I'm not a fan of wildcamping

[Langtoftlad]

Unbelievable you are so biased it's unreal you have obviously never stayed on decent Aire where the marked pitches are often larger than cramped campsite ones.
Not worth discussing with you any further.

And equally have you stayed in lovely spacious campsite... horses for courses.
Not all aires are spacious, not all campsites are crowded.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Bit crowded for my liking

...and I like a bit of grass

 

[monzer]

This thread is priceless. Keep 'em coming guys

 

[Minxy]

Bit crowded for my liking

View attachment 435823

...and I like a bit of grass

Pampas, Astroturf, green, or 'happy'?

 

[Minxy]

Its an interesting thread, taking away all the daft 'willy waving' on here it does make you think about your style of motorhoming.

We prefer wild/offsite spots, usually in lovely locations next to rivers, lakes, beaches, in forests etc, somewhere quiet and often with only a few others there, sometimes none at all.

We have had cheap site offers, one was £1 a night for 5 nights max on a good quality site but it just didn't do it for us, too much like being in a gold fish bowl for all the others on the site to oggle at and we felt restricted by not being able to let the dogs potter in/out as they always had to be kept on a lead (which I understand needs to be done on a site), in the end we forfeited the last £1 night to go elsewhere and park up 'wild' so we could have privacy from the onlookers.

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[Reallyretired]

Either free or charged is for 24 hours from time of arrival.

Just to be controversial, the last time we were there the aire at Moulins by the river was charged x cents per hour via the card reader on the barrier.

 

[TM59]

Perhaps instead of wild campers and campsite campers, the title of unsociable campers and sociable campers might be more appropriate. It would appear those who want to wild camp enjoy their own company, whilst on a campsite you have the choice to do both.

 

[Minxy]

Perhaps instead of wild campers and campsite campers, the title of unsociable campers and sociable campers might be more appropriate. It would appear those who want to wild camp enjoy their own company, whilst on a campsite you have the choice to do both.

Not necessarily, you can be sociable whilst 'wild' camping too, we've had nice chats to other MH owners on aires, in wild spots etc, we've helped out quite a few too which we are more than happy to do, however had they been on a site we may not even have got chatting to them as we don't like to invade their space and likely they ours, off site people tend to be more approachable so you can be as involved or not with other MHers wherever you are.

 

[Boris7]

Perhaps instead of wild campers and campsite campers, the title of unsociable campers and sociable campers might be more appropriate. It would appear those who want to wild camp enjoy their own company, whilst on a campsite you have the choice to do both.

I don’t think that could be further from the truth, I find people are sociable by default, be it on a site, in a pub or in a rural setting.

I don’t always engage in a long conversation but I’m never not open too, and always willing to be polite and helpful when needed.

 

[pandas]

Not according to gov.uk Only risen 12 mill according to them About as believable as anything my mil speaks

Both wrong 15 m.!

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[pandas]

Can't remember seeing a motorhome advert, with the van parked 6m from others. They are always lake side, beach side, vineyard side, meadow side....never side by side

What about posting a link to all those hide away places you have discovered Jim so we can all have an opportunity to enjoy them.

 

[pandas]

Unbelievable you are so biased it's unreal you have obviously never stayed on decent Aire where the marked pitches are often larger than cramped campsite ones.
Not worth discussing with you any further.

Aires fill quite a specific type of camping opportunity and we have found at times to be very useful, not I might add based on cost but their convenience. They also have a code of conduct and are managed on a local basis either privately or by the local authorities. Their location and facilities are also widely published. Please, please somebody communicate a link to the equivalent in the UK. The concept here would be brilliant.

 

[LesW]

Aires are not "accommodation"... they're carparks...

Here's a few 'car parks' I've stayed in, there are dozens more like this, come and go as you please, no booking in/out and mostly free or less then ten quid.

I'm beginning to believe you've never stopped on a French aire.

 

[TM59]

Having toured France over the past 15 years I agree their are numerous nice aires, equally there are as many not so nice aires/car parks. Nobody ever posts the bad ones with sometimes facilities that are disgusting.

 

[glenn2926]

No accommodation* on the planet works like that...

*Apart from some dodgy hourly rate motels.

Have you ever stayed on an Aire? Whenever we have had to pay (which isn’t often) then the charge is for twenty four hours from time of arrival. Most chargeable Aires work this way.

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[Langtoftlad]

Have you ever stayed on an Aire? Whenever we have had to pay (which isn’t often) then the charge is for twenty four hours from time of arrival. Most chargeable Aires work this way.

Carparks charge by this method, accommodation doesn't.

