rooster63 Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Having had a pvc now for 2 years and getting fed up with the BBQ going rusty in the UK we have decided to venture across the water next June and drive down from Cherbourg stopping off several times en route to the Biarritz area and then on to northern Spain before getting the ferry back from Santander, plan to be away 3 weeks in all. Am quite familiar with France having spent many holidays renting gites so know the geography but not sure how to go about finding camp sites as there seem to be in some ways too much choice. Also read an article some where about a lot of the aires becoming taken over by migrants and generally becoming rather run down and neglected. We like quiet sites with good spacing between pitches, mixture of camp sites with facilities and some with only the basics. Certainly don't want kids' clubs etc I've read about the ASCI sites, not sure how that works, also would like to be able to vary the time/route according to whims and weather. Do I need to book in advance, thinking of particularly the Ile De Re and the Biarritz area. Any advice much appreciated, usually try to look for sites either near a bus route or within cycling distance so can leave the van on site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 We have been to France several times in June, have never booked a site, although haven't been to Biritz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocsid Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 ACSI works by listing thousands of sites in a book, published each year. Those listings offer discounted rates for book owners who furnish the tear out card printed into the cover. These discounts are period limited but in June they will be available; truely IMO a brilliant system. In June there is no need to even consider booking campsite, just turn up where your travels take you. There are possibly a few "honey-pot" sites favoured by Brits that get a bit full, but again IMO are best avoided anyway. Typically in June sites will rarely be more than running at 50% capacity; in the discount period some services like entertainment child clubs or even bars might not be available. ACSI discount gets you a pitch and minimum 6 Amps EHU, often more if that's the site's system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 rooster63 - 2017-09-14 4:23 PM ...Also read an article some where about a lot of the aires becoming taken over by migrants and generally becoming rather run down and neglected... I’m guessing you are referring to the letter “France was not for us” in the October 2017 issue of MMM magazine (Page 21). This said “...Talking to other Brits, they were saying that the municipal sites had been taken over by migrants, and were either closed or had been turned into aires with barriers....” It’s indeed the case that French municipal campsites have been under serious financial pressure for some years and many have moved into private ownership (or are now been managed privately), while quite a few municipal ‘aires’ have become part of the Camping-Car Park network (with the installations having entry barriers) https://campingcarpark.com/en/ However, there are still plenty of inexpensive French campsites that should meet your requirements, the majority of which should be open in June and shpuld not require pre-booking. ‘Aires' are trickier and (particularly if parking is free) tend to be more crowded - but you should still be OK in June. Unless you can accurately define the route you’d be taking from Cherbourg to Biarritz and your ’time frame’, it will be very difficult to advise on specific campsites/aires. For instance, if your first stop were to be, say, 150 miles south of Cherbourg, there’d be no point mentioning campsites/aires in the Manche peninsula. Regarding ‘honey-pot’ sites/aires, we were near Arromanches last Tuesday night. The municipal campsite there was full and the ‘aire’ below it was so closely crammed with motorhomes that it looked like they had been lowered in by helicopter. We overnighted at a small privately-owned virtually-empty campsite at Tracy-sur-Mer http://www.campinglesbascarreaux.com/home.php about 15-minutes walk from Arromanches centre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solomongrundy Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 We've been on plenty of Aires this year, at least 40, and not seen a Migrant on any of them - the person who wrote the letter in MMM was quoting 'other Brits' and we all know how useless second hand accounts are. We use CamperContact on the iPad to find sites as we meander through France and it hasn't let us down yet. Have a look at this guys Aires Videos to give some idea of what to expect - www.youtube.com/user/keithchesterfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan k Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 We spent August in France, and decided to use mainly aires and French Passion sites although we spent a week with our family on a site in late August in west Brittany. We didn't book anything even the campsite where our family were staying in Eurocamp Lodges. We also used a lot of French Passion sites in the Loire valley and again en route from Calais to to the Loire and back to Calais from Brittany. Buy the book and card for about €25 and turn up, some were very very good, vineyards, cider makers , beef farmers, lamb farmers etc. The overnight stop is free but its only courtesy to buy a bottle (or 3) of wine or cider (€10 or so for 3) or a bit of steak for tea. We stayed in some lovely hidden away spots and on our last FP site watched a red squirrel collecting nuts from the trees and