Freeloading Motorhomers (1 Viewer)

ShiftZZ

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Having spoken to one or two people it has become evident that a lot of people abuse the Aires system in France. The leave early, arrive late just to avoid paying the fee, not a lot just a few Euros at most. When at home in their own country there are no free legal aires.
It’s not only Brits, it’s all nations, and one day the French may well say “Enough”, and I for one can’t blame them. As with most things, a small number abusing will kill off the whole system..

Thoughts?
 
Dec 6, 2011
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as is often the case a few take unnecessary advantage and the many stand to suffer. selfish :Angry: if Aires were all closed what would be the impact on campsites and fees.

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johnp10

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Yep.
Seen them do it, not just Brits.
Honesty boxes are only of use in dealing with honest people.
I have never understood how people spend a lot of money on a MH and then penny pinch.
Not the way to have a relaxed holiday, surely?

To be fair, there is the other side of the coin.
Some places which have a charge don't send anyone round for the shekels.
Chatillon Sur Sombre for example.....
Us and two other couples went to the pub, to cement English / French / Dutch relations, left a note as to our whereabouts.
Nothing.
They only collected from "HIM" (We all know "HIM") who didn't drink, so was still there.
Really pissed "HIM" off, that did.
There was no honesty box, otherwise it would have been used.
 
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Ven

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We have spent at least 3 months each year in France for the last 4 years and only use aires. It does happen and we are incredulous that such cheap and brilliant services are abused. They do not know how lucky they are! In our experience the French do it far more than any other nation though.

One of our favourite aires is Mortagne sur Gironde where it is a whopping ;) €7.40 a night with electric and a lovely view of a marina. The guy who comes around every morning to collect the money literally jumps out in front of Motorhomes trying to leave without paying and makes sure they pay their dues. Makes us smile every time and good on him. Shame he has to though.

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Oct 5, 2012
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5 years, feel free to ask me about the Carado!!
when I paid to stay at a zoo stellplats in Finland, a load of Swiss MH's turned up & stayed for free over night then pissed off, even used the leccy. Clearly somebody had tipped them all off on a website about what to do, what time to arrive etc. Some of them even tried to get in the locked toilet/showers but since I was the only one who paid & had the key I made sure I locked them out ho ho :thumb:
 

vwalan

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its not a minority though .its a majority . lots do it . but then there are lots of free ones to use . the minority might be the british that do pay .
 
Jan 3, 2008
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its not a minority though .its a majority . lots do it . but then there are lots of free ones to use . the minority might be the british that do pay .

Not in my experience a majority. We spent five months of the year for the last five years all on aires. Yes we have seen some do it but I have to say they were mostly French. They do, of course, run the risk of not getting a place if they turn up late.

Pay up and enjoy what's provided is what I say. (Unless it's a free aire of course)

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old-mo

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And those that abuse the system, will be the first to moan if they put coin operated barriers in or a card system to collect the fee`s...

Or even worse close them down... :Sad:
 

MHVirgins

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Sadly this reflects a lot of other scenarios in life........we call it the 80 - 20 or the "pareto principle". The majority of people are decent and honest, but sadly there's the others who spoil it for everyone else:Sad:

Margaret & Bill
 
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ShiftZZ

ShiftZZ

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Calais by the beach is the worst.. We have seen the Council staff pick up litter at 7:00AM on a Sunday when it was pouring with rain. Its always clean and tidy, thanks to the people and council of Calais.

We have also seen Brits try and reserve a pitch on an aire in Gravelines by putting table and chairs out. I have seen a Brit dump his Pooh Pooh in the carpark Cap Nez Gris, and another pinch a spot in Bologne (that nealry caused a war)..

