Restrictions that result in lack of facilities for motorhomes

Can't argue with that - but often we just want the countryside and a reasonable pub within a mile or two.
 
Oldgustaf said:
Number of aires in France = 3,944 (source: Vicarious Media)
Number of CS's and CL's in UK = 3,600
That's just counting Camping & Caravanning Club and Caravan and Motorhome Club sites. There are several other exempted camping organisations that have CS's, eg. The Greener Camping Club.
Click to expand...

Just curiosity really (and I gave up my membership of CAMC), but can a visiting French / German / Spanish etc. motorhomer get any form of temporary membership to the clubs to enable them to access these facilities?

If not then the density of available sites per 100 sq. km is irrelevant to foreign tourists. And I think the cheapest CL I ever used was £12 p/n, some were significantly more expensive. And as has already been said, they are mostly in the middle of nowhere.

In my mind that makes the UK far less M/H friendly than the continent.
 
Skez said:
Just curiosity really (and I gave up my membership of CAMC), but can a visiting French / German / Spanish etc. motorhomer get any form of temporary membership to the clubs to enable them to access these facilities?

If not then the density of available sites per 100 sq. km is irrelevant to foreign tourists. And I think the cheapest CL I ever used was £12 p/n, some were significantly more expensive. And as has already been said, they are mostly in the middle of nowhere.

In my mind that makes the UK far less M/H friendly than the continent.
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Yes, I believe both C&CC and C&MC offer special membership deals to overseas visitors.

Site owners have got to make a living! Think of all that grass they have to mow.

Middle of nowhere = nice!
 
While we are talking of'mostly' EU park-ups,A pal of mine was parked up on a Hypermarket at Calais at Xmas ,for shopping .When he came out ,a security guard suggested he looked under his motorhome .Upon doing so he found between the rear wheels ,over the axle a nest of ropes had been constructed to form a hamoc.The supposed immigrant had been seen effecting this ,and was apprehended .JUST BE CAREFUL WHER YOU PARK !!
 
Northernraider said:
Not by the way they get built in Britain, no payload, can only travel with 10 litres of water etc.
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Depends what you have really, doesn't it? With a full tank of fuel and a full tank of water, a spare wheel, and myself in my current overweight state, I still have 550 kg payload. Which is way more than I could ever use.

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Last edited:
Jim said:
Much is made of the French Aires system, I've used it extensively and yes it would be nice to have something similar. But we're not the poor relations here. I don't see a lack of facilities.

IMO this country's CL/CS system takes some beating. 3500 of them all over the country and most under £12 a night. The French I've spoken to love our CL's. Add to that 1200 pubs and Britsops that officially welcome motorhomes and a lot more that do it if you ask.

If you want to fight the government there are more worthy battles, the system we have is superb (y)
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I'm gonna make masen look like a rite dick ear,,, but wot are CL/CS systems???
 
bigguspeckus said:
I'm gonna make masen look like a rite dick ear,,, but wot are CL/CS systems???
Click to expand...

They are a network of 5 van sites run by around 25 organizations in the UK. Caravan Club, MotorhomeFun etc. Number close to 4000
 
Vickysponge said:
Yes we have the small sites and we use them but they aren't in towns. The CLs we go on are in the middle of nowhere, usually farm sites. When we holiday in the UK, sometimes we take our car with us simply because the sites we have, aren't handy for anywhere.

There are two places we use to park in towns in the UK, Canterbury and Helmsley. I'm afraid I disagree with you Jim, our system is not superb for motorhomes.
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Why are you afraid to disagree with Jim???
 
Oldgustaf said:
Number of aires in France = 3,944 (source: Vicarious Media)
Number of CS's and CL's in UK = 3,600
That's just counting Camping & Caravanning Club and Caravan and Motorhome Club sites. There are several other exempted camping organisations that have CS's, eg. The Greener Camping Club.

Maths isn't a strong point but I think this equates to:
France 0.7 aires per 100 sq. Km
UK 1.4 CS's and CL's per 100 sq. Km

So UK has double the density of MH-friendly sites compared to France.
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Theres a lot of free aires within your figures For France. How many is there for the UK?

