Paying to use French Aires

We live here in France and in some places aires are free and in others you have to pay. I have never paid more than 11€ per night. If for 11€ I get a clean aire, bins emptied and can discharge water etc and refill water tank and a nice view then I'm happy. I haven't seen many like that in the UK. I have paid more than that in the UK to park my car for a few hours.
 
chaser said:
Because the cost has already come out of their taxes and the people using them will use the bars and stuff in the village, and the upkeep can't come to a lot to maintain a chatter car park.
Click to expand...
But most motorhomers don't, they park up over night use the water and dump facilities, then spend a whole 70cents in the boulangerie and then bugger off. Big deal for the village. Not.
 
Where and how do I acquire a Pass Etape.

Thanks
 
Derry Wilson said:
Where and how do I acquire a Pass Etape.
Thanks
Click to expand...

You get one when you apply at the Aire, and you get someone on the phone that speaks English to explain it all
 
You can order one online and also put so many euros on it at the same time

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
spitfire said:
What is wrong with a section of the UK population that expect everything for nothing even in a country that is not their own !!
Click to expand...

I wish them good luck getting water at all in the UK other than the bottled kind.

UK is such a hassle to find places to tip grey and black responsibly.
 
So this is Dutchman and an Italians view on what Oxford provides.
Note the £8 charge for water at the campsite opposite, which is pretty grim and £26 to stop on.

1563947736755.png
 
This thread though was not about UK which we all know is dire which is why we leave it behind, but can't you see that France is slowly going to end up the same as what is being complained about here, having to pay to be regimented, as I said in an earlier post in won't hurt me much in what's left of my lifetime , but the young are going to have to accept it as the norm, and one of the greatest privilege for motorhomes is going to be lost. ?
 
chaser said:
wait till they have everyone stitched up, then the prices will soon rise,
Click to expand...

Anyone remember the "Le Crunch" advertising campaign of the 80`s. beautiful well packed apples?. Which as I recall, where promoted by the French Apple growers and the French Government and "dumped" in the UK at what where quite clearly "subsidised" prices. What I also recall is the fact that allegedly as a result was the less "marketed" (but in my view far tastier) British Apple Orchards of the West Country being ripped up and lost. A few years later said French Produce underwent a marked price hike!. So the French have a bit of history in regard to this type of behaviour. A similar thing happened with French Milk being "dumped" at Cost prices too, some time back, British Milk producers went out of business as a result of the "Backhanded subsidy" alleged to have been made to the French producers. Lots of "big players" use this tactic, Walmart in the USA forced out many a small provider in the early years with similar tactics. So surprising it would not be if eventually these "Aires" became as expensive as full facilitated sites, with only their "convenience" the difference.
 
Spot on mate, I saw the milk job first hand.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
I can't understand why people are getting at the French for not using these things, as the reason is they can see what will happen from experience.
 
TheTwoOfUs said:
To those who say that the aires should always be free, who do you think pays for the upkeep of them? Why should the locals have to pay to maintain them for you to have free use?
Click to expand...
I m unsure anyone has said the aires should be free. I was one who said the french are allowed to stay overnight in their van for free. That is supposed to be their right.
I think aires are more enticing when they are free, mainly because they dont cost anything, but do stop at paying aires.
77 nights in europe returning a fortnight ago and we paid for 14 nights campsite on acsi and 31 euros for 6 nights on paying aires (we do FP as well)
We have one of those cards for the paying aires that are becoming more common but only used it 3 times in about 8 years.

The aires were originally provided by local communities to entice motorhomers to stay there. Some provide water. Some of that water costs them the square root of diddly squat as it comes from wells.
There was a free aire just north of Ventoux which had a lavage that some cyclists were filling up their water bottles from. I asked about it for filling up the van whilst in the local bar and joking with them that asthere was no hosepipe connection so i was considering nicking it from the cemetary and they just said carry on its the same water from the well and everything that constantly runs out of the lavage is wasted water and perfectly good to drink.

If the original plan of the small communities was to entice motorhomers then i cant see why too many want to change that approach. But if the local place is somewhere that has a number of motorhomes every night because they are next to a lake or river or are a beaux village then I understand them wanting to bring in an income.

It will be what it will be.
 
Just to add my two penny worth

We live in the Limousin and within a ten mile radius of here I can name 14 free aires, some very pretty ones, some near village centres and some only where you would want to have a nice quiet nights sleep whilst travelling. There are plenty around but if you follow the sheep then expect to pay.

Can anyone name a free aire in the whole of Britain?
 
PeteH said:
Anyone remember the "Le Crunch" advertising campaign of the 80`s. beautiful well packed apples?. Which as I recall, where promoted by the French Apple growers and the French Government and "dumped" in the UK at what where quite clearly "subsidised" prices. What I also recall is the fact that allegedly as a result was the less "marketed" (but in my view far tastier) British Apple Orchards of the West Country being ripped up and lost. A few years later said French Produce underwent a marked price hike!. So the French have a bit of history in regard to this type of behaviour. A similar thing happened with French Milk being "dumped" at Cost prices too, some time back, British Milk producers went out of business as a result of the "Backhanded subsidy" alleged to have been made to the French producers. Lots of "big players" use this tactic, Walmart in the USA forced out many a small provider in the early years with similar tactics. So surprising it would not be if eventually these "Aires" became as expensive as full facilitated sites, with only their "convenience" the difference.
Click to expand...
Aren't those just examples of how a wised up country can look after its own not like our industries that we told to get on with it or go bust. Whether aires stay free or not will depend on whats best for the villages and towns in France if enough people are prepared to still visit and pay its a no brainer. I'm with chaser on this the French campingcaristes are wise to look elsewhere and as a big part of the holiday for me is staying with them I will be too unless theres a good reason.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
To be honest the French, and by affiliation the French 'CampingCaristes' is careful with his money when it comes to paying to a Third Party when he can get it somewhere else for free; like certain areas of the UK which have the same reputation. Nothing like the 'French' though which still have the peasant mentality to this day. In my experience, the generosity of the 'French/Yorkshire people at home cannot be bettered. But the French, however generous at home still don't like paying for 'services' be it in the home or away in the Campervan.
 
