This wouldn't happen in UK (1 Viewer)

Shrimp

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Found this on Motorhomig France.

Many of Frances major tourist attractions have noticed the growing popularity of motorhomes & have responded to this trend by providing dedicated overnight parking, and in some cases service points. Those that don't offer accommodation often have a campsite or an aire within a short distance that can offer the opportunity of a stopover.

No way would this happen in UK, shame!
 

magicsurfbus

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Comme ça?

Broken Link Removed

Check the links in my signature if any of this is unfamiliar to you.

To be fair it has slightly happened in the UK, in enlightened places like Chester, Canterbury, a few others and some in Northern Ireland, but we're a very very long way from the quality of France's provision.

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Don Quixote

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Not long enough, but a little common sense helps..........
The UK is guided by strange people who have no idea how to run the country or how to make money for the country or for that matter some new leaders don't even understand the "red" button is really for..................
I fought for my country as did my wife, but at times I wonder what the powers that be are thinking.
Sorry will get of my soapbox now....... were are those pills of mine....
 

Lynne Steele

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Found this on Motorhomig France.

Many of Frances major tourist attractions have noticed the growing popularity of motorhomes & have responded to this trend by providing dedicated overnight parking, and in some cases service points. Those that don't offer accommodation often have a campsite or an aire within a short distance that can offer the opportunity of a stopover.

No way would this happen in UK, shame!


And now winter is close, a lot of campsites will close and the struggle to find somewhere to stay the night just too stressful. Chester is brilliant £1.50 per night on Little Roodee, then normal parking fees the following day, and we always spend money in the town. Wish we weren't 350 miles away from the ferry, France is so easy and Spain and Portugal following now and making Motorhomes welcome. Upton on Severn also good at £3 a night, and I also believe Powys now allowing Motorhomes to use their car parks overnight.
 
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Found this on Motorhomig France.

Many of Frances major tourist attractions have noticed the growing popularity of motorhomes & have responded to this trend by providing dedicated overnight parking, and in some cases service points. Those that don't offer accommodation often have a campsite or an aire within a short distance that can offer the opportunity of a stopover.

No way would this happen in UK, shame!
France supports motorhome tourism from the rest of Europe. When did you last see a non British motorhome here. Sort of self explanatory really. :)

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Badknee

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Six free spaces in Hawick town centre on a big car park, bit of noise from boy racers but their mummies make sure the little darlings are tucked up in bed for about eleven pm.(y)
 

GJH

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O Earwig Again springs to mind.

To anybody who say they want similar facilities here, this is what you need to do. Look at where you live/visit and identify an area which is suitable for an aire. Then put together a case as to why the expenditure needed would be worthwhile and present that case to the owner of the land.

Anybody who says they want similar facilities here and is not prepared take that action proves that they don't really want them.
 

mariner

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This has been discussed before, France and Germany are transient countries where thousands of Motorhomers are traveling to various other parts of Europe so need stop off points along the way.
Britain is not a transient country, so much less need for such stop off places.

:cooler:

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magicsurfbus

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Anybody who says they want similar facilities here and is not prepared take that action proves that they don't really want them.

Just out of curiosity, do you know if each of the 8500+ French aires were set up after organised pressure from within the local community or was it maybe a top-down initiative from the local Mairie or higher up?

You know we're always going to differ on this one GJH :)
 

Microchip

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This has been discussed before, France and Germany are transient countries where thousands of Motorhomers are traveling to various other parts of Europe so need stop off points along the way.
Britain is not a transient country, so much less need for such stop off places.

:cooler:
Don't believe that, we don't use those two countries for stop off parking , we normally spend the 6 weeks travelling/sightseeing in them..far more to enjoy that this country..
Keith.
 
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Meanwhile in England places like Scarborough and the north east, and other resorts are doing their best to ban or place heavy restrictions on Motorhomes. What a contrast.

There really should be regular waste disposal points in the UK at the very least. I assume some of the opposition is coming from local campsites who do not want the competition, but in my opinion that is short sighted. Motorhomes are huge business in Europe, attempting to strangle their use in the UK is counter-productive to campsites, local businesses and so on.

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mariner

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Don't believe that, we don't use those two countries for stop off parking , we normally spend the 6 weeks travelling/sightseeing in them..far more to enjoy that this country..
Keith.
No you probably don't but thousands do!
Believe it or not even the French travel South through out the year and even more so in the winter.

:cooler:
 
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mariner

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Don't believe that, we don't use those two countries for stop off parking , we normally spend the 6 weeks travelling/sightseeing in them..far more to enjoy that this country..
Keith.
In a way you have answered the question!
You and many others don't spend your holiday in Britain and Foreigners don't come because Europe is a big place and it's easier not too.
So IMO the demand for Aires in Britain isn't really there.

:cooler:
 

magicsurfbus

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An increasing number of continental campsites offer low cost MH-only compounds with limited (if any) access to facilities. That could be something for English sites to consider.

