Gwendolyn Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Has anyone seen this on ebay? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/All-Aires-France-Latest-3rd-Edition-/170825330688?pt=UK_Books_maps_GL&hash=item27c5fbb000 £30 starting bid, and he says it's useless???? I'm confused! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilmac Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Someone with a good sense of humour? Not sure that I'll be bidding though...... *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendolyn Posted April 23, 2012 Author Share Posted April 23, 2012 I did mean to ask, but hit 'submit' button too soon, is it worth buying? But not from ebay of course!! Are the criticisms the ebayer made just ones? Is it a useful reference book? I know many rely on internet sites to locate Aires. But if internet access is difficult, is the guide a good back up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 The book is certainly worth having but not at his silly price. Unfortunately he follows many that want spoon fed and then BooHoo when they get lost. I always check on either hard copy, Google or whatever my destinations to check before I leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 We usually rely on the French guidebook, plus a TT download from campingcarinfos In both cases, you need a bit of French, but if you can't cope with the level of French in an Aires book you're very brave to be travelling independently in the country anyway!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Its this guy I think. Wortle. About half way down the first page of the thread. Post no.8 http://www.wildcamping.co.uk/forums/france/11731-all-aires-france-2nd-edition.html He isnt selling it well and its only £17.50 new! Mind you it should be called "Some of the Aires" as there are quite a few that are not in the book. Vicarious books claim it has 99% of the Aires in it and 2100 are listed but if you look on Camping Car infos website they list over 7000 in France. Many of these are not official Aires but to claim 99% is a bit much. Last year we visited a fair few that were not in the book. Its still worth having though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendolyn Posted April 23, 2012 Author Share Posted April 23, 2012 Tony Jones - 2012-04-23 11:03 AM We usually rely on the French guidebook, plus a TT download from campingcarinfos In both cases, you need a bit of French, but if you can't cope with the level of French in an Aires book you're very brave to be travelling independently in the country anyway!! Oh, French not a problem ….. been travelling there frequently, and independently, since student days back in 1967. Just wanted to know how useful the book is that’s all. Thanks. Maybe I’ll just rely on the website then???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 We used 'All the Aires France' last year and have used the Iberian version in the past and they are useful. They should be retitled 'Most of the Aires' as we came across several that were not in either book - details of which we sent to Vicarious so they should be in the newer editions. We found the books useful as they are logically laid out, written in English, have generally accurate lat and long for sat nav use, generally good directions and a picture which is also helpful in deciding if you want to go there and in locating it once close by. We will probably use last years book again this year and buy a new one next year as most Aires don't change much although the rate of closure seems to be accelerating - or is that my imagination? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendolyn Posted April 23, 2012 Author Share Posted April 23, 2012 Barryd999 - 2012-04-23 2:01 PM Its this guy I think. Wortle. About half way down the first page of the thread. Post no.8 http://www.wildcamping.co.uk/forums/france/11731-all-aires-france-2nd-edition.html ..... Its still worth having though. Thanks for that link. His account makes for hilarious reading. Ok maybe I will buy it then! [Not Wortle's copy on ebay though!] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 A couple of years ago I did offer to insepect and feedback info on new and existing Aires to Vicarious books. They were a bit shirty to be honest and didnt seem keen on paying me for doing it. Their loss, I must have been on dozens they dont know about and some really good ones as well. I thought about doing my own guide acutally but making it more about the region. For example a guide to the Aveyron region in France which I have travelled in a fair bit. Rather then just basic info on the Aires I thought more information about what to see and do as well as where to park up. The book covers basic information about areas but not much really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matrix Meanderer Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Anyone who cannot find Quend Plage and ends up in Amiens and then complains about the book map ref deserves to get lost :-D In most cases all guide books are out of date the moment they are printed so are best used to get you to the area and then you use your eyes, lots of signs for aires. Perhaps he should spend his EBay income (if he gets any at that price) on a map reading course. We have used this splendid publication for a few years and we are very happy with it albeit that they don't cover 'all' the aires. The only point I would query is the capacity of each aire. We recently used the lovely free aire at Change just north of Laval by the River Mayenne which had a suggested capacity of 10 MHs. We squeezed in as number 12 thinking we were lucky to be the last on. Then we enjoyed the evening floorshow as another 8 Reny and Simones in their elderly french MHs crammed into every available centimetre even blocking the service point and each other in their determination not to go elsewhere that evening! They all seemed jolly happy about keeping very close company with each other so take the 'number of parking spaces' with a large pinch of french salt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I also find that 'Camperstop' and the 'Bord Atlas' publications are also very useful additions to accompany the 'All the Aires' books. Can never have too much information to refer to 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 as most of us use sat navs in this day and age, you can find FREE downloads of campsites and aires on the net. Archies camping good for site downloads... search for "79 best aires of france" on here, not comprehensive but a small selection of tried and tested aires available as a free download, we always select this