PeteH said:
Anyone remember the "Le Crunch" advertising campaign of the 80`s. beautiful well packed apples?. Which as I recall, where promoted by the French Apple growers and the French Government and "dumped" in the UK at what where quite clearly "subsidised" prices. What I also recall is the fact that allegedly as a result was the less "marketed" (but in my view far tastier) British Apple Orchards of the West Country being ripped up and lost. A few years later said French Produce underwent a marked price hike!. So the French have a bit of history in regard to this type of behaviour. A similar thing happened with French Milk being "dumped" at Cost prices too, some time back, British Milk producers went out of business as a result of the "Backhanded subsidy" alleged to have been made to the French producers. Lots of "big players" use this tactic, Walmart in the USA forced out many a small provider in the early years with similar tactics. So surprising it would not be if eventually these "Aires" became as expensive as full facilitated sites, with only their "convenience" the difference.
Click to expand...

Similar to the Jap motorcycle take-over of the UK. The business description is;

Calculation, Domination, Elimination.

But like everything, what goes around comes around. Could the paid for Aires rise in price above a full facility campsite if the campsite was nearby ? I'd suggest not.
 
Sandancers said:
Similar to the Jap motorcycle take-over of the UK. The business description is;

Calculation, Domination, Elimination.

But like everything, what goes around comes around. Could the paid for Aires rise in price above a full facility campsite if the campsite was nearby ? I'd suggest not.
Click to expand...
I know this is somewhat off topic, but that simply isn't true. Japanese motorcycles came to dominate because they were years ahead of the British motorcycle industry, I know, I grew up at that time. People soon decided they would rather have a faster, reliable Honda 500-4 than a slow, leaky Triumph Bonneville.
 
Definitely "off Topic", But Most "Classic" vehicle ownership is more a question of "nostalgia" than anything else. I rebuilt, rode and sold 1957 BSA 500 Shooting Star twin. In favour of a BMW flat twin. I am currently Refurbing a 1971 Triumph Herald, the early model of which I took my driving test in!. I am informed that one of the most "Collectable" Sought after `bikes of it`s era is the Honda 400-4!. And yes! I had the obligatory "Oil Stain" on the driveway, upon which SWMBO was oft, to remark!. Fortunately we don`t live there any more!.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Just sorted out Camping-Car Parks for our upcoming French trip. Has anybody managed to download the maps for off-line use? My phone stopped at 12% & Mrs. N's i-pad got to 96% overnight then got stuck :(. Not good if no wifi or phone signal for mifi :confused:. Thanks.
Chris.
 
Sandancers said:
Similar to the Jap motorcycle take-over of the UK. The business description is;

Calculation, Domination, Elimination.

But like everything, what goes around comes around. Could the paid for Aires rise in price above a full facility campsite if the campsite was nearby ? I'd suggest not.
Click to expand...

By arranging with the Maires to take the municipal campsites (often in the best location) into private hands, CCP are in effect eliminating the local competition. Many municipals have an Aire for Camping-Cars near the entrance, so CCP kills 2 birds with 1 stone.
 
Ninovan said:
Just sorted out Camping-Car Parks for our upcoming French trip. Has anybody managed to download the maps for off-line use? My phone stopped at 12% & Mrs. N's i-pad got to 96% overnight then got stuck :(. Not good if no wifi or phone signal for mifi :confused:. Thanks.
Chris.
Click to expand...
Just as well all camping car parks have 'free' Wi-Fi.
 
Back to topic, and a practical point.
We showed up for our first shot at getting and using a Pass Etapes, at Dreux as it happens.

After a long day’s driving this was not an easy experience. You need to enter phone no, name, and email details before you can use you credit card to purchase the required card and load it with some credit.

The problem for me was my email address. It is rather long, indeed too long for their crappy software. There’s no way I could see to get past this.
Fortunately I have a, rarely used, second email address which is shorter and was accepted. Without this I would have had no alternative but to go elsewhere.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
G-RMPS said:
Back to topic, and a practical point.
The problem for me was my email address. It is rather long, indeed too long for their crappy software. There’s no way I could see to get past this.
Fortunately I have a, rarely used, second email address which is shorter and was accepted. Without this I would have had no alternative but to go elsewhere.
Click to expand...


We wouldn't have even tried
Not that we are freeloaders but when we can find so many Aires where we can pull up and use my Blue Badge as payment ........................................
 
Blue badge as payment ??? tell me more
 
Didn't know that, I have a French blue badge, never used it with the mh but in the car for parking there are no advantages except other than the disabled bays. Unlike GB, in France for cars, parking is not free we pay like everyone else. I'll have to check up on the MH, not checked, not sure
 
G-RMPS said:
Fortunately I have a, rarely used, second email address which is shorter and was accepted. Without this I would have had no alternative but to go elsewhere.
Click to expand...
Would have taken just a few mins to create a new Google/Hotmail/Yahoo email

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top