Suggestions for our trip to France in May 2023

We are looking at going to Honfleur tomorrow, anybody know of any places to park as we were rather large or even a campsite that is near so we can then walk?
 
Found a large aire 150 motorhome capacity which looks ideal. Says it's within walking distance of town etc which is good for us. Will see what this is like tomorrow.
 
Honfleur is lovely.
Beware of the many harbourside restaurants, as nice as they are they are very expensive compared to walking for 10 minutes into the town where there is a great selection offering much better vfm.
 
If anyone gets down as far as 11330 in the Aude/Occitanie, there are parking places marked all along the D613, from Mouthoumet through to Villerouge-Termenes, but they are just pull ins off the main road. This village has a gas station, next to the gendarmerie on the main road, 2 bars that serve food and have music on Saturdays at the Nid’Table.

Not shown are the full services in the main car park near the tennis courts in Félines-Termenes, water, waste and some electricity, pretty village but nothing much else.

Thereis a car park on the D613 at LAROQUE de FA, again opposite the tennis courts. Toilets and water only, but this village has a little shop, which serves coffee, beers and food in the holidays, has a post office and garage for repairs. Turn right off the D613 towards Davejean and Maisons, and you start a very picturesque rout down towards Perpignan, or avoiding Perpignan, you can get into Spain at a smaller crossing. If you get to Mouthoumet or LAROQUE de FA get in touch for more information. At Mouthoumet and Villerouge-Termenes there are EV charging points, but not fast ones.

Cathare castles to visit at Villerouge-Termenes (very well kept), Peyrepertuse, very high access, disabled allowed to drive up higher. Swimming in gorges at Douilhac.
Have fun, I am sure you will find original places of your own to tell us about on your return. Xx

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The Total garage on the way in to Honfleur also does LPG. Its on the UK Drivers side as you enter so we had to do a three point turn into it.
 
We would recommend All the Aires - Northern France. Probably has something like 1,000 places to stop.. available from Vicarious Books and worth every penny
 
zac said:
For the first year since owning a motorhome we have decided that this year instead of flying off to sunnier climates we will instead travel over to France via the Tunnel and spend 2 weeks travelling around, we are departing end of April and will be coming back 2 week of May so weather may not be great in most places unless venturing to the South of course.

I am looking for some good pointers on some nice destinations within approx 4-5 hours of Calais which probably covers most of France to be honest, i am interested in the War type places but my wife is not so keen so i need to mix it up a little. Also our Motorhome is rather large ie 8.5m tag so we need to be able to get to these places with this as we are unable to take any other form of transport like bicycles (medical issues). we could if we thought it would help take the car trailer with the car but this means that we wont be able to move on regularly so at the moment that's not coming with us.

I have just purchased my Angle morte stickers and i already have the crit air sticker as well.
Thought and suggestions please

Thanks in advance.
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We're in Belgium at the moment, the Ardennes. Unfortunately it's bank holiday weekend and difficult to get in campsites (we never book). The Somme would be a good area if you're interested in the war history, then onto the Ardennes.
We are here until Wednesday waiting for our appointment with a vet in Belgium to get a pet passport. We are then of on a 10 week adventure, who knows where but my thoughts at the moment are Black Forest, Bavaria, Austrian Tirol, Italian lakes then South of France or down to Croatia.
 
zac said:
Do you have a link to the aire or a campercontact / park4night etc reference? might give this a go myself when we travel this weekend?
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I don’t I’m sorry to say but it is clearly signposted ‘Aire de Camping Cars’ council run not expensive! All services waste dumping etc!
 
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Ch1pp3r7 said:
We would recommend All the Aires - Northern France. Probably has something like 1,000 places to stop.. available from Vicarious Books and worth every penny
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Camper stop book and online!! Get from Vicarious Books.

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Oradour sur glane as a stop off
With exception to Normandy, I don’t think there’s a better memorial to ww2 in France and that’s without saying the other places aren’t worth seeing
 
2 weeks will pass quickly and 4-5 hours isn’t much. Why limit yourself? The point of a camper is the freedom to explore, and to easily move from place to place. If you like a place, stay awhile, if you don’t, you can just move on.

In 2 weeks, even travelling no more than 3 hrs or 200km a day avoiding tolls you can do a proper circuit of France and take in up to a dozen of its most beautiful (google les plus beau villages) villages and the normandy beaches, Mont St Michel, Bordeaux, Les Dunes de Pilat and the Atlantic coast if that’s your thing along the way. You can easily park (aire, often free) or cheaply camp (site) everywhere, though advance booking (just a phone call) is advised in peak season (july-aug), where many sites impose a minimum stay limit. Touring in April to June, and Sept-Oct in France is going to be hassle free.

