chartes aire or campsite (1 Viewer)

[Scout]

There seems to be 2 Aires and a campsite in Chartres we want to be in the city late at night for laser lights on the cathedral.

Has anybody used the Aires or campsite

 

[Zains Pops]

The campsite is OK. It's main feature is the easy walking to the city and Cathedral along the river. Advise booking as it gets busy. The lights of the city will be good to see, they also extend to the old city area and river.

 

[Eeyore]

We stayed at the campsite in early July and both walked and cycled up to town to see the light show.

The path to town from the site is mostly flat along the river and reasonably well lit but, if you do the short cut on the way back, via the woods next to the campsite, then you will need a good torch. We got back about midnight.

The town is quite high up and,the last bit of the route is a longish, steep pull uphill. Not for the unfit !

The site was packed to capacity when we were there and we shared a pitch. I would advise booking or getting there early.

There is a good supermarket nearby and buses to town. The site is well shaded, not great but perfectly adequate and with friendly, helpful staff.

The light show on the front of the cathedral was excellent and we enjoyed the lights round town. Our highlight was the lights on and inside the huge church of ( can' t remember name) which you pass just before you start to climb up into town.

If you want to eat before the lights start ( 10 pm when we were there) then I' d book as all the restaurants and bars were heaving.

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[DavidG58]

Thanks for the heads up on the lights, didn't know they did them, always think the cathedral makes a great
landmark.

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We have been to Amiens for the lights on the cathedral there in winter, they were also amazing, but it was really cold when we were there in December, from this link the lights in Chartres look even better

 

[peterc10]

Stayed at the campsite a couple of years ago and not impressed. Its only benefit is that it is an easy walk to town. The toilets were awful. There seemed to be little care taken by the managers. And there were lots of reports of thefts from motorhomes and caravans. We stayed the Saturday night and there was boot fair the next morning. We just managed to get out in time before we were blocked in.

 

[scotzsue]

Stayed at campsite last year, a bit run down, but lovely hot showers, pleasant walk into the town. It was end of season when we got there and very wet, we were advised to park on the roads, but not obstruct the movement of others, worked very well. Great creperie if you like galettes blowed if I can remember what it is called, but is decorated like a boat/lighthouse. would be happy to return.

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[lorger]

We have stayed at the site twice once with caravan and once with MH as folk have said above ideal location for walking into town. I think one of the Aires might be the service point at the site entrance as it has a coin operated service point, I don't know the other Aire but when we were there about 1/2 mile along the river from the site entrance is a large layby and it had about 5 vans overnight.

 

[Lenny HB]

There aren't any Aires as mentioned a service point at the site entrance.
Part of the campsite is prone to flooding in poor weather and it had a bit of a history of vans getting broken into.
A couple of hundred yards down the road from the site next to the footpath into town is a tree lined car park that fills up with Motorhomes in the evening we always stay there these days.

 

[Scout]

It would seem theres fairly long walk uphill to the cathedral so becausemy wife does not walk to well were going to give it a miss...

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[Eeyore]

If your wife is happy to walk on the flat then check out the buses to town. I think the tourist information office would help if you e- mailed them. The walk to the bus stop, near the supermarket, is flat and well lit all the way and the bus stop is on a main road with, we think, a regular bus service up to town. Town was busy right up to the end so lots of people will surely cstch a bus. Even a taxi would not be so expensive as it is not all that far.

It would be a shame to miss it as the lights and atmosphere were lovely.

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

It would seem theres fairly long walk uphill to the cathedral so becausemy wife does not walk to well were going to give it a miss...

Don't give it a miss the walk uphill can be done in stages and it's a sight worth seeing .
We stayed at the municipal site and with 2 kids 8 , 6 ,even with the walk it was an experience well worth doing.



Vlad

 

[Lenny HB]

Tour of the cript is worthwhile, don't think you can do it without the guide nominal charge well worth it.

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[Eeyore]

The Chartres bus service is operated by a company called Filibus. Put " Chartres bus service" into Google and it brings up lots of English links.

 

[Scout]

The Chartres bus service is operated by a company called Filibus. Put " Chartres bus service" into Google and it brings up lots of English links.

thanks we will look into that

 

[Scout]

what I origanaly thought were aires are park4night parking spots

link here

http://park4night.com/lieu/20475//chartres-2-rue-georges-brassens/france/eure-et-loir#.VccCeLUyjds

I wonder if we could venture a bit more towards the city with the van park up and do the tourist stuff ( my wife has a blue badge to help with parking) and then drive back here late at night

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[Lenny HB]

what I origanaly thought were aires are park4night parking spots

link here

http://park4night.com/lieu/20475//chartres-2-rue-georges-brassens/france/eure-et-loir#.VccCeLUyjds

I wonder if we could venture a bit more towards the city with the van park up and do the tourist stuff ( my wife has a blue badge to help with parking) and then drive back here late at night

Looks nice,but if you read the last comment from the chap that lives nearby, it appears to be a car park for the councils own use not a public one and he suggests asking at the tourist office, however if you do that and they are not sure they will say no.

 

[peterc10]

Whoa ...... easy tiger. Every body is entitled to an opinion, including me.