 

[glenn2926]

Carparks charge by this method, accommodation doesn't.

Ahh, you haven’t stayed on Aires.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Ahh, you haven’t stayed on Aires.

I have frequently stayed on carparks..
Have you stayed in a hotel which charges by the hour

 

[TM59]

What is an Aires in France?
A campervan road trip allows you to travel where you want, when you want - and to stay for free, believe it or not. ... These motorhome stopovers, known as Aires, are car parks and farms that allow campervans to stop overnight, often for free.

Google search.

 

[Langtoftlad]

farms that allow campervans to stop overnight, often for free.

Passion De France

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[glenn2926]

I have frequently stayed on carparks..
Have you stayed in a hotel which charges by the hour

I’m not that sort of man. Where did the hotel bit come from? As far as I’m aware we’re talking about campsites, Aires and the like. If I wanted to stay in a hotel I wouldn’t have a motorhome.

 

[TM59]

Even the companies running them describe them as car parks. I will continue to use them no matter what we like to call them.

 

[TM59]

Equally few post photographs of campsites, or the industrial estate, or the supermarket car park, or the lay bye, or the street, always the scenic photograph by the lake or the mountains. In these threads why not have a balanced view.

 

[nicholsong]

Carparks charge by this method, accommodation doesn't.

I have stayed in accomodation charged for 24 hours from arrival - aires which become accomodation as soon as I park my comfortable MH on it.

Geoff

 

[jongood]

Bit crowded for my liking

View attachment 435823

...and I like a bit of grass

For us it really depends on where it is, couldn't really care less about the cost unless its excessive and don't really need/want ablutions. I don't recognise this spot but if it wawas next to something we wanted to visit or had a fantastic view then we would almost certainly choose it.

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[Northernraider]

When i park somewhere close to what i want to visit i couldn't really care less what it looks like. I dont plan to sit outside in it admiring the view. I'm inside with the blinds closed either watching tv, reading , cooking or sleeping. The view inside is the same wherever i park. Its the location to where i want to be , the convenience and whether its likely to be quiet and secure or not.

Carparks suit me just fine if they fall in to that category.


P.s. Grass etc especially when wet just creates mess inside .......ill take the hardstanding concrete

 

[Boris7]

I'm not a fan of wildcamping

I am confused about the definition of ‘wild camping’. Pub car parks, lay-byes, boy racers, burying your toilet waste! Doesn’t sound like much fun to me. Had a brief look at the park4night sight for areas near ish us in the South East just to see what people are recommending. Ditto the issues I mentioned above with the occasional cul-de-sac in remote/rural area but also near houses where I would personally miffed if a few motorhomes stayed overnight. Not sure what the incentive is, they are not Aires, they are not in remote parts of Italy or Canada just seems to be an incentive based on cost. Why not stay in CL sites where they are set up, they have some facilities for dumping waste, grey and black and are in places that will not hack anybody off. If you want tob’wild’ it buy a small tent and walk off into the woods - just take your rubbish (and waste) back with you.

What about posting a link to all those hide away places you have discovered Jim so we can all have an opportunity to enjoy them.

Make you blooming mind up man!!

Also the point of a hide away place is it’s just that, a hide away.

I won’t be sharing any otherwise next time you’ll be there before me, probably looking for EHU and moaning that there’s no waste point.

 

[Minxy]

I have frequently stayed on carparks..
Have you stayed in a hotel which charges by the hour

Passion De France

 

[Dave Flegg]

Download Search for Sites app. It’s great. Tells you where you can park up. Carparks that are free of small charge. Pub stopovers. Attraction carparks offering camping some with facilities. And it even tells you about actual camp sites including C&MC type ones as well. Uses GPS or you can tell it where your looking. I did a week in Scotland and only paid for 1 night at a site. (To empty and refuel). All the rest were free at the attractions i visited. Loads of recent reviews so you know people’s experiences and how safe you’ll be. Quietest night I had was me and 3 other vans. Definitely recommend it. Paid up subscription is £5 a year or website free.

 

[The Lobster]

Wild Camping does have a legal definition in Scotland.

That's because the definition was needed as part of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (the so-called Right to Roam).

Whilst wild camping by that definition doesn't including sleeping in Vans, the two are quite complementary. Stopping overnight at side of a public road is perfectly legal under the road traffic act, and in Scotland there are plenty of out of the way places to do that. Having parked up you can then exercise your right to roam, in the knowledge that trespass is a hard to prosecute civil offence.

Of course nothing stopping you basing yourself in your van, then going off into the hills for some overnight 'wild camping' with a tent

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