France Passion

[kelly58]

Its that time of year again when we start to plan our trips to France between May and October . Up until now we have only used the Aires and ASCI guide books which I must admit have given us some excellent advice and places to stay short and long stays. We have never used the France Passion scheme and would like any advice good or bad as to is it worth shelling out another £25 for more places to stopover whilst touring. Thanks..

[Solwaybuggier]

Well we reckon it is - loads of good places to stay - but be aware that you may end up spending more than stopping on a site! Although you do get some great produce & wine in exchange.

 

The other point to consider is what part of France you plan on visiting - typically far more FP hosts in wine growing areas, whereas a few departments have only a handful. The spread should be evident on the FP website.

[FRANKP60]

We used only one France Passion site cost 5 euro to use it ,then my Wife spent 15 euro's on a bottle of red wine ,!!!! she only drinks white!!!!!expensive site.

[snowie]

We plan our FP stops on the basis of what they produce, and spend there rather than at a supermarket, for cheeeses, chicken, pork, trout, oils, pickles etc etc.

Works for us,

regards

alan b

[Patricia]

FRANKP60 - 2014-04-06 9:53 PM

 

We used only one France Passion site cost 5 euro to use it ,then my Wife spent 15 euro's on a bottle of red wine ,!!!! she only drinks white!!!!!expensive site.

 

I am very surprised that you paid €5 to use a FP stop - they should be free. I have used them in the past and not been asked for payment but like others always bought a lot of produce.

[tonyg3nwl]

Hi, we expect to use FP later this hear travelling down from Le havre to the south of france .

 

poi, s for passion sites are available from Snooper satnag devices, and this years book publish coordinates as well.

 

I am currently studying the data and planning a route for my old garmin device taking in up to a dozen potential stopovers en route. This can be planned on computer screen and then adjusted to pick up the suitable FP sites along tbe way..

 

portsmouth le havre outbound, first night out targetting fp within 20 miles or so. Hope it wont be overwhelmed, as very limited numbers can be accepted according to the book, so have backup plan a bit further out.

anyone else planning similar journey at same time? Late may depart. ?

 

tony

 

 

[peter21]

We like the Passions and they can save a lot of money vs campsites, especially in high season. We only got caught out once ...stayed at Un Triperie..cheap paté but the smell was memorable ...thought we were being gassed ...they were boiling up something pretty unsavoury.

[Guest davidroxburgh]

The 2014 book is a great improvement on last year's book and gps co-ordinates are included. I struggle with downloading these things so the printed co-ordinates are good.

 

We have used 3 sites and although one was close to a farm building, the view was still good. We have bought some great wine and found hosts and other motor homers friendly.

 

In some ways we may use FP more than aires in future, as aires can be unpredictable. For example the one in Oleron-St-Marie which was "visited" by a high revving large motorbike in the early hours!

 

With FP and ACSI you have a good choice.

[Tea Cup]

We've been members for a few years, but have only been to one, we spent 2 nights at an FP camping al la ferme close to the canal du midi. It was great, the farmer was very friendly and had a barn made into a farm/vinery museum, which also was a tasting area. The wine was good, it would have been rude not to. And yes, we bought a couple of bottles.

 

But it obviously wasn't financially viable spread over a few years of non-use.

 

I don't suppose anyone wants to share a book? I'd use it low season, in May and September, it would be available the rest of the time. Mind you, if you factor in sharing postage costs, would it be worth doing?

 

[Poursay]

Hi

We used French Passion last year with varied results. For our first call, at a farm/ vineyard, we saw someone pop their head out of a door but went back in and wouldn't answer our knocks. The farmyard was not the tidiest of places so we moved on. The second site was superb, no one at home when we arrived, but a note on the door explaining that they were at an evening market and to use 1 of the marked out hardstandings. Water and electricity was available ( 3 &5 euros respectively) and we could either drop the money through the letter box if we were leaving early the following morning or pay when the shop opened.no charge for the hardstandings overlooking the vines.

Yes we did buy wine there but would have bought some somewhere anyway and the vineyard owners were very friendly and not pushy.

It's a bit pot luck but as stated above some areas have more choice than others.

And yes we are doing it again this year.

[Derek Uzzell]

Tea Cup - 2014-04-10 12:38 PM

 

...I don't suppose anyone wants to share a book? I'd use it low season, in May and September, it would be available the rest of the time. Mind you, if you factor in sharing postage costs, would it be worth doing?

 

I'm not sure how feasible it would be to 'share' the cost of a France Passion (FP) membership (which I assume is what you are suggesting) and it would certainly conflict with the scheme's terms and conditions.

 

Besides the guidebook there's a sticker that should be affixed to the motorhome's windscreen to indicate that a visitor to an FP site has current membership, plus a membership card that also indicates current membership and carries the FP member's name.

