lennyhb Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 For a start I don't see why the last thread was frozen, if a moderator is going to freeze a thread they should be polite enough to post a reason. Stopped at Honfleur for the first time last week, After all the doom and gloom from the anti Aire brigade what a nice surprise. Nice flat level metaled surface, well marked places with a fare bit of room, good views from wherever you are parked, nice and close to the town, will certainly be going back. Price now €11 (£7.85) OK a bit expensive for an Aire but what a location, local car park charges are €2.40/hour, max 12 hours €15 makes the Aire look cheap. As for Rolantrats comment "for a few Euro more you can stay on the camp site", I think he needs to brush up on his maths camp site is between €19.50 - €23.50 a night (a bit more than a few Euro) & if you arrive at say 5 - 7 pm you still have to be gone by 12pm the Aire the charge is for 24 hours so for one night 4 times the price. :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 probably one of the worse Aires going particularly in bad weather as its always packed and a real bun fight. the town is pretty but a real poor tourist trap. 40 years ago it was wonderful. *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 lennyhb - 2015-06-26 10:20 AM..................As for Rolantrats comment "for a few Euro more you can stay on the camp site", I think he needs to brush up on his maths camp site is between €19.50 - €23.50 a night (a bit more than a few Euro) & if you arrive at say 5 - 7 pm you still have to be gone by 12pm the Aire the charge is for 24 hours so for one night 4 times the price. :-| I think your maths may also be a bit shaky Lenny! :-) The aire, you say, is €11. 4 x 11 = 44. Campsite not quite €44, so can't be four times the price! Methinks you doth a bit too much protest! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 Brian Kirby - 2015-06-26 12:20 PM lennyhb - 2015-06-26 10:20 AM..................As for Rolantrats comment "for a few Euro more you can stay on the camp site", I think he needs to brush up on his maths camp site is between €19.50 - €23.50 a night (a bit more than a few Euro) & if you arrive at say 5 - 7 pm you still have to be gone by 12pm the Aire the charge is for 24 hours so for one night 4 times the price. :-| I think your maths may also be a bit shaky Lenny! :-) The aire, you say, is €11. 4 x 11 = 44. Campsite not quite €44, so can't be four times the price! Methinks you doth a bit too much protest! :-D Read again Brian I was comparing the cost per hour, the campsite costs around € 20 for 12 hours against the Aire €11 for 24 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 lennyhb - 2015-06-26 12:51 PM ... the campsite costs around € 20 for 12 hours against the Aire €11 for 24 hours. Surely, the 'site's actual cost is "around € 20" for 24hrs?(12noon 'til 12noon)... The fact that someone chooses to arrive several hours after they could've done, is down to them?.... (..that'd be like ordering and paying for a 3 course meal, choosing to only eat the starter, only to then complain that the restaurant's soup was expensive! (lol) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 lennyhb - 2015-06-26 12:51 PM...............Read again Brian I was comparing the cost per hour, the campsite costs around € 20 for 12 hours against the Aire €11 for 24 hours. Yes, I know, but you can't hire campsites by the hour - it is usually by the night, i.e. arrive after 14:00 and leave before 12:00 mid-day the next day - so about 22 hours max. So, I still think you're diddling the figures to make the aire look cheap! :-D But, being serious for a minute, the reports of the site are pretty dire, and it is pricey for a French campsite at €20 per night, so I wouldn't go there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Hi We found the average campsite charge using Acsi was 16 Euro and sometimes we arrived at around 10:00am with no complaints, not like UK, we recently was stopping just down the road at St Valery Sur Somme, we stayed for 7 nights so only paid for 6 (7 for 6) cost 18 euro per night bought it down to 13 euro, the Aire was 10euro! The camp site had free wifi, bar and restaurant, fishing, tennis and even a field for practicing golf, not for everyone maybe but was fairly quiet this time of the year, and being a large site plenty of pitches to choose from. Choice simples!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Caddies104 - 2015-06-27 7:59 AM Hi We found the average campsite charge using Acsi was 16 Euro and sometimes we arrived at around 10:00am with no complaints, not like UK, we recently was stopping just down the road at St Valery Sur Somme, we stayed for 7 nights so only paid for 6 (7 for 6) cost 18 euro per night bought it down to 13 euro, the Aire was 10euro! The camp site had free wifi, bar and restaurant, fishing, tennis and even a field for practicing golf, not for everyone maybe but was fairly quiet this time of the year, and being a large site plenty of pitches to choose from. Choice simples!! I'm a huge fan of ACSI but where Aires rate highly is that they tend to be convenient locations for towns and/or beaches whereas campsites often are not. While a campsite might have facilities it's location location location that is the most important issue for me. Honfleur, for all the downsides, is very well located. