Cmon chaser isn't there just a little bit of you in this.
Why France campsites
- Thread starter chaser
- Start date
We‘ve stayed at a number of France Passion sites and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. At one site, near Macon, if I recall, they had a wineyard that you can tour and obviously buy wine from. But although we wanted the tour ( and probably would have bought a few bottles) the owner came round on Saturday morning and said he had to go somewhere and apologised for no tour. Hoped we’d had a good night and wished us a good journey. No pressure at all.
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- Dec 24, 2014
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OP
OP
Just looked on Amazon and the proper France passion book doesn't come up.
claude et maude
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We enjoy both aires and sites. Our kids (and grandkids) don’t like to miss out out on our adventures so we will book a site with a pitch for us and a chalet for them but the rest of the time we just go with the flow.
TBH we enjoy both but probably wouldn’t use all the facilities on a site if just the two of us as we like to get out and about in the local towns and villages.
The upside of sites that we have found is that often we will book one with the kids at end of season and more often than not the on site swimming pool will be our own private pool.
TBH we enjoy both but probably wouldn’t use all the facilities on a site if just the two of us as we like to get out and about in the local towns and villages.
The upside of sites that we have found is that often we will book one with the kids at end of season and more often than not the on site swimming pool will be our own private pool.
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- Oct 25, 2016
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When it arrives i'll post a pic see if it's the right one.
- Mar 14, 2019
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My wife and I enjoy swimming so campsites are a must for us. We never use their restaurants or bars as we prefer a quiet glass of the red stuff while dining at the pitch. We try to find places with good local transport and some places allow you to travel as per UK bus passes. One campsite in Poland said we only had to prove we were 65+ by showing some ID such as a driving licence (we both drive).
Forgot to add that we use aires/stellplatz on the journey as appropriate.
Something to do with naturist resorts.
- Jan 3, 2008
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Stick to aires if you want total flexibility, huge choice, cheap or free overnights, never having to book ahead, hardly ever any screaming kids or blaring tv or music, not having a view of nothing but other campers. Other than that if you use aires you do get to see real France, on many campsites you could be anywhere. Use them now and then for the washing machine if you cannot find one at a supermarket. You really havn't missed anything.
We actually checked into a Site on Friday last for it’s location to an event that could last eight days, left after one night , people everywhere, being observed every time you move and kids chasing or racing around on bikes and ball games, back on an Aire, peace and quiet and loving it. Stick to what you know.
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suavecarve
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You need to start a "Recommend a France Passion site" thread to find all the decent ones such as Uzes, Ile De L'Oleran, Lac de St Croix lavender shop, the old geezer at Eguisheim etc etc
OP
OP
We have been on cider farms, vineyards, restaurants, duck farms, goose farms, dairy farms, lavender farms, peanut farms, cheese farms, buffalo farm ,ostrich farm, oyster beds, salt farms, donkey farms, horse farms, a craft shop in the middle of a wood, which was half in France and on the other side of a tape fence it was an Italian paid for Aire, just so many I can't remember them all, never paid for anything we didn't want on any of them but the owners didn't seem worried in the slightest weather you bought anything or nothing, just pleased to see you.
Yeah we have some brilliant memories of France passion sites.
After many years of motorcycle camping in a tent across Europe when I joined the MH brigade I just carried on using camping sites as it was what I am used to. I did it as it was a safe place to leave the rent and often the bike whilst at the beach of further afield.
However, the aires in France interest me a little but as we have a no #2 in the MH loo rule, and I do like to partake of the 3 S's every morning, I am drawn to organised sites.
- Oct 25, 2016
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Know Uzes quite well been several times, and the surrounding areas. Loveley place
Yes us too Chaser we normally had a tent with us to visit and overnight should we want a night away from the hotel. Having the camper parked in the car park makes this a better option.Before we got into motorhomes this is what we did in a car.
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- Oct 12, 2009
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We have had mention of campsites, Aires and French Passion but one category that seems to be missing is 'Farms'.
We often look for them on the site search apps and have enjoyed several, including one with a very good restaurant in one of the converted barns. Have had eggs given to us and offers to help ourselves to apples.
The farmers seem to be a welcoming bunch - I suppose the miserable ones would not list themselves.
We often look for them on the site search apps and have enjoyed several, including one with a very good restaurant in one of the converted barns. Have had eggs given to us and offers to help ourselves to apples.
The farmers seem to be a welcoming bunch - I suppose the miserable ones would not list themselves.
The consensus Here seems to be that staying on Aires you don’t usually get the kids where as on sites there will be a lot in season…
I think we’ve all had our time with the kids and now like something a bit quieter with more freedom on where to stay
I think we’ve all had our time with the kids and now like something a bit quieter with more freedom on where to stay
- Oct 12, 2009
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'kids in season' - how long do they have to hung before ready for roasting?
Just asking for W.C. Fields
Can’t seem to eat a whole one these days…'kids in season' - how long do they have to hung before ready for roasting?
Just asking for W.C. Fields
I was a teacher and believe me you soon get to want to be away from childrens! The best actually were in the Czech Republic. Best behaved anyway!
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- Oct 12, 2009
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As a new joiner to France Passion this evening I endorse that idea
We have been on cider farms, vineyards, restaurants, duck farms, goose farms, dairy farms, lavender farms, peanut farms, cheese farms, buffalo farm ,ostrich farm, oyster beds, salt farms, donkey farms, horse farms, a craft shop in the middle of a wood, which was half in France and on the other side of a tape fence it was an Italian paid for Aire, just so many I can't remember them all, never paid for anything we didn't want on any of them but the owners didn't seem worried in the slightest weather you bought anything or nothing, just pleased to see you.