burying them in the grass outside the van on the edge of the orchard. Most times we were by ourselves, but we were joined by other vans on 3 or 4 nights. Some aires were very busy, Concarneau for example although there was good turnover during the day as people left after parking there for their visit to the beach or the town. Arromanches was packed and lots of vans were turned away, and the campsite was quite full when we were there at lunchtime. In the off season, May June and Sept Oct we use ACSI sites extensively €13 to €19 this year, often with only some facilities open but elec included. With more and more aires charging, it's worth the extra to be able to get the table and chairs out and sit in the sun (or the shade) depending on the temperature, happy travelling alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 Much as I’d like to be a member of a “French Passion” organisation, the scheme is actually called “France Passion”. https://www.france-passion.com/en/ http://www.france-passion.co.uk/ We’ve been France Passion members for many years, but we tend to use French campsites much more nowadays. Based on the one-way by-road trip from Cherbourg to Spain that rooster63 is planning to take next June and the holiday’s 3-week-long overall duration, it’s probably not worth joining France Passion and (I suggest) probably better to stick to campsites rather than include ‘aires’. The latter view is simply because it should be easier to choose a rational Cherbourg-to-Spain route based on the anticipated (or desired) time it should take to reach Biarritz (Cherbourg-Rennes-Nantes-Bordeaux-Biarritz would be about 530 miles) and pick two or three campsites as ‘way points’, rather than try to select ‘aires’ that might be busy or disliked. Most French campsites have websites that are sufficiently informative to be able to decide whether one might like them (or not), whereas ‘aires’ are more unpredictable. The most up-to-date information on ‘aires’ is here http://www.campingcar-infos.com/Francais/recherche.php Searching on “Ile de Re” retrieves 17 records for that area (including some campsites) http://www.campingcar-infos.com/Francais/cci.php?numero=2382 but only 2 ‘aires’ records for the Biarritz area http://www.campingcar-infos.com/Francais/cci.php?numero=694 Anywhere attractive to motorcaravanners (eg. near the sea and/or within easy reach of a touristy town) will cause them to flock there (though less so in June than July/August) and if the French authorities and the local population don’t like this, overnight parking restrictions will result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 rooster63 - 2017-09-14 4:23 PM Having had a pvc now for 2 years and getting fed up with the BBQ going rusty in the UK we have decided to venture across the water next June and drive down from Cherbourg stopping off several times en route to the Biarritz area and then on to northern Spain before getting the ferry back from Santander, plan to be away 3 weeks in all. Am quite familiar with France having spent many holidays renting gites so know the geography but not sure how to go about finding camp sites as there seem to be in some ways too much choice. Also read an article some where about a lot of the aires becoming taken over by migrants and generally becoming rather run down and neglected. We like quiet sites with good spacing between pitches, mixture of camp sites with facilities and some with only the basics. Certainly don't want kids' clubs etc I've read about the ASCI sites, not sure how that works, also would like to be able to vary the time/route according to whims and weather. Do I need to book in advance, thinking of particularly the Ile De Re and the Biarritz area. Any advice much appreciated, usually try to look for sites either near a bus route or within cycling distance so can leave the van on site. As you know France, you will know that the holidays really start in July, and that before then prices are lower, sites emptier, and children still at school. There may exceptionally be busy sites if you head for very popular areas, but generally not so elsewhere. It is, nevertheless, wise to have another possibility up your sleeve, just in case the one you've chosen is shut, full, or you don't like the look of it. ACSI has been mentioned, and is available from Vicarious Books. Don't buy yet, as the card is only valid for the current calendar year: buy next spring. Be aware that the claimed discounts are against the peak season prices, and few, if any, sites will regard June as peak season (though it may be mid-season). You will save some money almost everywhere, just not quite as much as they say! All French sites must put their tariffs on display at the entrance, so you should have no unwelcome surprises. Consider getting a 2018 copy of the Motorhome and Caravan Club's French sites guide. It is written by members, based on their experiences of using the sites, and gives quite a good guide to what to expect. I'd also suggest subscribing to the ACSI sites app (suitable for Win 10 computers, tablets and 'phones) which includes all the ACSI inspected sites as well as those offering the discount scheme. This makes searching for sites near a desired destination relatively quick and easy, and GPS co-ordinates are normally given, which is useful if using sat-nav. We were in France last autumn and this spring and, using a mix of the above guides to find sites, saw no migrants on any of those we selected. A greater risk, I would suggest, particularly on municipal sites, is itinerants, who can make the place feel a bit "dodgy" - though I doubt they're daft enough (or poor enough) to risk nicking from other site users - after all, who's going to be the prime suspect for a reported theft? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek pringle Posted September 16, 2017 Share Posted September 16, 2017 hi Rooster, do not be fooled by the name and go on to Campsites UK. You can select France and its different departments and research loads of sites. They also publish lots of user reviews. good luck derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mildi Posted September 16, 2017 Share Posted September 16, 2017 Sounds like your route will be close to us, just off the N10 at Ruffec www.campinglft.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 Migrants on Aires!! I've heard it all now. Have they all been given motorhomes then? :D absolute tosh. I spend most summers in France (I'm there now) and apart from the odd hippy self build full timer that might look a bit dodgy they are almost exclusively occupied by wealthy motorhomers. Occasionally gypsies will take over an aire but you either join them (I wouldn't as they tend to have thousands of kids and make a lot of noise) or make sure you have a plan b and c. Coastal aires are always buisier oddly and tend generally but not always to be as nice or free as inland aires but research through camper contact or camping car infos websites is the way to go. I haven't bought an acsi book for a couple of years now as I'm not convinced (and certainly not for France) that they are such good value anymore. Many are I believe €19 now or more and sometimes tax on top. Out of season loads of sites are cheaper than that. I'm on a cracking little site in Lourdes right now. Lovely corner pitch with views and tons of space. £8.75 a night at current exchange rates. Ehu is £2 extra, I don't need it. Down Biarittz way (where we hope to be end of September) aires are a bit naff, thin on the ground and the better ones Will cost you at least a tenner and will be crammed. The one at Anglet near Biarittz is ok. There is a free one at St Jean du Luz but it's officially the worst aire in France with the main TVG line on one side and four lanes of traffic on the other. It's always busy though which is odd as around the coast there are a few nice little sites that off season will be about £15. Best aires and Wild spots IMO are inland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 Barryd999 - 2017-09-17 10:19 AM Migrants on Aires!! I've heard it all now. Have they all been given motorhomes then? :D absolute tosh... It really depends on how one defines “migrants”. As you’ve said, it’s certainly the case that ‘gens de voyage’ (ie.’travellers’) occasionally occupy French ‘aires’ dedicated to motorhome parking. As in the UK when travellers occupy town car-parks, they usually move on quite quickly and (according to letters in French motorhome magazines) the local authorities can do little about this other than grit their teeth and clean up any mess left behind. As far as French campsites are concerned, cheaper sites may often have itinerant workers staying there for long periods, or even some ‘travellers’ stopping off for a while. But neither French ‘aires’ nor municipal/privately-owned campsites will have ‘migrants’ as the word is commonly used in this country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 Being a "worker who travels from place to place" has the potential to be an honourable occupation, I would have thought. Are we as a group "itinerant travellers"? Or is it just that these people are not P.L.U's? Alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vino Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 down in Isle de Rhe back end of june begin July and Yes would recommend booking if you have chosen a popular one as are difficult to get in then - ACSI sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 snowie - 2017-09-17 8:11 PM Being a "worker who travels from place to place" has the potential to be an honourable occupation, I would have thought. Are we as a group "itinerant travellers"? Or is it just that these people are not P.L.U's? Alan b It’s commonplace to find in the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s touring guide to France advice that a campsite may have “itinerants” on it. An “itinerant” can be defined as "a person who travels from place to place” and a “migrant” as "a person who moves from one place to another in order to find work or better living conditions”. The two words can be treated as synonyms but, nowadays, tend to be used pejoratively. However, I doubt if either word would be employed to describe people who choose to own a motorhome and tour in it, even if they are ‘wilders’ or ‘full timers’. It’s as well that anyone who has not motorcaravanned in France (like rooster63) should be aware that motorhome aires can sometimes be occupied by ‘travellers’. This doesn’t happen often, but (in rooster63’s case) any risk of encountering a traveller-occupied aire can be negated by choosing campsites to stay on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 But you are at famous spots like Biarrittz and St jean being friendly to the spanish border. Although Bia is downgraded in fafour Deauville for the jet set in the calvados. It is now visited by young UK people who fly vey cheap to BIA airport by easy jet and have a party their.And hire a car to visit the mountains nearby. From belgium by motorhome it cost a fortune. I did the trip up to santander via San sebastian and Bilbao many times with aTriumph- spitfire, MGB, and a tent. The casino of Bia was famous for their Music festifals in their theatre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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