Paying to use French Aires

I thought it was part of the law of the land that they had to provide somewhere for travelers to park, and if they didn't you could park at the Marie.
 
Year before last I was in France on my way to Dieppe for the ferry home. It was late when I spotted a sign for a municipal site, went to the office, it had just been privatised but not expensive and almost empty so I booked for the night. I walked out of the site to see an Aire just over the road - damn I thought until I looked at the price - the same as my site, many more vans than the site on rough gravel and I had use of a very clean toilet and shower block.

A happy camper !(y)
 
Lenny HB said:
Only use them if I really want to be in that place as they are expensive for an Aire. Never had any trouble getting into them. I can never understand why it takes the French at least 20min to get in.
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Because they don't like parting with their money
 
I've been going to France for many years with the motorhome stooping on Aires and campsites. Sometines free sometimes paid and I haven't got a problem paying 10 or 12 euros. Times change and places need up keep as people have said the whole idea if Aires was to help tourists and bring cash to the villages ect. But when this doesn't happen though freeloaders then of course they have to start making a charge. It's still a great place to visit France and its the reason I've kept my motorhome so long. Anyone over there enjoy. I've gotta wait till September aaahhhh
 
chaser said:
Anyone off here can park in my yard anytime,as I have said many times, but that's not the point of this thread.
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That's a very kind offer but not available to the general public and I think it is the point of the thread.
We have become accustomed to many free Aires in France but land and parking has a value that some Mairie's have begun to realise.

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matamoros said:
That's a very kind offer but not available to the general public and I think it is the point of the thread.
We have become accustomed to many free Aires in France but land and parking has a value that some Mairie's have begun to realise.
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I am afraid , not in my life time, this is going to end so many people going to France , if it's going to cost the same to park there as it does here , the biggest attraction for motorhomes will be gone, you only have to read other threads lately about people aren't going this year.
 
When we had a caravan and only going for 2 weeks we would pay for sites and we were working and earning.
Now if we go away for 8 weeks even at €12 a night that is nearly €700 which has to come out of our pensions.
 
Lenny HB said:
When we had a caravan and only going for 2 weeks we would pay for sites and we were working and earning.
Now if we go away for 8 weeks even at €12 a night that is nearly €700 which has to come out of our pensions.
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Give you a like not because I like the post but you are dead right , add your 700 to 300 for tunnel and another 500 for diesel, another 500 for food and stuff it's getting to be a dear job.
 
chaser said:
I thought it was part of the law of the land that they had to provide somewhere for travelers to park, and if they didn't you could park at the Marie.
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By travellers they don’t mean motor homers ! They are for what we call gypsies in the U.K.
 
chaser said:
I am afraid , not in my life time, this is going to end so many people going to France , if it's going to cost the same to park there as it does here , the biggest attraction for motorhomes will be gone, you only have to read other threads lately about people aren't going this year.
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Really same price to park ? We have taken 17 motor homes from our club here to Scotland via ferry to Hull and over the month if campsite booking never found 1 as cheap as the aires here .

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chaser said:
if it's going to cost the same to park there as it does here , the biggest attraction for motorhomes will be gone
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The biggest attraction of motorhoming in France for some of us does not come down to the cost. It’s the sheer number of places to stay the night in all kinds of interesting places which is the attraction - and I know that I don’t need to tell you this.

If the main factor for some people in deciding where to go is the cost, then of course they should go wherever they think is the cheapest. I’d sell my motorhome and stay at home if I were in that unfortunate position.

There may come a time when there are no more free aires, and we will have to pay everywhere. That won’t stop me doing most of my motorhoming in France. I think that probably applies to a lot of people, including the often maligned camping-caristes françaises.
 
Lenny HB said:
When we had a caravan and only going for 2 weeks we would pay for sites and we were working and earning.
Now if we go away for 8 weeks even at €12 a night that is nearly €700 which has to come out of our pensions.
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Would love to know how you can spend 8 weeks in the U.K. for less with the same facilites
 
chaser said:
Give you a like not because I like the post but you are dead right , add your 700 to 300 for tunnel and another 500 for diesel, another 500 for food and stuff it's getting to be a dear job.
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yeah I see what your saying but how much would a 8 week holiday cost in a hotel or a cottage including food and fuel for a car.

