French Sites (1 Viewer)

[Ninovan]

We've got the Tunnel booked for early July for our 4 week trip to France. Plan on going through Nomandy, round Brittany then head south towards Bordeaux before heading slowly back. Might pop over to see Versailles on the way home and hope we don't end up in Paris . We're supposed to go to a christening near Le Mans on 23rd which is why we ended up going over in the middle of the school holidays . The problem I'm having in planning is that a lot of the sites seem to have minimum stays of 3 or 4 nights high season, if not more. I appreciate that they will not be cheap! Has anybody else been over in the holidays and how did you get on? We will probably need some sites for filling & emptying and showers, etc., but I don't want to get stuck somewhere for 3 or 4 days.Planning on using some aires, France Passion, etc., but not all the time. Help!

 

[WynandJean]

Have you done this before or are you new it? I think if I was doing that kind of trip I'd certainly make ample use of aires. If unfamiliar with them you may not be aware what they are like. We usually spend 4/5 weeks meandering round France and rarely use anything but aires. I certainly wouldn't be bothering about clubhouses and play areas that sites offer and don't have to worry about being at a particular site for whatever date you have booked it. Not like the UK. You just please yourself and go where you want. It's a whole different concept.

Wyn

 

[Figaro]

I suppose the minimum nights is to do with school holidays, Aires may be your best bet.
Versailles is worthwhile doing for the history but be prepared for the hoards of tourists and very long queues.
If you like grand gardens there is one in Normandy based on Versailles called camp Bastille. It has spectacular fountains that were turned off when we were there but I still preferred it to Versailles. Mostly because there was us and about four others !
Would love to go back sometime.

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[chaser]

If you are already a member of France passion , and also useing aires there is no need whatsoever of camp sites, we do five weeks every year and use nothing else.

 

[lorger]

Up until a couple of years ago we always travelled during school holidays and have never booked a campsite in advance. We have only been turned away from one and that was near Paris, we have never been asked to stay a min nights so just go and give it a go.
As others have mentioned we also used Aires and one year used France Passion so the use of one or both of these would certainly give you loads of options.

 

[Ninovan]

Have you done this before or are you new it? I think if I was doing that kind of trip I'd certainly make ample use of aires. If unfamiliar with them you may not be aware what they are like. We usually spend 4/5 weeks meandering round France and rarely use anything but aires. I certainly wouldn't be bothering about clubhouses and play areas that sites offer and don't have to worry about being at a particular site for whatever date you have booked it. Not like the UK. You just please yourself and go where you want. It's a whole different concept.

Wyn

Thanks @WynandJean . This will be our 3rd trip across but have only used sites before. Have got various stopover & aires sites/apps downloaded so could be a whole new experience! (Esp trying to pay for water & leccy, etc.!)

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[KeithChesterfield]

To give you some idea of Aires have a browse through my videos, link below, and get an idea of what to expect.

Some Aires are brilliant, some good and some not so good - depends a lot on what you're looking for and what your expectations are.

The CamperContact App is a useful tool but there are plenty more ways of finding Aires.

Have a great holiday wherever you stay and visit.

 

[autoswan]

We usually do France during the summer when the kids are off, been all over mostly using the Aires too. But we have also used camp sites there but not had minimum days listed perhaps it's only with the popular busiest ones like over here ?
Anyway Google is your best planning friend over there I just do a basic route plan and throw in a few things we want to do or to visit and sort the rest as we go. A link for a good camp site group we've used is...

http://www.yellohvillage.co.uk/?xtor=ES-10000106

Not the cheapest but they have all the bells and whistles you could want in a site plus they are mostly next to lovely beaches.

Enjoy your trip, don't drive to much or you miss a lot, I like trying to get lost or wander out there which has found us some great and unexpected spots .

 

[Gorse Hill]

If you are already a member of France passion , and also useing aires there is no need whatsoever of camp sites, we do five weeks every year and use nothing else.

No mention of searchforsites chaser,your slacking

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[Sheddy]

The municipal sites are usually quite good check them out here.
Cheers
Ed

 

[Two on Tour]

We travel down to Angoulême most years and use a site at Ecommoy near Le mans as a half way stop over each way, basic and ideal for us.

https://www.camping-ecommoy.com/

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place...e227ec9dbce4!8m2!3d47.833565!4d0.278714?hl=en

 

[chaser]

No mention of searchforsites chaser,your slacking

Did mention it in his other thread

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[Richard n Ann]

How much is the France passion guide?

