Camping-Car Park - another one bites the dust (1 Viewer)

[Littlewheels]

I do think that not all people git the CCP concept,yes it’s a private entity and naturally they will look to turn a profit,however, they are not grabbing control of Aires in order to force everyone onto CCP Aires,l do believe the ethos is to take the management of Aires away from the Village/Town and the costs and time etc, in doing so they they have as now 300 Aires under their Banner that offers exactly the same facilities and standard that visitors can rely on. A Premier Inn type ethos the same no matter where you stay in the UK.
In my experience they are maintained they are in general improved upon in that they are better when they have taken control.
Change is inevitable the Aire of old was brilliant but there are so many MH’s using them in France now that the old business model cannot go on without professional management.

 

[spitfire]

I do think that not all people git the CCP concept,yes it’s a private entity and naturally they will look to turn a profit,however, they are not grabbing control of Aires in order to force everyone onto CCP Aires,l do believe the ethos is to take the management of Aires away from the Village/Town and the costs and time etc, in doing so they they have as now 300 Aires under their Banner that offers exactly the same facilities and standard that visitors can rely on. A Premier Inn type ethos the same no matter where you stay in the UK.
In my experience they are maintained they are in general improved upon in that they are better when they have taken control.
Change is inevitable the Aire of old was brilliant but there are so many MH’s using them in France now that the old business model cannot go on without professional management.

Also when they take over an old municipal site my understanding is the commune receives a percentage payment which is a huge bonus for small villages . They might if you are lucky have a baker and maybe a bar so a couple of beers and a loaf of bread does not sustain the community

 

[chaser]

Ok I'll leave it to you, I just wish I was going to be here in ten years to see what you think then.
But there's no stopping them now, it's going to be just like here.

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[emjaiuk]

In my experience it is the local motorhomers who seem to set the alarm to get up and out before the guy comes to collect payment!

Traditional Aires have no card or barrier

No but they do get a fair share of tight people that want to stay for nowt and contribute nowt.

La Mailleraye has a barrier, it was a classic case of people, mainly French in our experience, not wanting to pay and leaving, or waiting to arrive just before the van came round.

 

[chaser]

La Mailleraye has a barrier, it was a classic case of people, mainly French in our experience, not wanting to pay and leaving, or waiting to arrive just before the van came round.

Never having been on these things, how do the French get out of paying on them?

 

[MichaelT]

Never having been on these things, how do the French get out of paying on them?

La Mailleraye is a village Aire not CCP that has a machine and barrier similar to CCP. In the past like many places where a person collects the money the French will arrive in the evening after it was due to be collected or set off at dawn if the collection was mornings to avoid paying.

EDIT: I believe it is €12 +Tax per night (2019) however the location in the village next to the river makes it worth the money and many on here would willingly pay over that, so even a village Aire can be more expensive than a CCP, they are not all free!

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[yodeli]

Another vote for CCP had the pass’etapes card since 2017
We have privileges pack which allows you to pre-book a pitch

Yep ... just like you! I do enjoy it. Small fee , and everything I really need. Sometimes you even have toilets and washing up sinks....

 

[emjaiuk]

Ok I'll leave it to you, I just wish I was going to be here in ten years to see what you think then.
But there's no stopping them now, it's going to be just like here.

Do you honestly think the French Camping-Caristes would tolerate a company like CCP exploiting a monopoly situation in the future. I could see barriers and pay machines being torn down if they tried. The French public still believe in direct action. The extra profit if any wouldn't be worth the effort. I really believe you have an unjustified bias against CCP, and look on 'The Real France' through rose tinted specs. Years ago when we first started caravanning, we could look in the large format Michelin atlas for a lake or reservoir near a village, and it was almost certain there would be a municipal campsite there. Most are long gone. Mind you so are most stables attached to hotels where you could bed your horses down for the night

 

[chaser]

Do you honestly think the French Camping-Caristes would tolerate a company like CCP exploiting a monopoly situation in the future. I could see barriers and pay machines being torn down if they tried. The French public still believe in direct action. The extra profit if any wouldn't be worth the effort. I really believe you have an unjustified bias against CCP, and look on 'The Real France' through rose tinted specs. Years ago when we first started caravanning, we could look in the large format Michelin atlas for a lake or reservoir near a village, and it was almost certain there would be a municipal campsite there. Most are long gone. Mind you so are most stables attached to hotels where you could bed your horses down for the night

You can take the p all you like but you have hit the nail on the head , you are used to caravaning where you have to have such places.
Never been on a site in France, except for odd nights just to get washing done but don't even need that now with all the laundramats about now.

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[Solwaybuggier]

Can't be bothered arguing your other comments, which are not the case, but the pressure one is simply not right, you very rarely see any one unless you go looking for them and we have never bought anything we didn't want or need and they still wave you off if they see you go.
.

Sorry but it’s you who’s wrong, Chaser. We love FPs (as well CCPS and aires) but
1. You are supposed to go and introduce yourself to the host. (Check the book if you don’t believe me.) If you’ve been staying without going to introduce yourself, you’ve been abusing the FP scheme.
2. Our experience over 15 years is that most vineyard hosts are then very keen for you to go for a “degustation gratuite” - which is fine, we’ve had some brilliant wine that way. But FP can work out way dearer than a campsite in the Champagne region!

