robertandjean Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 Yes we know many call this a motorhome slum, but here we are sat outside our van, overlooking a harbour basin in glorious sunshine. It is fairly busy but we are not parked like sardines and have electric hook up. Waste empty facilities are clean, bins emptied each day and aire is tidy. But great thing is that can easily walk into delightful Hornfleur, and enjoy a nice meal overlooking the old harbour. We were going to move on today but weather and ambience of Hornfleur persuaded to stay another day before moving towards southern Brittany. (Fee remains at 10€/night, pay by credit card or cash). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 There's a smashing site less that half a mile away with full facilities for a couple of euro's more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 rolandrat - 2015-04-15 2:46 PM There's a smashing site less that half a mile away with full facilities for a couple of euro's more.# Agree. The site is acsi and by the light house, and the butterfly house, just beware of parking down hill, as that is /was where the motorhomes used to park, and when it rains, you can get bogged in. WE did, and they did not have a tractor for towing us out, but not a bad site , and lovely walks close by. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solomongrundy Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 We called at the Honfleur Aire on New Years Eve and had a surprisingly good meal at Café de Paris overlooking the harbour. It wasn't the first time we've used the much maligned Aire but it is a handy overnight stopping place and plenty of Brits use it on their way towards Normandy/Brittany and returning to Calais. The cafés and restaurants away from the tourist enclave are very good value and the town has much to offer anyone just visiting for a day or so. The Honfleur charge of €10 was the highest we've paid for quite some time but it is a convenient Aire with plenty of parking space, fresh water and a waste disposal point, bread delivered in the morning, Vet a short distance and dog walking close by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gabby Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 We love this Aire at Honfleur, I think for 10euros a night with hook up is excellent value. Although I must admit that I've never been when it's high season Or in the school holidays, so consequently we have always had plenty of room. Really looking forward to next week when we will be back in France for a couple of weeks celebrating our Silver Wedding Anniversary . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 £8, to stay for 24 hours, with electricity, all within a short stroll from a major tourist hot spot with lovely restaurants and art galleries doesn't sound that good, why for just a little more you can stop in a UK CL in a muddy field..................... and take a stroll to nowhere ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 The Aire is brilliantly located and it is not the same camping on the site up the road. The ability to walk into the town is the main attraction. However I have not stayed there for over 10 years. The first time I stayed on this Aire in 2003 the electricity was positively dangerous with bare wires exposed and the socket posts knocked out of the ground. The surface was rutted with pools of water everywhere. Presumably it has improved since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertandjean Posted April 15, 2015 Author Share Posted April 15, 2015 Joe90 - 2015-04-15 6:22 PM £8, to stay for 24 hours, with electricity, all within a short stroll from a major tourist hot spot with lovely restaurants and art galleries doesn't sound that good, why for just a little more you can stop in a UK CL in a muddy field..................... and take a stroll to nowhere ;-) Well said Joe, could not agree more. Mike, the hook ups now appear as safe as anywhere else, but some are restricted to 5 amps, whilst surface is now much better and aire is lit at night. Not been to site but getting stuck in mud on hill does not raise our enthusiasm to visit, nor do not think it just as convenient for strolling into town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 No it is a motorhome slum, usually very crowded and the chance of hookup, well not much. Why is the price the same even if you cannot get electric, which in the couple of times we have visited no chance. I reckon anyone prepared to put up with this dump will pretty much stay anywhere. If people reckon this place is good they seriously need to get out more, it just is not. The first time we went turned up late afternoon in April so decided to stay the night although a job to squeeze in. The second time we arrived about midday took one look and fled, do not care if we never see the place again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 No its not exactly the hanging gardens of Babylon, but be fair how many hot spot tourist destinations allow 24 hours of parking for a large vehicle for £8, and not a single issue of being threatened with breaking some byelaw because you had the temerity to assume it would not harm anyone if you decided to overnight there, or cook a bloody bacon sandwich. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 Our Jack Russell had a great time chasing the rats around the overflowing rubbish bins. It is a dump, but better than the one at Trier on the Moselle. Now....that is seriously bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 Joe90 - 2015-04-15 11:05 PM No its not exactly the hanging gardens of Babylon, but be fair how many hot spot tourist destinations allow 24 hours of parking for a large vehicle for £8, and not a single issue of being threatened with breaking some byelaw because you had the temerity to assume it would not harm anyone if you decided to overnight there, or cook a bloody bacon sandwich. .That's your fault if you can't cut the bread for your Bacon sandwich without cutting yourself. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southender Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 Been twice, once out of season and it was fine with plenty of room and managed to get EHU as well. The other time was end of august and it was awful, packed solid to the point of double parking. Saw one squeeze in where you`d think twice about parking a car never mind a motorhome ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 Its cheaper than Biarritz which has gone up to 12 €, and they've installed a stupid double barrier system to get out *-) ................