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Oldgustaf said:
I've only skimmed through this thread, so apologies if this has already been said:
Area of France = 549,970 sq. Km
Area of UK =241,930 sq. Km

Number of aires in France = 3,944 (source: Vicarious Media)
Number of CS's and CL's in UK = 3,600
That's just counting Camping & Caravanning Club and Caravan and Motorhome Club sites. There are several other exempted camping organisations that have CS's, eg. The Greener Camping Club.

Maths isn't a strong point but I think this equates to:
France 0.7 aires per 100 sq. Km
UK 1.4 CS's and CL's per 100 sq. Km

So UK has double the density of MH-friendly sites compared to France.
Click to expand...

IF the U.K. was as MH-friendly as France we wouldn’t be having this debate ?
 
Oldgustaf said:
I've only skimmed through this thread, so apologies if this has already been said:
Area of France = 549,970 sq. Km
Area of UK =241,930 sq. Km

Number of aires in France = 3,944 (source: Vicarious Media)
Number of CS's and CL's in UK = 3,600
That's just counting Camping & Caravanning Club and Caravan and Motorhome Club sites. There are several other exempted camping organisations that have CS's, eg. The Greener Camping Club.

Maths isn't a strong point but I think this equates to:
France 0.7 aires per 100 sq. Km
UK 1.4 CS's and CL's per 100 sq. Km

So UK has double the density of MH-friendly sites compared to France.
Click to expand...

Yes I think your maths will do but I fear you have missed the point. The CS and CL sites aren't in towns, they are usually in the country many of them on farms. How do motorhomers use these sites?
 
Oldgustaf said:
Number of aires in France = 3,944 (source: Vicarious Media)
Click to expand...
There are well over 8000 Aires in France.
Also CL's & CS's are pretty useless for Motorhomes, too far out of the way.
We need Aires that are close to town, & village centres and places of interest.
 
Vickysponge said:
Yes I think your maths will do but I fear you have missed the point. The CS and CL sites aren't in towns, they are usually in the country many of them on farms. How do motorhomers use these sites?
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Well ... you arrive, park up for the night, then move on!
Service your motorhome if that's provided (ie dump waste, refill with fresh water). A lot of motorhomers use them specifically for this purpose.
If it's a nice place you might stay for a bit and go for walks, take in the peace or whatever the place has to offer.
If you want a town or a village, you use a carpark or a bus.

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Lenny HB said:
There are well over 8000 Aires in France.
Also CL's & CS's are pretty useless for Motorhomes, too far out of the way.
We need Aires that are close to town, & village centres and places of interest.
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Sorry was only quoting what Vicarious say in their guides. I'm sure you are right.

Just as some people like a rear lounge and others a fixed bed, so too, some people like campsites near a town, while others prefer to be a bit more off the beaten track. Down our way, I can think of CS's that are a short walk from St David's (UK's smallest city, beautiful cathedral), Tenby (needs no intro...), Fishguard - and further up the coast in Ceredigion at Newquay. Not to mention several near stunning beaches, pretty harbours and some of the finest coastline in the UK. It all depends on individual preference.
 
CWH said:
Well ... you arrive, park up for the night, then move on!
Service your motorhome if that's provided (ie dump waste, refill with fresh water). A lot of motorhomers use them specifically for this purpose.
If it's a nice place you might stay for a bit and go for walks, take in the peace or whatever the place has to offer.
If you want a town or a village, you use a carpark or a bus.
Click to expand...

if you only stay one night you don’t see anything because you’re always on the move. Many countryside sites are nowhere near to a bus stop. Finding car parks to take a large motorhome is like finding hen’s teeth.

I like to stay at least three nights. That way you get to explore. We have electric bikes which helps but most CLs are too far away from a town or village, even for e-bikes.
 
Vickysponge said:
if you only stay one night you don’t see anything because you’re always on the move. Many countryside sites are nowhere near to a bus stop. Finding car parks to take a large motorhome is like finding hen’s teeth.

I like to stay at least three nights. That way you get to explore. We have electric bikes which helps but most CLs are too far away from a town or village, even for e-bikes.
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You're absolutely right; but that's how a lot of people use CLs/CSs which is what you asked.
A lot also will stay for a few nights.
You choose one that suits your needs, and we all use our m/h in different ways.
 
next stop asked,
Please excuse my ignorance, but what is a "tinker"…?

