French Aire trip suggestions please (1 Viewer)

Scout

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I’m thinking of doing a 6 or 7 night trip to northern France using Aires as bases, but having never used them before swmbo is a little worried about it.

We thinking a Dover Calais crossing with a trip over the Royal wedding period (end of April into May) up either side coast, we do not want to do too many miles each day and return in one day to the port form the furthest stop.


Any ideas for an itinerary please and any tips to stop swmbo warring
 
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Scout

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scotjimland

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Brisey

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We have used the following Aires without any problems at all.

Le Touquet both the Club Nautique and the Equestrian Centre.
Le Crotoy
Dieppe
Honfleur
Arromanche
Fort Mahon Plage
We can also highly recommend the Municipal Site at Bayeaux.

Brisey
 

MikeandCarolyn

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WynandJean

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Hi Seb,
We were in the same position last year, we'd stayed on various campsites in UK and were ready to take up the challenge and go across the channel. We actually abandoned our first planned crossing as my SWMBO was so worried about the unknown. I finally persuaded her to take the plunge and we had a great time. Booked ferry one way so as not to be tied to a return date and once in France we made our way westwards, stopping as convenient and finding a suitable aire to spend a night or two. Don't be worried about finding aires, there are plenty and it's so much easier in France than here. Rather than staying withing travelling distance of the ferry port we found it more practical to make our way along the coast stopping here and there over a ten day period, then headed back the way we came stopping at towns in between our previous stops. Then we had our final stop at Gravelines which was just a short hop back to the ferry port on the morning we came home. Brilliant
Feel free to PM with any questions we can answer to put your minds at rest (SWMBO was glad I persuaded her and now realises that her fears were unfounded)
Wyn
 

wivvy's dad

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Don't believe a word they say.

It's full of gypsies and thieves and asylum seekers and ne'er-do-wells



:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:




Only joking
 

sedge

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We are over there approx the same time - going 18 April and reurning on 4 May. The new Vicarious Books 'All the Aires ...' is due out in March and as that is supposed to be bang up to date (all the info from the second half of 2010) it is a 'must have' really.

We can recommend La Mailleraye too, fantastic aire. Fab river-cruise ships passing by amongst others, how the other half .... Nice walk along the river. Nothing at all there though (very small village, one bar from memory, but 2 bakers I think? LOL) Don't recall a restaurant?

Berck sur Mer - 2 aires there, one on the beach to the right of the town is more intimate/rustic and one to the left of it nearer the lighthouse is tarmacced and white lined and chain-link fenced. Both cost the same though! Quite a jolly, bustling seaside place - not what one would call sophisticated though LOL We will be there some time in the week before Easter, because it is the annual Kite festival and we just fancy seeing some of it !

Le Crotoy, (pronounced Crot-wah apparently!) 2 aires there again, the huge one on the left on the sea estuary is going to be better if it isn't beach weather. We prefer it anyway whatever the weather. Completely flat walk 2 mins into the village. If the Petit Train is running by then you can get right the way round to St Valery sur Seine, worth a ride and a look. Some nice-looking lunch venues! There is an aire on the hill at St V but we tried walking up to it from the town just to see what it was like and gave up, like the N face of the Eiger! put me off staying there.

Le Treport - smashing aire at the back of the town. Flat walk along river/port to town. Walk round to the left of the river mouth and the cliff goes up, there is a lift (free) which takes you up to the top, visitor centre & cafe and pics of where there was a fab palatial hotel until the war. Shame, looked ace!

Am sure we have been to Veules les Roses but I cannot think anything about it, clearly didn't make any lasting impression on me!

St Valery en Caux - put this on your must do list LOL - fab aire, bustly little river port town. Tourist Info in a medieval house opposite the bridge.

Pont du Normandie - must be driven over. An Experience with a Capital E. Almost immediately after the toll gate, get off the mway and go to Honfleur as already mentioned. Huge aire, fab little town.

Next for us - Merville-Franceville Plage. Small aire but don't be put off by what seems a tight entrance - it's a lot bigger than you think it can be and plenty of room to turn round and get out again if the spaces are full and no-one leaving soon. Sweet little seaside resort, pretty esplanade area. Come out of the aire on foot or bike and turn right, you come to an island where the road turns left but you carry on along the foot and cycle path, approx half-hours walk gets you to the yacht-club (it's miles by road!) Bar/cafe and restaurant open to non-members. Worth the walk we think - and a couple of pillbox doodahs to explore on the way.