Only places to avoid are Paris (surely you’ve already seen it?) and Marseille, which are dirty, dangerous and crime infested holes where you will be rightly afraid to leave the camper unless it’s under armed guard. Outside major cities and away from Autoroute aires, France is generally a super safe place.

Enjoy!
 
Tomorrow we are heading west towards the d day landings ie Normandy beach Omaha and Utah beach, any in particular which you have visited that are within distance to see and park or do they all have large car parks? Forgive the stupid questions but just trying to save some time before hand rather than finding out once we are there.

Honfleur was great. Very very busy as there is a Porsche event on this weekend so super busy. The aire is also very busy but ok for a day, never seen so many motorhomes on the road here in France since we have been motorhoming which is now 10 years. There are just so many of them here.
 
All the D-day beaches have large car parks. You’ll get used to seeing all the campers. France is probably the best place to travel in a camper, every town and village has a little aire for you, and a very large number are still free.
 
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GAVLAD said:
Oradour sur glane as a stop off
With exception to Normandy, I don’t think there’s a better memorial to ww2 in France and that’s without saying the other places aren’t worth seeing
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Certainly a memorial not to be missed. It will leave you very moved!

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dawsey said:
2 weeks will pass quickly and 4-5 hours isn’t much. Why limit yourself? The point of a camper is the freedom to explore, and to easily move from place to place. If you like a place, stay awhile, if you don’t, you can just move on.

In 2 weeks, even travelling no more than 3 hrs or 200km a day avoiding tolls you can do a proper circuit of France and take in up to a dozen of its most beautiful (google les plus beau villages) villages and the normandy beaches, Mont St Michel, Bordeaux, Les Dunes de Pilat and the Atlantic coast if that’s your thing along the way. You can easily park (aire, often free) or cheaply camp (site) everywhere, though advance booking (just a phone call) is advised in peak season (july-aug), where many sites impose a minimum stay limit. Touring in April to June, and Sept-Oct in France is going to be hassle free.

Only places to avoid are Paris (surely you’ve already seen it?) and Marseille, which are dirty, dangerous and crime infested holes where you will be rightly afraid to leave the camper unless it’s under armed guard. Outside major cities and away from Autoroute aires, France is generally a super safe place.

Enjoy!
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Everyone has their own way of doing things but if we were going for 2 weeks, we'd tour much more slowly.... A week getting to and around Normandy and a week in Brittany and then home. There is so much to see that trying to do the whole country in 2 weeks wouldn't be relaxing as a holiday imho.
 
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Arromanches has a good museum and the mulberry harbours, Large Aire at the top before you go into town and also a campsite and small aire in the town but usually busy.
 
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MattR said:
Everyone has their own way of doing things but if we were going for 2 weeks, we'd tour much more slowly.... A week getting to and around Normandy and a week in Brittany and then home. There is so much to see that trying to do the whole country in 2 weeks wouldn't be relaxing as a holiday imho.
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I have been going to France nearly every year for almost 20 years, first for 2 weeks then since i retired 10 years ago 4 -8 weeks and i still have so much of France yet to see.(and i tour so don't stop in one place more than a couple of days)
 
rebbyvid said:
Arromanches has a good museum and the mulberry harbours, Large Aire at the top before you go into town and also a campsite and small aire in the town but usually busy.
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thanks, we stayed there a few nights ago before moving onto st-aubin-desert to meet our friends, we are now at Mont St Michele having spent the night at the camping car aire and visiting the island earlier today. We intend to start heading back up the coast tomorrow but the weather does not look good so need to find somewhere that is not dependant on the weather for the next few days.

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Bayeux is worth a visit, there’s an aire next to the Bayeux Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy and it’s only a short stroll into the lovely old town.
 
BikerJon said:
We're in Belgium at the moment, the Ardennes. Unfortunately it's bank holiday weekend and difficult to get in campsites (we never book). The Somme would be a good area if you're interested in the war history, then onto the Ardennes.
We are here until Wednesday waiting for our appointment with a vet in Belgium to get a pet passport. We are then of on a 10 week adventure, who knows where but my thoughts at the moment are Black Forest, Bavaria, Austrian Tirol, Italian lakes then South of France or down to Croatia.
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BikerJon
might be worth updating this thread with the vets details
Eu vets issuing pet passports
 
Stayed in Dinan last night which was a mistake, very very noisy constant racing and people outside at all hours. Too tired to move as didn't arrive till late in the evening but one to avoid in the future. On the plus side it's a very scenic town.
 
We are currently at Utah beach in a camping car park. Visiting the memorial museum today them hoping to move to omaha beach tomorrow but there seems to be limited parking from my searches unless anyone knows any different. We are 8.5m which is a little too big for the places I have found.
 
Scrappy as in dirty or something else?
 

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