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 The things that some owners will put up with to save a couple of euros beats me when there's a spotlessly clean site a couple of minutes away with everything you could wish for on it. If I paced it out I wouldn't mind betting that it would be closer to the town than the aire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 rolandrat - 2015-04-16 2:03 PM The things that some owners will put up with to save a couple of euros beats me when there's a spotlessly clean site a couple of minutes away with everything you could wish for on it. If I paced it out I wouldn't mind betting that it would be closer to the town than the aire. Ah!...but you miss the point, as it's not about the money.....supposedly.....;-) ..although, that being the case, it is odd that that how cheap somewhere, is or how much it may've gone up, is always one of the first things mentioned... *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 We've been to Honfleur several times and sometimes it is pleasant and sometimes it isn't and just as I can see the attractions of the site with it's calmer atmosphere I can also see the attractions of the Aire where you just arrive with no booking and no faffing. C'est la vie - your choice - no right or wrong - just different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 Many people use CLs because they are in the country. That's what they want, quiet and walking or fishing or bird-watching, whatever their hobby. From the number of people using CLs it's clear that they want what's on offer. And I've never had a muddy field and I suspect that the number of people who get stuck on a CL is similar to the number who have got stuck on grass aires, of which there are many. At least on a CL there's usually a farmer who'll pull you out. I've stayed on some superb CLs including the one pictured below. Beautifully kept, with hard standing and a short walk from an interesting tourist town in the Borders. I've also stayed on some lovely aires, the best of which are in the countryside. For some reason all the ones we've tried near urban centres are crammed car parks where you're woken up early by cars and vans roaring around. There are very good aires and there are absolutely appalling ones. But I have never found an appalling CL because they have to comply with standards set by the CC. I've found simple ones, such as one by the Kennet and Avon Canal for four quid a night, where we watched deer jumping over the fences. I've found some miles from anywhere but that's what I wanted on that occasion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertandjean Posted April 16, 2015 Author Share Posted April 16, 2015 pepe63 - 2015-04-16 2:19 PM rolandrat - 2015-04-16 2:03 PM The things that some owners will put up with to save a couple of euros beats me when there's a spotlessly clean site a couple of minutes away with everything you could wish for on it. If I paced it out I wouldn't mind betting that it would be closer to the town than the aire. Ah!...but you miss the point, as it's not about the money.....supposedly.....;-) ..although, that being the case, it is odd that that how cheap somewhere, is or how much it may've gone up, is always one of the first things mentioned... *-) You will notice that if you look again at our post the last thing we mentioned was the cost, as for us staying on Aires, or France Passion stop overs is not about cost at all. Only put it in at end for sake of completeness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 My post about Honfleur may offend some but it is an honest opinion. Robert&Jean have offered me good advice in the past and have found this helpful but I happen to disagree with them here. No offence intended but at least an opinion which others can take notice of or not. Honfleur is a large car park near a pleasant town that is worth one visit but to go back, why would you. the aire, in my experience is always crowded, dirty, with no chance of hookup, now that is all true not an opinion, just fact, again I would suggest anyone going to this dump should take note of comments and be prepared. As for 'no faffing about' well at the campsite you turn up book in and drive to your spacious pitch, hook up, put the kettle on. At the aire you find your space, if there is any, squeeze you van in, making sure you can open your doors, find the ticket machine, join the queue to pay, try and figure the machine out, hope it has taken the correct amount from your card, look for a non existent hookup, check out the dodgy water supply and usually filthy toilet dump, settle down to a night of listening to every movement in the next van 18 inches away, nice, what were the attractions of this aire again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 rupert123 - 2015-04-16 5:26 PM ........ find the ticket machine, join the queue to pay, try and figure the machine out, hope it has taken the correct amount from your card, Now that I can sympathise with. We stayed on the aire at San Sebastian a few weeks ago. Typical car park but handy for an overnight. We went to the machine in the pouring rain, entered our registration number and used a credit card - nothing. We tried three times and then decided to use cash. In the end we gave up until someone explained that it will only take the exact money! It was about €3.20 I think and we had put in €3.50 and weren't bothered if it didn't give change. We had to ask fellow residents to change our 50 cents piece for smaller coins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 My post about Honfleur may offend some but it is an honest opinion. Robert&Jean have offered me good advice in the past and have found this helpful but I happen to disagree with them here. No offence intended but at least an opinion which others can take notice of or not. Honfleur is a large car park near a pleasant town that is worth one visit but to go back, why would you. the aire, in my experience is always crowded, dirty, with no chance of hookup, now that is all true not an opinion, just fact, again I would suggest anyone going to this dump should take note of comments and be prepared. As for 'no faffing about' well at the campsite you turn up book in and drive to your spacious pitch, hook up, put the kettle on. At the aire you find your space, if there is any, squeeze you van in, making sure you can open your doors, find the ticket machine, join the queue to pay, try and figure the machine out, hope it has taken the correct amount from your card, look for a non existent hookup, check out the dodgy water supply and usually filthy toilet dump, settle down to a night of listening to every movement in the next van 18 inches away, nice, what were the attractions of this aire again? A very good open and honest view of the Honfleur aire. I draw the line at roaming rats and being parked up like sardines in a can with restricted airflow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 What is it with some of you folks, you go somewhere like Honfluer, find everyone has had the same idea, then complain about being packed in like sardines, whatever you do don't come down our neck of the woods and try parking on the favored sea front car park most weekends, or most days as the season gets underway, the clue is just as Stratford-upon-Avon is a tourist hot spot, so is Honfluer and don't kid yourself they don't both have as many rats. Best advise is to keep away if it's likely to be rammed, Honfluer just as Stratford-upon-Avon in my view only warrants one visit, out of season. Can't either for the life of me understand anyone like Rupert123 staying if he found it so dire, I certainly would not have done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan MMM Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 Reminder: Have contrasting opinions, disagree all you like, but don't post disparaging comments about other people, their opinions or what you perceive as their agendas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 Duncan MMM - 2015-04-16 7:21 PM Reminder: Have contrasting opinions, disagree all you like, but don't post disparaging comments about other people, their opinions or what you perceive as their agendas. Blimey your working late tonight Duncan :-S .............Or are you taking your work home? :D ........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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