This is virtually opposite Pegasus Bridge so you can go round there the next day for coffee!! We stumbled on it not realising it was there - be aware there is a visitor centre and a carpark because people park on and just off the main rd and cause a bit of traffic chaos - the carpark is before you get to the bridge coming from Merville as opposed to the other direction.
 

barryd

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what is SWMBO worried about?

If its security then your probably twice as likely to get robbed in the UK than France. Its very safe and the people are very nice. No yobbos in suped up Corsas to spoil your night in France!

Aires are probably safer than campsites as all the vans are closer together and in full view of each other. There is always someone milling around.

The camping infos site mentioned above is superb and you should be able to set google toolbar to translate the page. They have a map of the whole of France and you click on a region then click on the aire you want to look at. There are user comments, costs and up to date information.
 

sedge

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It's full of gypsies and thieves and asylum seekers and ne'er-do-wells

My next door neighbour knocked my door this afternoon, they were broken into last night. They have broken down our side fence and they have demolished the front wall too.

I'd rather be on an aire in France, TBH.

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Loujess

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We are over there approx the same time - going 18 April and reurning on 4 May. The new Vicarious Books 'All the Aires ...' is due out in March and as that is supposed to be bang up to date (all the info from the second half of 2010) it is a 'must have' really.

We can recommend La Mailleraye too, fantastic aire. Fab river-cruise ships passing by amongst others, how the other half .... Nice walk along the river. Nothing at all there though (very small village, one bar from memory, but 2 bakers I think? LOL) Don't recall a restaurant?

Berck sur Mer - 2 aires there, one on the beach to the right of the town is more intimate/rustic and one to the left of it nearer the lighthouse is tarmacced and white lined and chain-link fenced. Both cost the same though! Quite a jolly, bustling seaside place - not what one would call sophisticated though LOL We will be there some time in the week before Easter, because it is the annual Kite festival and we just fancy seeing some of it !

Le Crotoy, (pronounced Crot-wah apparently!) 2 aires there again, the huge one on the left on the sea estuary is going to be better if it isn't beach weather. We prefer it anyway whatever the weather. Completely flat walk 2 mins into the village. If the Petit Train is running by then you can get right the way round to St Valery sur Seine, worth a ride and a look. Some nice-looking lunch venues! There is an aire on the hill at St V but we tried walking up to it from the town just to see what it was like and gave up, like the N face of the Eiger! put me off staying there.

Le Treport - smashing aire at the back of the town. Flat walk along river/port to town. Walk round to the left of the river mouth and the cliff goes up, there is a lift (free) which takes you up to the top, visitor centre & cafe and pics of where there was a fab palatial hotel until the war. Shame, looked ace!

Am sure we have been to Veules les Roses but I cannot think anything about it, clearly didn't make any lasting impression on me!

St Valery en Caux - put this on your must do list LOL - fab aire, bustly little river port town. Tourist Info in a medieval house opposite the bridge.

Pont du Normandie - must be driven over. An Experience with a Capital E. Almost immediately after the toll gate, get off the mway and go to Honfleur as already mentioned. Huge aire, fab little town.

Next for us - Merville-Franceville Plage. Small aire but don't be put off by what seems a tight entrance - it's a lot bigger than you think it can be and plenty of room to turn round and get out again if the spaces are full and no-one leaving soon. Sweet little seaside resort, pretty esplanade area. Come out of the aire on foot or bike and turn right, you come to an island where the road turns left but you carry on along the foot and cycle path, approx half-hours walk gets you to the yacht-club (it's miles by road!) Bar/cafe and restaurant open to non-members. Worth the walk we think - and a couple of pillbox doodahs to explore on the way.

This is virtually opposite Pegasus Bridge so you can go round there the next day for coffee!! We stumbled on it not realising it was there - be aware there is a visitor centre and a carpark because people park on and just off the main rd and cause a bit of traffic chaos - the carpark is before you get to the bridge coming from Merville as opposed to the other direction.

Jenny, you're the kind of woman I admire. No referring to other sources, you've answered the question directly. I would just say that IMO Pegasus Bridge is not to be missed and there is a brilliant guide who must have learned his English from Prince Charles, although there is no guarantee he will be there when you go. Without referring to a map, we went over the bridge and headed north, whereas it sounds as if you went straight up to Merville. Another place not to be missed, if there's time, is Mont St Michel. It is quite an experience just to see it, to see the tide come in and to wake up in morning and look straight out at it.