 

[Red Sonja]

I wonder what the leases are that Mairies have granted to CCP? Three years, five years?

I also wonder what some left-wing Mairies will do at the end of the leases when CCP have installed the infrastructure. Not extend the leases?

I am still sitting on the fence as to whether the concept is a good idea.

If the company went bust what would the municipalities do?

Geoff

0

Yep ... just like you! I do enjoy it. Small fee , and everything I really need. Sometimes you even have toilets and washing up sinks....

We stayed at one that had showers, toilets and free washing machine. Was only €9 a night. What a bargain.

 

[Sunlovers]

A little known fact in the old days if a village didn't have an Aire you could park at the Marie.

We did exactly this at Hautefort in 2019

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[pjay]

...and there is also this issue....

Stay at the aire or move on!

CampingCarPark aire at Amboise, Centre There appears to be a growing trend for towns that have agreed to convert their municipal aires to a CampingCarPark aire, to also introduce a bye-law prohibiting motorhomes from parking in any of the municipal car parks. This then unfairly means that any...

www.motorhomingfrance.co.uk

Pete

 

[chaser]

...and there is also this issue....

Stay at the aire or move on!

CampingCarPark aire at Amboise, Centre There appears to be a growing trend for towns that have agreed to convert their municipal aires to a CampingCarPark aire, to also introduce a bye-law prohibiting motorhomes from parking in any of the municipal car parks. This then unfairly means that any...

www.motorhomingfrance.co.uk

Pete

I hadn't seen that before, but can't help saying, I told you so

 

[Barclaybasher]

I hadn't seen that before, but can't help saying, I told you so

From the same article - seems the French motorhomers are on to it.......

This trend has not gone unnoticed by the French ‘Comité de Liaison du Camping-car’ - an association protecting the rights of motorhome owners. The association has recently come to an agreement with four other towns which have CCP aires & which also had a bye-law forbidding motorhome parking. After negotiations with the communes of Riantec (56), La Séguinière (49), Moulismes (86) & Saint-Antoine-de-Breuilh (24), the association has managed to get the bye-laws withdrawn hence allowing motorhomes to park without having to stay on the CCP aires.

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[chaser]

From the same article - seems the French motorhomers are on to it.......

This trend has not gone unnoticed by the French ‘Comité de Liaison du Camping-car’ - an association protecting the rights of motorhome owners. The association has recently come to an agreement with four other towns which have CCP aires & which also had a bye-law forbidding motorhome parking. After negotiations with the communes of Riantec (56), La Séguinière (49), Moulismes (86) & Saint-Antoine-de-Breuilh (24), the association has managed to get the bye-laws withdrawn hence allowing motorhomes to park without having to stay on the CCP aires.

I thought it strange that the French motorhomers were letting them get away with it.
Ok if these things are just a sort of campsite on their own ,fair enough, but taking over Aires and stopping parking in the villages is another thing, it's against everything that motorhomeing in France is all about.

 

[Dave_E]

Can anyone tell me are these CCP sites for overnight stop overs or can you stay as long as you like.

 

[nicholsong]

From the same article - seems the French motorhomers are on to it.......

This trend has not gone unnoticed by the French ‘Comité de Liaison du Camping-car’ - an association protecting the rights of motorhome owners. The association has recently come to an agreement with four other towns which have CCP aires & which also had a bye-law forbidding motorhome parking. After negotiations with the communes of Riantec (56), La Séguinière (49), Moulismes (86) & Saint-Antoine-de-Breuilh (24), the association has managed to get the bye-laws withdrawn hence allowing motorhomes to park without having to stay on the CCP aires.

In France if the municipality passes a by-law who enforces it? The Gendarmerie or local council officers? If the latter do they have enforcement powers and can they issue on-the-spot fines? How does it work?

Geoff

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[MichaelT]

Can anyone tell me are these CCP sites for overnight stop overs or can you stay as long as you like.

Most as long as you like but i think some have limits.

 

[Al n Val]

We’ve stopped in a couple of CCP areas, the first time last Sept on our way down into Spain, it was at Souillac and to be honest after the barrier wouldn’t rise and struggling to understand what to do we nearly gave up. It was to be a 1 night get my head down stop only and to be honest after cramming myself into a space with no more than 1 metre between us both sides i’m glad it was.
That said it was good enough and quiet at night safe behind a barrier.

Then on our return journey in Dec, this one was near to Lyon, more like a park with loads of room, the problems started early next morning when the barrier wouldn’t lift to let us out, luckily a friend we were travelling with used his card, i gave him the 12 euros and away we went.

Then in Feb this year a french bloke from CCP rang me to pay the 12 euros as they knew i’d left with it being 2 months before and I hadn’t paid for my 1 night .