Yeah we have some brilliant memories of France passion sites.
We are looking forward to the same, particularly as Basia is a 'foodie' and a good cook.
- Oct 25, 2016
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Book i ordered didn't come. On checking Amazon i find the CC lodged for our account had expired 1st May.
Now renewed and book re ordered.
Sack the secretary.
Now renewed and book re ordered.
Sack the secretary.
OP
OP
As you all know It's not often that I recommend anything, more likely complain, but France passion is something that I would recommend to anyone who hasn't done much traveling in France, although it costs 30 euros to start ,after that everything is free , and unlike Aires there is always something different to do, even if it's only to walk round vines or fruit trees, and you can have your stuff out with no fear of someone telling you to move them, and actually as more and more Aires are now charging it can even work out cheaper.
We were in it for eight years in a row and only scratched the surface, when covid hit we gave up on it as weren't going and won't be joining again now but that's because we have about finished not because there's anything wrong with it.
By the way in my list of places we had been,
I missed out the tractor museum ,
Worth every penny.
OP
OP
Couple of drawbacks, they are not always in popular places, and they can take a bit of finding but easier now as they have added coordinates to the book, in the earlier version all you had was some vague directions in french, but as Julie is fluent that was never I big problem but others have complained before about that but now it's solved with sat nav.
OP
OP
Wow, I have just noticed in the links at the bottom, I started a thread about France passion five years ago, saying almost the same that I have said in this one.
That's dedication int it 
That's dedication int it
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- Nov 22, 2018
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Thanks for that, that was the post I was looking for, and I think we will carry on as we have.
What actually got me thinking was , our last big trip was planned for 2020, then it got put back to 21, that didn't happen and we are now two years older than we were when planning the last one, and far less agile, but we have now booked the tunnel for 10 may for a ten day trip just to get back in the swing, if that goes ok we shall be planning the last for a month in September, and thought as we have never been on a site, apart from one night that it might be somehow , a bit easier and see what we have missed but reading the replies on here I don't think we will change a winning formula now.
I think that your question might equally be phrased, "How do you motorhome?"
Many here see motorhoming as a trip to dozens of places, rarely staying more then a night, preferring to find a free space to stay the night. Others use aires to get to the area they want to be in quickly so they can take a leisurely tour of the locale. Others use their bus as a holiday home, getting to a site somewhere and then staying a week or more. Or any combination of sites, aires or wild places. There is no right or wrong way to motorhome.
We always stay on sites, and we always pre-book them. I don't mind paying prices than many would think ridiculous, if it is where we want to be. This August, the cheapest site we are staying at is €32 a night and most expensive is €101 per night. We like to have a swimming pool and a good location. I never use an ACSI site that is graded less then 8.0, and I rarely use aires because they don't fit with our style of motorhoming. Wilding is a definite no-no for us. Whether we decide to ever go wilding or aire-ing will have to wait until our boys are doing their own thing (may never happen as the eldest has severe, non-verbal autism). Also many aires wouldn't like that we have a little trailer.
I notice that security hasn't featured much in any answers to you. I feel safer on a campsite than I do compared with the times we have used aires. Again, many would disagree, but as I said, there is no right way or wrong way to motorhome.
Finally, at risk of upsetting some funsters, I do find it amusing to see people with a £100,000 moho, declaring that they "would never pay more then fifteen euros" for a place to stop the night!!
- Oct 25, 2016
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Being relatively new to MHing in UK although done a fair bit in Euro and Australia i was under the impression that having a mobile vehicle a few days here a few days there longer if the place suit's shorter if it don't.
Thought MHing was about "touring".
As i said new to the game so whilst it suits us we will move on when we have seen enough of one place.
As for price, we will pay whatever the going rate is for a given site. Some maybe a bit eyewatering some ridiculously inexpensive, spose it balances out. I've not worked my bo@@lks for 40 years in a foreign land to be too concerned about a few Euros here and there.
Thought MHing was about "touring".
As i said new to the game so whilst it suits us we will move on when we have seen enough of one place.
As for price, we will pay whatever the going rate is for a given site. Some maybe a bit eyewatering some ridiculously inexpensive, spose it balances out. I've not worked my bo@@lks for 40 years in a foreign land to be too concerned about a few Euros here and there.
- Nov 22, 2018
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Define touring. We tour. We just tour to a different site every so often!
OP
OP
I think that what you do is right for you, with kids it's a completely different thing than just the two of you.
When our kids were small we used to book haven sites as that is where the kids wanted to go but we weren't in to either motorhomes or foreign travel at that time.
You do what suits you at the time.
But must say £100 to stay in your own motor does seem a bit excessive to me.
- Oct 25, 2016
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Been said so many times each to their own and what suit's them.
We prefer to move on when we have seen what we want to, be it 2/3/4/5 days to do that.
Never moved to look for a cheaper/free site though.
PS. did stay on a site in Devon last year for a week. That week we hired a car to "see and go places".
We prefer to move on when we have seen what we want to, be it 2/3/4/5 days to do that.
Never moved to look for a cheaper/free site though.
PS. did stay on a site in Devon last year for a week. That week we hired a car to "see and go places".
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