Ivy
 

magicsurfbus

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Dieppe, Honfleur, Bayeux, Mont St Michel, Calais-Plage and Gravelines (services at nearby campsite) are all fine and of reasonable size.

In Brittany you've got (amongst others) Carnac, Concarneau, St Guenole (nice spot but no services), and the lovely Tregastel-Plage on the Pink Granite Coast. All very convenient for everything. You may want to try Locronan if you're heading to Brittany but the Aire is quite small, so arrive 8-10am-ish.

Done them all, perfectly happy with them. Planning to revisit a few at Easter.

The ones in bold are photographed, mapped, POI'd and reviewed in detail (in English) Link Removed.
 
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Scout

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Thanks for all the replies and PMs will get around to them later as we are grandson sitting tonight and its bathtime………………………..

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Loujess

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Oh nothing better! It's these little people that pull me home every time. :smalllove:

Ivy
 

Faith

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Aires in France

We bought the book! All the Aires in France which lists them by town. We always use them, especially the one at Calais port, 5 euros a night!
 

Loujess

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Hi Faith. Our dog, Ellie, loves the beach and whenever we are at Calais, she makes a dash for the beach whenever she can. Really funny, since I have to drag her 2 yards past the house for a walk and we always give up after 4 yards and come home again. :roflmto::roflmto::roflmto:

Ivy

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sedge

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Trophychap aka Pete my husband has reminded me this evening what's up with Veule sur Roses. It's a sweet little place and it's a very nice Aire, although next to the main road the traffic does stop well before bedtime.

Unfortunately it's north face of the Eiger again.

:ROFLMAO:
 

Heyupluv

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Another nice Aire on the coast with in your 7 days reach is... VEULETTES-sur-MER.... on the sea front, nice clean Toilet block, 3 to 4 euros per night, water is from the borne by jetton... nice walks, pebble beach, ....the Aire is just below the one Sedge had mentioned.. Veules-les-Roses... so if you are not keen on there is the other close by:thumb:

Mel

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grumps147

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:Doh: One of those daft things to do I know, but if it is your first time and you are a bit concerned about routes and driving on the right, I have just travelled from Calais ferry port to the Aire at Calais using Google street view.
That was in one tab, and google maps in the other tab.
Its brilliant (I think someone mentioned google street view as you got to key junctions/site entrances last year).
I wonder how long before this feature is linked into bigger screen sat navs, the real thing rather than a 2D/3D map as at present?
 
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Scout

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:Doh: One of those daft things to do I know, but if it is your first time and you are a bit concerned about routes and driving on the right, I have just travelled from Calais ferry port to the Aire at Calais using Google street view.
That was in one tab, and google maps in the other tab.
Its brilliant (I think someone mentioned google street view as you got to key junctions/site entrances last year).
I wonder how long before this feature is linked into bigger screen sat navs, the real thing rather than a 2D/3D map as at present?

I suppose I should have mentioned we are seasoned french travelers, done many many years with tent, trailer tent, folding camper, caravan, and been over once in the m/h. Its just we have never used aries befor, we are going over in late July/Aug but will be traveling then with my daughter and son in law + rug rat, they will have thier caravan so we will be stoiping on a campsite in Saumur for that trip. As we will be getting annual cover for both breakdown and medical it seemed a good idea to go over and do a cheapi stoping in aries its what we origanaly bought the m/h for (then came grandchildren and put it on hold ofr a while)

many thaks for all the good info ( I will reply to the pms later when the little one goes home)
 
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Oooh you are right, I totally forgot V sur Mer - the aire is enormous there! Totally open countryside at the back and the sea at the front!

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Heyupluv

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I suppose I should have mentioned we are seasoned french travelers, done many many years with tent, trailer tent, folding camper, caravan, and been over once in the m/h. Its just we have never used aries befor, we are going over in late July/Aug but will be traveling then with my daughter and son in law + rug rat, they will have thier caravan so we will be stoiping on a campsite in Saumur for that trip. As we will be getting annual cover for both breakdown and medical it seemed a good idea to go over and do a cheapi stoping in aries its what we origanaly bought the m/h for (then came grandchildren and put it on hold ofr a while)

many thaks for all the good info ( I will reply to the pms later when the little one goes home)

Ok that's better :winky:
 

TDH

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I think we're going to do a similar trip at that time.

We were there last May BH - there's a bit of an account of the trip and a map showing our stopping places in our blog if you want to have a squint - link below.

See you there - The Rosabella will be wearing her sticker!

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