LabradorMonty Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Help! I am desperately trying to find a suitable location as near as possible to a traffic free section of the Loire cycle route. We have an Autotrail Mohawk so would need hard standing. Our Labrador runs along with us while we cycle & he has enjoyed the canals in the Summer which are brilliant & have plenty of campsites - but trying it in the winter is another matter! I am really hoping someone out there might have done this or at least stayed somewhere that they know stays open all year. An aire is a possibility but not something we have ever tried before. We are staying in Paris for Christmas & then are looking for bike routes from 27th December to 5th January. Loire Valley was just a thought. Oh and has anyone been to a vets in Calais please?! Caroline & Chris Carter-Frost Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Vets in Calais tend to be expensive. If you are heading back through Alencon this vet is very reasonable, very friendly and English speaking - well sort of! http://clinique-coubertin.fr/clinique. Many of the Loire valley Aires are on or close to the cycle route and may will be open but I can't speak for the water taps or emptying poimts as I have no experience of winter in France. The 'all the Aires guides' from Vicarious Books are very good with generally accurate descriptions and spot on lat and long coordinates and directions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabradorMonty Posted October 24, 2015 Author Share Posted October 24, 2015 Thank you - that is the most help we have had so far! I think it would be a good idea to buy the aire book next because I presume they will also say if it is closed at that time. Caroline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 Just checked my Vicarious Aires books and there is indeed a symbol that denotes open all year and a quick flick through the books seems to suggest that a very high proportion are open all year. I also suspect that as many do not have any form of barrier even the closed ones may well be accssible, but that is pure speculation by me? Make sure you have plenty of gas or refillables as warm it will not be in January! Enjoy - wish we were coming with you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabradorMonty Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share Posted November 4, 2015 Thank you again! Just come back from staying in a cottage in Pirou, Normandy - much easier in the motorhome! Found some wonderful traffic free cycle ways & quite a few aires which seemed very safe - so we are feeling much more positive about the Loire now. Did you buy your book directly through Vicarious? Caroline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 LabradorMonty - 2015-11-04 6:59 PM Thank you again! Just come back from staying in a cottage in Pirou, Normandy - much easier in the motorhome! Found some wonderful traffic free cycle ways & quite a few aires which seemed very safe - so we are feeling much more positive about the Loire now. Did you buy your book directly through Vicarious? Caroline Glad you enjoyed Normandy Caroline. I venture to suggest that you would like Brittany as much if not more with a van as there are lots of Aires ranging, as ever, from the sublime, through the ridiculous to the not at all nice! Same in the Loire Valley which is why it pays to get sited before dark just in case it is not as nice as you hoped it would be! Aire hunting at night even with a sat nav is far less fun as one gets older!! Vicarious I believe only sell direct as I've never seen their books in any book shop? They also (used to/ or do?) attend some shows where a small discount as well as a chance to have a look at the range of books before you buy is/was available. Their stand was always busy at every show we met them at! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabradorMonty Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 Thank you again! Yes, my husband fancies visiting Brittany as well. He also thought we could get the book at a Show but at the moment we are not going to one before Christmas so I may well have to bite the bullet and buy through Vicarious. We used to go to the NEC every year but now we have a rather lovable Labrador who we don't like to leave behind so we tend to only go to outdoor shows now. We always set up - even in a campsite- in daylight whenever we can - but thank you for the advice! Bye again. Caroline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Another really good place to tour and cycle is the Rhine and Mosel valleys - but they will be cold in December! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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