Paid Aires killing the old road

spitfire said:
Not at all . Think you are overthinking the comments . As I said in a previous post we all cut our cloth according to our income especially in retirement . If the means you can only afford 3 weeks and not 3 months then that is the way it is . We can’t expect people to not charge or lower charges to subsidise our holidays .
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Yes totally agree
 
We had to sell our house in order to live the lifestyle that we now enjoy, expecting free accommodation did not enter into our planning.

That is not to say that we don't make use of free aires, we are on one as I write this, they are a benefit not a right!

There are lots of things that we have not been able to afford over the years consequently we didn't get them, have the holidays etc.

At the moment there is much discontent in the UK regarding people on benefits living a lifestyle on the taxpayer, I see a direct comparison with the expectation of freebies in foreign countries in order to live a chosen lifestyle.
 
I live in my van ....it ain't just a holiday it's a way of life.

There's a big difference from penny pinching and being careful with your finances?

People on low incomes have to do this all the time.

Especially in the UK where it's a crime to be poor and idolised to be rich
 
matamoros said:
We had to sell our house in order to live the lifestyle that we now enjoy, expecting free accommodation did not enter into our planning.

That is not to say that we don't make use of free aires, we are on one as I write this, they are a benefit not a right!

There are lots of things that we have not been able to afford over the years consequently we didn't get them, have the holidays etc.

At the moment there is much discontent in the UK regarding people on benefits living a lifestyle on the taxpayer, I see a direct comparison with the expectation of freebies in foreign countries in order to live a chosen lifestyle.
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Unfortunately that is the agenda of the media , the goverment and the privileged in the UK......and people fall for it.
matamoros said:
That is your choice, why should others subsidise your choice of lifestyle?
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Depends how you look at it.

Working class have been subsidising upper class lifestyles for centuries.

I'll make use of things that are free to save me money where I can.

The services are already there I simply choose to use them.

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Northernraider said:
I live in my van ....it ain't just a holiday it's a way of life.

There's a big difference from penny pinching and being careful with your finances?

People on low incomes have to do this all the time.

Especially in the UK where it's a crime to be poor and idolised to be rich
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Exactly there is a difference from being tight and careful.
 
Northernraider said:
Unfortunately that is the agenda of the media , the goverment and the privileged in the UK......and people fall for it.

Depends how you look at it.

Working class have been subsidising upper class lifestyles for centuries.

I'll make use of things that are free to save me money where I can.

The services are already there I simply choose to use them.
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Northernraider said:
This new way of charging for a unit and then charging per person is simply a scam to charge more.
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Exactly & always has been. Once it starts it only goes up.
Northernraider said:
personally I feel those with too much disposable income willing to pay £30 for a small square of grass are the ones ruining it.
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Couldn't agree more & it is the same with everything .the idiots pay & don't complain from parking fee's to fines & everyone gets shafted.
chipspie said:
not my idea of a holiday watching every penny.
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Many have to live like that on a daily basis , not just holidays. If they even had any.
 
All this is not really what I was trying to say at the beginning, just that the old conventions are disappearing, and that ,same as this one we are on now is where they have poultry market on Wednesdays , it's a boules thing , it's where the bins are, parking for the village hall and swimming baths, and various other things all free so letting a few MHS park where there is loads of room isn't costing them anything but may get some custom in the shops and bars, where we are going now.
 
gus-lopez said:
Exactly & always has been. Once it starts it only goes up.
Couldn't agree more & it is the same with everything .the idiots pay & don't complain from parking fee's to fines & everyone gets shafted.
Many have to live like that on a daily basis , not just holidays. If they even had any.
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Yes but we are on about holidays in motorhomes arnt we

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Northernraider said:
I live in my van ....it ain't just a holiday it's a way of life.
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Ah, there's the difference between us. I understand your situation.
I'm not 'A Motorhomer'. My m/h is a 'Boy's Toy' along with my vintage m/bike collection, classic car, racing dinghy and essential man-shed. It's solely accommodation for maybe 50 or 60 nights a year when visiting family, countries, places of geographic and cultural interest, participating in events, sampling local foods etc. The cost of overnight parking is irrelevant.
I simply couldn't live full time in a mobile bedsit.
 
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An aire de campingcar IS a 'carpark', a specific place for motorhomes to park - an aire de campingcar is not a holiday destination/resort. Paying to park is a choice - there are thousands of free aires.
 
Basically it is a sign of aging, wishing, somewhat whimsically about how things used to be!

I heard on the radio today that the BRIT awards are thinking about scrapping the Best Male artist and best Female artist and having a "non Binary" "artist" section.

I read about rapists who on arrest declare that they are identifying with their "female" side and the Prison service quite happily lock the convicted rapist in with women.

Single people moan and groan that they have to pay the same to camp as a couple of people, so people start to charge for a unit, and then charge per person, so that then makes everyone else unhappy.

Things always change! I am sure that every change will polarise, improve things for some, and the perceived loss to others.

I still work for a living, so don't get lots of free time to travel. When I do, I tend to use motorway aires whilst en route and then I tend to pick sites, as I like a decent hardstanding, 16 amp electricity and water and waste on my pitch. I am very happy to pay extra for this and do not think that I am being duped or ripped off, I am paying extra for a service, a service that I actually want.

We have seen the demise of the Worlds oldest travel agent overnight, Thomas Cook, household names, high street institutions are falling like flies, all due to the internet, a thing that no one even considered 20 years ago.

I have signed up to the camper car park scheme, and think that it is great, the ability to look ahead of my journey, see reviews, whats in the area, look at the aire and in some cases book a spot, is excellent, and I am happy to pay for the service.