Ironically, because aires make France an attractive holiday destination I actually make more use of their campsites, because in some places that's the easiest option.

I've said it before but maybe our MH industry should collectively sponsor a University-led study into all this and if the results were favourable send a copy to every town hall in the UK.

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GJH

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Just out of curiosity, do you know if each of the 8500+ French aires were set up after organised pressure from within the local community or was it maybe a top-down initiative from the local Mairie or higher up?

You know we're always going to differ on this one GJH :)
I've no evidential base but, from what I've gleaned, one reason is the difference in popularity of motor caravans and towed caravans between the UK and continental Europe.
Meanwhile in England places like Scarborough and the north east, and other resorts are doing their best to ban or place heavy restrictions on Motorhomes. What a contrast.

There really should be regular waste disposal points in the UK at the very least. I assume some of the opposition is coming from local campsites who do not want the competition, but in my opinion that is short sighted. Motorhomes are huge business in Europe, attempting to strangle their use in the UK is counter-productive to campsites, local businesses and so on.
Why should there be regular waste disposal points? Who has provided anyone with a good reason to provide them? Who has justified the cost of doing so?
An increasing number of continental campsites offer low cost MH-only compounds with limited (if any) access to facilities. That could be something for English sites to consider.

Ironically, because aires make France an attractive holiday destination I actually make more use of their campsites, because in some places that's the easiest option.

I've said it before but maybe our MH industry should collectively sponsor a University-led study into all this and if the results were favourable send a copy to every town hall in the UK.
The MH industry isn't interested because:
1) there isn't enough profit in it for them
2) they know that motorhomers in general aren't bothered enough to do something themselves so why should they bother.
 
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Its down to competition in France cheap aires sites have to compete better service or cheaper in the UK 2 big clubs own loads of sites and encourage private small sites to require club membership to use their sites little competition high prices.
 

GJH

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Its down to competition in France cheap aires sites have to compete better service or cheaper in the UK 2 big clubs own loads of sites and encourage private small sites to require club membership to use their sites little competition high prices.
It's true that the CC and C&CC insist on a members only policy for their CLs/CSs (despite it not being a legal requirement). However, that does not stop any private company/individual wishing to create an aire conveniently situated to a town/village centre from obtaining a certificate from one of the other exempted organisations and setting up a CL or obtaining a caravan site licence and setting up a larger site. What stops them from doing so is the cost compared to the expected income.

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In a way you have answered the question!
You and many others don't spend your holiday in Britain and Foreigners don't come because Europe is a big place and it's easier not too.
So IMO the demand for Aires in Britain isn't really there.

:cooler:

Quite right but they still need somewhere to empty the black waste & with the current terrorist threat the House of Parliament are difficult to access & most police stations have peculiar "opening hours ".:(
 
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I've no evidential base but, from what I've gleaned, one reason is the difference in popularity of motor caravans and towed caravans between the UK and continental Europe.

Why should there be regular waste disposal points? Who has provided anyone with a good reason to provide them? Who has justified the cost of doing so?

The MH industry isn't interested because:
1) there isn't enough profit in it for them
2) they know that motorhomers in general aren't bothered enough to do something themselves so why should they bother.
Why? It's a public health issue;
People are left driving around with full tanks and no way of disposing;
It is a public right to have access to waste disposal;
It would discourage the unhealthy disposal methods adopted by some of the more unpleasant anti social campers;
The cost is not excessive, many other countries have found ways of affording it - and what a way to judge such things
 
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Lynne Steele

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I believe Motorhome owners have a different requirement to Touring Caravan Owners, I happily pay for a site if I am spending a couple of days somewhere, but we like to travel and the times we are allowed to arrive and locations of camp sites are too restrictive most of the time. We bought a Motorhome for the freedom we believed it would give us, and unfortunately there is not much freedom in the UK,

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Puddleduck

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Six free spaces in Hawick town centre on a big car park, bit of noise from boy racers but their mummies make sure the little darlings are tucked up in bed for about eleven pm.(y)

Jedburgh also welcomes motorhomes. We have recently come back from an extended trip and were warmly welcomed in Powys where we had nights on a couple of car parks where motorhomes are welcome to stay for a single night (no return for 6 nights and some have limited facilities). We did visit and spend in the local towns :)

Also a lot of French, German and Dutch vans around..... plus a couple of Italians. One place we stayed it was a mini-United Nations and great fun. We all wished we could have been there for more than the one in seven nights.
 

Jabberwocky

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Having done a bit of research the stock reason for not offering free or cheap overnight parking outside of proper sites seems to be not wanting to take money out of the local communities by encouraging people not to use sites.

What they don't seem to take into account is the number of sites who have minimum length stays and how many motorhomers this policy will put off even visiting the area.

Sites will always be full of tuggers and tents so why attitudes to motorhomers can't change I don't know.

Obviously there are places you can wild camp in the uk but technically only in tents( Scotland and Dartmoor) I'm new to motor homing and so far have only used proper sites but I certainly will use britstops and similar but other alternatives to a lay by on a main road would be nice.
 

