Sorry, another first trip to France thread.

[slobadoberbob]

it is worth having a prepaid euro card

We have a preloaded Caxton FX euro card.. we use that to take fuel on in the night as often there is no one on duty in the evenings or night times or Sundays/Mondays .. the pre loaded euro card allows you to buy the euros when the best rate is available and you can use the card at cash machines free and use it just like a credit card (Mastercard)... The roads are so much easier to drive than the UK ,less traffic and at night it is a dream.

I have stayed in the docks (did not get any sleep) have stayed in Cite Europe, same to much movement and lots of cars from the cleaners and workers that are in the place after dark.. although there are other motor homes there.

It is better to push on a few miles away from Calais... sometimes we have even stopped at the E Lelerc in Neufchatel-En-Bray 1km off junction 9 of the main road to Rouen .. the security van leaves you alone and it is quite if you park to the right of the store (lorries go in the left side at night). from March next year a new Aire will be open jus up the road front he store..14 pitches.

I avoid the motorway stop areas.. if you can get in that is, normally full of trucks from 4 p.m. onwards.

Bob

 

[Encantador]

Are generators allowed to be used on aires and /or camp sites in France?

Are any special electric/water connectors required.

Thanks

Steve

 

[slobadoberbob]

we have used our generator

Are generators allowed to be used on aires and /or camp sites in France?

Are any special electric/water connectors required.

Thanks

Steve

We have many a time used our generator on an Aires... on the site we are on currently in France we are connected to the 230v mains at 10 amps and that covers all our needs in an RV... most sites have some EHU.. if you use the ACSI book all the sites will have not less than 6 amps and often as high as 16 amps.... it is a good book to look at as it shows camp sites all over europe within the two books... we have used it a lot. Pays for it's self each year from the discounts we get by using the card.

Aires are fine .. but they have limited electric.. but it depends on what you need.. if it is to just charge the batteries then fine, but if you run some heavy items like we have on an RV then a camp site is better. Our fridge is on 230v at this time, otherwise it would be on the log... same as my computer is connected to the mains via the inverter and is charging this and other items.. and in a short time I will be using the George Foreman grill to cook some home made beef burgers....Plus later the 230v 10 amps will power the normal 26" domestic TV we have on the RV.

So getting an EHU is an important thing for us... but our 4 kw genny will also provide the power should we need it via the sterling investor / pro combo charger unit. that has 1500 watts via the batteries.

Bob

 

[MikeandCarolyn]

Are any special electric/water connectors required.
Thanks
Steve

Some campsites use the French 2 pin connection,so it's handy to have a lead with that on it.
If you're bother about reverse polarity it is an idea to have a Tester and a short lead wired in reverse.
Most of us carry a variety of water connectors as a standard item regardless of where we are.If you have a problem Monsieur Bricolage will sort you out

Bon Voyage,
Mike.

 

[MHVirgins]

Aires near Le Havre

Can anyone recommend any aires or other suitable spots for an overnighter after coming off the ferry near Le Havre?

Or even somewhere within a few miles of the port?
Thanks in advance

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[magicsurfbus]

Can anyone recommend any aires or other suitable spots for an overnighter after coming off the ferry near Le Havre?

Or even somewhere within a few miles of the port?
Thanks in advance

The Aire at Link Removed is huge, and not too far away. Nice town to visit too.

 

[Barclaybasher]

Can I sugest an alternative............

Stay overnight this side of the Channel (an excellent CC site near Dover)

Get up next day, after breakfast take ferry or tunnel mid-day.

Arrive in France refreshed and enjoy a couple of hours relaxed driving to a site or aire in daylight.

It costs a bit more but to us it's worth it.

Enjoy your trip, looking forward to our next.:Cool:

 

[Wynnster]

First stop

Hi, We are also going over for our first trip last week of June - aiming to stop over at Aire de Baie de la Somme just north of Abbeville, then head off about midday. Have heard very good reports of this aire, and it's only about 1.5 hours out of Calais, I'm told.

Good luck on your first outing!

 

[mikebeaches]

Hi Just a couple of points I can comment on

ACSI card. Discounts not normal in the peak season but the book or better still the disc does give you a good selection of sites to stay at.

Stopping at the end of the tunnel. A couple of weeks ago I stayed at the Cite Europe Aire which is at the shopping centre near the end of the tunnel. In the Aires guide book it does not recommend staying over night. It does not give a reason so I am not sure why this is, there were quite a few UK motorhomes and 2 french ones overnight.

Have a good trip
Mike

Agree the ACSI discount card and guidebooks are good. The dates when discount is available vary from site to site, but can be up to 7 July, at least in some cases. You can also check all the French sites and discount-applicable dates online at http://www.campingcard.co.uk/gb/en/europe/france/ :thumb:

Oh, and we stayed over at Cite Europe the night before last - Saturday 9th - no problems whatsoever and slept well. Lots of other vans overnighting. It was our second time there and we'd use it again.

Have a good trip!

Mike

 

[magicsurfbus]

..aiming to stop over at Aire de Baie de la Somme just north of Abbeville.. Have heard very good reports of this aire, and it's only about 1.5 hours out of Calais, I'm told.

Easily spotted in daytime - it has its own wind turbine. It's one of my wife's favourite A16 autoroute stops, although we haven't used it overnight. There's a MH service point on site. If you work your way round to the right of the main building there are some long bays set aside for MH owners that are away from the comings and goings in the main car park.

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[Wicketter]

Calais stops

do you know the exact address for this aire please and can you get on there at around 1am after all i have read i dont fancy stopping at citi europe now so need somewhere at around 1am sunday 17th

We have stopped here at all hours. Can't give you the exact address but if you look on the map of the A16 it's between junctions 38 and 37 I think. Basically if you stay on the A16 toward Rouen after the tunnel it's the first aire you get to and signposted. We found it by chance about 15 years ago and have been using it ever since. Usually we get the midnight ferry to Calais or Dunkerque so it's a handy spot. Good luck.

 

[MHVirgins]

The Aire at Link Removed is huge, and not too far away. Nice town to visit too.

Many thanks for this information, have added the link to our "Aire" file now, the website looks full of very useful stuff for our trip!:thumb:
Margaret & Bill

 

[Spacerunner]

We quite often stop at a small town called Srdres just 13 miles from the Eurotunnel.
There are several large carparks, usually empty, wher we overnight or a small campsite, Ardressienne, in the centre of town.

 

[Spacerunner]

The pic