French aires

[Wildge]

According to the latest ' Aires' book several are not open all year. Does anyone know if there is a general closing date or does it just depend on weather, customer trade and geographical situation ?

Any help appreciated..........................Thanks

[hallii]

It is a difficult one answer, sometimes "not open" ones simply have the water turned off (frost protectiion) sometimes they are actually locked up. In any case if you turn up there will usually be somewhere to spend the night, maybe the car park alongside, or near the entrance, or another car park.

 

The French are a lot more easy going in this respect than us, if you cannot find anywhere to spend a night or two find the "Information" or the Town Hall (Marie) they will tell you where you can stay.

 

I have never had any problems.

 

H

[Derek Uzzell]

Parking at the majority of French aires de service involves public car-parks. Those will remain open all year as far as parking is concerned, though (as hallii says) the service-pedestal may be turned off in areas of France where freezing weather is to be expected.

 

One might reasonably anticipate 'pay-to-park' aires to close during the winter if the fee is collected by a person, as it won't be worthwhile employing someone to monitor visitors to the aire if the visitors are very few in number.

 

Might be worth having some 'not open all year' examples from the latest "Aires" book.

 

 

[Rod_vw]

Even a notice indicating closed does not always mean closed!

 

Last September (2012) we parked at Fraisse-sur-Agout [43.60461,2.79631], there were a couple of others there before us. However there were signs up saying that the Aire was closed from a date a couple of weeks previously. Never the less the lady still came in the evening to collect the money and the facilities were all still working!

 

It's a lovely location by the way if you are going that way.