France from Start to Now and Beyond

[MisterB]

9th Dec


Anyway I put off going to the Aire I’d picked out for Sunday and headed for Challans where the app indicated there were four stations which supply LPG. I headed for an Aire which is in CC Sitecode 22258 which is in central Challans, not a very nice Aire so no photos but some on CC if you have it, it is however alongside a nice park, anyway it will do for one night stopover and to find LPG in the morning, also I think the French locals keep their MH’s their when not in use as it was quite full with blinds up and did not see anyone come out of most of them.



Best Wishes Tony

Tony - sounds like youre having a very steep learning curve, keep on thinking positive !!

challans town centre aire is really just a car park (as so many aires are) but central to everything that goes on there. in the summer you'd be lucky to get a space, especially when the Autre Foire is on!!

I would have thought this time of year, you could take your pick of aires though not sure whether the 'facilities' would be frost proof ?

if I was you I would also top up the lpg at the same time that you top up with diesel if its available where you refuel, probable every 3rd or 4th refuel, that way you are virtually always fully lpg'd up

ps, in many supermarkets they don't put the crates of beer etc onto the conveyer belt as they are deemed to heavy for the cashier to lift while sat down, most of them have a tear off tag that you give to the cashier and leave the crates in the trolley.

as for the data issues, most macdonalds have free internet as do lots of town centres, if you have a wifi booster you can often pick up macdonalds signals from the car park, without even going in

 

[teddybear]

Been stopped from getting LPG in France when I had filled with desiel first. Told it was just for road fuel . Not a problem ,just buy at separate garages

 

[MisterB]

I wonder why? When i used to have an lpg car i used to fill both up? I wonder if telling them its a dual fuel vehicle would help? Although if you fill up on both before paying the deed is already done !! I see lots of drivers fuel up then move their vehicles nearer to the shop to pay so it wouldnt be too difficult or unusual

 

[Brakers]

Hi Everyone
This site I’m on is really nice, let me clarify that, it’s an area laid to gravel with EHU and the usual black waste, grey waste and water so nothing special.
The area however is looking good right alongside is a park with a large lake and a lot to offer and explore
With that in mind I might just want to stay here over the Christmas break.
I am booked here till Wednesday midday, does anyone know if I could come straight back in again or do you have to be away for a certain time before you can re enter?
I was thinking of going away on Wednesday and coming back on Christmas Eve, but that might change depending on your replies.
Best Wishes Tony

 

[Riverbankannie]

Hi Everyone
This site I’m on is really nice, let me clarify that, it’s an area laid to gravel with EHU and the usual black waste, grey waste and water so nothing special.
The area however is looking good right alongside is a park with a large lake and a lot to offer and explore
With that in mind I might just want to stay here over the Christmas break.
I am booked here till Wednesday midday, does anyone know if I could come straight back in again or do you have to be away for a certain time before you can re enter?
I was thinking of going away on Wednesday and coming back on Christmas Eve, but that might change depending on your replies.
Best Wishes Tony

Is there a notice board that you could photograph for us or info on the pay machine?
Going away Wednesday and coming back next Monday should be fine I would think. Did you have to put your registration in the machine?

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[MisterB]

Where are you? I ask because someone might know of a similar or even better site nearby for you to christmas over.

 

[Lenny HB]

I take it you are on an Aire if it's 72 hours max you just drive out and drive back in, thats what the French do.

 

[Brakers]

Did you have to put your registration in the machine?

Hi Annie yes I did have to put my registration no in. I’ll go and take a photo.
Thanks Tony

 

[Brakers]

Hi I’m at cc 1799 l’Aire de Repos, Parentis-en-Born.
Thanks Tony

 

[Riverbankannie]

View attachment 272431
Hi Annie yes I did have to put my registration no in. I’ll go and take a photo.
Thanks Tony

Nothing on there says about when you are allowed to return. If there is a limit then the machine has your registration and one could assume that it won’t allow you to buy another ticket.
However, I don’t for one minute think it will be that sophisticated or that anyone will care if you go out and return, especially a couple of days later.

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[klaatu]

If you want to go off to another aire for a few days, Gastes is quite good, just around the lake from where you are.

 

[ChrisL]

I haven't been to that area for quite a few years but there used to be some great restaurants in pyla sur mer and arcachon, it might be worth exploring a bit if you like eating out especially seafood.

 

[klaatu]

We love Arcachon. It was on our route down here to Spain/Portugal, but worries about the gilets jaunes around Bordeaux made us go a different way.

 

[Brakers]

Hi Everyone just to let you know where I stopped in between the 15th and
now, the 15th into the 16 I stayed at an Aire called de l’Eglise, Pissos which is behind a church.

The site Im at now is as I told you cc 1799 l’Aire de Repos, Parentis-en-Born, thanks for trying to answer all my questions about entry and exit to this site.
It is correct as some of you have said you can come and go as you wish as long as it's within your paid up time.

I tried that out today by going to the local supermarket and had no problems getting in or out with the code provided. It did ask me if I was going out temporary or leaving, which someone said it might.
Shame the weather has not been up to much but if I come back over Christmas I might get more chance to explore.
Sitting here French time there is a chap who has turned up on a bike and has plugged something into the, electric point, not sure what he is doing now as it's dark there is a light but still cant see what he is doing and it's raining quite heavily.
Very strange !!
Best Wishes Tony

 

[Podney]

Maybe he is charging the bike battery.

