Using a Caravan Club just for water/disposal

[Timetraveller]

Tony Jones - 2010-11-08 5:30 PM

 

Hi and welcome, TT.

Thanks Tony

 

you'll get a "reply" panel which already has the original in QUOTEs. If you only want to quote part of it, just delete the rest (as long as you don't distort the meaning in the process of course!)

 

I wondered how my words could be slightly distorted - now I know. Hope I'm getting this right by typing here!!! Only time & practice will tell.

 

If you want to get really clever and quote more than one extract with your own comments in between, you can replicate the combination of brackets and strokes the "system" uses to separate bits of the original!

:$

[Brian Kirby]

Mel B - 2010-11-08 5:40 PM ................... Some are like 'campsites' with their own pitches in individual hedged areas, so please, please, please, all of you who have only experiended the more crowded aires, don't tar all aires with the same brush, no more than I would say that all campsites are regimented and expensive, because they aren't. :-D B-)

Ah yes, but where are all these wonderful aires?  Problem is, there are several thousand in France alone, and none of the guides seem to show what they are like, unlike the campsite guides.  Trailing around looking for a good one is just a way to waste time, whereas finding a reasonably good campsite is relatively easy.  So, is there a guide to the aires that is easily searchable, a bit like the ACSI disk, to enable folk to pick out the ones they think they would like?  I did once suggest running a directory of good aires on the forum, but the general tenor of the response was "if we tell everyone where the good ones are, we'll never get on ourselves".

Brian - interesting comparison to sex .... speaking from experience there chuck? :D ;-)

  

No Mel, I haven't taken up "dogging" yet!  :-D

[Tony Jones]

Well done TT, now all you've got to do is add your own bits!

[Timetraveller]

oops! looks like I need more practice - another red face :$

[John J Thompson]

Mel B - 2010-11-08 5:40 PM

 

John Thompson - 2010-11-08 9:13 AM

 

Poppy - 2010-11-08 7:59 AM

 

Brian can I say I wholeheartedly agree with you.We tend to be in the campsites/hookups group but having heard about how nice some of the aires are I would be tempted to try the odd one to see how we like it.Don't think we would ever want to do our whole holiday on aires but its nice to have the choice and to use them when suits.

 

Aires are fine to use but don't expect the 20ft between units that you would find on a UK campsite or CL. If the french can get three vans in a space they will. As long as they can open the door it is plenty far away.

 

When we visit Aires we see bunches of van cheek by Jowl they are usually French. If you see a van well away from everyone else it usually turns out to be British.

 

You haven't been using some of the wonderful aires we use then John! Some are like 'campsites' with their own pitches in individual hedged areas, so please, please, please, all of you who have only experiended the more crowded aires, don't tar all aires with the same brush, no more than I would say that all campsites are regimented and expensive, because they aren't. :-D B-)

 

Brian - interesting comparison to sex .... speaking from experience there chuck? :D ;-)

 

Ah yes used those as well. Also Aires in a field with plenty space, In sand Dunes Etc. A lot of French Aires are better than some UK campsite and the cost is much lower.

 

The "All the Aires" book shows pictures of all types of Aire.

[Keithl]

Timetraveller - 2010-11-08 7:04 PM

 

oops! looks like I need more practice - another red face :$

 

Tip. Make sure your cursor is before the first quote bracket or after the last quote bracket before typing or your reply will appear in the quote :D

 

And don't forget you can edit a post for 30 minutes after posting if it doesn't work out right first time!

 

Keith.

[rupert123]

This has always been my point Brian, where are they? I did ask robert&jean for their favorite twenty, which they kindly supplied me with, have used a few which I agree are fine. They are however rarely where I seem to be and unless I make for one on purpose nearly always miss them by miles. We wander around a lot and rarely know how far we will get, always a campsite around but not often an aire we would even consider staying on. Their are some, as Mel B points out, that are like small campsites but again just to few to consider them much. I guess if you want to spend your holidays searching for aires to save a few bob, then fine, but time is to short and we have better things to do. So two good source's of aires are robert&jean, very helpfull and MHF forum data base if you belong to it.

[robertandjean]

First many thanks to Rupert for his kind comments. We have built up a large data base of aires in France and are happy to share with anyone; either PM us or ask on the forum.

Brian, another good source, which gives a good idea as to what an aire is like before travelling to it is the French camping-car infos web site. Most aires listed have photos and the comments provided by the French camping caristies are very helpful; they tend to be very critical of any problems and high fees! The "All the Aires" book does have photos but as many appear to have been taken in mid-winter are not always too helpful at showing the true character of the aire.

Mel makes some good points; it is unfair to condem all aires on the basis that the one or two someone stayed on a few years ago were noisy or very overcrowded.

Now turning to Martyn, his Lordship. Well what can you say? As one of the main supporters of aires on here must assume we were in his thoughts when he made his initial comments. Well we are not backing down, we think that to tour France and not make use of the aires is to miss out on a great way of touring and seeing France with a motorhome. We certainly have no intention of trying to convert you Martyn (we can spot a lost cause) but just want to encourage others to give aires a try. We wish you well in your travels and how you spend your money is up to you, but please no more of the people only use aires because they are either hard up or mean. Can assure you we fall into niether camp.

[tonyg3nwl]

Hi, This thread seems to have drifted off theme. CCC permit dump and refill at a nominal fee. I havent asked at a CC site but they dont promote it as an option.

 

For all those who appear to object to paying site fees, the answer is obvious, dont use them. For those who prefer Aires,No one is going to force you to alter your preference. And as for the wild campers, good luck, but you just might get moved on .

 

I have used each option in the past, and no doubt will continue to do so. However, I have also used the option of France Passion sites (shame about having to pay for the book) and have found it as an acceptable alternative...No site fees, option to support local community but no obligation, and frequently but not always provide dump and fill possibilities.

 

Each to his own choice, but way off original thread.

 

tonyg3nwl

[Timetraveller]

robertandjean - 2010-11-08 9:51 PM

 

We have built up a large data base of aires in France and are happy to share with anyone; either PM us or ask on the forum.

.

 

Robert & Jean,

I would be very interested in seeing your data base of Aires in France but sorry am still learning about forums & don't understand terminology PM :$ So I hope you pick up this message & perhaps be good enough to explain how I can learn more.

Thanks in anticipation

[Mel B]

PM just means 'private message' - you can send someone a PM by clicking the PM button at the bottom of their posting and sending them a message that way, a bit like an email, but via the forum. The only difference is that they have to 'open' it before it leaves your 'outbox' so don't worry if it's there for a while, but once it's gone from our 'outbox' you know they've read it. :-D

[Timetraveller]

Thanks Mel.

There's more to this forum than I ever imagined (!)