Cite Europe or Aire etiquette (1 Viewer)

[camel]

Hi
Having never stopped on an Aire yet, we are thinking of stopping at Cite Europe after a 5pm tunnel crossing. As its August, I'm expecting it to be busy. I've read reports of don't park in the open, don't park near trees etc, is there an etiquette to follow? ie how much space do you leave between motorhomes and do you keep your door from facing your neighbours?

Thanks

Paul

 

[Riverbankannie]

Hi
Having never stopped on an Aire yet, we are thinking of stopping at Cite Europe after a 5pm tunnel crossing. As its August, I'm expecting it to be busy. I've read reports of don't park in the open, don't park near trees etc, is there an etiquette to follow? ie how much space do you leave between motorhomes and do you keep your door from facing your neighbours?

Thanks

Paul

The spaces are marked out and when quiet, people leave one space between MH. I wouldn’t worry about whereabouts you park in the Cite Europe Aire. If busy and have to park immediately adjacent, then, if possible, park with hab door away from neighbour but it’s not always possible as you could have a Brit RHD van on one side and a LHD one on the other.

Don’t worry about it, all will become clear once you do it. Just follow others lead.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Things will vary from aire to aire. There’s no set etiquette as such. Just look at what the locals are doing in each place and then copy them.

Above all use your common sense. If it’s a quiet aire with plenty of space by all means make use of it. If it’s busy you’ll see how close you’ll be expected to park. If you try and leave too much space someone will swiftly make you aware

On the really busy ones in tourist destinations you’ll have enough room to open your door and that’s all you’ll have. In more out of the way quieter places you could well find that you’re the only people there.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[The Wino]

The cite europe is really just a huge car park other aires are often smaller . Just do the same as the others.

 

[two]

Behave as you would like others to and they might follow suit.
Cite Europe is not a typical Aire, so don't expect many others like that.
In season, you may need to arrive at an Aire early (soon after noon) to get a spot if it's a popular one.

 

[Chris]

Don’t forget your generator, but don’t use it after 3am.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[hilldweller]

Don’t forget your generator, but don’t use it after 3am.

Or if you see a French van with a generator running. "Mon sewer arveh un amp or de for un anglish". He won't need all the output of his generator.

 

[Vanderek]

One thing all of the above have forgotten ... leave the Rolex and Ipads on display on dash for easy access

 

[chaser]

just go and do it, after the first couple you will see there are no set rules, and no two aires the same.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[EX51SSS]

Don’t forget your generator, but don’t use it after 3am.

Spoilsport

 

[colyboy]

It's a VERY LARGE CAR PARK ( it's free! and a sign saying that MH's can park there) not an "aire", you will have much room as you want. No facs but i understand there are at the near by filling station.

colyboy

 

[camel]

Thanks everyone, helpful as always

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

If you are the only van on an Aire and a French van comes in don't be surprised if they park so close to you that you can't open this your habitation door, they don't like being lonely.

I've even seen a French van ask another French man to put his step in do he could get nice and close.

And if it's a paying Aire where a man comes round to collect the money in the morning, expect to get woken up early when all the French scarper to avoid paying.

 

[orridge]

As you are on a 5pm crossing arriving at 6:35 have you considered pushing on for an hour or so rather than stay in Cite de Europe ?.

The shops, supermarket and restaurants will still be open for a couple of hours but suspect there will be a lot of arrivals and early morning departures which may not make for the most peaceful of first nights in France.

For example we often use it for a last meal in France and then a 4:30 start for an early crossing back home and you will find vans coming and going a lot of the time.

 

[Theonlysue]

Few reports of bikes being stolen at night.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[scotjimland]

Few reports of bikes being stolen at night.

yes, not surprised.. that can happen on any aire or site.. lost one at Capbreton aire.. cut off during the night..

Van next to us at Gravelines lost two chairs, left stashed under van at night..

Best deterrent is a bike loop alarm such as Stikeback.. otherwise they just take them.. or buy a van with a garage ..