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chaser said:
Can't really compare honfleur with a normal village aire
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Shame is that the villages are realising that the Aires are no longer benificial as very few motorhomers actually buy anything in the village. So they will go the the route of campingcarparks where they get a rake off of the charges. Common sense really for them.
 
We’ve got a pass etapes this year for the first time. Only used it once on that island in the Loire. It seems from their emails that it’s a rapidly expanding network.

We look for nice free aires first but the odd night here and there for a tenner with all the water, waste, electric etc in just the right place isn’t going to break the bank is it?

The other hitherto unmentioned aspect (but it costs an annual fee) is the ability to book your place ahead, or even leave your pitch and return, as your place can’t be nicked by a newcomer. The gate won’t let the site fill if you’ve booked. Could be useful to some at busy times?
 
chaser said:
Beginning of the end of free Aires , wait till there's more of them than free then see the price rocket, well done the French motorhomes,
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Wish I could remember the town name
they had an aire but needed to improve it and couldn't really afford to Camping Car Parks took it over now occupancy has dropped from 100% in summer to 10%
And so di revenue from shops and bars

The mairie wanted to reclaim it but thanks to CCP solicitors couldn't
So they changed another car park to a free aire again which is now full and so are the bars

Also Blaye had a free aire which they "improved" and stuck a machine on charging 3€ a night
the machine is almost always broken
We saw a 20c piece being glued in with the comment "En Panne - Gratuit bon"
 
Lenny HB said:
Only use them if I really want to be in that place as they are expensive for an Aire. Never had any trouble getting into them. I can never understand why it takes the French at least 20min to get in.
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The French and me too mate(y)and isn't it always the case, some buggers waiting behind you.:banghead::banghead::banghead:
 
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spitfire said:
Would love to know how you can spend 8 weeks in the U.K. for less with the same facilites
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Don't bother with the UK too Motorhome unfriendly.

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chaser said:
I thought it was part of the law of the land that they had to provide somewhere for travelers to park, and if they didn't you could park at the Marie.
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My limited understanding of this is that the local council (region) has to provide area for tax paying travellers like ourselves AND for non tax paying travellers (the others) and you can park at the marie.
Whether this is an urban myth or not is up for debate, however, even if the French made it necessary to pay in France for an aire the French are never going to pay for it.
There will be manure dumped outside the local E Leclerc with motorhomes driving at 2mph round Paris and numerous air traffic controller strikes before any penalties are imposed upon a frenchman parking where he wants overnight for free which is his Napoleanic given right and no law passed making him pay will ever work in this country who just love a good strike.
 
I find being crammed in with a load of French motorhomes is part of the genuine aire experience and don't mind it at all!!!. I generally get chatting to a few to practice my French and when the aire got taken over a couple of years ago by a load of youngsters with a big sound system/kids/dogs/getting p*******d the French m/hs a Belgian van and us decamped to the local leisure centre car park!!!!
 
Madcaravanner said:
Wish I could remember the town name
they had an aire but needed to improve it and couldn't really afford to Camping Car Parks took it over now occupancy has dropped from 100% in summer to 10%
And so di revenue from shops and bars

The mairie wanted to reclaim it but thanks to CCP solicitors couldn't
So they changed another car park to a free aire again which is now full and so are the bars

Also Blaye had a free aire which they "improved" and stuck a machine on charging 3€ a night
the machine is almost always broken
We saw a 20c piece being glued in with the comment "En Panne - Gratuit bon"
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Has anyone ever payed at blaye yet, don't think so. (y) (y):)
 
The Wino said:
I find being crammed in with a load of French motorhomes is part of the genuine aire experience and don't mind it at all!!!. I generally get chatting to a few to practice my French and when the aire got taken over a couple of years ago by a load of youngsters with a big sound system/kids/dogs/getting p*******d the French m/hs a Belgian van and us decamped to the local leisure centre car park!!!!
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I genuinely like the informal free Aires can't be doing with these new things ,too much like CCC and CMC for my liking .
 
I welcome the growth of CCP’s and compare them to Premier Inns/Holiday Express etc you know they meet a certain or similar standard.
They are certainly worth the money and the Space they afford is more than welcome.
I have also noted the vast amount of French that turn up in their rattle boxes don’t even get out once they see the barrier there off looking for a freeby.

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