Overnight aires south of Caen recommendations?

[Matrix Meanderer]

Off to sunny Spain shortly and taking the western France route down but going Brittany ferries to Ouistreham (Caen). We have not done crossing before and are looking for an overnight stop recommendation south of Caen. The ferry arrives at 15.00 hrs so we have about an hour of daylight if we are lucky.

 

The aire at Grainville Langannerie (All the Aires ref 161) looks pretty good.

 

Anywhere better in this locality or is it worth going a bit further south towards Alencon?

We have sorted the rest of the route but never arrived at Caen late afternoon before.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

 

[Mike88]

By the time you get off the ferry it will be dark as disembarking on Brittany Ferries is normally slow.

 

I stay on the ferry car park. Alternatively there is an Aire nearby. When you leave the port turn right and follow the line of the port on the road which runs parallel to where the ferry is docked (Rue Des Dunes) and about 200 yards on the right is an Aire. It's usually busy but should get in at this time of the year.

 

 

Latitude : (Nord) 49.28726° Décimaux ou 49° 17' 14''

Longitude : (Ouest) -0.24969° Décimaux ou 0° 14' 58''

[sambukashot]

Plenty of aires around Caen, just click the link below and zoom in :)

http://www.camperstops.co.uk/index.php/france/all-stopovers-in-france#!/catid=1;38;3;49;2;37;41;4

[robertandjean]

Think your best bet might be Villers-Bocage, which is about 25 km south west of Caen just off the A84. Aire is right at bottom of town just off round-a-bout but little noise overnight. No charge for parking, 2€/ services. Town has Carrfour and wi-fi at bar in town centre (code 20072005). A good overnight stop.

[Matrix Meanderer]

Thanks for the suggestions so far everyone - most helpful.

 

Looking again at the route the Caen - Rennes - Nantes - Niort route is better and cheaper than I realised so we will reroute that way.

 

The Villers Bocage aire looks OK but small.

Further down the road the Avranches aire looks better but further to drive off the ferry.

 

Any other comments/suggestions gratefully received.

 

 

[Derek Uzzell]

If you’ve decided to take the A84 route from Caen, then I’d agree with robertand jean that Villers-Bocage may be your best bet for a 1st-night stop. Approach Villers-Bocage from A84 Junction 43. Although only 3 oversize places are dedicated to motorhomes, there’s always plenty of space in the rest of the car-park.

 

Further down the A84 there’s an ‘aire’ at Guilberville. Turn off the A84 at Junction 40 towards Torigni-sur-Vire on D974, then, after a few hundred metres, turn right just past “Le Guilberville” Relais Routiers restaurant.

 

There’s a motorhome free servicing-point at the Vallee de la Vire-Gouvets autoroute service area mid-way betweem Junctions 39 and 38 of the A84 should you ever need one.

 

I’ve never stopped at the Avranches aire. Comments indicate that the parking area slopes and there’s a lot of traffic noise (hardly surprising). A 2011 comment about kids throwing stones is not encouraging either.

 

We regularly overnight at the aire at Ducey. Turn off A84 at Junction 33 south of Avranches on to D976, then left at traffic-lights at entrance to Ducey town. The motorhome service-point is on a large car-park and there’s some road/factory noise (and some early morning noise if a lorry overnights there). But there’s always plenty of room and the town is not too far away. It would be permissible for up-to-3500kg motorhomes to stay in the car-park on the left immediately after turning left at the traffic-lights, though we’ve never done so.

 

Distances from Ouistreham to Villers-Bocage, Guilberville and Ducey are 27, 44 and 80 miles respectively.

 

Information, photos, street-views, comments, GPS co-ordinates relating to the above are all available through

 

http://www.campingcar-infos.com/index1.htm

 

[kelly58]

Although the aire at Villers-Bocage looks small 3 spaces  it is in a large car park so there is always plenty of room and also the water is often free just push the plunger to see  I have never had to pay there for water all the times I have stopped there . 

[Retread24800]

 Have you tried actually (virtually) looking at the aires? here is a link to the central Aire at Arromanches les bains (14)  virtuel camping

[sheer lunar-see]

We overnighted at the aire in Avranches, never again, like camping on the side of Everest, my better half got out of bed for a pee, and I had to rescue her with a rope and crampons from the cab area. We have overnighted in the carpark at carrefour next junction down with no probs, go round the side where it is quieter. Good hunting.

[Matrix Meanderer]

Retread24800 - 2012-12-29 12:31 PM

 

 Have you tried actually (virtually) looking at the aires? here is a link to the central Aire at Arromanches les bains (14)  virtuel camping

 

Yes - Thanks for the link to the relatively new panoramic views site which we have used a lot in the last few months - gives a really good image of those aires he has photographed. However this is Arromanches not Avranches.

 

The Avranches aire sounds like a no no especially with a transverse bed over garage configuration, could do ourselves an injury on that sort of slope!

 

Thanks also to the other responders. We'll go for the Villers Bocage aire which looks nice and easy with loads of space.

[Retread24800]

Mia Culpa

Too much (or not enough?) Lidl Champagne I guess.