How Safe Are French Aires? (3 Viewers)

Charlie

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Talking to an old pal who used to have a MH today and was picking his brains about travelling in France.. He was not at all keen on Aires. He said he felt they were not the safest places to stay and felt a bit like a sitting target...

Now obviously an Aire in a rough area or perhaps in a supermarket car park may be best avoided ? This was his words not mine as We haven't crossed the water yet.

So rather than listen to his alarmist opinions I thought I would ask the MF massive .

Our plan is to use camp sites most of the time and Aires if we are struggling.
 

Techno

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Take a look at my aire galleries for a better feel of some varied examples.

Naturally anywhere remote and on your own is not too sensible but usually they are very busy

EDIT alarmists usually have no experience and talk hearsay (bo**ox)
DSC_2699-X2.jpg
 
9

9526

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Use you're common sense. (y)

The vast majority are superb and perfectly safe, some are obviously neither. If it doesn't feel right, then move on.

Our plan is always to use aires and then campsites if we were struggling. ;)

Edit - the only "sitting target" we were here is from the sheep scratching their backs on the van.

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funflair

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Some Aires we have stayed on have been next to the Gendarme station. I you don't feel comfortable don't stay but we never have.

Motorway Aires are a different thing and possibly what your friend was thinking of.

Martin
 
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We have never used anything other than aires in France but I seem to recall that there was one occasion when we didn't like the look of the aire so just drove on to the next one!
Buy a copy of the Vicarious Books 'All the Aires' and you won't go wrong.
 

JeanLuc

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We have toured France (several times) Italy and Belgium (twice) Holland and, Germany (once each) and have used camperstops (aires / sostas / stellplatz) most of the time. We occasionally stay on a campsite for a few days, but aires are our normal stopping points. Many aires are in delightful locations; some are just a corner of a car park - take your pick as there are loads of them. One advantage is that they are often in towns if you want to explore one - unlike the UK where it is rare to find any form of motorhome stop or campsite within a few miles of a town.
The golden rule with aires is if you feel uncomfortable about a location, move on to the next one. Don't use motorway aires and when you find a stop you like, exchange a few words with other motorhomers (camping caristes in France) so they know you belong to your motorhome - in case some random happens by. You can have a great holiday and not spend loads on campsite fees (if that matters to you). As an example, a couple of years back, we spent six weeks going down through France and along the line of the Pyrenees. I think our nightly pitch cost averaged over the whole holiday, was about €0.80.

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Zepp

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We have been staying on aires for the last six years and never had any problems.

Only ever moved once it was a town centre aire and the only reason we left was all the French motorhomes left at 6 and we kept thinking why have they left ......what do they know that we don't lol
 
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Use you're common sense. (y)

The vast majority are superb and perfectly safe, some are obviously neither. If it doesn't feel right, then move on.

Our plan is always to use aires and then campsites if we were struggling. ;)

In 5 years we have only used 2 campsites in France and we go twice a year.
Same here all aires or France passion , only use campsites for washing clothes and stocking up. Don't think campsites are better or worse than aires for safety.
 

DBK

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An unattended vehicle might be broken into but that could and has happened in supermarket car parks.

I think if you are in the country or near or in a small town you will be very safe, probably safer than here in the UK. In big cities there will be few thieves about but you probably won't be alone on that sort of aire so take comfort in numbers.

Western Europe is a safe and friendly place and you really don't need to be worried. The only place I've been robbed on was a campsite.

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Armytwowheels

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Aires vary so much it is really hard to give a definitive answer.

We have stayed on Aires that have been so peaceful and relaxing (sometimes being the only van there) that we haven't wanted to leave, other times we have been crowded out by other vans and couldn't wait to leave. Only once have we moved on as we didn't feel safe/comfortable. In big towns we will only stay if there are other motorhomes there, which there usually is.
 
Feb 16, 2013
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An unattended vehicle might be broken into but that could and has happened in supermarket car parks.

I think if you are in the country or near or in a small town you will be very safe, probably safer than here in the UK. In big cities there will be few thieves about but you probably won't be alone on that sort of aire so take comfort in numbers.

Western Europe is a safe and friendly place and you really don't need to be worried. The only place I've been robbed on was a campsite.
Don't like the last bit but you know what I mean(y):)
 
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Feb 16, 2013
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Our plan is to use camp sites most of the time and Aires if we are struggling.


I would definitely do the opposite , cost , peace and quite , friendly locals nice bars , just a few things to think about.

