France in August (1 Viewer)

[Clickem]

We are travelling from Calais down to the Pyrenees between the 23rd and 26th of August, taking a route through Dreux, Poitiers and Bordeaux

We do not use, and are not kitted up for Aires and would normally use Municipal or commercial sites

How busy will it be? Do we need to pre-book? bearing in mind that we would normally travel about 5 hours a day and arrive on site about 15:00

TIA

 

[StitchesnFluff]

Normally the coast is very busy at that time of the year but you should be okay inland. If you are harding to somewhere very popular ie Metz then I would call ahead.

 

[tonka]

Central France is usually a lot quieter than the coast, done it a few years now in August up and down to Benidorm.
However we do use the aires. Worth a try
Your going back end of the holiday season so should be fine for campsites i guess.

You may want to just watch out for the saturday 25th.. In case it's what they class as a "red" day. In other words the roads from hell when everyone is moving like our bank holidays. We did it once and stuck for hours near Bordeaux.

https://about-france.com/busiest-driving-days.htm

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

 

[Clickem]

@tonka. Don't like the sound of Bordeaux on the Saturday. Would a route through Limoges and Toulouse be better? - only 15 miles difference

 

[tonka]

@tonka. Don't like the sound of Bordeaux on the Saturday. Would a route through Limoges and Toulouse be better? - only 15 miles difference

No idea really... It may be just as bad and depends on where your final destination is.
I recall making a mistake and going through the centre of Pau once.. Like Birmingham on market day

I know a lovely overnight stop just north of Bordeaux, next to a graveyard and Vineyard.. Very quiet for a saturday night sit out and then do around Bordeaux on Sunday maybe. ?
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@45.1...4!1s5NlL5pgA7V_P_B7S8OoRWw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

[Solwaybuggier]

You could try the “bison futes” routes - alternative routes designed to route traffic away from known traffic black spots. See http://www.bison-fute.gouv.fr/index,langen.html - in theory available in English, although not all of it translates. We went down through France last year, avoiding tourist areas, and had no problem finding sites or Aires.

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

 

[EX51SSS]

Normally the coast is very busy at that time of the year but you should be okay inland. If you are harding to somewhere very popular ie Metz then I would call ahead.

Metz is a loooooooong way off track for their route..

 

[EX51SSS]

We are travelling from Calais down to the Pyrenees between the 23rd and 26th of August, taking a route through Dreux, Poitiers and Bordeaux

We do not use, and are not kitted up for Aires and would normally use Municipal or commercial sites

How busy will it be? Do we need to pre-book? bearing in mind that we would normally travel about 5 hours a day and arrive on site about 15:00

TIA

I would have thought that if you are quite happy at your route and traveling time each day, then it would be better to book irrespective of whether or not its busy.
You've the time to plan which sites you fancy and sent emails off to book, then, if it is busy, you've got your place.

 

[Stacetop]

We were in France that time last year, it’s generally much quieter than the rest of August so I would guess that most sites will have space unless in high tourist areas! The weekend will be busier than the rest of the week though!

We used aires when travelling and prebooked a site two days before we left but only because we wanted to be a certain area for a week. If moving around using stopover sites you should be ok!

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

 

[Clickem]

I am looking at moving the trip forward a couple of days, so that we would be on the road, in France, from Monday to Friday. Will then try to book where possible

Thanks for all the input

 

[Reallyretired]

Many sites in France will not allow bookings for just one or two nights. Booking is rarely necessary anyway.

 

[Chris]

I think all the Dutch and Germans start going home in the last two weeks of August so sites in France and Spain get quieter.

I have done the journey a few times in July and stayed at municipal sites without booking ahead. Likewise there is a busy site at Carcassone and they always had space if you turned up before 12.

I think you will be fine.

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

 

[Reallyretired]

We are currently at Carcassonne and there is loads of space. Mind you the weather has been appalling but seems to be improving now. The aire next door is doing a good trade, expensive at 15 euros but a deal cheaper than the site.

 

[Lot lover]

The French holiday season starts slowing down after Assumption day so you should be ok. Still high season in many places which seems to keep the Dutch away.

We tend to stay at home for July and August, preparing for our next jaunt starting September 1. Hope weather will be better than so called flaming June.

Bon voyage and bonne chance wherever you go.

 

[chaser]

We are travelling from Calais down to the Pyrenees between the 23rd and 26th of August, taking a route through Dreux, Poitiers and Bordeaux

We do not use, and are not kitted up for Aires and would normally use Municipal or commercial sites

How busy will it be? Do we need to pre-book? bearing in mind that we would normally travel about 5 hours a day and arrive on site about 15:00

TIA

Although you say you are not kitted up for Aires, whatever that means, if you find the sites are full you could always find an aire to sleep on for a night, so you would not be stuck, and some Aires have everything sites have anyway.
Don't know in what way you are not prepared for Aires but another option that has not been brought up lately is France passion stops where you join and get permission to stay on farms and many other types of stop.

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

 

[Clickem]

When I say "not kitted up for Aires", I mean, very limited leisure battery capacity, no solar power source, no generator and, the one thing that I will not be changing, is a wife who prefers porcelain

 

[2657]

I would agree with @chaser about the 'not kitted up for aires' thing we have a 6m campervan that has no solar, extra batteries etc and a shower that is impractical to use but we regularly stop on aires en route, no problem for one or two nights, you will be travelling every day to recharge the battery.

Edit: We did not like using the onboard toilet at first, having been site users most of our travelling lives, but you get used to it

 

[chaser]

When designing our latest van everything else had to fit in around a shower and toilet that could be used to its full purpose, been in this one and the last one now for eight years and never sat on any toilet but our own.

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

 

[EX51SSS]

When I say "not kitted up for Aires", I mean, very limited leisure battery capacity, no solar power source, no generator and, the one thing that I will not be changing, is a wife who prefers porcelain

Our Moho doesn't have solar panels and just one leisure battery and we stay on Aires most of the time. Admittedly some have electric but I'm happy with 1 or 2 nights without EHU.
I'm fact, last night at Maruiel sur Ay on Aire without electricity and tonight in Soissons on Municipal site without electricity.
The design of our Moho doesn't look right with solar panels and besides, they're expensive.

 

[Clickem]

@EX51SSS, @matamoros, when you say that you stay on Aires without beefed up leisure batteries or solar power, do you have refillable gas cylinders? We carry 2X6kg calor cylinders and will be away for 8 weeks and having to use gas to run the fridge and cook would be a concern, without EHU

 

[2657]

@EX51SSS, @matamoros, when you say that you stay on Aires without beefed up leisure batteries or solar power, do you have refillable gas cylinders? We carry 2X6kg calor cylinders and will be away for 8 weeks and having to use gas to run the fridge and cook would be a concern, without EHU

I don't have re fillable but do have 2x 11kg bottles.

If you are staying on sites with hook up for most of your stay and only using aires for say 4 nights then you will not use much gas in the summer, no heating and fridge only on gas for the 4 nights, use 12v while travelling.

When we are on sites we use a double ring electric hotplate, if I'm paying for electricity then I am going to use it, I also carry a campingaz bottle with bottle top burner for emergencies and outside cooking.

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