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Calais's New Aire (and Campsite)


StuartO

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We stayed at Calais's new Aire last night and enjoyed a peaceful sleep for 10€, which would have allowed us to stay for 24 hours had we needed it; it felt very secure - mainly because it's nowhere near any migrant locations or activity and I cannot see it becoming a magnet for such.  It was an easy 15 minute drive to the docks for our ferry and it would have been a shorter drive to the Eurotunnel.

 

You get a level and spacious parking slot - of which there are a large number, perhaps as many as 100 altogether, arranged in echlon formation either sisde of a tarmac roadway with small turfed grass triangular areas around the edges.  Access is via a barrier system and you must pay by credit card - and my UK Mastercard worked a treat.  It's a bit of a contortion act using the barrier system because the keyboard is very low down - it would probably be perfect if you were in a wheelchair but I ended up kneeling down on the tarmac to be able to read the display and use it.

 

Note that while the entry barrier lifts automaticallyt as you complete payment, the exit barrier requires you to enter a unique code which is printed on your ticket.  This arrangement seems to be directed at preventing people from overstaying without paying again and it confuses the hell out of lots of people and will cause traffic jams at the exit point for sure.  The MHs which left both before and after me struggle with it and I would have done had my OH not read the ticket carefully.  The instructions at the barrier are not very clear, even though there is a Union Jack button to allow you to read the instructions in English.

 

It's located two blocks back from Bleriot Plage on what was derelict land - I have vague memories of seeing large numbers of import/export new cars parked on it many years ago.  A big chunk of this has been developed as a Aire plus an adjacent Campsite, although the latter has yet to be finished - but they are already well on with it and I suspect it could be open within weeks.  Maybe you could walk easily to the sea front and make use of the restaurants hile staying there but we see it really as a transit stop for ferry crossings.  They have built what might become restaurant facilities at the entrance to the campsite but that's not yet clear.

 

The service points (three or four) look OK and the water for rinsing toilette casettes flows without payment so you can dump your tank and empty your casette even if you don't need to pay to top up with potable water, as we didn't.  The service points are outside the barrier so you can do this whether or not you use the Aire or Campsite.

 

The campsite is clearly going to have a shower/t and the pitches are all equipped with an EHU point and provide adequate sixed grass pitches in groups of four with a hard roadway into them.  The spacing between "pitches" on the aire are plenty wide enough so I suspect the appeal of the campsite will be limited to those wanting shower and/or power.

 

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Irrespective of how pleasant it is, I must admit that I'd not voluntarily stay close to Calais at the moment. Admittedly we came back through Calais two weeks ago and didn't see any immigrants, but I'd not wish to risk it. Reckon I wouldn't get a wink of sleep all night. We're going back to France mid June and Calais is a place I'll get away from and back through as soon as I can - certainly won't be spending any time there. we plan on staying around Abbeville (2 hrs from Calais) this time, there seems to be some decent sites and Aires there.

 

but good on you for reporting on it and risking it in the first place.

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ColinM50 - 2017-05-20 6:23 PMIrrespective of how pleasant it is, I must admit that I'd not voluntarily stay close to Calais at the moment. Admittedly we came back through Calais two weeks ago and didn't see any immigrants, but I'd not wish to risk it. Reckon I wouldn't get a wink of sleep all night. We're going back to France mid June and Calais is a place I'll get away from and back through as soon as I can - certainly won't be spending any time there. we plan on staying around Abbeville (2 hrs from Calais) this time, there seems to be some decent sites and Aires there.but good on you for reporting on it and risking it in the first place.

 

I've been avoiding Calais in recent times too, but this Aire is properly constructed and purpose built, fenced all round and unlikely (in my judgement) to present a worthwhile target for would-be migrants because of its location.  If migrants were allowed to start setting up a camp on the abundant remaining adjacent derelict land it would be a different matter but I can't see the French allowing anything like that to happen.

 

Not sure how the barrier system will cope with busy periods and it remains to be seen whether the French operators will maintain it properly over time, but for the time being I think it's an attractive place for a nightstop to/from the ferries and a very welcome addition.

 

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Andy&Lou, noticed the line of loads of MH's when we sailed into Calais last month. There must have been fifty of them all lined up facing out to sea. it was lashing with rain and we were going elsewhere so didn't investigate further but to my mind if this is the aire mentioned, then it's still operational.
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ColinM50 - 2017-05-22 2:32 PMAndy&Lou, noticed the line of loads of MH's when we sailed into Calais last month. There must have been fifty of them all lined up facing out to sea. it was lashing with rain and we were going elsewhere so didn't investigate further but to my mind if this is the aire mentioned, then it's still operational.
No, that's definitely not the Aire any longer. We and home via ferry last Saturday and that former Aire site near the harbour entrance is now a construction site full of diggers etc. 
The Aire we used is about 3/4 of a mile away in the direction of Sangatte. It's in the new edition of All the Aires. 
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