Shewolf55 Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 Hi guys, we are off to Germany Friday (so long as restrictions don't get worse) and are travelling the fairytale route. Never been to Germany before, although I know they welcome motorhomes; does anyone have any info on aires - what they are called and how to use? Can't seem to find info on search forum?? Thanks xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJB Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 Stellplatz....with the universal MH sign....Aires in France of course and use is exactly the same. Smartphone?....Download 'Campercontact' and/or 'Searchforsites' each costs about £5 and both cover Europe and all types of sites. They can both be used without an internet connection...as per a Satnav. https://www.campercontact.com/en/content/advantages-app https://www.searchforsites.co.uk/ If you want a book specifically for Germany:-(This does include other European countries) https://www.vicarious-shop.com/products/reise-mobil-bord-atlas-2020-stellplatze-germany Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 You might also try the campingcar-infos website that has a Gerrman section http://www.campingcar-infos.com/Francais/cci.php?pays=ALLEMAGNE That website allows segregation/selection of ‘aires’ into 8 categories (which can be useful) but, as there’s no certainty that all the data will be fully up-to-date (as it’s heavily based on user feedback) cross-checking using the methods EJB mentions would be wise. That way you should be able to separate the wheat from the chaff (or the gems from the paste). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 Free downloads on here; https://www.bordatlas.de/overlays.php Also worth knowing if you use any of the Autobahns, you can easily clock up 5 or 600 mile of effortless driving in a day. Also their service areas are excellent offering food from snacks to full meals (not daft prices either), plenty of parking spaces all without restriction.....you can stay as long as you like for free, including overnight if you wish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirou Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 Promobil stellplatz radar app or website probably best for Germany Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Chodkowski Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 We have visited Germany many times and have found the Campercontact app well worth the cost. Germany is a fabulous destination for a motorhome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted September 9, 2020 Share Posted September 9, 2020 The equivalent of the aire in France is the German Stellplatz (though as Stellplatz translates are "parking place", technically you're looking for a Wohnmobil Stellplatz). They vary from the sublime to the ridiculous, though our experience is, as a generalisation, that Germany offers a better class of aire/Stellplatz than France (and I know others will disagree). The mode of use varies widely. Some are barrier protected (generally but not always, pay on exit), others are payment via a parking ticket machine, others you will book in with the owner on arrival, others the "Platzwart" will attend at certain times and collect the fee (often late afternoon/early evening, but if you aren't around to pay expect an early awakening the following morning), some are by depositing a fee in a box on the Stellplatz, others by paying at the local Rathaus (or tourist information) or by dropping the fee through the letter box. And, of course, some are free (though not a great number in Germany). There will normally (but not always) be facilities for grey and black water disposal, and of course fresh water. There are electric points on a sgnificant number of Stellplatz (though not always enough for all at busy times, and you maight need a long lead. Fresh water and electricity are invariably chargeable (though sometimes included in the overnight charge), and you will need to keep topped up with coins (all denominations from 10¢ to €2 for these, and it is useful to have a supplementary stock of €5 coins for "parking ticket" machines - though a small number will take UK Credit Cards!). Water used mainly to be dispensed in €1 portions (80 or 100l) but many now dispense in proportion for lower value coins (e.g. 10l for 10¢) which suits my preferred style of just keeping topped up with a water carrier, rather than running 100l at a time in with a hose. Electricity might be by time or kWh. On multi-outlet electric points, you need to select a point before paying by coin or topping up to make sure you're paying for your own electricity ;-) (and quite often, when you arrive, an unused point will have some credit left over). You can normally, but not always, pre-load the "meter" with mutiple coins in advance (particularly with time-based payment, this is useful to avoid getting up in the middle of the night to keep the fridge going). Even with the above detail, you'll find some that operate completely differently. The variety is part of the attraction. I tend to use the Bordatlas Stellplatzführer for an offline reference guide. The 2020 version is rather more usable than the 2019, and though in German, it has pictographic keys which make it relatively easy to understand. It is widely available in good bookshops in Germany. I also have POIs from the Bordatlas and Camping-Car-Infos on the Satnav, which help to identify possible stopping places. With web access, I also research "Wohnmobil Stellplatz town" which always provides multiple sources (Campercontact, etc.) Such is our experience of Stellplätze in Germany, we now seldom fall back on a campsite; the flexibility and locations making the Stellplätze more convenient for our touring (though we have become pretty astute at picking "good" ones). If you want some idea of the variety, usage and information, might I be self-indulgent and recommend reading my two threads below from last year...... https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Trip-Report-Germany-May-2019/54332/ https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Trip-Report-Germany-Sept-2019-Part-1/54372/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shewolf55 Posted September 28, 2020 Author Share Posted September 28, 2020 Hi guys, just got back after our two week trip away to Germany. Had an amazing time, but we were very careful about where we went and avoided places where there were too many people. The Black Forest was very busy and certain areas/shops were packed with tourists; but I did manage to find a couple of shops that were empty and only me in there! We chose our cafes, few people and had my Black Forest Gateau at last. Didn't buy a Cuckoo clock, but they were beautiful - price range at nearly 4000 for a good one We drove through the Black Forest, along the South of Germany, past Lake Constantine and onto the Neuschwanstein Castle - then up to the North coast, along the Fairytale Route, and across to Amsterdam and the West coast of Holland - definitely coming back to Holland in April for the tulips Then drove straight though Belguim without stopping and got home in 7 hrs lower Normandy France Now planning out next getaway Sarah xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.