Having a database listing all of the Aires was inevitable and the fact that someone has worked a
way out of making money from it by offering additional services, rather than simply being an address and GPS co-ordinates in a printed book again, was inevitable.

Aires do cost money to create, they cost money to maintain, the rubbish has to be emptied, grass, shrubs, trees and hedges have to be kept cut, water and drainage points have to be maintained in a safe manner, so I can see the appeal of signing up for a system such as Camping Car Park and making a reasonable charge for an overnight stop.

If I were a local business, I would simply arrange a refund scheme against the overnight charge, with the Towns traders, say 15% off, so that visitors that actually wanted to spend money in the visited area to keep everyone happy.

Things change, technology creates and solves problems.
 
chipspie said:
Freeloaders I feel have done a certain amount of damage I feel so many feel because they have paid thousands for a motorhome why should they pay anything ever and I am afraid that just ain't gonna work these days
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Oh dear dear me...

Where on earth did these "feelings" come from?

This belief just staggers me...

I very strongly suspect you may not have ever had the opportunity to converse with "Free Loaders" and find out how, and why, they use their motorhomes the way they do.

Motorhomes are not just for holidaying at weekends on campsites (or "aires"). They are capable of some very much more.


JJ :cool:

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Northernraider said:
Unfortunately that is the agenda of the media , the goverment and the privileged in the UK......and people fall for it.

Depends how you look at it.

Working class have been subsidising upper class lifestyles for centuries.

I'll make use of things that are free to save me money where I can.

The services are already there I simply choose to use them.
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I consider myself to be of a socialist persuasion but that does not mean that in normal circumstances I would expect something for nothing.

I like to think that I don't dance to anyone's agenda and am certainly from a working class background and obviously priveleged?

I too make use of free services when available but do not moan when these services are becoming less available, presumably because of cost.

Every free service to us costs someone else, no such thing as a free lunch?
 
matamoros said:
I consider myself to be of a socialist persuasion but that does not mean that in normal circumstances I would expect something for nothing.

I like to think that I don't dance to anyone's agenda and am certainly from a working class background and obviously priveleged?

I too make use of free services when available but do not moan when these services are becoming less available, presumably because of cost.

Every free service to us costs someone else, no such thing as a free lunch?
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Problem is you will tend to find the aires that are starting to charge aren't in the quiet areas but in the places already bustling with tourists etc.
It's generally not about covering costs but about making a profit.
Like most things these days.

I've nothing against making small profits to help make things better ..

But that isn't the way the world is going these days.....everyone wants to be rich so it's all about making as much money as they can at whatever or whoever's expense.

Not much most of us can do about it really but it doesn't mean I have to like it or indeed support it when I can avoid it.
Unfortunately there are some things I've no option but to support it but i try and keep that to a minimum.
 
eddievanbitz said:
I have signed up to the camper car park scheme, and think that it is great, the ability to look ahead of my journey, see reviews, whats in the area, look at the aire and in some cases book a spot, is excellent, and I am happy to pay for the service.
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Ditto, makes sense to us and we're happy to pay for the service

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Sorry if my term freeloaders offended anyone I was referring to those who are obviously on holiday in there brand new motorhomes that will at all costs avoid paying on Aires that clearly state 5 euro or 10 euro what ever for 24 hours. They arrive late and leave early to avoid payment and clearly that isn't right. I don't believe that has helped in alot of places. Although I stand to de corrected
 
I suppose going back to the original thread end of the old road then possibly yes. If somebody owns land and they feel they arnt getting the best use out it financially then they will look at how to change that. It's just the same as having a house and paying ground rent and council tax for services. Just the way things are for most people
 
We have been using CCP "aires" for a couple of years now, and have been more than happy with €8-12 for a secure pitch, EHU, wifi, water and both black and grey dumps. Some of the locations have been vastly improved over the neglected muni sites they used to be. Our only beef is that they seem to have fallen down on their satnav co-ordinates and we have spent a lot of time finding the blue/green signs and barriers.
As has been noted before, many of the local authorities have been happy to exchange responsibility for upkeep for a percentage of the take.

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Thursdays Child said:
We have been using CCP "aires" for a couple of years now, and have been more than happy with €8-12 for a secure pitch, EHU, wifi, water and both black and grey dumps.
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That's fine if you want all that, but most nights I don't need EHU, wifi, water and both black and grey dumps, just somewhere safe to park up. Just water and black & grey dumps once a week is plenty for me - so it seems unfair if I only have the option available of all singing & dancing pitches and have to pay every night for a lot for stuff I don't want or need and aren't going to use.

To me, that's the equivalent of going into Tescos (or Intermarche) and buying an extra 10 quids (euros) of stuff I don't want and leaving it by the door on my way out.
 
Like it or not, given the substantial ongoing growth in the RV market with an ongoing supply of yet more baby boomers to sustain that market, it is the future.
 
chipspie said:
I suppose going back to the original thread end of the old road then possibly yes. If somebody owns land and they feel they arnt getting the best use out it financially then they will look at how to change that. It's just the same as having a house and paying ground rent and council tax for services. Just the way things are for most people
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We stopped last night on a private Aire and it was free.

There were toilets, showers, fresh water tap and waste disposal.

I 'checked in' with the owner and he said "Okay, park where you like"

We would have used the restaurant on site but it was booked for a large private party.

At no point did he mention spending money on anything on site - there was a shop selling Fois Gras - and we had a very quiet nights sleep.

I'm not sure why he provided this Aire for free but there are plenty of such places throughout France, despite many now charging, when many of us don't require hook up and facilities.

And long may it be like that.

:france: :france: :france::france:

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