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tonka

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My advise to people is not to judge any aires until you have been on a few.
First impressions may come from those near ports or coast where it's often busier.
There are some scenic one's, quiet ones, small / big etc etc.. You need to try before you judge.
I am off to Spain next week with 2 small grandkids, we use aires all the way and have done for years. They will be playing on parks, outdoor swimming pools, inland lakes and up mountains. Nearly all free as well :)

Also as Mariner says make sure they are one's for camping car and not the aire de service as used by all..
 

Flamenca

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The golden rule with aires is if you feel uncomfortable about a location, move on to the next one.

I have used many aires in France and would agree that the above statement sums it up. I have only felt the need to move on rather than stay the night on a couple of occassions.

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We've been over to France about 8 times and alway's used aires most of the time ( my wife is quite nervous) but only twice has she had a problem with stopping at an aire, once at gournay en bray aire & that was because the circus /fairground people were there , we stopped and had no problem , And the other aire was way out in the sticks next to a cemetery & wifey suggested we move on to the next aire which we did. As said before just use common sense if you have any reservations on the aire move on to the next one or go to a municipal c/site.
 

Finvarra

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We just spent 3 months in France, first time, see our post in Touring. We moatly stayed on aires. Must admit to trepidation at first, seeemed like sleeping in a car park, but we soon got used to it. No problems at all. We had our windows open when it was hot, unlike most vans that stayed shut up. Safety in numbers after all. Oneor two aires we didn't like the look of, so drove on.
Wish we had aires in the UK, what a great system.

Lesley and
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Just finished 6 weeks driving from north to south and back up north again. Havee been using aires, France Passion and wild camping and just 2 nights on a camp site. Only felt bothered one evening when we could hear a couple of drunk locals but still felt safe in the knowledge that there were some other vans close too and more likely to face the problem if one arose as many had children with them. Common sense always prevails and keep away from the truck stops.
Not being niaive but one cant help feel that the rural countryside in France is somewhat safer than err....say Balsall Heath in my former home town of Birmingham. When we stopped at the lakes it took me a while to relax and leave our belongings on the beach unattended when we swam as I noticed the rest of the locals/French left theirs too.

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Mar 21, 2010
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Just come back from four weeks in France. Did not stay in one camp site, used "aires" and "wild camp" all the time. I consider the best "aires" book (our bible) is CAMPERSTOP. "Don't worry just aire"

colyboy
 

wasp

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When we travel in France we use the aires you tend to find there is always some body parked up, there is safety in numbers We found some nice ones off the beaten track :LOL::):):):):):)
 
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Never stayed on anything other than aires in France. Some are just car parks, other where you are parked on grass, beside some water with electric, toilets and a shower block are campsites in all but name. A couple from our current trip

Froncles, parked by a canal, ehu available, showers and laundry when the attendant is on site. €3 per night.
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Chamonix. Just a car park with water and waste. €13.50 a night but worth every penny for the location.

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We usually use Aires when touring France and we have only moved once because of a disco starting up at about 9 pm, well more of a rave, we moved to the next car park along the the lake at about 10.30 with no hassle. We stayed at another Aire by the sea and another disc started, with a lot of cars parked, this time a different type of people and we didn't feel the need to move. We were amazed in the morning all the cars had gone and we didn't hear them leave (maybe we were gassed:pinocchio:), in the UK it would have been a different story.
 

Techno

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We usually use Aires when touring France and we have only moved once because of a disco starting up at about 9 pm, well more of a rave, we moved to the next car park along the the lake at about 10.30 with no hassle. We stayed at another Aire by the sea and another disc started, with a lot of cars parked, this time a different type of people and we didn't feel the need to move. We were amazed in the morning all the cars had gone and we didn't hear them leave (maybe we were gassed:pinocchio:), in the UK it would have been a different story.
At 9 pm? I'd be pi**ed lol or over anyway

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Scattycat

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In the main Aires are safe, but as others have said, if you don't feel comfortable move on, there is usually another not far away.
But it is important you stay on the correct type of Aire, the ones set up for motorhomes, Not the Aires de Repose, they are basically picnic areas usually on motorways or major routes.
To be honest we also use all sorts of other en-route stop overs including market squares, (but not on market days obviously), village squares, super market car-parks some of which, Intermarche, for instance have dedicated parking places for motorhomes and also have washing and drying machines for you clothes
 

Cobweb

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Over the last 8 years we have used Aires and never had a problem although we have sometimes had to use plan B when we did not like the look of an aire ...mostly in an urban situation. We use a mixture of Aires as well as Acsi CC and municipal sites . The Aires not to stay overnight in are the motorway ones which we only stop in for lunch or to use the facilities to dump grey water or toilet where they are available. As others have said the aires vary from being like car parks to more like campsites with proper pitches with hookup . Prices will vary from free up to €10 per night .
 
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9526

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By 9pm I'd be "ready to rave" :party2:

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