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunseekers2 Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Which site are you referring to Brian. We were at the Aire in Honfluer the long ascension week end which was manic. Moved up the hill to the campsite by Le Clerc heated showers, restaraunt, free wifi large pitch all for 18 euro no brainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Sunseekers2 - 2015-06-27 8:17 AM Which site are you referring to Brian. ....................... Camping du Phare (no-one actually quoted its name, just referred to "the campsite" - there are three within 6km!), which is by far the closest to the centre (800m), and which I assumed would be where anyone wanting to use the reasonably central aire would go. The one you seem to be referring to sounds like Le Briquerie, which shows as being near an Intermarche (not Leclerc), on the D62, about 3.5km south of Honfleur via the D579. The other is Domaine Catiniere, about 6km out, and some 4km past the Leclerc. There is an alternative aire at La Riviere St Saveur, about 3km east, on the D580. Looks much quieter, and pleasanter, though considerably smaller, than the Honfleur aire. N49.40856 E0.26926 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
multiplamum Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Mike88 - 2015-06-27 8:14 AM Caddies104 - 2015-06-27 7:59 AM Hi We found the average campsite charge using Acsi was 16 Euro and sometimes we arrived at around 10:00am with no complaints, not like UK, we recently was stopping just down the road at St Valery Sur Somme, we stayed for 7 nights so only paid for 6 (7 for 6) cost 18 euro per night bought it down to 13 euro, the Aire was 10euro! The camp site had free wifi, bar and restaurant, fishing, tennis and even a field for practicing golf, not for everyone maybe but was fairly quiet this time of the year, and being a large site plenty of pitches to choose from. Choice simples!! I'm a huge fan of ACSI but where Aires rate highly is that they tend to be convenient locations for towns and/or beaches whereas campsites often are not. While a campsite might have facilities it's location location location that is the most important issue for me. Honfleur, for all the downsides, is very well located. For us location is key. I am not very mobile so being within easy walking distance of attractions is essential. We spent a night here, very full but very quiet, and were able to visit the town then move on. Looked out over the harbour and while it wasn't a rural idyll it was perfect for us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 You've hit the nail on the head, my wife has Osteoarthritis, so location is as you say everything for us as well, but why anyone would be surprised that an extremely popular spot would be rammed with motorhomes escapes me, perhaps if somewhere like Stratford-upon-Avon had the same dedicated Motorhome facilities it would be deserted lol, France excels in providing for us folk, long may it continue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 You've hit the nail on the head, my wife has Osteoarthritis, so location is as you say everything for us as well, but why anyone would be surprised that an extremely popular spot would be rammed with motorhomes escapes me, perhaps if somewhere like Stratford-upon-Avon had the same dedicated Motorhome facilities it would be deserted lol, France excels in providing for us folk, long may it continue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertandjean Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 As pointed out location is the key reason for using many Aires, in that you are mostly in walking distance of where you want to be. Yes some sites are also well situated but most tend to be a long where from anywhere. Now if you are looking for some where just to chill out for a few days or spend the day sitting at the bar or taking part in organised activities then many sites fit the bill, and that's fine. Coming back to aire at Honfleur then yes it can be very busy but it is not, in our opinion as bad as many suggest. Go there on a French bank holiday and you will be parked close and maybe struggle to get an hook up. Tip is to arrive early on day before said holiday and then no problems. Also useful is to have two or three hook up leads, which you can join together, hence not having to park next to hook up.point but use pitch with better view and a splitter so can ask someone to share point if needed. Arrive at Honfleur in low season and little problem, we have stayed with only four other vans ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Exactly..."..popular location, busy during busy periods shocker!" (lol) ..and be it a campsite, an "Aire" or a pub stop etc, what real concern is it of others, as long as it suits the person(s) who are using it?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted June 27, 2015 Author Share Posted June 27, 2015 Brian Kirby - 2015-06-26 2:30 PM lennyhb - 2015-06-26 12:51 PM...............Read again Brian I was comparing the cost per hour, the campsite costs around € 20 for 12 hours against the Aire €11 for 24 hours. Yes, I know, but you can't hire campsites by the hour - it is usually by the night, i.e. arrive after 14:00 and leave before 12:00 mid-day the next day - so about 22 hours max. So, I still think you're diddling the figures to make the aire look cheap! :-D Not really just tying in with our usage, we rarely stay anywhere more than one night often arriving around 5pm and moving on the the next day when it suits us anything between 11am and 3 or 4 pm depending how far we are traveling the can be just a few miles to the next village. If we stay on the campsite past 12pm it will cost double, in July that is €47 against the Aire at €11. :D :D For our style of use it makes more sense to use Aires added to the fact we don't particularly like camp sites (actually the boss is more adverse to them than me). We did stay on one for one night last year in France, but then found a nice wild spot a couple of miles down the road in the hills with nice walks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 pepe63 - 2015-06-27 4:34 PM...........and be it a campsite, an "Aire" or a pub stop etc, what real concern is it of others, as long as it suits the person(s) who are using it?... Yhy, I'm really beginning to like you pepe63! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 lennyhb - 2015-06-27 5:25 PM............Not really just tying in with our usage, we rarely stay anywhere more than one night often arriving around 5pm and moving on the the next day when it suits us anything between 11am and 3 or 4 pm depending how far we are traveling the can be just a few miles to the next village. If we stay on the campsite past 12pm it will cost double, in July that is €47 against the Aire at €11. :D :D ...................... As you (kind of! :-)) say, Lenny, it's about horses for courses. We use aires while visiting places, and sometimes just for lunch breaks, but then move on to a site for the night. Suits our preferences. And no, I don't expect anyone else to understand or agree! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 In the absence of a suitable aire we very often look for sites offering "Forfait Camping car rates, I think mainly confined to municipals, the last one we used a few days ago near Gerardmer, a site right on the lakeside was £8, another at Luneville was an astonishing £5 with elec, although the Jetton to use both the washing machine and tumble dryer was €2.80c lol, and the site is right next to the Chateaux for which Luneville is famed..............both of these sites were immaculately kept, yet despite that on both there was barely a handful of campers on them, go figure ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted June 27, 2015 Author Share Posted June 27, 2015 Joe90 - 2015-06-27 6:14 PM In the absence of a suitable aire we very often look for sites offering "Forfait Camping car rates, I think mainly confined to municipals, the last one we used a few days ago near Gerardmer, a site right on the lakeside was £8, another at Luneville was an astonishing £5 with elec, although the Jetton to use both the washing machine and tumble dryer was €2.80c lol, and the site is right next to the Chateaux for which Luneville is famed..............both of these sites were immaculately kept, yet despite that on both there was barely a handful of campers on them, go figure ! Too cheap for the camp site snobs. :D :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 lennyhb - 2015-06-27 7:07 PM Joe90 - 2015-06-27 6:14 PM ...a site right on the lakeside was £8, another at Luneville was an astonishing £5 with elec.......both of these sites were immaculately kept, yet despite that on both there was barely a handful of campers on them, go figure ! Too cheap for the camp site snobs. :D :D :D ..or/and too campsite-like for the "..I don't do campsites.." inverted snobs..?.... (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 And completely irrelevant information to those that have never been to France, or are ever likely too, lol. And yet for some odd reason they always look and post in the Aire threads, perhaps plucking up the courage to give it a go. lol. Go for it, you don't know what you're missing, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 ...enjoying one of your two outings a year in your van then I see, 1foot'?..and STILL spending your time posting on here.. (lol) ...and to think you had the gall to give Pelmetman and HE stick for doing that...Peas in a pod eh? (lol) (...Shame that, despite the mileage, you still haven't managed to shake off that red mist you constantly post through....) Taken anymore sneaky photos of your neighbouring campers, through your van window?....Now THAT is odd!... 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 The aire attached to the site where we stayed in courseulles sur mer was interesting. If you've left the site from the road and/or used the recycling you can't help but see the aire and its activities 8-) Crikey. It really is each to their own. The aire is in what I can best describe as an oversized tennis court, i.e. high fences all round. On the odd day there was a space, folk had got loungers out, and yes were actually taking the sun. In the middle of what is essentially a van parking area 8-) I'm not knocking aires, I stayed on one whilst away, but I cannot for the life of me comprehend where folk derive pleasure from in trying to 'camp' in what is obviously an area for anything but. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 My oddness can only be matched by someone that takes such a personal interest as you do in me. So yes, only our usual 14 weeks in France this year, but I concede the point having a 3 all you can use data plan has it's downsides, being able to connect to the internet high in the Voyges mountains, just like someone in their box room in Shropshire, although the difference being I shall be somewhere different each day, a shame that we never get to hear where you go. Don't forget, it's an open invitation to come and join us later in the year at Jeandarme, I'm sure you've still got the telephone number, amongst your copious notes about me, my life in general, and my travels. Good though that once again you find time to contribute useful information about France and the French Aire network. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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