France Passion and Espana Discovery

[alasdairandannie]

We are headEd in the general direction of SE Spain in a couple of weeks and would welcome any views on the value of membership of France Passion (for the to and from bit) and Espana Discovery both of which are about €30 To subscribe to.
We stopped at a couple of nice FP places in the Bordeaux area last Oct without having membership that we spotted on S4S which didn’t seem to be an issue but we may just have been lucky.
We would welcome anyone’s views, for example about FP and ED owners not being fussed about membership.
(we understand the ‘risk’ of moral pressure to buy wine, honey etc; we did end up buying wine at one of the locations we visited but there was no pressure)
We also have S4S, P4N, ACSI and Camping Car so are conscious of ‘app overload’
TIA

 

[suavecarve]

I have purchased FP this year. Probably purchased it 4 out of 10 years of going to France.
I m a lot more financially stable now so my moral compass has swung a little bit !
My reason for purchase this year ? We intend to go to Provence later in the year and there is an FP site next to Lac De St Croix where they do check if you have paid.
More than happy to pay the money for a couple of nights on that site alone. (It is gated and you park in their truffle orchard just up from the lake which would probably cost 12 euros a night to be crammed in)

 

[Solwaybuggier]

We generally buy FP - some great stops, but way more in some (wine growing) departements than others. A couple of years ago we didn’t buy it because we doubted if we‘d get to France that year - we ended up going last minute with no time to order the book, we did stop on one FP near Bordeaux, explained why we didn’t have the book and they seemed happy enough. Generally though we wouldn’t want to freeload by not buying the book. There do seem to be increasing numbers of non FP vineyard stopovers in France if you don’t want to buy the book, though.

We’ve never bought the ED book, but were given it last year by a Swiss couple on a site who’d just sold their MH in favour of a caravan. Not anywhere near as many hosts as FP, although we did stay on a couple. I think there are far more hosts in the SE of Spain than in other regions, and seem to recall when it started it was predominantly in the Valencia region.

 

[Dorwyn]

We generally order the FP in December when it's on offer, something close to £20 for delivery in March the next year. We don't always use it much, but it's worth it if you just use it once. It found us our favourite vineyard in Cadillac, so is worth it just for that.

 

[Gaston aires]

We sometimes stop at Les routiers places. Great value meals and free parking overnight, not all but some.
Phil

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[chaser]

You will find that a lot of the places already let anyone park as they are farm shops or whatever, and it tells you in p4n if you can.
A few years ago we had fp every year then every couple but we are now still working with the 2018, and not had any problems but we don't use as many as we used to.

 

[Offagain]

I bough FP a couple of years ago. We didn’t use any of the sites, although we did go and look at some, as the ones which were on our route weren’t as pretty as P4N spots in the same area.

 

[nicholsong]

I have purchased FP this year. Probably purchased it 4 out of 10 years of going to France.
I m a lot more financially stable now so my moral compass has swung a little bit !
My reason for purchase this year ? We intend to go to Provence later in the year and there is an FP site next to Lac De St Croix where they do check if you have paid.
More than happy to pay the money for a couple of nights on that site alone. (It is gated and you park in their truffle orchard just up from the lake which would probably cost 12 euros a night to be crammed in)

WE are heading back to Provence later this year and will no doubt visit Lac St Croix again and as our FP book has just arrived I will look up that one.

BTW, not wishing to lecture, but have you seen one of the FP rules is only 24 hr stay?

 

[Riverbankannie]

We bought it for the first time this year but I only found one suitable stopping place on our journey which was a vineyard near Epanay. It felt very awkward as there was noone around, no shop. I went hunting for someone to “check in” and ask if OK but didn’t find anyone. We just stayed overnight and left quietly in the morning.

I don’t think you are freeloading by not buying the book though as no money goes to the site owners, they may even have to pay to be in the book.

 

[suavecarve]

WE are heading back to Provence later this year and will no doubt visit Lac St Croix again and as our FP book has just arrived I will look up that one.

BTW, not wishing to lecture, but have you seen one of the FP rules is only 24 hr stay?

Yep, if youre going that way as well and fancy St Tropez, there is another FP near Ramatuelle which I was initially put off by because it was down as a restaurant. HOwever it is much more of "The boy of the family" has a caravan he might sell a burger from. The front (huge) lawn is there for MHs and about 5 years ago he charged 8 euros including leccy for the 2nd night onwards and he checks youre members as well because that is 8 euros+ in his pocket. About 2 mile from the beach where you can cram in and pay 15 euros
Lac de St Croix didnt mind you staying at least another night. When asking to do so, I find that is the time to purchase some lavender oil for the mozzies !

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[chaser]

This last year we couldn't park on our favourite aire in blaye as it is now closed but on getting p4n up on the phone we found a FP on an old vineyard and he was only too happy to let us stay, and he said he is packing up on fp this year as he has to pay to be in it but he is getting far more from p4n, and he sells some very good wine very reasonable price.

 

[Dorwyn]

I find that is the time to purchase some lavender oil for the mozzies !

Is that to calm them down or to attract them? I've never heard of that.

 

[Dorwyn]

This last year we couldn't park on our favourite aire in blaye as it is now closed but on getting p4n up on the phone we found a FP on an old vineyard and he was only too happy to let us stay, and he said he is packing up on fp this year as he has to pay to be in it but he is getting far more from p4n, and he sells some very good wine very reasonable price.

It may be closed but it doesn't seem to stop people overnighting there (the one by the river). We looked at the new CCP place opposite the chateau, but the weather was baking, no shade and wire netting all around. It looked horrid. Oh, and the campsite in the fort was closed temporarily. I hope it was temporary, at least. Back soon!!

 

[chaser]

It may be closed but it doesn't seem to stop people overnighting there (the one by the river). We looked at the new CCP place opposite the chateau, but the weather was baking, no shade and wire netting all around. It looked horrid. Oh, and the campsite in the fort was closed temporarily. I hope it was temporary, at least. Back soon!!

Apparently according to the signs you can park on the old one during the day but not over night

 

[chaser]

Anyway we can park at this.fp vineyard now for free, and drive in for the market.

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[Dorwyn]

Apparently according to the signs you can park on the old one during the day but not over night

The French can't read signs in French that they don't like.

 

[chaser]

The French can't read signs in French that they don't like.

Can't argue with that mate, they never used to pay when there was a meter on there.

 

[Dorwyn]

Can't argue with that mate, they never used to pay when there was a meter on there.

So often they deliberately break the machines anyway. Any wonder CCP are taking over. Actually, I've never come across broken CCP mahine either, I suppose it pays them to repair them. But I have come across those that most can't operate. Sometimes you can't see the screen for the sun.

 

[Pappy]

Used for the first time last year. Stopped at some great sites and have bought again this year.

 

[suavecarve]

Is that to calm them down or to attract them? I've never heard of that.

Stop them biting you. It works for us !

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