Pat P Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 Once we get back into the motorhome we will want to go to Southern Spain for some warmth. We have been in Minnesota at 26 deg F!! When we travelled through France to Spain last year we found many sites closed that should have been open and wanted to know if anyone has any tried and tested sites for a stop over. We ended up parked in a french village with no facilities having run out of water and with a frost on the ground!! We like to travel the Western route recommended by previous posts. Any help would be greatly appreciated and yes we will take care with the water this time!! Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 PatIt might help if you could outline roughly where you would expect to stop, and for how many nights, en route. It would then be easier to make suggestions. Since there are several variations on "the Western route", it would also help if you could give the headlines.For example: do you leave Calais at the crack of dawn and drive 400 miles to your first stop, or leave mid afternoon and keep daily travel down to 200 miles making two or three overnight stops en route?Finally, are you only seeking French sites, as seems the case, or Spanish sites as well. If the latter, ditto the route and distances as above! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat P Posted November 30, 2006 Author Share Posted November 30, 2006 We have no real plans Brian except that we will travel via the tunnel for the sake of the dogs probably. Our preference is usually to get an early crossing and move through the cold bits as quickly as possible without making a trial out of it. Last year we went via Tours and Bordeaux. We know a site at at Biarritz. We are happy to put the miles in if we have to. We were thinking of taking the new road through Le Mans? Our eventual destination is Almeria but we know some in Spain - it is mainly France that we experienced problems in last year. Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1ntersun Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Hi, Saint georges les baillargeaux is open all year. Its just north of poiters opposite Futurscope on the N10 Its 379 miles from Calais Also just south of Poiters is a la routiers Truck stop Noisy but free Next stop is Saint jean du luz below barritz site is called la rouletta I think If you get a late start from Calais there is a site at Onzain south west of Blois called Domaine de Dugny thats 300 miles from Calais Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel E Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Your best bet is to get the Caravan Club's European Sites Guide. We have found it very accurate with respect to sites open during the winter. For France and Spain you will only need Volume 1 and it is available to non-members (costs about £1.50 extra, I think). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mover Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I concur with Mel E this book used to be our bible,it is available to non members and is also available from reception of CC sites ,its written by members so its very accurate and no frills,.What about using AIRES as you travel through France ,they are fantastic usually free and most are open all year ,we use them all the time now ,perfect for night stops on the way to Spain ,Most French Supermarkets sell the Aires guide book, good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 [QUOTE]w1ntersun - 2006-11-30 8:55 AM Hi, Next stop is Saint jean du luz below barritz site is called la rouletta I think Richard[/QUOTE] Camping Larrouleta www.larrouleta.com at St Jean de Luz. An excellent site with hard standings, good stop before entering Spain. The site is within walking distance of a Leclerc hypermarket, cheap fuel etc. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonB Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I agree with Wintersun that 'Le Futuriste' at St Georges-les-Baillargeaux, is a nice site and open in winter. If you fancy this one it can be a bit of a job to find the first time as the French concentrate on giving sign prominance to their municipal site (closed in winter). However, ignore these and follow the St Georges signs from Futurescope and you will pick up the 'Le Futuriste' sign. Another advantage is that if things go pear shaped you can always park overnight at Futurescope itself - even have a day there. Have fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1ntersun Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Hi, Re parking at futurescope itself you can stay overnight for 2 euro but the site does not open until mid Febuary and the carparks are gated Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonB Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Wintersun Thanks for the info regarding Futurescopes opening time as I thought that they were open all year. They have a parking area immediatly in front of the pay booth entrance (not the official Motorhome Parking area) which I have never found closed due to maintenance personnel neading access. Any info on this area? Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Just arrived back - travelled up from Biarritz, via La Rochelle, Saumur, Honfleur, St Valery sur Somme, Calais The aire at Biarritz should have water and stuff all winter. There are quite a few other aires between Biarritz and Bordeaux that are open all year. The aire in the Parking des Remparts at La Rochelle had water. The aire at Turquant on the Loire had water. Further north is more problematical, whilst the aires at Honfleur and St Valery were open the water was switched off for the winter. HTH :-> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat P Posted December 10, 2006 Author Share Posted December 10, 2006 Thanks for all the tips. We used the CC Europeaon Sites guide last time we went and found the two or three sites we wanted were closed! they advertise as being open all year but when it goes quiet they close. On one occasion we camped outside the gates undisturbed. This was my reason for the post. We used the site at Biaritz and found most sites open as advertised in Spain. France however was a different case. The two aires we found were out of action with no reason given. Of course it was frosty and so they may well have concluded that nobody in their right mind would want to camp there! I have noted the other suggestions and welcome any more that anyone can offer. Thanks again. Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mansell Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 Correct me if I am wrong but even if an aire is closed you can still park there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat P Posted December 10, 2006 Author Share Posted December 10, 2006 Yes, Mansell, you can park there but the water is turned off and there is no electricity (not a problem to us). We had to fill up at a garage last year, with their water and buy bottled water to drink. We would just like to park at either aires that are functioning or sites with water and a place to empty our tanks etc. Many thanks Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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