 

[Clarky]

The Gendarme's usually patrol the Cite Europe aire/car park fairly frequently. We were there last Thursday night and saw them drive round several times.
We stop there a lot and have yet to see anything or anyone 'dodgy'.
It's not the most peaceful of places to stop as there is a background hum of distant traffic and train noise as well as vans coming and going at times. Having said that, we always sleep well there.
Above all, it's very convenient and being a trainee FLT, it's free.

Richard.

 

[Clive]

Love thy neighbor. This is a very popular aire. Some you’ll be the only van there, then a French van turns up and parks right next to you. In Arras I have shaken hands with the van next to me through our windows

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Wh05apk]

Aire etiquette??

If you tow a car park it elsewhere, went to Watten couldn't stay as some frenchie had taken the last space with their car !

Have ended up in a busy cite europe ,rather than a peaceful last night on a nice quiet aire.

 

[jockaneezer]

I parked about 5 foot from a cloggie on a busy aire at St Tropez, he came out and gestured that I was blocking his sunlight, so I moved over another 4 foot, only to have a French van shoehorn himself in about 15 minutes later.

 

[Southdowners]

I don’t understand why people park so close. We were on an Aire the size of 4 football pitches. We parked right away from the crowd only to have a MH pull right up close... then another pulled into the gap between our two vehicles. There was so much available space there was absolutely no need to park so close. We moved on.

Are they doing this because they feel safer herded together?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

I don’t understand why people park so close. We were on an Aire the size of 4 football pitches. We parked right away from the crowd only to have a MH pull right up close... then another pulled into the gap between our two vehicles. There was so much available space there was absolutely no need to park so close. We moved on.

Are they doing this because they feel safer herded together?

I take it they were French.

 

[Minxy]

I don’t understand why people park so close. We were on an Aire the size of 4 football pitches. We parked right away from the crowd only to have a MH pull right up close... then another pulled into the gap between our two vehicles. There was so much available space there was absolutely no need to park so close. We moved on.

Are they doing this because they feel safer herded together?

There's actually some truth to that ... depending on what the aire is like ... if it's need the town or on the outskirts, or in the country, we may park next to other MHs, or even in-between them ... this is something we've done more since our MH got bricked in Holland during the early hours on a Sunday ... we were at the end of the row and the only one that got hit!

 

[Wanders from Glos]

I don’t understand why people park so close.

Probably trying to get a good look inside that posh motorhome!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[chaser]

There's actually some truth to that ... depending on what the aire is like ... if it's need the town or on the outskirts, or in the country, we may park next to other MHs, or even in-between them ... this is something we've done more since our MH got bricked in Holland during the early hours on a Sunday ... we were at the end of the row and the only one that got hit!

must admit we do it as well, mostly though to keep a bit of order in the parking, what do you need a lot of space for , you arent supposed to have tables and chairs out or anything , i know people do , we do as well, but thats beside the point, if everyone just parks willy nilly and the aire starts getting full you are only going to have to move to let others in so might as well start off right.

 

[two]

Isn't there a ".9m rule", or something?

 

[chaser]

Isn't there a ".9m rule", or something?

not on aires, thats campsites

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Camdoon]

Given the choice, we tend to park beside UK registered vans if abroad and in transit, perhaps not close enough to see in but close enough for anyone passing to think we were in convoy i.e. would support each other if any issues arose.

 

[chaser]

Isn't there a ".9m rule", or something?

not on aires, thats campsites

on looking at your post again i see a point before the 9 , if thats not a mistake, yeah thats about right for aires

 

[Southdowners]

I take it they were French.

Not English... not sure of origin as we moved away

This particular Aire had no line markings and was just a massive tarmaced area right by the harbour mouth. When I say they parked close they were no more than about 6ft from us. Too darned close for comfort!

If they’re parking like that due to fear then why go motorhoming? I think if you’re going to get robbed it will happen no matter whether you have someone parked alongside or not. Anyone coming into our vehicle would risk being bitten.... by our dog! And/or clouted round the head with something heavy... by me!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}