Derek Uzzell Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Has anyone overnighted recently (ie. within the last 3 months) near the Brittany Ferries port at Ouistreham, north of Caen? We are planning to arrive there at 22:00 on a Sunday in early June and I don't intend to travel far if I can avoid it. I've consulted the campingcar-infos website and it seems like overnighting near the Ouistreham aire de services should be OK as long as there's room. Alternatively Lion sur Mer just west of Ouistreham looks promising. Any wise words would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rees Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 The current 2006 issue of CamperStop Europe lists an overnight stopping place at OUISTREHAM at 'Au phare' [i.e.light house]. 6 places are indicated, free of charge (but nio electricity or services)! There are also overnight stops at Cabourg, Lion sur Mer ('Parking town hall, in front of sea' and Benouville (on outskirts of Caen - at Concessionnaire Leveneu, Ropute de Ouistreham with H20, waste disposal and electric, FREE!!). Latter looks good. All the others are just parking places with no facilities. Hope this is of value Rees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Does any one know where to get a copy of Camperstop Europe? I have tried Amazon and they do not have it?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rees Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 It took me a long time to find out where to obtain CamperStop Europe. Eventually, I contacted the publishers Famile Media in the Netherlands and soon they set up their own site on the www where you can order your copy direct from them, post free. Log in to www.facilemedia.nl You pay by credit card. Yes, its all very secure. My copy of the book arrived within 7 days - though they state that you should allow two weeks for delivery. The cost is €28.50 (£20.02 GBP) including delivery. If you are a member of the Motor Caravanners' Club, then you can purchase a copy for about £13 direct from them. The guide runs to some 600 pages and covers stopping places for motorhomes in 14 countries (excluding UK!!). There are useful location maps at the front and everything is carefully cross-referenced. The information on each place is very brief but it does indicate facilities provided, tourist offices, museums and local sights etc; and here are photographs of some of the stopping places. From the Facilemedia site on the www you can download sample pages and maps for parts of Belgium and France. The guide seems to include all the aires etc and that we have used in previous years in Belgium, France, Italy and Germany - so it seem to be quite good in coverage. Entries are in English, Dutch, French and German (some good language lessons for you there!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry1956 Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Hi there, at ouistreham there is a great big car park just outside the port, we have overnighted there a few times, N/P. terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peejay Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 Hello Derek, Back on topic - although a few years ago - we stayed overnight at the quayside at Quistreham with no problems but i'm not sure if its still the same. We did however come across a delightfull little aire at Colleville-Montgomery just round the corner on the return journey. Its still listed on campingcar.infos (dept 14) with recently added reports so might be worth adding to the list of possibles. pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enodreven Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 Hi, Derek We have just returned from France and i can confirm that there is an Aire if you take an immdiate right as you leave the terminal as if you were trying to get back to the beach and the Aire is along there within about 500 metres it holds about 16 MH's albeit they do park closely ? other than that all along the front of the Aire/roadway there is a very wide pavement ? with trees (dirt not tarmac) where the overflow from the Aire park ? proberly would take about the same number of MH's and if thats full there is a car park in the middle of the road as you leave the terminal it sort of forms a roundabout ? and its where you needed to make the right turn, you will find quite a number overnight there ? so i would think you will find somewhere very close for the first night as it all looks safe ?? have a great trip ? Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 26, 2006 Author Share Posted May 26, 2006 Thanks everyone for the feed-back - I'm sure we'll find somewhere to park overnight OK. Based on the campingcar-infos website it looks like the aire de services at Benouville (if it still exists) is probably no longer free. The comments make sad reading! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 22, 2006 Author Share Posted June 22, 2006 Postscript: We arrived at Ouistreham at 2200 on Sunday June 4. Lots of bustling activity on or near the ferry-port itself and a small (permanent?) fair operating at the entrance to the town. Motorhomes scattered here, there and everywhere, with a large herd congregated around the lighthouse. It might have been possible to have stayed on the port's car-park or nearby, but a peaceful night would have been out of the question. As we had anticipated Ouistreham might be busy and noisy, we had already decided to explore the aire de services at Herouvillette. This is 9km from the port and easy enough to find - head for Caen on the dual-carriageway, cross Pegasus Bridge, go through Ranville, turn right towards Herouvillette, swing right in the village's centre and the aire is to your right. Services (water and waste-emptying) are free and there are 4 grassed emplacements. We stayed on the adjoining large car-park that was mostly empty. Herouvilette has a bar (opening hours unpredictable) and small 'SPAR-type' store. The village is bypassed to the south, so there's little overnight traffic to disturb light sleepers. Definitely recommended for a civilised stop-over after or prior to the Portsmouth-Caen Channel-crossing. (More information on www.campingcar-infos.com) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enodreven Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Hi, Derek Glad you got somewhere for the first night ?? how did the rest of the trip go I'm sure people would be interested Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 24, 2006 Author Share Posted June 24, 2006 No vehicle problems, didn't hit anything or anybody, plenty of good food and some reasonable wine, wife's thirst for visiting Loire chateaux sated by week 2 (Hurrah!), overnighted on pleasant cheap municipal campsites or France Passion sites (plus a couple of quiet aire de services parking areas). Credit card now heavily damaged. That's basically it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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