I have also seen people pinch my 'reserved' pitch in Calais, now evicted.. :thumb:

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Munchie

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Think you will find it is mainly the French that do this.:cry:

We stayed on a marina aire with Alan and Lynda and the sign said "pay at harbourmaster office"

After a cuppa we went to the office where the harbourmaster said "no no pay tomorrow"................................then he said "my day off, no pay" :Eeek:
 
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ShiftZZ

ShiftZZ

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Think you will find it is mainly the French that do this.:cry:

We stayed on a marina aire with Alan and Lynda and the sign said "pay at harbourmaster office"

After a cuppa we went to the office where the harbourmaster said "[HI]no no pay [/HI]tomorrow"................................then he said "my day off, no pay" :Eeek:

So he had met Laneside before then..
 

Easyliving

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Hi

On last years trip we stayed on a small aire at Sains (Mont St Michel-ish). As we had made use of the free electricity I was keen to do the decent thing and pay the 5 euros required.

No-one appeared by 09.30 the next morning so I wandered over to the nearby Mairie and waited, and waited for someone to appear that might take my money but no luck.

The small amount usually required is such a bargain that we always make a point of paying if we can but the French don't always make it easy.

Paul

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TheBig1

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many many years! since I was a kid
the greedy selfish few, who abuse the system, just like those who just camp where they want without permission are just spoiling it for the majority. too many places have been spoilt and no longer welcome motorhomers. when will they start to learn....somebody has to pay and you get very little for nothing.

freeloading bastards:whatthe:
 

Roryboys Dad

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We stayed at Equihen Plage a couple of weeks ago, arrived about 3 in the afternoon and left at around 9.30 the following morning, but no-one came to collect the €5 charge.

What should we have done to be honest upright Motorhomers - fasten a €5 note to the borne?

:france::france::france:
 

Wildman

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To cover the odd days when I'm away I installed a secure honesty box, and the twice I have given someone the gate combination and instructions of how to pay they did not, one Î would recognise if they came again. Honesty it seems doesn't apply to all motorhomers, even British

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Sep 5, 2008
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Yes we have seen that going on too all over France last time we were there. Honfleur for one. Some arrived about 10 pm and left at 7 am. Shame if they spoiled such a beautiful stopover.

Lin
 

JJ

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How about you Aire using motorhomers doing something about it yourselves?

EG.

"Excuse me... are you going without paying?

Ok... I have taken a photo of you, your van and your number plate... the internet is a wonderful thing...

Have a nice day. "


Obviously this does not affect me for, as The Big One states so succinctly, I am a freeloading bastard...:winky:

JJ :Cool:
 

Snowbird

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How about you Aire using motorhomers doing something about it yourselves?

EG.

"Excuse me... are you going without paying?

Ok... I have taken a photo of you, your van and your number plate... the internet is a wonderful thing...

Have a nice day. "


Obviously this does not affect me for, as The Big One states so succinctly, I am a freeloading bastard...:winky:

JJ :Cool:

Ahhhh, but not now you have your battery charger working. You will be on those Aires and sites all hooked up with the rest of em :ROFLMAO:

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vwalan

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there was free aires with free leccy near biarritz at one time . saw about 6 french linked with extension leads how it never tripped i was amazed . think they have charged for leccy there for a few years now . some were there all winter .
 
Jan 3, 2008
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Calais by the beach is the worst.. We have seen the Council staff pick up litter at 7:00AM on a Sunday when it was pouring with rain. Its always clean and tidy, thanks to the people and council of Calais.

We have also seen Brits try and reserve a pitch on an aire in Gravelines by putting table and chairs out. I have seen a Brit dump his Pooh Pooh in the carpark Cap Nez Gris, and another pinch a spot in Bologne (that nealry caused a war)..

