It's probably just me....... (1 Viewer)

wivvy's dad

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..... But the Management and I have decided we do not like Aires. After being shouted at by a "foreign" m/h'er because I was turning round in the space in front of his m/h (complete with chairs out, b-b-q going etc etc), and generally made to feel decidedly unwelcome, we drove a short distance up the road, and parked for the night in a far prettier spot along with a few much more friendly motorhomers.

We wouldn't have stayed in the first place anyway - I really can't see the attraction of being likened to a battery hen, the way they were all packed in there with a fag papers width between most of them.

Anyway, I regaled our "foreign" gent with the time-honoured British digital salute, as practiced by our forefathers at the likes of the Battle of Azincourt (correct spelling) etc. Great fun was had then watching him wave his b-b-q fork and watching the sausage fly off into the mud.......oh how we laughed.

BTW, this was at Gravelines.

On our way back, we found a much much better wild spot on the other side of the river/canal...................:winky:
 

Chris

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I like to see the use of hand signals. It overcomes any language barriers that might exist.
 

WynandJean

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It might be a bit harsh to dismiss aires just on the basis of that. I am sure that is not representative and certainly the experiences I have had on aires have been nothing like that.
Wyn
 

haganap

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I think Dad's got a point really.

Don't get me wrong, Ive stayed at some cracking aires. However, the most popular ones are a little, erm should we say, crowded? We parked in one for skiing one year when the van next to me parked so close I couldn't open my hab door. Still again a little use of Italian sign language for this guy and he rectified the problem for me. ::bigsmile:

Then there was Mimizam in the height of summer. The only way to get a space was to start reversing at the German gang BBqing under their awning. I told them I was a bad driver and the speed in which that awning got wound in was very efficient even for a German.

Finding some nice wilding spot's next to the odd river is a far more enjoyable way of seeing some of France, the more popular the Aires are becoming as they are advertised in endless magazine's and motorhome forums, the less appealing they become,
In real terms, we have our Motorhome to get away from people and feel isolated, if we wanted to be so packed amongst others, I would park up on a council estate.

Of course, as said, not all aires are like that, :thumb:

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However, the most popular ones are a little, erm should we say

As us programmers say. popular === Shit.:winky::ROFLMAO:

Scuse my language ( I am sure Jim's filter will catch it)

If you stay at anywhere popular, whether it is an aire, a campsite or a wild spot you will get idiots unfortunately.

I avoid crowds like the plague. In all the time I have been stopping on aires I cannot recall a bad experience, or anything near as bad as on any CL I stay on in the UK.

Thanks for warning me away from the grave though :)
 
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wivvy's dad

wivvy's dad

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In answer to Wyn, we've stayed on many aires, but this time around just took the dislike factor off the scale.

As others have pointed out, these things tend to suffer from their own popularity, and as has been mentioned, my whole raison d'etre for getting away in a campervan is to - wait for it - get away. And that means from crowds and more besides.

I'm not saying that we should not use them, just that we won't be using them.

And on the point of wildcamping, we don't go to places that other people have found or recommended, because again, we'll pitch up there, and there will be a whole flotilla of other campervans or motorhomes.

By the same token, I find my own wild spots, and very very rarely share their locations with anyone else. The whole fun for us is finding those quiet little corners for yourself. I know of so many wild spots not a mile away from aires, and we are always alone, and never bothered. Occasionally you get youths around of an evening, but they can be chatted with, and once they know you are harmless, they will be the same.

I do know I'm swimming against the tide on this one, but we don't have to be sheep.

Think differently, get outside your comfort zone, turn off the telly, read a book, talk to the wife, ride a bike, go for a walk, go for a swim etc etc.

At the end of the day, it's my opinion, nothing more.
 

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