It's a word used in Scotland for, gypsies, travellers ect ! used it all my life, now 69 !!

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I must admit to not really having a problem with not having aires here although it would be nice as in my case as posted before i'm not unknown for phoning (remember that old fashioned method of communication ) farmers or pubs and asking if I can overnight only ever had one pub refuse and that was because they were having problems with local youth.
Also did this in Bruges council had stopped allowing MH to use a car park and I noticed a leisure centre nearby I called in and discovered it was privately owned and were more than happy to let me park for a couple of nights and when we offered to pay they wouldn't here of it unfortunately they did say they didn;t want to be highlighted as a stop as they thought they would get to many to cope with
 
Tony50 said:
I think you are right, but, if you don't like paying !!
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Very rarely have to pay in a pub stop unless it has a campsite attached.
 
Gosh, there’s some moaning bar stewards on here, am I the only person on MHF that rarely has a problem finding somewhere to overnight in the U.K. if not for free (pubstops) then for little charge, why would Local Authorites make a budget available for you to dump your poo and get water when they can’t afford to pay for your grannies care, not judging but for every motorhomer that will use the local facilities, have a drink and a meal in the local hostelries theres probably 10 that won’t, then they have to remove the rubbish that’s filled all the bins in the car parks used by us etc etc etc. we only have ourselves to blame, no such thing as a free lunch but too many people want one, if you can’t afford to stay the night in your Motorhome then you got your budgeting wrong when you bought it surely! Ok, moan over now :lipssealed: ;)

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Oldgustaf said:
I've only skimmed through this thread, so apologies if this has already been said:
Area of France = 549,970 sq. Km
Area of UK =241,930 sq. Km

Number of aires in France = 3,944 (source: Vicarious Media)
Number of CS's and CL's in UK = 3,600
That's just counting Camping & Caravanning Club and Caravan and Motorhome Club sites. There are several other exempted camping organisations that have CS's, eg. The Greener Camping Club.

Maths isn't a strong point but I think this equates to:
France 0.7 aires per 100 sq. Km
UK 1.4 CS's and CL's per 100 sq. Km

So UK has double the density of MH-friendly sites compared to France.
Click to expand...
How many of those cl's are free ?
How many are in the heart of towns and villages ?

You'll be able to use just the fingers on one hand



No comparison whatsoever.

I've never paid for an aire anywhere on the continent

Some even had free electric

The uk owners would collapse with heart conditions at the mere mention of free

So really its continent 10

UK-1 million
 
dabhand said:
Gosh, there’s some moaning bar stewards on here, am I the only person on MHF that rarely has a problem finding somewhere to overnight in the U.K. if not for free (pubstops) then for little charge, why would Local Authorites make a budget available for you to dump your poo and get water when they can’t afford to pay for your grannies care, not judging but for every motorhomer that will use the local facilities, have a drink and a meal in the local hostelries theres probably 10 that won’t, then they have to remove the rubbish that’s filled all the bins in the car parks used by us etc etc etc. we only have ourselves to blame, no such thing as a free lunch but too many people want one, if you can’t afford to stay the night in your Motorhome then you got your budgeting wrong when you bought it surely! Ok, moan over now :lipssealed: ;)
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Yet theres lots of free lunches all through the rest of the EU

Aswell as cheaper fuel and better weather

Makes you wonder exactly what's great about Great Britain really.
 
Not really my point as I sit in the cold at my free aire at Châteaudun, fuel €1.47 a litre ;)
 
dabhand said:
if you can’t afford to stay the night in your Motorhome then you got your budgeting wrong when you bought it surely! Ok, moan over now :lipssealed: ;)
Click to expand...
dabhand said:
Not really my point as I sit in the cold at my free aire at Châteaudun, fuel €1.47 a litre ;)
Click to expand...

Sounds like you fall into that category:ROFLMAO:

I don’t think you need me to tell you, not everyone who buys a motorhome wants to stop at campsites nor can afford to.
 
Northernraider said:
Yet theres lots of free lunches all through the rest of the EU

Aswell as cheaper fuel and better weather

Makes you wonder exactly what's great about Great Britain really.
Click to expand...
I always say whatever nationality, colour,, religion, you are ( that includes all born in UK ) if you don't like the UK don't live here you won't be missed

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