TrevorT Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Last time we went abroad was in 2015. We bought guides to the French aires for that trip. Now we are planning the next trip for December. So what I want to know is how quickly does the information change? Will the 2015 books be so out of date as to be frustrating, or will there be only a few changes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 If your Aires book is the Vicarious Books one then they used to do an online list of updates for their books - it's worth asking. If you regularly visit France we found it more reliable to update each book just prior to a trip and buy a new book every two to three years or so as enough things can go wrong without looking for more! I doubt that many Aires have been removed but Sodde's Law being what it is the one you rely on on a cold wet dark evening might just be one of them! The work around is not to rely on one specific Aire too late in the day, and to always have a back up just in case. You pays yer money and takes yer choice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 We usually buy a new book alternate years. We've always tended to use the French one produced by CC Magazine, just because we discovered it many years ago, before VB brought out their range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 I agree, buy a new one every couple of years, but get it in France. I always buy the "white" one, much better in my view than the now oversized VB effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Quite a few Aires are being taken over by private companies that charge a fee and have barriers. Some cost as much as ACSI campsites. Worth updating to make sure you have the best information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Have to agree with the above postings. Much better to buy in the French supermarkets. The only problem you may have , is that now they are probably all sold out, until the new ones come out for next year!. We have just come back , and I did not see any in the SM, s we went in, though that was only a couple, . So take your old ones with you anyway.They don't change that much, so have a back up just in case The other book useful is the Le guide officiel Camping Caravanning Guide, which gives the municipal sites PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Also get the apps 'Park4Night' and 'Camping car infos' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Never use books these days just apps far easier. Camper Contact Park4night i-Camping Car Camping car infos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 lennyhb - 2017-10-16 10:16 AM Never use books these days just apps far easier. Camper Contact Park4night i-Camping Car Camping car infos Lenny, althpugh i can use the web version of i-camping car, i have down loaded the app several times and just cant get it to work.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 bolero boy - 2017-10-18 7:51 AM lennyhb - 2017-10-16 10:16 AM Never use books these days just apps far easier. Camper Contact Park4night i-Camping Car Camping car infos Lenny, althpugh i can use the web version of i-camping car, i have down loaded the app several times and just cant get it to work.... I had that problem it would work and then next time you use it would stop, I downloaded it again a few weeks ago and has been working fine since then. Although it is fairly good it doesn't have that many stops on it. I find Camping contact has the most accurate database and generally the most reliable well worth the £5 a year although the web version is free the app is easier to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witzend Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Have tried several Apps and Coordinate downloads onto the sat nav also a couple of different books but always return to All the Aires by Vicarious Books I find the new size French one a big improvement for the small cost well worth having Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 lennyhb - 2017-10-18 10:27 AM bolero boy - 2017-10-18 7:51 AM lennyhb - 2017-10-16 10:16 AM Never use books these days just apps far easier. Camper Contact Park4night i-Camping Car Camping car infos Lenny, althpugh i can use the web version of i-camping car, i have down loaded the app several times and just cant get it to work.... I had that problem it would work and then next time you use it would stop, I downloaded it again a few weeks ago and has been working fine since then. Although it is fairly good it doesn't have that many stops on it. I find Camping contact has the most accurate database and generally the most reliable well worth the £5 a year although the web version is free the app is easier to use. hi, im on an ipad, are ypu using android or IOS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Like Lenny I've stopped using the book and almost exclusively use camper contact online now. With roaming charges gone I just plug in my phone as a hot spot and look at the live version or I still use the cc infos offline version although it feels dated now. Camper contact is faster, easier had good translations in English and plenty of photos. Be aware though in December most aires will have the water turned off in France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 We always found that having a written page to refer to both on the way and whilst on an Aire to far outweigh the picture on a screen, always assuming you can get a signal when you need it, and the cost over a season or two of a book ,which is also easy to browse when looking for the next location, is not that expensive for the ease of use and ability to add notes that it provides? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 bolero boy - 2017-10-18 1:12 PM lennyhb - 2017-10-18 10:27 AM bolero boy - 2017-10-18 7:51 AM lennyhb - 2017-10-16 10:16 AM Never use books these days just apps far easier. Camper Contact Park4night i-Camping Car Camping car infos Lenny, althpugh i can use the web version of i-camping car, i have down loaded the app several times and just cant get it to work.... I had that problem it would work and then next time you use it would stop, I downloaded it again a few weeks ago and has been working fine since then. Although it is fairly good it doesn't have that many stops on it. I find Camping contact has the most accurate database and generally the most reliable well worth the £5 a year although the web version is free the app is easier to use. hi, im on an ipad, are ypu using android or IOS. Andriod gave up with it on an Crapad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Tracker - 2017-10-18 2:30 PM We always found that having a written page to refer to both on the way and whilst on an Aire to far outweigh the picture on a screen, always assuming you can get a signal when you need it, and the cost over a season or two of a book ,which is also easy to browse when looking for the next location, is not that expensive for the ease of use and ability to add notes that it provides? I don't know what books you have Rich but the only one I have is the so called "All the aires" book which really should be called "some Of the aires" and there is only one photo. That said it's useful as there is often useful info of course in English and not translated. The online stuff though has often several photos and many comments and a seasoned aire user can easily read between the lines to see if it's a good spot. Of course with an online "live" view you can open up a Google street view or satellite view and get a real look at the place. This can be useful as sometimes contributors photo the best bits when they really should show them warts and all. I would say its best to go armed with as much resourse as possible. Book, offline app, online live website via a laptop or mobile device. I do a lot of planning before I leave as well but having been at it a while I have a massive library of good spots all over Europe anyway now. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail!' :D I'm a bit fussy where I stay in the van and this method rarely lets me down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.