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[Just smiffy]

He’s plugged in the northern star.....

 

[hilldweller]

Hi I’m at cc 1799 l’Aire de Repos, Parentis-en-Born.
Thanks Tony

Biarritz is a place not to be missed though the air is a bit far out. A real Victorian retreat that still looks good. I guess not at it's best in Dec, but a delight in June.

I think that you are in sight of Spain now.

 

[Brakers]

I’ve turned off all the Iights in here and had a peek through the blinds, from what I can see he’s got something on a small fire he’s lit and it looks like a small cover he seems to be covered with. I think he is in for the night.

 

[Brakers]

Hi fellow travellers
I left the Aire about 1:00 French time on leaving I took a picture of my camping partner.

Since leaving the Aire which I intend to return to for Christmas I spent the first night at an Aire in Biscarrosse there are two Aire’s in this town so I thought one night each would be fair to both of them, I like to be fair.
Well the first one I arrived at was no more than un-kept gravel with most people parking wherever they wanted, although just across the road there was shops and a take away of some description so nothing exciting there.

Onto the second night, this is a car parking area which is laid to tarmac and bays are marked out, longer vehicles like mine can be catered for by reversing and having your rear end hanging over the pavement and grass, by the way that’s your MH rear end and not you’re posterior. This is also nearer the shops like Super U etc.

This morning I went for a walk only to find a nice market being held in the square.

I really enjoyed walking round the market and other shops, by the way is it me or is France expensive €100 for a shirt but they did have a promotion on €76, not my type of prices lol.

Have these French people got no sense of right and wrong, look at the reindeers pulling Santa’s sleigh Rudolph is at the back, that in my mind is why we, no I’m not going to go any further as I don’t want to bring the “B” word up.

This Next one is what a place in the UK does every Christmas Henley in Arden. It decorates the trees with things which have been knitted by the local community.

Anyway nice place to visit.
Best Wishes Tony

 

[Brakers]

Hi Everybody
For those of you who have been following this thread you will know I’ve had a few issues caught on my dash cam which I would like to share with you but I’ve had to be economical with my data usage, but as that will be refreshed tomorrow.

Anyway the first file is of an tight road way incident which a detour sent me down do not blame the Sat Nav, this I told you about earlier on in the thread. The next link is when on route from Marzan to the next destination it was raining very heavy.

I’ve had to use a free video editor to reduce the size hope it works ok file size to large at 22mb.

OK so that did not work so I’ve had to put them on youtube and add these links to them.

https://youtu.be/Jb6gxM7F8tg

https://youtu.be/FSoPZBQB038

These are only three minutes long but you can skip most of the second link as the event is quite a way along.
Best Wishes Tony

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[Barclaybasher]

Hi Everybody
For those of you who have been following this thread you will know I’ve had a few issues caught on my dash cam which I would like to share with you but I’ve had to be economical with my data usage, but as that will be refreshed tomorrow.

Anyway the first file is of an tight road way incident which a detour sent me down do not blame the Sat Nav, this I told you about earlier on in the thread. The next link is when on route from Marzan to the next destination it was raining very heavy.

I’ve had to use a free video editor to reduce the size hope it works ok file size to large at 22mb.

OK so that did not work so I’ve had to put them on youtube and add these links to them.

https://youtu.be/Jb6gxM7F8tg

https://youtu.be/FSoPZBQB038

These are only three minutes long but you can skip most of the second link as the event is quite a way along.
Best Wishes Tony

I couldn't upload much of what's recorded on my dashcam - too much bad language ! , and I travel alone...........

 

[Lenny HB]

Tony when you post the link to a YouTube video of you delete the s from https:// e.g. htts:// the video will load within the post.

Satnags taking you down narrow village road is par for the course, happens to us a few times on every trip. Easier when you have a passenger, you can send them out with the red flag.

 

[Lenny HB]

So after all your worries before you left, how are you finding life in Motorhome heaven?
Probably not the best time of year for your first trip.

 

[klaatu]

Satnags taking you down narrow village road is par for the course

It was a “Deviation” not his Satnav. Happens to us all the time. The French don’t seem to take into account the type of vehicles affected when setting up diversions.

 

[Brakers]

Tony when you post the link to a YouTube video of you delete the s from https:// e.g. htts:// the video will load within the post.

Thanks for that Lenny, never put any videos on you tube until I wanted to let you lot see the branch breaking and hitting the MH so it was a learning curve, a bit like this trip. All I did was copy the link YouTube said they were at, but yes in future if I need to put anymore on I’ll take the s off.
As far as enjoying the trip, up to now it’s been great hope it gets a bit warmer when I get further down Spain but apart from that
Best Wishes Tony

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[Brakers]

Just a test
http://youtu.be/FSoPZBQB038

Does this work?
@Lenny HB does not seem to do that on my iPad!!

 

[Drexxer]

Just a test
http://youtu.be/FSoPZBQB038

Does this work?
@Lenny HB does not seem to do that on my iPad!!

That works fine for me Tony , On PC using Chrome

 

[klaatu]

Still just a link for me, on my iPad, using Chrome.

 

[gus-lopez]

by the way is it me or is France expensive €100 for a shirt but they did have a promotion on €76, not my type of prices l

Yes it is now, very expensive.

I couldn't upload much of what's recorded on my dashcam - too much bad language ! , and I travel alone...........

Same here.

 

[Lenny HB]

Works when I do it.

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