If Aires don’t allow camping behaviour…

[Heebson]

Hi folks.
We’re a year into motorhoming and have used a mix of sites and off-grid - both aire types and park-ups. All within the UK.

We’re planning to go abroad this year - France in May and Netherlands in August - so I’ve been devouring lots of threads & blogs to get prepped - but one thing kinda puzzles me.

It’s made clear that when staying on Aires that ‘camping behaviour’ is banned - usually described as winding out the awning, getting chairs out or bbq-ing. Fair enough - but what do folks actually do? I’m thinking here that hopefully the weather’s nice, so ok, we cook in the van, but we really would like to sit outside to eat - even with a plate in the lap - or even just have a drink at the end of the day. Being confined to the van doesn’t sound that nice.

So just wondered what the practical reality is. How do people cope or work around it (Not meaning ‘just do it anyway’)?

I know the easy answer is ‘use sites’, but the unplanned nature of leveraging Aires really appeals. Hope this makes sense.

Thnx,
Heeb

 

[Madcaravanner]

I have never been on an aire where you couldn't have a table and chairs outside.
The french people as a whole, motorhomes or cars or even bikes, will go out at dinnertime just to set up a table and chairs anywhere out of the way, and they have always got a tablecloth.

OH we have - we found quite a few where the spacing of the place meant you could ONLY JUST open your hab door

the thing about Camping Behaviour is in Europe they have a standard definition of what it is
The UK leave it to every single bloomin council to roll their own

the rule is if no camping behaviour allowed then you do not extend outside the footprint of your van (no windows, doors, awnings chairs etc) and you put your step away after use

simple init - - - - except there's always the French, Germans, Dutch, Spanish, Italians who seem to know where they can and can't ignore the rules

 

[roadwarrior]

i think the choices are clear, you can go to a " dont open your window " kind of place or to places where there is space- and when - nobody has so far mentioned when they go to to these kind of places , but i will bet my next awning opening that its not sept. so please folks WHEN do you go to these closed windows places ? - what month and where - cities and town centres maybe ??


"simple init - - - - except there's always the French, Germans, Dutch, Spanish, Italians who seem to know where they can and can't ignore the rules"
answer is follow what the locals do

 

[Minxy]

answer is follow what the locals do

No way am I going to start doing what the French do and wee against the bushes!

 

[chaser]

OH we have - we found quite a few where the spacing of the place meant you could ONLY JUST open your hab door

the thing about Camping Behaviour is in Europe they have a standard definition of what it is
The UK leave it to every single bloomin council to roll their own

the rule is if no camping behaviour allowed then you do not extend outside the footprint of your van (no windows, doors, awnings chairs etc) and you put your step away after use

simple init - - - - except there's always the French, Germans, Dutch, Spanish, Italians who seem to know where they can and can't ignore the rules

Well that's obvious, if there is physically no room to put a table and chairs out, then you don't, but if you are in a two acre field with half a dozen others of course you can, and even if it is packed there is nearly always room behind your van especially if it's a short one.
That's not to say getting awnings and other stuff out is ok, if someone else wants to get in.

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[roadwarrior]

with the government telling us how to think and feel and react its easy, but there are still a few old school thinkers out there who still use common sense - remember that ?

 

[nicholsong]

If somebody did come along to enforce the 'No camping' rule and threatened a fine, if you are a couple just point at each other as the culprit - then who do they fine?

If they say who is in charge of the vehicle/parked it just, repeat the above ad infinitum.

Maybe that is why they do not try to enforce the rule.