So not a fantastic experience up to now tbh and having to pay again didn’t sit well either

 

[Neil S]

Can anyone tell me are these CCP sites for overnight stop overs or can you stay as long as you like.

once you swipe yourself they take the payment from your CCP card which last 24 hrs on your departure , if you leave 5 minutes past the
24 hr deadline they charge you another day .
The most I've stayed is 4 days at the CCP aire at Bedoin in Provence

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[Neil S]

We’ve stopped in a couple of CCP areas, the first time last Sept on our way down into Spain, it was at Souillac and to be honest after the barrier wouldn’t rise and struggling to understand what to do we nearly gave up. It was to be a 1 night get my head down stop only and to be honest after cramming myself into a space with no more than 1 metre between us both sides i’m glad it was.
That said it was good enough and quiet at night safe behind a barrier.

Then on our return journey in Dec, this one was near to Lyon, more like a park with loads of room, the problems started early next morning when the barrier wouldn’t lift to let us out, luckily a friend we were travelling with used his card, i gave him the 12 euros and away we went.

Then in Feb this year a french bloke from CCP rang me to pay the 12 euros as they new i’d left with it being 2 months before and I hadn’t paid for my 1 night .

So not a fantastic experience up to now tbh and having to pay again didn’t sit well either

Had you enough credit loaded on your CCP card to pay for the one night that happened to me once , I was about 50c short .
called the number and the operator sorted it after I'd put some more euros on the card

 

[Al n Val]

Had you enough credit loaded on your CCP card to pay for the one night

yep

infact it’s still on to this day

No idea why the barrier wouldn’t lift on both occasions tbh, and after a long days driving I just want things to work as they should.

I may give it another go in Sept if we can get across ok

 

[Neil S]

yep

infact it’s still on to this day

No idea why the barrier wouldn’t lift on both occasions tbh, and after a long days driving I just want things to work as they should.

I may give it another go in Sept if we can get across ok

The operators are very good
I don’t speak much French and didn’t want to call them but had to .
Was pleasantly surprised at how fluent they were in English , makes me ashamed I didn’t make more of an effort to learn French at School

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[Al n Val]

The operators are very good
I don’t speak much French and didn’t want to call them but had to .
Was pleasantly surprised at how fluent they were in English , makes me ashamed I didn’t make more of an effort to learn French at School

yes this particular chap was very good english speaking tbh but couldn’t explain why the barrier didn’t lift

Neither could he tell me if my mate had been charged twice that early morning back in december when he used his card twice, once for himself and then again for me

 

[nicholsong]

We’ve stopped in a couple of CCP areas, the first time last Sept on our way down into Spain, it was at Souillac and to be honest after the barrier wouldn’t rise and struggling to understand what to do we nearly gave up. It was to be a 1 night get my head down stop only and to be honest after cramming myself into a space with no more than 1 metre between us both sides i’m glad it was.
That said it was good enough and quiet at night safe behind a barrier.

Then on our return journey in Dec, this one was near to Lyon, more like a park with loads of room, the problems started early next morning when the barrier wouldn’t lift to let us out, luckily a friend we were travelling with used his card, i gave him the 12 euros and away we went.

Then in Feb this year a french bloke from CCP rang me to pay the 12 euros as they knew i’d left with it being 2 months before and I hadn’t paid for my 1 night .

So not a fantastic experience up to now tbh and having to pay again didn’t sit well either

I had one experience with CCP

We arrived at the machine when one French man was trying to leave.

The machine did not want accept our card(Polish Euro debit). French guy spoke to helpline for us. Still no result.

We gave up and looked on park4night, found a spot down the river, quiet night.

CCP loss. Never been back.

Geoff

 

[Al n Val]

I had one experience with CCP

We arrived at the machine when one French man was trying to leave.

The machine did not want accept our card(Polish Euro debit). French guy spoke to helpline for us. Still no result.

We gave up and looked on park4night, found a spot down the river, quiet night.

CCP loss. Never been back.

Geoff

more or less sums up our experience as well Geoff, I just want things to work as they are suppose to

mind you owning a motorhome you’d think i’d be used to that now

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[emjaiuk]

Never having been on these things, how do the French get out of paying on them?

They don't

 

[emjaiuk]

You can take the p all you like but you have hit the nail on the head , you are used to caravanning where you have to have such places.

while the kids were with us, our main annual holiday was a week travelling down through France, A week on the beach just south of Barcelona, and a week travelling back.
(a) we've been motor homing for almost 30 years now, 20 of that with a RV where we never used aires, either municipal type sites or wild camping, except for our annual beach holiday in Spain
(b) when we had caravans we probably wild camped a lot more than we do with a MH

We stay where it suits us. Cost is way down the list of considerations.

 

[rod_vw]

They don't

An interesting observation...

We were sat at Chenac Saint Seurin D'Uzet one evening and watched a French couple lock their van, walk around the harbour and establish themselves on a bench the other side. Within a few minutes the money collector came along, knocked on their van to no avail then proceeded to collect from the rest of us. He tried again at the unoccupied van before mounting his bicycle and riding away. At which point the couple rose from their bench and came home!
That was all to save less than 9€
Cheeky or what!

PS it's a great little Aire for a night or maybe two.

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