Teuchter

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The North Scotland gets lots of foreign MoHos every summer (despite the rain & the midges) but camping (including wild camping) in or near towns and villages is well provided for in most of that area.

The last time we were in that area (August last year) we encountered French, German, Dutch, Italian, Danish, Swiss and Belgian campers there.

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Does France have the equivalent to the CC or the CCC?, if not maybe that's why they have a need for Aires, British government could argue because of our Clubs there are facilities for campers to dump and take on water.
 
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We stayed at Klein Amerika in Gouda, Holland a couple of weeks ago. Only £1-50ish for an overnight Sunday thro Monday. On returning to the UK I made a point of emailing the Gouda Tourist information and praising the facilities. I also pointed out that we had spent nearly E200 in one day in Gouda (don't ask). Hopefully the tourist info people will point out our email to their Council to prove what an asset Klein Amerika is, just in case someone questions it's viability.

If everyone who uses the UK "aires" did the same it would have a positive reinforcing effect and other Councils would probably soon hear of this.
 

DBK

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Does France have the equivalent to the CC or the CCC?, if not maybe that's why they have a need for Aires, British government could argue because of our Clubs there are facilities for campers to dump and take on water.
But many of our CLs etc are in the middle nowhere, just corners of farm fields. Not all of them of course but many are.

The Aires we have used in Brittany over the last month are either right on the coast, close to the centre of towns or on the edge of villages. Their main customers seem to be the French themselves and they certainly aren't here because they are on their way to Spain, they are here to tour the region.

Of course France is different, MHs seem to be everywhere and caravans, especially French ones quite rare. This is the reverse I think of the UK which is still a tuggers place.

But this hasn't come without a cost. A lot of campsites in Brittany and probably the rest of France have closed permanently, the ones which remain open are those who could afford to invest in the plastic sheds or cabins. The place we are at at the moment seems an exception, open all year and no sheds. I guess many French folk who perhaps might have used a caravan and sites are now owners of MHs and use aires.

Most campsites have now closed for the winter here in Brittany and the MH rules - going from aire to aire.

I guess in a month or so many will migrate south for the sun but at the moment you can't move without seeing a MH and I guess it has been like that since the Spring.

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GJH

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Why? It's a public health issue;
People are left driving around with full tanks and no way of disposing;
It is a public right to have access to waste disposal;
It would discourage the unhealthy disposal methods adopted by some of the more unpleasant anti social campers;
The cost is not excessive, many other countries have found ways of affording it - and what a way to judge such things
It's only a public health issue if people make it one.
If people choose to fill their tanks it is up to them to make arrangements for disposal, nobody else.
Public right? The right is fulfilled by access to existing facilities in sites.
Why should the public purse be expected to discourage the unhealthy disposal people just because they can't be bothered. They should be prosecuted.
The cost is not excessive? Isn't it? How much is it then? We have seen in recent posts that it can easily be in the tens of thousands depending on the site.
I believe Motorhome owners have a different requirement to Touring Caravan Owners, I happily pay for a site if I am spending a couple of days somewhere, but we like to travel and the times we are allowed to arrive and locations of camp sites are too restrictive most of the time. We bought a Motorhome for the freedom we believed it would give us, and unfortunately there is not much freedom in the UK,

Having done a bit of research the stock reason for not offering free or cheap overnight parking outside of proper sites seems to be not wanting to take money out of the local communities by encouraging people not to use sites.

What they don't seem to take into account is the number of sites who have minimum length stays and how many motorhomers this policy will put off even visiting the area.

Sites will always be full of tuggers and tents so why attitudes to motorhomers can't change I don't know.

Obviously there are places you can wild camp in the uk but technically only in tents( Scotland and Dartmoor) I'm new to motor homing and so far have only used proper sites but I certainly will use britstops and similar but other alternatives to a lay by on a main road would be nice.
If more places are required then why not do as I suggested earlier? Identify an area which is suitable for an aire. Then put together a case as to why the expenditure needed would be worthwhile and present that case to the owner of the land.
 
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Of course France is different, MHs seem to be everywhere and caravans, especially French ones quite rare. This is the reverse I think of the UK which is still a tuggers place.

I guess in a month or so many will migrate south for the sun but at the moment you can't move without seeing a MH and I guess it has been like that since the Spring.
Yes when I came back a couple of weeks back the French were everywhere still. Also I noticed that along the Tours-Poitiers-Angouleme road there are literally dozens of MH dealers. I commented on it to my nephew last year about the sheer amount of dealers , 6, in one place we passed through & it wasn't even a major town.
 
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Went up to Blakeney and Cley for a shakedown overnighter run and wanted a CL nearby so we could bike to the shore and fish.
We paid £14 to stand in a field with water and a toilet MTing point with electric. In a CL !!!
Thats what we used to pay for campsites a few years back.. !!
I'm getting old !!

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