Wasnt Me Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Hi we are going over to Calais on the 26th July on the tunnel at 21.30. We plan to stay in Calais for a night and planned on using an Aire. I am now concerned about finding space on one and thinking we should have booked an earlier tunnel? We are not fussy about what its like we just want somewhere to sleep for the night, we will be up early to get on our way. We did buy 'All the Aires' and can use this. Is this going to be a problem? Any advice appreciated. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonH Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Personally I'd drive an hour out of Calais before laying up for the night. Whichever route you're taking, head off that way and stay as far away as poss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasnt Me Posted June 25, 2014 Author Share Posted June 25, 2014 Thank you for your reply We have two young kids that will need to go to bed, so the closer the better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Cite Europe is used by many before/after tunnel as Calais itself does not have a good reputation with illegals. If possible arrive earlier at Folkstone and you will may get an earlier train and if not you can hang about the terminal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 If you have to Cite de Europe OK and will have plenty of room as massive...when our kids were young they used to sleep while I drove through the night to get far away from the place and wake up somewhere pleasant..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek500 Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 The aire at Auchan at Saint-Martin-Boulogne is our preferred first night stop. Quiet, cheaper diesel than the ports, free wifi from McDonald's and no illegals!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithR Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 my brother was at Calais aire yesterday and said there was ample space at both aires. they were also using the car park in front of the beach aire. so no problem. the marina aire is huge, so I don't ever see a problem, its also nearer to the town and just a few yards to the free bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 On our way out we stayed the first night at Hondchoote its a quiet one night stop, spent six weeks mixing stalplatz/ sites and aires, we thought we would see if the aire on the Calais front was still open for our last night its convenient for an early tunnel crossing, and YES it is still open but always very busy with people coming and going most of the time we have usually got enough water on board so dont need the filling up but emptying is a must for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasnt Me Posted June 25, 2014 Author Share Posted June 25, 2014 Thanks for the responses. We may get to train early, bit have been informed that it is their busiest time as school s just broken up. We thought Cite Europe seemed ok, can someone please clarify what are "illegals" Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 We use the motor home parking at city Europe on a regular basis its only 5 minutes from leaving le shuttle on the Boulevard Du Kent Coquelles look for the bus parking sign. As foe illegals they are the people from all over Europe and beyond trying to illegally enter the UK, not seen any this year at city europe they usually congregate around the lorries near Calais docks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Surely you are aware of the number of immigrants that congregate in and around Calais attempting to cross into UK "illegally" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasnt Me Posted June 26, 2014 Author Share Posted June 26, 2014 Thanks Of course I wasn't thinking about immigrants. I don't really know what I was thinking. Probably about there not being any space. I think I will cross fingers for an earlier ferry and drive a while, looking for an Aire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertandjean Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 As we came out on ferry from Calais yesterday aire on front looked very busy, at least 40 vans but still a few spaces. Despite previous reports certainly not closed, but the adjacent camp site has gone (sorry Frank!) as work starts on new conference centre. Must say we do not use this aire as have found it very noisy in the past. Last time there was a lot of shouting etc from adjoining camp site, but as now closed maybe better. A much better option, but not for OP, is the new aire at Marck, where we stayed on Tuesday night, and is only 10 minutes drive from the port yet seems a world away. It is in a semi rural setting on edge of a good residential area with mature trees on two sides. There is a new sports hall opposite but seems mainly used by school groups. Aire has 5 hard standing spaces which really are well spaced out, separated by small hedges each with hook ups. Water etc easy to access and use. Aire has a barrier which might or might not be locked down; if locked then there is a phone number on board but only up to 9.00 pm. Cost is 8€/night collected around 7.00pm. Co-ordinates, N 50°57`22.6`` E001°55`44.3`` Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughman Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 We've been using Cite Europe for several years - must have done 10 nights or more there in last couple of years, and never seen or heard of anything dodgy. There's a big police station next to the car park and the check in for the tunnel is the other side of the fence, so it's all a bit too well-lit and visible for any nefarious business. It's not beautiful (it's a car park after all), but it's very handy, plus you can hit the shops before you move on and there are quite a few restaurants in Cite Europe as well. Loads of space as well - I'd rather be there than jammed into a little aire a few miles inland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasnt Me Posted June 26, 2014 Author Share Posted June 26, 2014 AHHH all this great advice, not sure now. I think we will check out Cite Europe and see what sort of a feeling we get from it. After all it is only one night. I will take my Taser gun I bought off of Ebay. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilmac Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Cite Europe is absolutely fine :-) http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l229/neilmac500/cite-europe_zpscbb39169.jpg And very handy too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasnt Me Posted June 26, 2014 Author Share Posted June 26, 2014 Blimey it looks massive Thanks bit nervous first time in mhome, had a tent last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilmac Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Wasn't Me - 2014-06-26 11:42 AM Blimey it looks massive Thanks bit nervous first time in mhome, had a tent last year. It is a big place but there will be other motorhomes there too. It's ideal for your situation. We used Eurotunnel a couple of weeks ago and booked a very late crossing because the rates had shot up due to Le Mans. We got there very early and they booked us 6 hours earlier at no extra charge - see our blog - http://motorhomingwithneilmac.blogspot.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cattwg Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Hi Wasn't Me If you are heading east then the aire at Bergues may be of use, it’s about 32 miles from Calais town. Take junction 16 off the (free) A25 then it’s about half a mile on the r.h.s. - behind the playing fields. There are no services but it’s free parking on a large hardstanding area. Services are available at Camping Verdun for €5 – take the shortcut (a couple of miles or so) through the town centre towards Hondschoote. Quite a lot of the old town walls are still in tact and make for an interesting walk - leaflet from the TIC in the bell tower on the town square. Cattwg :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Losos Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Wasn't Me - 2014-06-26 9:26 AMThanksOf course I wasn't thinking about immigrants.Phew for a minute there I was wondering if you had been lost on an island in the Pacific for past 20 odd years ha ha. Some people have a 'laid back' approach others are more concerned, either way it's a problem which needs sorting. I have reached the point where I don't care to risk any trouble and always go further away for first night stop, really excellent place at Nieuwport just over border in Belgium but you're probably heading South. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianhymer Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 We have used the aire by the marina for past few years with no problems, they now charge. It's handy for us as the vets is not far away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJB Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 We have used Nieuwport for years but we do normally head north and/or east! Get the co-ords off Google maps as one or two publications have the wrong ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickt Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 brianhymer - 2014-06-27 12:31 PM We have used the aire by the marina for past few years with no problems, they now charge. It's handy for us as the vets is not far away. They have charged for sometime now, somebody comes around about 7pm.The place by the marina is very big always plenty of room. The police often cruise up and down. If you need water ect you have to go to the aire by the beach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zydeco Joe Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Have used the aire at Bergues a few times in the last two years and found it a good place to stop both going out and coming back. Shops and fuel not far away and as been said free motorway to and from Calais. Have fun. B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Wasn't me(OP)... ..if you're still about, if it's your first time through the tunnel, I came across this on another forum some time ago..and I thought it may be helpful to you... (..it's in "real time" and therefore a bit long winded, so try not to doze off.... :-D ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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