Problems in Santander

[Syd]

robertandjean - 2008-08-07 9:25 AM

 

Syd,

I think the clue to the problems with these other facilities lies in the name "camping site" or "caravan site" i.e. they are facilities designed for other types of user not motorhomes. Why would I want to stay miles from anywhere, on a tiny pitch with trees that scrape my roof surrounded by noisy tent campers? And whats more pay good money to do this? Oh sorry forgot about the "excellent!!" facilities, which I do not need. No the answer is for the authorities to provide proper areas for motorhomes to stay on, which are within easy reach of where you want to be, make provision to fill-up with water and dump waste and for this make a reasonable charge. Ah now where do I know of such facilities? Yes the aires de service network in France. So forget Spain and do as we do and spend your time in France. (By the way we have not noticed any significant increase in intolerance to motorhomes in France. Indeed the last year has seen the largest increase in aires in the past five years)

All the best.

 

Hi robertandjean

I thank you for your comments and will try to put an alternative point of view to your post.

 

You say that a clue to these problems lies in the name "camping sites" or "Caravan site".

Surely you are not telling me that you will not use them because the name doesnt have Motorhome in it when you bought a £30000/£40000 motorhome knowing that it wouldnt be classified as a motorhome in its registration documents.

We are lucky enough to have a small place in Benidorm on a "camping and Caravan" site that caters for motorhomes, when I was there in June there were about 10/15 motorhomes on it. This site is about 1 to one and a half miles from the centre of Benidorm, there is a bus every10 mins or so.

There are tenters on our site too but seldom very much noise and if you cannot get onto a site because a tree is too low then dont go on it and request another site.

This thing about camp sites being noisy and overrun by children etc etc is very silly argument put about by freeloading motorhomers who have never been on a campsite anyway, because of the cost, so how do they know what they are like.

Things have changed greatly over the years and caravan and tent people have slowly been dragged into the 20th century and now actually behave almost like humans.

On this site I have seen caravan sites described by motorhomers as "Prisons" that we tuggers have to return to every night, stupid eh

There are at least two or three other sites as close to the action as the one that we are on and I expect it will be the same throughout Spain

 

A caravan site can be easilly costed out for each year, total yearly cost devided by the number of sites and that is what they charge. Now just because you chose not to use the facilities provided on that site doesnt mean that that basic cost isnt still there because it is and so why should the site reduce your costs and make a loss, it is your choice whether to use the facilities or not so I dont think that you have a very strong case there.

The site that we are on really does have excellent facilities and so do MOST of them, excellent security too.

 

NO!! I cannot agree that the answer is for the authorities to provide facilities just for motorhomers as that would just encourage yet more freeloaders into the area, providing these facilities would cost a lot of money and so the charges would have to reflect that but you would still be on the streets parking while these same facilities are already there in the form of camping sites plus you would then be off the streets. The aires service in France is excellent and I have used it regularly but it is the on street parking that causes the problems.

 

 

Anyway I hope these restrictions will not spoil any of your holidays and that you have a great time

enjoy

 

[twooks]

I would simply like somewhere to park - preferably for free - while I go and spend money in the town - village by day

for night - somewhere pleasant - usually a municipal - with reasonable facilities - within walking distance [which for us is now a max of 1 km] of a pleasant meal and drink at night and nice fresh bread in the morning.

 

I do object to being treated like a pariah - or being ripped off when I try to use my camper van.

 

re increasing intolerance in France - there are more no camping car parking signs - particularly along sea front - hardly surprising when you see the size of some of these vehicles - block the light never mind the view; but we don't take up much more room than a chelsea tractor

 

France is still top of our list - closely followed by Netherlands Belgium and Germany

hardly ever bother camping in the UK

 

 

B-)

[bob M]

Hi

To the wild campers

Just read the following in www.euroweeklynews.com / Area Costa de Almeria / Local News

 

A byelaw passed by the ayuntamiento of Mojacar and which recently came into effect makes it illegal to camp overnight, whether in tents, caravans or camper vans, or even people wanting to sleep in their cars, in any area that is not officially designated campsite. The fine for anyone found breaking the byelaw is from 60 to100 euros with the maximum reserved for anyone causing damage to street furniture or leaving the area they had been camped in dirty. Camper vans have been a common sight parked overnight in car parks next to the beach or even on the beach in areas further from the main built-up zones. The fines can be given by both local police and Guardia Civil and they have as a last resort the possibility of using the council tow truck to remove caravans and camper vans.

 

I realise I am veering away from street parking but thought the above may interest some.

 

 

[twooks]

the second photo has the sea / prom in the background - they may have been overnighting!

 

B-)

[Randonneur]

twooks - 2008-08-07 11:16 PM

 

the second photo has the sea / prom in the background - they may have been overnighting!

 

B-)

 

Who in their right minds would overnight on a busy street, We certainly wouldn't and I am sure you and other members of this forum wouldn't.

 

We went into Spain in March last year and had a problem finding a campsite open in the area we were in, we eventually found one, but we wouldn't have parked up on the road, we would have driven on until we found somewhere suitable.

 

These sort of people give other motorhomers a bad name, the minority spoil it for the majority as usual.

[robertandjean]

Syd,

Thanks for your comments and I am pleased we agree that the aires in France do provide the opportunity for motorhoming as it should be; that is a freedom to move easily from one place to another, staying in offical stop-over areas at sensible costs. No of course I do not object to sites because motorhome is not in the name (these comments were very much tongue in cheek), but I can assure you that over the years we have stayed on many sites where the facilities were poor, the pitches not up to much and payed through the nose for it! Nor would we overnight on a busy main road, a beach, outside peoples houses etc. No I still think, all your comments notwithstanding, that aires are the answer. As to cost, then the town benefits from the trade etc. If we have to go on a camp site then having spent money on site fees we have less to spend in town; the only winner here is the site owner.

Thanks for your best wishes, and we wish you the same. Maybe one of these days we will meet up on an aire (or even a camp site!) and discuss the merits of our arguments further whilst enjoying a glass or two of a nice French red.

 

[Syd]

I look forward to us meeting, I have to tell you that I am a tugger with a small base in Benidorm, live in England and wouldn't change that.

Best wishes

Enjoy