Just telling the OP what I read a couple of years ago. Not sure where - could have been the ACSI website, or one of the other review sites. I was not over impressed with the security. And the number of people milling around the pitches at the boot fair did not help! And the reference to "gassing" is totally inappropriate. I have never yet heard of a proven (rather than alleged) case of gassing, but there are and have been proven break ins to motorhomes and caravans on campsites throughout Europe.

I think Chartres is a beautiful city and we enjoyed our visit, and I never suggested otherwise. But it does, like many cities, have its less salubrious areas. We personally will think twice about using this site, but more because of the state it was in and the couldn't care less attitude of the management rather than the security, which was just a mention, and I made clear that it was based upon reports rather than personal experience.

 

[Eeyore]

We first stayed- and enjoyed- CM Chartres very many years ago but were almost put off doing so again by the negative reports in various places.

We did stay in early July this year however and were pleasantly surprised.

The pitches are big, clean , most are shaded and they are well provided with safe electricity points. We shared a pitch because the site was very busy but did not feel crowded. The one centrally sited sanitary block has several hole-in-the-floor type loos but enough other ones. They were clean. The showers are powerful, hot and cleaned regularly. The site is set in mature parkland so is full of little cul de sacs and not one vast car park type site. It's close to shops ( and there is the first China shop I've seen in France next to the supermarket !) and on the edge of a park alongside the river. There are cycle tracks and footpaths all over the place. It was very quiet, even given that people are walking back from town late at night. We took the usual precautions that we observe on a city CM- ie not leaving anything outside the van and locking doors etc if we left the van, but never, at any time, felt unsafe.

There are substantial barriers at the entrance to the main site, which are locked to vehicles at night, and further lifting barriers to the camping area beyond that. There is a good, easy to access MH service point between the 2 barriers. There is a small restaurant / bar between the two barriers and though we did not use it, it was being used. They have fresh bread daily, to order.

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[Chris]

Stayed at the campsite on a stop over a few years ago.

I recall it being a bit scruffy.

I didn't venture into town - too fat lazy and unfit.

My defence really is that we arrived quite late

 

[mikebeaches]

We stayed overnight earlier this year - it's an ACSI discount site if I recall.

We thought it was fairly scruffy and would try to avoid the campsite in future. We found it noisy too - seemed to be a number of tradesmen staying/living there, who were outside in groups drinking until late into the evening.

BUT, as others have said, the city is lovely. Shame there aren't more decent options for camping in the immediate vicinity... as far as I know.

Mike

 

[snowdrops]

stayed at the campsite last sept, loved it. Lovely walk into town along the river, not arduous at all.

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[Scout]

stayed at the campsite last sept, loved it. Lovely walk into town along the river, not arduous at all.

buXXer we had more or less decided to go elsewhere now its back to the map

 

[Vennwood]

Thanks everyone for the heads up on Chartres. We are planning a visit there next month on our way South and were not aware of the light show. We called in for a night stop around 9 years ago, arrived early evening and left next morning. The only thing a really remember was when walking the dog along the river he was attacked by a rotweiller that wasn't on a lead. The owner was very apologetic but it scared us to bits.

 

[snowdrops]

Thanks everyone for the heads up on Chartres. We are planning a visit there next month on our way South and were not aware of the light show. We called in for a night stop around 9 years ago, arrived early evening and left next morning. The only thing a really remember was when walking the dog along the river he was attacked by a rotweiller that wasn't on a lead. The owner was very apologetic but it scared us to bits.

You have been to see the incredible cathedral there though yes ?

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[Vennwood]

You have been to see the incredible cathedral there though yes ?

Sadly no we didn't get to see the cathedral but will most certainly visit this time

 

[snowdrops]

Sadly no we didn't get to see the cathedral but will most certainly visit this time

Yes do, it's wonderful, the stained glass is indescribable. There's a wonderful few places to have lunch opposite too, one or two quite reasonable as I recall. Also whatever you do, DO NOT miss St Pierre church, not to be confused with the cathedral and the first church you see with the buttresses after walking from the site, it's also incredible........... Images for st pierre chartres

 

[irnbru]

@snowdrops please check your image link. I cant seem to get anything.

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[parknride]

Stayed at the campsite a couple of years ago and not impressed. Its only benefit is that it is an easy walk to town. The toilets were awful. There seemed to be little care taken by the managers. And there were lots of reports of thefts from motorhomes and caravans. We stayed the Saturday night and there was boot fair the next morning. We just managed to get out in time before we were blocked in.

Stayed in June on our way back from Italy. Big pitches and nice riverside path to Chartres. Cathedral is amazing. Site toilets disgusting. Every day. Would not recommend or stay again but then, its near to Chartres and if you want to see that then maybe use your own facilities and enjoy the town. Big disappointment after the lovely ACSI sites in Italy. Also met our first Funsters @Zains Pops

 

[Eeyore]

Also whatever you do, DO NOT miss St Pierre church, not to be confused with the cathedral and the first church you see with the buttresses after walking from the site, it's also incredible........... Images for st pierre chartres

That's the one ! I couldn't remember the name of it in my earlier post. We thought the lights on that were, if anything, even more imaginative than the cathedral ones. They had lit up the stunning stained glass windows from inside and then projected images of the windows from outside onto the lower walls. Unforgettable.

There is an excellent stained glass shop, with a museum, at the back of the cathedral which is worth a browse.