 

In principle the 'host' at an FP site should check that the motorhome carries the sticker and that the visitor has a current membership card. France Passion encourages hosts to do this (as it guards against non-FP-members exploiting the scheme) but, during the many years I've been an FP member, I've only been asked to present the membership card once.

[mildi]

tonyg3nwl - 2014-04-07 2:40 PM

 

Hi, we expect to use FP later this hear travelling down from Le havre to the south of france .

 

poi, s for passion sites are available from Snooper satnag devices, and this years book publish coordinates as well.

 

I am currently studying the data and planning a route for my old garmin device taking in up to a dozen potential stopovers en route. This can be planned on computer screen and then adjusted to pick up the suitable FP sites along tbe way..

 

portsmouth le havre outbound, first night out targetting fp within 20 miles or so. Hope it wont be overwhelmed, as very limited numbers can be accepted according to the book, so have backup plan a bit further out.

anyone else planning similar journey at same time? Late may depart. ?

 

tony

 

 

We are just down the M27 from you and we are off the end of May down to SW France, we use the tunnel as we have the dog with us and will most likely do about 4 or 5 months in France. We joined FP last year but gave up with the directions in the book and never actually used it in the end, I understood you could only stay one night but spoke to a few people who stayed 4-5 nights in some places. I couldn't much info or recommendations on good ones to stay at or ones to avoid. Still deciding weather to bother this year, we have a snooper, where did you get the poi from?

Mark.

[tonyg3nwl]

Mildi, check you pm box.message for you.

tony

 

[Derek Uzzell]

mildi - 2014-04-21 3:39 PM

 

tonyg3nwl - 2014-04-07 2:40 PM

 

Hi, we expect to use FP later this hear travelling down from Le havre to the south of france .

 

poi, s for passion sites are available from Snooper satnag devices, and this years book publish coordinates as well.

 

I am currently studying the data and planning a route for my old garmin device taking in up to a dozen potential stopovers en route. This can be planned on computer screen and then adjusted to pick up the suitable FP sites along tbe way..

 

portsmouth le havre outbound, first night out targetting fp within 20 miles or so. Hope it wont be overwhelmed, as very limited numbers can be accepted according to the book, so have backup plan a bit further out.

anyone else planning similar journey at same time? Late may depart. ?

 

tony

 

 

We are just down the M27 from you and we are off the end of May down to SW France, we use the tunnel as we have the dog with us and will most likely do about 4 or 5 months in France. We joined FP last year but gave up with the directions in the book and never actually used it in the end, I understood you could only stay one night but spoke to a few people who stayed 4-5 nights in some places. I couldn't much info or recommendations on good ones to stay at or ones to avoid. Still deciding weather to bother this year, we have a snooper, where did you get the poi from?

Mark.

 

Each year changes occur regarding the France Passion (FP) 'sites' that accept motorhomes overnight. Some site-owners decide not to continue to be FP members; new FP sites spring up. For example, for 2014, there are 200 more sites than in 2013.

 

There is no official France Passion POI file and the owners of the scheme specifically forbid unauthorised creation and distribution of such a file. This (unsurprisingly) has not prevented such files being produced, but they will inevitably be out-of-date. As the 2014 FP booklet contains GPS coordinates for each site, it's questionable how valuable a POI file now is.

 

Regarding how long a motorcaravanner might stay at an FP site, the 'rule' is that one night is offered but that doesn't stop a site-owner being flexible if he/she so chooses. 4-5 nights seems an unusually long stay to me.

[mildi]

tonyg3nwl - 2014-04-21 7:06 PM

 

Mildi, check you pm box.message for you.

tony

 

Many thanks Tony,

Sent you a pm but it will not go through for some reason, I will try again later.

Mark.

[tonyg3nwl]

Derek Uzzell - 2014-04-22

 

There is no official France Passion POI file and the owners of the scheme specifically forbid unauthorised creation and distribution of such a file. This (unsurprisingly) has not prevented such files being produced, but they will inevitably be out-of-date. As the 2014 FP booklet contains GPS coordinates for each site, it's questionable how valuable a POI file now is.

 

Regarding how long a motorcaravanner might stay at an FP site, the 'rule' is that one night is offered but that doesn't stop a site-owner being flexible if he/she so chooses. 4-5 nights seems an unusually long stay to me.[/quote

 

I asked snooper if their list for fp is up to date, and was told that the file was donated to them NOT by fp but someone not obviously obeying the rules. The list they have is ddefinitely out of date and may well be 2012 origin. Anyone attempting to use it without a current book might just get a rebuff from hosts, so I am crosschecking any possible location I might wish to use, before attempting to visit them..

 

snooper should take the pois down and remove them but havent yet done so.

 

tony