 

[klaatu]

£24.99 from Vicarious Books - https://www.vicarious-shop.com/France-Passion-2017.html

Similar price if you buy direct, I believe.

 

[John&Kate]

Last year was our 1st trip to France, we booked a Yelloh village site in advance of going for 7 nights.
Before we left the site we phoned a different Yelloh site for an additional 4 nights on the way home.
Although we had all the Aires directory we did utilise them.
This year we are doing a 7 night stay with Yelloh, but either side travelling there and back will use the Aires for multiple stops.
All the Aires is a worthy companion whilst travelling, especially if you don't have any signal for some of the popular apps available.

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[Lizi]

we drove all round France last year in the summer holidays and the only place we did not get into was in Annecy. That said, the next site a couple of hundred metres away turned out to be better and had a place. Lots of the sites were municipals and pretty cheap.
We haven't tried aires yet - are you able to sit outisde with chairs and awning up? Cook outside? I had the impression this was not the case so haven't fancied it for this reason.

 

[Allanm]

Municipal sites generally will let you stay one or two nights if you need to, most will have a couple of spaces available but I would recommend aires.
Most have service points, many are free to stay in, but avoid small coastal and touristy town aires as they will likely be full anywhere near a holiday.
And the best thing about aires in France is that there are loads of them and if you find one full, there will be one with a space nearby.

 

[chaser]

How much is the France passion guide?

£24.99 from Vicarious Books - https://www.vicarious-shop.com/France-Passion-2017.html

Similar price if you buy direct, I believe.

Worth every penny if you think Aires are too basic and sites too dear this is the way to go, see real French people in their working environment, we have done loads, bit off the beaten track but all the better for that if you want real France, no pressure to buy anything and on loads we have been on you rarely see anyone unless you go looking for them, we also use Aires most of the time but if there is a fp close by will use that instead.

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[KeithChesterfield]

In the picture there are awnings out, one guy is fishing, a couple more watching the boats on the Seine and at another Motorhome a table is ready to be used for a meal.

Aires being used like this are all over France and the Aires system is part of French life.

Go and enjoy them.

 

[klaatu]

We have FP and both All the Aires books, ACSI, and various apps ready for our first trip to France starting in September. We already have our first FP stop pencilled in for our third night.

 

[chaser]

We have FP and both All the Aires books, ACSI, and various apps ready for our first trip to France starting in September. We already have our first FP stop pencilled in for our third night.

You won't regret your fp, believe me, not often I give out praise on here but fp was one of our best motorhome accessories , we have been members now since 2012, except last year and found we missed them so joined again this year.

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[klaatu]

You won't regret your fp, believe me,

I think it's the FP stops that we're most looking forward to

 

[Richard n Ann]

It's not just a guide book then? You have to join?
Just looked in the Google Play Store and doesn't look like they have an app yet. You must have to bugger about with one of those old fashioned book things

 

[chaser]

I think it's the FP stops that we're most looking forward to

We have been on ice cream farms, vegetable farms, buffalo farm, cheese farm, apple farms , peanut farm, mustard farm, vineyards galore, mussel farm, duck farm, ostrich farm, cafes, and many just fields.
And in most you can have your tables and chairs out and eat the fresh stuff from the farm.
Just can't knock them.

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[chaser]

It's not just a guide book then? You have to join?
Just looked in the Google Play Store and doesn't look like they have an app yet. You must have to bugger about with one of those old fashioned book things

If you are talking about fp, you are right there isn't an app, but when you are member there is an interactive map and you can plan your tour on it.

 

[Alistair33]

We have been on ice cream farms, vegetable farms, buffalo farm, cheese farm, apple farms , peanut farm, mustard farm, vineyards galore, mussel farm, duck farm, ostrich farm, cafes, and many just fields.
And in most you can have your tables and chairs out and eat the fresh stuff from the farm.
Just can't knock them.

Can I please have coordinates for the ice cream farm?

 

[chaser]

Can I please have coordinates for the ice cream farm?

The ice cream farm is actually the nearest one to Calais , I will look it up , we sometimes stop there last stop before the tunnel.

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[chaser]

Can I please have coordinates for the ice cream farm?

There you go.
Actually it's not the closest to Calais now, just seen two closer.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Just looks like a farm on Google Maps. Is there signs up telling you where to park? I can imagine an irate farmer coming out to us with a pitch fork.

 

[Alistair33]

View attachment 168367
There you go.
Actually it's not the closest to Calais now, just seen two closer.

Is that the one that I've heard has a 12 hole golf course near ?

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