Municipal Sites in France?

[Geoff Tuckley]

Hello again, Folks,

 

Looking at going to France again in the summer and also travelling down through France for our winter break in Spain. We have the book of aires from Vicarious Books but would like a book containing the municipal sites.

Of all the volumes we have piled up none really deal with this.

Can any of you veterans recommend a publication?

 

Thanks

[malc d]

Geoff Tuckley - 2010-03-29 10:14 AM

 

Hello again, Folks,

 

Looking at going to France again in the summer and also travelling down through France for our winter break in Spain. We have the book of aires from Vicarious Books but would like a book containing the municipal sites.

Of all the volumes we have piled up none really deal with this.

Can any of you veterans recommend a publication?

 

Thanks

 

 

We have always found municipal sites from an old Michelin camp site guide and from Alan Rogers guides.

 

I see that the 2010 Michelin guide includes 2600 sites in France so I would assume that they still include municipals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hallii]

There are no where near as many as there used to be (1960s/70s!) but here they are, http://www.moncamping.net/?Rub=recherche&Act=action_theme&IDtheme=1077

 

Hallii

[dikyenfo]

If you buy the FFCC book from any supermarket over 11000 campings are included with all relevant phone numbers and directions. These are the camps that French camping clubs use and are not all included in UK publications. Prices are pretty cheap as well in many cases. I think Vicarious and CCC sell them also and you can go direct to Paris web and get them delivered from there.

[Big Momma]

Although not listed separately, the Caravan Club's publications 'Caravan Europe' include a lot of Municipal Sites, although you do have to read the site descriptions to differentiate between the normal commercial sites and the Municipal one's. Another source of information are the brochures you can get from Eurocamp, Caravan Club Europe brochure etc as they very often use Municipal sites. Bit of reading to do to get there though 8-)

[Brian Kirby]

Geoff

Do you have a special reason for wanting to seek out the municipals?  I ask, because a lot of municipals have been "privatised", by selling to private owners, by leasing to private operators, or by some combination of the above.  This can mean a change in name, so the site can appear to be a new site.  Thus many private sites are now ex-municipals, some the better for it, some not.

It is no universal guarantee of satisfaction to use municipals, though the majority are of good standard, because where a municipality is undecided whether to retain a site, has decided to sell or lease it off, or has just lost interest in it, it is liable to be left open but deteriorating, instead of being maintained.  So, possibly cheap, but unsatisfactory.

I would say, on the whole, it is better to focus on location and forget who owns/runs what.  Caravan Club Caravan Europe remains, IMO, the best option on this basis - because you get the quality indication, + possibly, the ACSI book/card, if off season.  However, very few actual municipals give the ACSI discount.

[Geoff Tuckley]

Hello, Brian,

 

Being retired we have just spent our first winter in the motorhome in Spain and will be going again for this next winter (hopefully six months).

We are looking at going around France for some time in the Summer.

Unfortunately came home to the need for a new roof on the house, the Welsh weather had done it's worst with snow and freezing temperatures and the insurance company would class it as wear and tear.

So £5,000 plus for a roof means that if we still go away for the summer we need to keep the costs to a minimum. Will have caught up by Autumn so will be back on an even keel by then. So, bought the Aires book and thought we might supplement with a book on municipal sites as I think these will be cheaper. No doubt someone will prove me wrong.

[Usinmyknaus]

Hello Geoff,

 

Like Big Momma I use Caravan Club Europe Book 1. I have found enough for each trip and always take a CCI card (from CC or CCC) as it's only a few pounds yet I very often have been given a discount at municipals, making a profit on the card's cost every trip so far. It can also be left at site reception instead of a passport (no need to worry about Mossad cloning it then.) As Big Momma said the reference in the CC book may well identify the site as a municipal or another clue I find useful is that the contact phone number is often specified as the "Mairie".

 

Bob

[Brian Kirby]

Generally speaking, Geoff, the municipals will be a bit cheaper than the privately owned sites, though locality has a far greater bearing on charges than ownership per se.  If you want cheap, you'll need unpopular (or maybe I should say less frequented)!  Municipalities are not unaware of local going rates, so tend to charge close to what the market will take.  After all, the municipality takes taxes from the private sites, so politics dictates that they can't grossly undercut private site charges!  :-)

Cheaper will be aires, though some of what you save compared to site fees you will spend on extra gas, and you will need to fill with fresh water/dump used more frequently.  If you would not usually use site facilities, or EHU, even if staying on a site, then there will be no increase in gas consumption and no advantage at all (except maybe security), in paying to stay on a site.

Final thought.  Have you considered France Passion, where the stopovers generally have no facilities, but are free, and you "pay" as you see fit, but without obligation, by buying some of whatever the owner produces.  Can be all sorts of comestibles, frequently wine.  ;-)  You can sill use aires for water/dump functions.

[Mel B]

Don't forget the ACSI sites either, out of the main summer season they are very well priced and on some sites the high season only lasts for a couple of months and the dates of these high season months vary too.