file first when looking I find it much easier when tired to find nearest Aires this way, then fiddling around with a book and coordinates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 When I have nothing better to do I spend some time going through the books and entering the details of the Aires onto Autoroute. In the dialogue box that comes up for each entry I put all the salient information in and so, when it is finally completed will have a quick reference map guide to where the locations are. Big piece of work but will as the Judge says, will save time trawling through several books to find a place at least this information will all be on a map. Because of the size of the file though will probably split into Countries and then by Regions. Should have it done by the time I retire :-S 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Its all freely available on the net already.....I have all the European aires on autoroute as well. can send you file when i get home mid May Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-04-23 5:50 PM Its all freely available on the net already.....I have all the European aires on autoroute as well. can send you file when i get home mid May That would be very much appreciated. Will save me a lot of time and effort. Many thanks :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Your sat nav may tell you where they are but it won't tell you what they are and we find it somewhat fun opening the Aires book around mid afternoon, choosing one within a few miles and keying in the sat nav coordinates - preferably in the direction we were intending to travel - but it matters little in the grand scheme of things as long as it is a nice location because many a lovely place has been found when driving a few miles cross country to an Aire. So for us at least a good old fashioned book and modern electronics work well together - each to his own eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendolyn Posted April 23, 2012 Author Share Posted April 23, 2012 Tracker - 2012-04-23 7:38 PM Your sat nav may tell you where they are but it won't tell you what they are and we find it somewhat fun opening the Aires book around mid afternoon, choosing one within a few miles and keying in the sat nav coordinates - preferably in the direction we were intending to travel - but it matters little in the grand scheme of things as long as it is a nice location because many a lovely place has been found when driving a few miles cross country to an Aire. So for us at least a good old fashioned book and modern electronics work well together - each to his own eh? O/H is busy downloading stuff now - as advised up thread. But I think you may have convinced me that it's a good idea to buy the guide as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Tracker - 2012-04-23 7:38 PM Your sat nav may tell you where they are but it won't tell you what they are and we find it somewhat fun opening the Aires book around mid afternoon, choosing one within a few miles and keying in the sat nav coordinates - preferably in the direction we were intending to travel - but it matters little in the grand scheme of things as long as it is a nice location because many a lovely place has been found when driving a few miles cross country to an Aire. So for us at least a good old fashioned book and modern electronics work well together - each to his own eh? that is fine..and i fully understand. But ours is normally a rush to get somewhere, and I drive until tired, and then find nearest Aire to sleep, we have not really had a bad experience in years at doing it this way...Obviously some are much better then others and your way identifys them better, But the "79 best aires of France" also does a good job :-D I'm sorry about the way the other thread detonated, but you just have the nack of pressing my buttons *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Tracker - 2012-04-23 7:38 PM Your sat nav may tell you where they are but it won't tell you what they are and we find it somewhat fun opening the Aires book around mid afternoon, choosing one within a few miles and keying in the sat nav coordinates - preferably in the direction we were intending to travel - but it matters little in the grand scheme of things as long as it is a nice location because many a lovely place has been found when driving a few miles cross country to an Aire. So for us at least a good old fashioned book and modern electronics work well together - each to his own eh? that is fine..and i fully understand. But ours is normally a rush to get somewhere, and I drive until tired, and then find nearest Aire to sleep, we have not really had a bad experience in years at doing it this way...Obviously some are much better then others and your way identifys them better, But the "79 best aires of France" also does a good job :-D I'm sorry about the way the other thread deteriorated, but you just have the nack of pressing my buttons *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-04-23 8:12 PM I'm sorry about the way the other thread detonated, but you just have the nack of pressing my buttons *-) Cheers Eddie - that means a lot to me. Not a problem - I didn't set out to wind you up - just to redress the imbalance - honest! I guess that you and I have such different ideas and styles that there is always going to be disagreement - but I'm happy to keep it civilised (and disappoint some readers!) if you are? Hope you have a good holiday and a safe trip home - I would like to say how much the UK misses you - but that would be going too far methinks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Ha ha ha.....I guess so! we are both very different but also long standing useful members on here. but I think I am right on some issues particularly price and value, and it reminds me of not that long ago when a car cost a lot more here then in Europe......but we can argue this another time... :D not looking forward to going home! have extended visit by a couple of weeks, and wife flying back over for a long weekend next week, so all good.....could easily live down here :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Oh dear :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Oop's *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I am not used to you pointing three fingers at me - it's usually just the two - or even just the one! I'm happy to give my views without knocking anyone else's views as the more differing views that are presented on each topic the more confused the readers should become! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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