robertandjean Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 If some of you still think aires equals staying on grotty car parks then try one of these and see if still think that: We are now on aire at Mouzon (Dept 08), about 20 km north of well known aire at Stenay (Dept 55) and what a gem it is. Right on canal side and on edge of a delightful little town, with some really expensive looking Dutch boats in tonight. Aire has individual hedged pitches, each with electricity and water together with free wi-fi (code from office) as well as toilets, shower and washing machine if you should require these. A fairly new aire, do not think it will be in British aires guide but is listed on both camping-car infos and i-camping cars. Cost is 7.80€/night, which is a real bargain. Just come from aire at Pont-a-Mouson (Dept 54) which although a lot bigger and busier than Mouzon is also certainly worth a visit. Cost here is 7.5€/night again including hook-up and aire is closed with a barrier overnight. There is free wi-fi here also but from MacDonalds further up road which can be picked up with a booster on your net book. Setting is nice, overlooks marina and Pont-a-Mouson is an interesting town to potter round. You can also catch bus to Nancy, from just outside aire for under 2€ each way; a city well worth a visit. So there you are two, in our opinion, aires that might please even the most anti-aires people, but then there again maybe not. But never mind it will be your loss! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 You should write a guide book: "Green Aires of France" I am sure it would be very popular.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 Shhhhhh! Dont let all them campsite dwellers on here know that! They wlll all be turning up, putting out awnings and making the place look like a campsite! Aires are horrible. You wlll be gassed and your children eaten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertandjean Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-05-24 8:17 PM You should write a guide book: "Green Aires of France" I am sure it would be very popular.... Great idea! Maybe you could write a companion volume "The Cultural Side Of Benidorm" ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 robertandjean - 2012-05-25 8:52 AM JudgeMental - 2012-05-24 8:17 PM You should write a guide book: "Green Aires of France" I am sure it would be very popular.... Great idea! Maybe you could write a companion volume "The Cultural Side Of Benidorm" ..... Happy to...But then, far to may northerners making a disgrace of the themselves there already, so dont really want to attract more.... You mean the Spanish side of life? As you probably know Benidorm is a modern holiday town so not much history...Believe it or not Benidorm is still mainly a Spanish town, except for all the weekend northern yobs who are easily avoided. In fact most of the northern yobos are corralled into a section of streets that we only saw on one occasion in cab back from old town.... wonderful beach, lovely restaurants and bars. safe cycling cheap transport, The costs less then half of a French supermarket (why French in south go over border for shopping) seafood a third of the price wonderful calamari and languistines on the BBQ , produce like fruit and veg so fresh and tasty. because believe it or not fruit/veg like sunny weather also and do not travel well so in summery main reason for visiting of season is the WEATHER! cheap and wonderful produce and very good and cheap fully serviced campsites. So choice in Feb/March/April is a wet empty cold French Aire near a museum, or a lovely seaside holiday town like benidorm.......Guess where we will be next year......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I reckon we've reached a point where the thing that would be most useful is a guide to guides to French aires. If anyone knows of a guide that only includes aires that have space for 1 'van, and that is guaranteed to be unoccupied, and is miles from anywhere where people might be, and amongst super natural history / landscape, and in a part of France that has a sporting chance of decent weather, it would certainly sell at least 1 copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 robertandjean - 2012-05-25 8:52 AM JudgeMental - 2012-05-24 8:17 PM You should write a guide book: "Green Aires of France" I am sure it would be very popular.... Great idea! Maybe you could write a companion volume "The Cultural Side Of Benidorm" ..... The great thing about Benidorm is the vast number of people it attracts. