Hopesy Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 I've sorted our fist trip abroad in the motorhome in July.I've driven in France quite a few times. I've read the forums on overnights in Calais and driving on to another aire so to help me make up my mind please can someone give me a bit of help. We arrive in Calais at about 2am and read some threads about staying by the terminal although it can be a bit noisy and maybe a bit dodgy. I think that this would be the car park as you leave the ferry and not the aire? We would only need a few hours rest and not a full sleep. If we move on for a few miles on the A26 to an aire can you get on (if there's spaces) in the early hours or are they barriered and perhaps we'd disturb others in the wee small hours?I know that the discussion about Calais has been covered in a few threads but any advice would be most helpful (?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hopesy - 2008-02-04 11:21 AM We arrive in Calais at about 2am and read some threads about staying by the terminal although it can be a bit noisy and maybe a bit dodgy. I think that this would be the car park as you leave the ferry and not the aire? (?) Hi Hopsey, We always stop at the ferry terminal and yes, as you state, it is the vehicle park to the left as you drive out of the terminal. You are also right there is the possibility of noise, as the ferries are loading and unloading through the night, but ear plugs cure that (motorcycle shop or even buy them on the ferry over, P&O at least). If that is a concern, if you stop over on Saturday nights there is far less noise, due to the French restrictions on lorry movements on Sundays I believe. I have only once read on a forum where it was said to be dodgy but the poster was actually talking about the Calais Aire NOT the terminal as was cleared up in later posts. We have always stopped there overnight, usually outbound and inbound, and with the continuous all night Police patrols both in cars and on foot with dogs makes me doubt anyone who may say there is any 'dodgyness' there we have certainly never seen any and we have used the terminal parking several times a year since the 70's. It would be our recommended place to stop first night in preference to driving to an aire that may or may not have space. We have in fact done that before and returned to the Ferry Terminal as we felt safer, the Aire at Calais in particular is frequented by the local French equivelent 'Chavs and Chavesses' in their noisy cars all through the night, well certainly at 0200hrs in the morning when we have been there and to add insult to injury you have to pay for the privilege at least the ferry terminal is free. As always it's your choice. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cronkle Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 We would second what Basil has said. The port is a bit less difficult to get to and if you are arriving at 2.00am you may well find the aire is full. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pagey Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 hi i always use the park at the ferry terminal out and back and if you go down to the large building at the end there are free showers on the first floor enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hopesy Posted February 5, 2008 Author Share Posted February 5, 2008 Thanks for the advice, looks like it'll be the car park for a few hours kip, is there any special spaces/area for camping cars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Hopesy - 2008-02-05 3:15 PM Thanks for the advice, looks like it'll be the car park for a few hours kip, is there any special spaces/area for camping cars? No you can park wherever you can in an unused bay, non are designated apart from some coach only ones. We tend to park in the middle bays at one end or the other (near the building if you want to use the very good facilities or the other end if you are not bothered) so that you are as far as possible from the access roads, does not really help with noise but when we used a central bay near the 'northerly' access road we found that coaches speeding past caused the van to sway a lot but they have to slow down or have not yet sped up at the ends. Just depends how touchy you are, we find the movement more irritating than the noise. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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