I have also seen people pinch my 'reserved' pitch in Calais, now evicted.. :thumb:

Should I arrive on an aire with all spaces taken to find someone trying to reserve a space with table & chairs, they will run the risk of having them moved or looking for them in the nearest hedge / ditch. Unless they have just moved to fill with water etc, reservations cut no ice with me. Similarly, if someone is taking up two spaces I will ask them to move. :Smile:
 

Heyupluv

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Well Dave I agree totally with what you say....I have just left one Aire....and I could not believe the amount that do not pay....this is the ferry port at Calais.....they arrive late coming up through France, Belgium for the ferries so they do not have to pay....then off early in the morning to the ferries, tunnel and home.....they also arrive late in evening after 8.00pm off the cheaper over night ferries then off early in the morning before 8.00am...before the official collecting man comes.....:Doh:

One Brit had a ticket put on his window (as he was late getting up) telling him the cost was 7 euros and to pay at the old camping office...he said I have never paid before and I aren't paying now ...he asked where does it say it cost 7 euros.. So I pointed him to 4 large boards written in French, English, and German...he screwed the ticket up and drove off...

this was happening on a large scale over the 6 days we were there???!!!..what would these people and us do if it disappeared

They stop at Calais Aire because it is safe place to stop, close to the ferry terminal,with drinking water, toilet empty and a dump for grey water.....places to eat...

The Calais ferry port is cleaned every morning from 6.00am....with road sweeping lorries, truck's,bin men,and every day this week teenagers with high vis vest and pick up sticks picking up litter at 6.00am in the morning....bins small and large empted every day....
Somebody has to pay for this....certainly not these people....they just use and abuse...

We was parked up with a few French vans who paid every day with us.. but could see what was happening and commented

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Last edited:
May 13, 2012
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Having spoken to one or two people it has become evident that a lot of people abuse the Aires system in France. The leave early, arrive late just to avoid paying the fee, not a lot just a few Euros at most. When at home in their own country there are no free legal aires.
It’s not only Brits, it’s all nations, and one day the French may well say “Enough”, and I for one can’t blame them. As with most things, a small number abusing will kill off the whole system..

Thoughts?

we haven't been abroad yet but I am curios as to how these scallys get away with it?
 

Heyupluv

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Calais by the beach is the worst.. We have seen the Council staff pick up litter at 7:00AM on a Sunday when it was pouring with rain. Its always clean and tidy, thanks to the people and council of Calais.

We have also seen Brits try and reserve a pitch on an aire in Gravelines by putting table and chairs out. I have seen a Brit dump his Pooh Pooh in the carpark Cap Nez Gris, and another pinch a spot in Bologne (that nealry caused a war)..

I have also seen people pinch my 'reserved' pitch in Calais, now evicted.. :thumb:

Now look Dave....I have vacated (MY) the pitch, so if you like to go over to Calais now you may find empty.....there again you may not....there was one old london couple in there 80s sits there on YOUR spot most of the summer,he pays his daily fees...they look like two brown berries, A lovely couple...they nip back home on the ferry pay the bills pick up the pills and back to Calais port
 

Heyupluv

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we haven't been abroad yet but I am curios as to how these scallys get away with it?

no conscious, no guilt..don't give a damm..no worry its not there problem....

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Heyupluv

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We have spent at least 3 months each year in France for the last 4 years and only use aires. It does happen and we are incredulous that such cheap and brilliant services are abused. They do not know how lucky they are! In our experience the French do it far more than any other nation though.

One of our favourite aires is Mortagne sur Gironde where it is a whopping ;) €7.40 a night with electric and a lovely view of a marina. The guy who comes around every morning to collect the money literally jumps out in front of Motorhomes trying to leave without paying and makes sure they pay their dues. Makes us smile every time and good on him. Shame he has to though.

To be fair the French do pay a lot into there economy from there wages...taxes..and it is there country:RollEyes:
 

Heyupluv

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Not in my experience a majority. We spent five months of the year for the last five years all on aires. Yes we have seen some do it but I have to say they were mostly French. They do, of course, run the risk of not getting a place if they turn up late.

Pay up and enjoy what's provided is what I say. (Unless it's a free aire of course)

The French do pay a lot into there economy from there wages...taxes..and it is there country
 

GJH

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no conscious, no guilt..don't give a damm..no worry its not there problem....

And probably first in the queue to complain about no UK Aires. Can anyone blame UK authorities for non-provision if they read stories like this?

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