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 malc d - 2012-05-25 10:19 AM robertandjean - 2012-05-25 8:52 AM JudgeMental - 2012-05-24 8:17 PM You should write a guide book: "Green Aires of France" I am sure it would be very popular.... Great idea! Maybe you could write a companion volume "The Cultural Side Of Benidorm" ..... The great thing about Benidorm is the vast number of people it attracts. ;-) Yes when other towns more or less closed out of season, Benidorm is very much alive. My suggestion for a green Aires book was actually serious, maybe it woiuld be to thin *-) I stayed at Brezzoles on way back which was recommended on another thread...Its like a small walled garden, weather was horrible and lorries start thundering by at 4.00 in the morning... :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Im a northerner and quite like the sound of this Benidorm place. Will I be able to get Fish and Chips, Pies, Cheap fags, Special Brew and Lard? :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Barryd999 - 2012-05-25 12:35 PM I'm a northerner and quite like the sound of this Benidorm place. Will I be able to get Fish and Chips, Pies, Cheap fags, Special Brew and Lard? :-D I cant vouch for the lard and pies... but everything else in abundance plus beer 80p a pint:D ..Why stay on a car park when you can stay on a site with heated pool, fully serviced pitch with TV point, and free wifi for £10 a night. :-D what I also prefer is Spanish dont like dog s**te, unlike those filthy French, so you get fined (even on campsites) if your dog fouls the place 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-05-25 12:44 PM everything else in abundance plus beer 80p a pint:D ..-) Thats it Im coming! Thats all there is to it! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Barryd999 - 2012-05-25 12:59 PM JudgeMental - 2012-05-25 12:44 PM everything else in abundance plus beer 80p a pint:D ..-) Thats it Im coming! Thats all there is to it! :-D Your welcome!.. Its funny but when down there and you hear a southern voice you kinda look twice in surprise! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 crinklystarfish - 2012-05-25 9:54 AMI reckon we've reached a point where the thing that would be most useful is a guide to guides to French aires.If anyone knows of a guide that only includes aires that have space for 1 'van, and that is guaranteed to be unoccupied, and is miles from anywhere where people might be, and amongst super natural history / landscape, and in a part of France that has a sporting chance of decent weather, it would certainly sell at least 1 copy.It might be useful for people with no aires-related experience to have a 'don't bother' list of places best avoided, but that would just as much reflect personal likes/dislikes as much as a list of favourites. For example, the following two aires http://www.i-campingcar.fr/aires.php?ville=SANCOINShttp://www.i-campingcar.fr/aires.php?ville=SAINT%20AMAND%20MONTRONDhave free services with free canal-side parking nearby, but I would not want to stay at either in summer.More of robertandjeans's aires comments are available here: http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/search/query.asp?action=search&searchforumid=all&keywords=favourite&author=robertandjean&days=&Submit=Search Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 crinklystarfish - 2012-05-25 9:54 AMI reckon we've reached a point where the thing that would be most useful is a guide to guides to French aires.If anyone knows of a guide that only includes aires that have space for 1 'van, and that is guaranteed to be unoccupied, and is miles from anywhere where people might be, and amongst super natural history / landscape, and in a part of France that has a sporting chance of decent weather, it would certainly sell at least 1 copy.Hard but not impossible to find in France. I just went through our pics and blogs for last year and I reckon I could write a pretty good guide to the best Aires in France and also the quietest ones and of course if you really want solitude then wilding is the answer. The chances of you actually getting to spend a night on your own though either on a quiet Aire or wild spot in France in the middle of summer is still slim. I think last summer we probably had maybe a dozen or so nights completely on our own of the whole summer.This Aire under the Chateaux at Biron in the southern Dordogne probably offered the most space and we had it to ourselves. Or so we thought. The night was spent listenting to rutting stags which got closer and closer to the van. It was like being in Jurasic park! Free that one an all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertandjean Posted May 26, 2012 Author Share Posted May 26, 2012 How to respond? First many thanks to Derrick for providing the link to many of our previous ramblings about aires; much appreciated. Second thanks Barry for pointing out that even though many aires are busy, and this year appear busier than ever, it is still possible to get away from the crowds should you want to. Third regarding Crinkly Strar Fish and idea of a guide to a guide to aires then still think that in print "Le Guide National des Aires de Service" is the best whilst camping-car infos andi-campingcars are the two best web sites. Last but not least Eddies idea of a guide to "green" aires is a good one (my reply re Benidorm was, I am sure Eddie knows in jest; clearly Eddie really enjoyed a site based holiday in Benidorm and there is nothing wrong with that, just not for us). No intention however, of going into print but if some of you have a few "green aires" to share then why not put them on here. For future intend to update the aires with hook-ups list, draw up an aires with wi-fi list and continue our general comments about aires we have stayed on and aires news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickydicky Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 it was me that reccomended "brezolles" in another thread judge mental. thinking about it, we only ever stay there on a saturday