole four person family acted with military precision and looked like a F1 pit crew, I was almost jealous!

 

[klaatu]

Reminds me of the scene in Snatch.

Not seen it, but now I’m going to have to

 

[nicholsong]

I think one point worth making is that a lot of caravan owners make the point about their style of camping that it allows them to set up for a few days and tour around the area in their tow vehicle.

I can understand that 'setting-up' and 'breaking-camp' is a bit of a chore and that they do not want to do it every 24 or 48 hours.

However, that was not the purpose of establishing Aires in towns and villages and some quite rightly restrict the period permitted.

The authorities probably know the intention of many caravanners to say longer, so ask them not to park on Aires.

Seems logical to me.

Geoff

 

[buttons]

Cant see the problem, fair competition is good for everyone. We are all following our hobby of camping. Sites are mixed what is the difference with Aires it will encourage the villages to build more or bigger Aires. Every one is a winner...

 

[2657]

I think one point worth making is that a lot of caravan owners make the point about their style of camping that it allows them to set up for a few days and tour around the area in their tow vehicle.

I can understand that 'setting-up' and 'breaking-camp' is a bit of a chore and that they do not want to do it every 24 or 48 hours.

However, that was not the purpose of establishing Aires in towns and villages and some quite rightly restrict the period permitted.

The authorities probably know the intention of many caravanners to say longer, so ask them not to park on Aires.

Seems logical to me.

Geoff

Of course motorhomes never stay longer than the limits do they!

Caravans are undoubtedly more suited for parking up for longer periods but many do not, we toured Europe for many years with a caravan stopping for a maximum of 3 nights in one place, always sites in those days.
How much easier it would have been if aires had been available especially out of season when site availability was limited.

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[SpeedyDux]

The company taking over a lot of the Aires in France where you need a card to enter have just sent me an email stating Caravans and even tents are allowed on some Aires.

Possibly because some of their "aires" are former Municipal campsites therefore suitable for caravans and tents. It could also be a condition of the deal they made with the Commune.

 

[nicholsong]

Possibly because some of their "aires" are former Municipal campsites therefore suitable for caravans and tents. It could also be a condition of the deal they made with the Commune.

Or alternatively the company is finding that at the fees they are charging the revenue from MHs alone is not meeting their expectations and they are having to widen their market to meet their business plan.

That could drop their client base more, but accountants do not think like customers. They are still competing with free Aires, which they would not want to take over as being too small, and with farms, French Passion and spaces in municipat CPs etc.

We parked a a marina where we had parked before with no problem and were told we had to move to one of their sites which had beem Municipal before. It had no view of the river, charging Euro 12 and had only 2 customers. We looked on park4night and found a spot 2-3 kms away alongside the river. I wonder if their accounts look at Apps. when they are weighing up the competition?

Geoff

 

[Loveshack]

If caravans are encouraged to stopover on aires, it will remove that feeling of superiority that many van campers have, being the daredevil, anti-establishment “wildcampers”. Aires are a reaction to commercial campsites, and cannot be shared with “tuggers”.
Surely we are all trying to achieve the same thing, a comfortable, safe and good value adventure.

 

[klaatu]

Possibly because some of their "aires" are former Municipal campsites therefore suitable for caravans and tents. It could also be a condition of the deal they made with the Commune.

Yes, I believe it’s the ones which are former municipal campsites, and are now CCP “camping de mon village”. They have toilets and showers so are suitable for those without onboard facilities. Tents and caravans are allowed in July and August, while the toilets and showers are open.

 

[Loveshack]

I think one point worth making is that a lot of caravan owners make the point about their style of camping that it allows them to set up for a few days and tour around the area in their tow vehicle.

I can understand that 'setting-up' and 'breaking-camp' is a bit of a chore and that they do not want to do it every 24 or 48 hours.

However, that was not the purpose of establishing Aires in towns and villages and some quite rightly restrict the period permitted.

The authorities probably know the intention of many caravanners to say longer, so ask them not to park on Aires.

Seems logical to me.

Geoff

I don’t think that setting up a caravan is much more involved than setting up a Motorhome, particularly if you don’t get the awning out. Also, levelling a camper can be much more involved than levelling a caravan.
And, just because you are in a caravan doesn’t mean you have to unhitch and stick around for two or three days! A bit of typecasting I think

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