Keith T Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 We are currently travelling in France, and sometimes staying at,and sometimes,simply looking at Aires...... what we are finding is that most now seem to charge, and often that charge is very high. We looked at one today in the Landes area-only stopped half an hour to look at the beach - but it wouldhave been €12+ to stay. fee payable at thelocal municipal site. We have seen several which purport to be around €10, which we feelwill discourage motorhomers from using them, and there does not seem to be a 'short period' charge - just the full amount, which of course you MAy avoid if you arent' there when the warden calls...... Anyone else with views on this,or found similar situations. We do not mind paying to 'park' say €2 for a couple of hours.but willnotpay - therfore not stop - if anyhting more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hymer C 9. Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 We did see a couple of Aires that charged but the majority we came across are still free so they are out there. Carol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Plenty of free and low cost ones in here http://www.vicarious-shop.co.uk/view_product.php?c_id=4&sc_id=&p_id=39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek500 Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 On our way to England we stayed at four aires all three. Last night we paid for the first time on our journey home from Germany. 6.50€ at Baume-Les-Dames. It did have electicity however and the kettle didn't trip, unlike a few camp sites we stayed at in Luxembourg and Germany. Tonight we're free again, right on the lake edge at Nantua. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 if the prices are going up you may as well stay at a municipal. I paid £5 for 2 hours parking at a hospital last week *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minstrel Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Where was you're aire? If it's a busy seaside area a camp site would be very expensive. We stayed at the aire at Lacanau ocean in August 10euros was cheap as the camp sites in the area were 30 - 40 . For our 10 euros we had electricity if we were lucky and free access to water and waste disposal, plus shade. It was like an unregulated camp site. I didn't like montalivet les bains aire, just a car park close to the beach. 8 euros but you also had to pay to use the borne each time. We were 5 miles inland paying 20 euros for a camp site with a pool, table tennis, boules, a cafe,take away meals,spotless facilities and lovely owners. I think it's horses for courses, some aires are free and we make a point of supporting the local shops. In the winter sometimes there aren't any camp sites open. But yes, some places use motorhome users as a cash cow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Some aires are just an extention to the campsites so you have to be careful which ones you choose. But there are still plenty of free ones out there. Your aires books should tell you which type they are (ie private owners) or the normal type. We found aires tended to vary from totally free (including services & electric) to charging around 7 euros plus electric and plus water. We had an absolute corker for one nigt - right near the lake, in proper individual bays with hedges round, for 6 euros a night. If we'd wanted electric we could've had it (I think it was 1 euro for 8 hours), there was also free water and proper toilet disposal at a toilet block, the only problem was that these were at the rear of the block so unless you had a gigantic hose it meant using the watering can, but it was free. They must've had a problem with some motorhome owners trying to stop for free and driving off when the attendant arrived to collect the money though as when he arrived at tea-time he parked across the entrance to stop escapees! With the setting, we were more than happy to pay and had a lovely time the following day sploshing around in our canoes. As for using aires to just park for a couple of hours, there's actually no requirements in many places for you to do this, you can usually park on the road (subject to any restrictions as some villages are quite strict). We found even in many seaside resorts so long as you don't go on the seafront there aren't usually restrictions on the side roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 It sounds like in some places you are using them as car parks. In those cases just park on the normal car parks, roadsides or supermarkets and you won't incur as much, if any costs. Like anywhere seaside towns will charge more for tourist facilities than other places, but again there is so much choice in France you can vote with your accelerator and drive on! At least they virtually all welcome motorhomes unlike their counterparts in the UK, where we are positively not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 we have never paid more then between 6 - 8 euro on an Aire? with additional charges for water/services usually 1-2 euro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minstrel Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Mel where was this wonderful place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 It still amazes me that people pay thousands of pounds for a motorhome and are not prepared to pay for facilities provided. Just because there is a scarcity of places to overnight in the UK and as soon as they cross that little stretch of water they expect everything for nothing. Nothing is free in this life so you get what you pay for. We use a variety of Aires over here and don't begrudge having to pay for them, obviously if you are on coastal ones you will pay more but at least the money is going into the local coffers and not in the pockets of SOME of the greedy site owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 On our trip to Germany this year we paid from free up to 14€ a night for Stellaplaz, campsites in the area were 30€. The best one was in the national park on Rugen see photos, 8€ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Mel, I have no problem with finding places over here. CL/CS sites are great and the costs are very reasonable, and if you are travelling anywhere you can find somewhere to stop over night. My beef is with the lack of car parking and non-welcome of motorhomes in the vast majority of tourist destinations. Whereas, from my experiences in France the opposite is generally true. Some people like to have full facility sites when they go out, some like to "travel light". That's the good thing about motorhomes though isn't it, that there are enough options to suit us all. What gets me though is how some people, and I'm not refering to this thread, get really upset and sometimes abusive ove either sides' opinions. Why does it matter in life if one person camps in Tescos' carpark and pays nowt, whilst another pays £30 a night? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Tomo3090 - 2009-09-10 5:47 PM What gets me though is how some people, and I'm not refering to this thread, get really upset and sometimes abusive over either sides' opinions. Why does it matter in life if one person camps in Tesco's car park and pays nowt, whilst another pays £30 a night? Absolutely Tomo - same as the drinking water thread - it beats me why we can't all just agree to differ and to go our own way and do our own thing in our own style without being criticised or insulted by a small minority of those with a different perspective? Not that I've ever parked up overnight in a Tesco car park - and neither have I ever paid thirty quid for a site - but if either is your scene then good luck and enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 JudgeMental - 2009-09-10 10:46 AM we have never paid more then between 6 - 8 euro on an Aire? with additional charges for water/services usually 1-2 euro Excuuuuuuuuuse me M'Lud ... I put it to you that you have paid in excess of 20 euros to park at the aire at Brugge ... have you not! C'mon, spit it out chubby chops! :D ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Minstrel - 2009-09-10 12:57 PM Mel where was this wonderful place? It was at Hoxter, I've got these images from Google Maps and they look like they were taken a year or so ago as it has filled out a bit and is very pleasant indeed. It is located a couple of kilometres or so south of the village/town next to a large recreation lake: Hoxter Lake location and by the lake is the official motorhome stop - you can see the 'hedging' in this image: Motorhome aire/bays location We had the bay one in from the top left-hand corner of the hedged ones, backing onto the field. You can see where there's a motorhome parked up on the second image and this is the overspill parking area for motorhomes - it's not part of the general car park as its blocked off from that - you drive into the area on the right between the hedged ones and then go round the bend. :D You can also see the toilet block with the facilities in the bottom right of this picture. At Hoxter itself there was also a motorhome parking area at the back of the large car park on the opposite side of the river but it wasn't as nice and cost the same: aire at Hoxter itself It was a very pleasant ride into Hoxter from the lakeside site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Here's a couple of photos I took of the aire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Mel B - 2009-09-11 6:20 PM JudgeMental - 2009-09-10 10:46 AM we have never paid more then between 6 - 8 euro on an Aire? with additional charges for water/services usually 1-2 euro Excuuuuuuuuuse me M'Lud ... I put it to you that you have paid in excess of 20 euros to park at the aire at Brugge ... have you not! C'mon, spit it out chubby chops! :D ;-) I stand corrected Madam.......its the drugs don't cha Know *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 You been nicking Michele's tablets again ... she likes Brugge too ... does it have a red light district like Amsterdam??? 8-) (Phew ... I got away with calling you chubby chops! :D ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 There's more to Amsterdam than a Red Light district y'know. Sometimes the lights are amber, sometimes they're green - and the Dutch have this strange idea you have to take notice of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 .... whilst everyone else is looking in the 'special shop' windows no doubt! :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
le canichot depang Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I would agree with most of the comments posted and just add, that many of the aires do not expect you to pay if you are just staying for a couple of hours. We found out when we went to pay at the municipal campsite (which was where you had to pay), when he asked if I wanted electric hook up I declined and explained that we were just stopping for a few hours to have lunch en-route, and he told me there was no charge, only if you actually stayed overnight. Chatting to many French nationals they told us that the wardens usually come around between 8 and 9 in the morning to check if a valid parking ticket is displayed - we wondered why so many were off and out at the crack of dawn! Personally on holiday a lie-in is a must and I wouldn't want to have to sneek out just to avoid paying the fee, but obviously it is done a lot -particulary by the French! Has anyone else noticed this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayM Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 lennyhb - 2009-09-10 5:37 PM On our trip to Germany this year we paid from free up to 14€ a night for Stellaplaz, campsites in the area were 30€. The best one was in the national park on Rugen see photos, 8€ I didn't think you were allowed to have you awning or chairs or even ramps out at an aire? Maybe I'm wrong. Nice pics though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 That was in Germany, not sure about the rules there, but if there is space & you do not inconvenience others no one minds. If you look at Mel B's photos you will see on that one you have your own pitch with your own space how could anyone object. We have stayed at ones like that in Germany just like being on a campsite, one on Usedom in Germany even had showers & Loos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek500 Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 Jay&M - 2009-10-06 8:56 AM I didn't think you were allowed to have you awning or chairs or even ramps out at an aire? It depends on the status of the aire. In Germany the majority we stayed on were privately owned so putting out chairs etc. was not a problem. It's the municipal aires where the rules are stricter - so the council doesn't annoy camp site owners. But many still do put stuff out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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