night,hence, it's quiet,no lorries on a sunday. sorry about that. as for benidorm, fantastic place to stay in winter.plenty to do (if you want it) lively, and better weather than here ! can't wait for our next trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 trickydicky - 2012-05-26 9:29 PM it was me that reccomended "brezolles" in another thread judge mental. thinking about it, we only ever stay there on a saturday night,hence, it's quiet,no lorries on a sunday. sorry about that. as for benidorm, fantastic place to stay in winter.plenty to do (if you want it) lively, and better weather than here ! can't wait for our next trip. No worries..lots of peoples seem to like this place. I was woke up at 4 but managed to sleep on as had a long drive up, weather was cold and blustery so that makes all the difference :-D And I would not say I prefer sites. But as we primarily holiday during school holidays Aires in decent places are always rammed to overflowing and not that an attractive environment...Barritz was horrible, packed with people scrabbling over elec supplies with truly awful weather...I wont be there again. Château LArcher was lovely and Ste Eulaie also very peaceful and just what you need after a long drive....both very green :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-05-26 10:40 PM trickydicky - 2012-05-26 9:29 PM it was me that reccomended "brezolles" in another thread judge mental. thinking about it, we only ever stay there on a saturday night,hence, it's quiet,no lorries on a sunday. sorry about that. as for benidorm, fantastic place to stay in winter.plenty to do (if you want it) lively, and better weather than here ! can't wait for our next trip. No worries..lots of peoples seem to like this place. I was woke up at 4 but managed to sleep on as had a long drive up, weather was cold and blustery so that makes all the difference :-D And I would not say I prefer sites. But as we primarily holiday during school holidays Aires in decent places are always rammed to overflowing and not that an attractive environment...Barritz was horrible, packed with people scrabbling over elec supplies with truly awful weather...I wont be there again. Château LArcher was lovely and Ste Eulaie also very peaceful and just what you need after a long drive....both very green :D You could recommend an Aire like the one I posted and of course when you were there it was empty, the sun was shining, you had a good time and the wife was nice to you and then the next bloke comes along and it Pi$$es down, its packed with other vans and suddenly its not as attractive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-05-26 10:40 PM trickydicky - 2012-05-26 9:29 PM it was me that reccomended "brezolles" in another thread judge mental. thinking about it, we only ever stay there on a saturday night,hence, it's quiet,no lorries on a sunday. sorry about that. as for benidorm, fantastic place to stay in winter.plenty to do (if you want it) lively, and better weather than here ! can't wait for our next trip. No worries..lots of peoples seem to like this place. I was woke up at 4 but managed to sleep on as had a long drive up, weather was cold and blustery so that makes all the difference :-D And I would not say I prefer sites. But as we primarily holiday during school holidays Aires in decent places are always rammed to overflowing and not that an attractive environment...Barritz was horrible, packed with people scrabbling over elec supplies with truly awful weather...I wont be there again. Château LArcher was lovely and Ste Eulaie also very peaceful and just what you need after a long drive....both very green :D You could recommend an Aire like the one I posted and of course when you were there it was empty, the sun was shining, you had a good time and the wife was nice to you and then the next bloke comes along and it Pi$$es down, its packed with other vans and suddenly its not as attractive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 It's perhaps worth highlighting that the campingcar-infos website nowadays has the facility to search for 'aires' with specific characteristics - for example, with wi-fi or 230V hook-up. I don't know how accurate the information is and, when I was last in contact with the website's administrative team, I was told that their latest policy was to overlook limited-duration 230V hook-ups. Nevertheless, it's a useful facility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 We do almost always wildcamp for the very reasons that would be important in my dream aires guide. We have bumbled into some cracking aires though and have spent memorable nights alone, or sometimes nearly alone but with quiet neighbours - even in school hols. It can be done but it's pretty rare and you need to be lucky. Being a bit less flippant, the fatal flaw with a guide to green aires would be that they would suddenly become much better known amongst those that seek out quiet spots! I have previously used a formal guide and had a dibble with online resources but have nearly always ended up underwhelmed or even downright disappointed. We'll continue for now to bumble on guideless and just stop wherever we find nice, be that on an aire, or rough, or whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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