How Safe Are French Aires? (1 Viewer)

[scousebird]

Well I have never had a problem on Frence motorway aires.
Till now!!!!
Arives 02:30 hours
03:15 they tried to break in.
They broke watever they where using as a key in the door lock.
I woke up and by the time I was out with the baseball bat they had left.
But they did not get in so all is well.

Sorry to hear that Mel. Glad they didn't get in.

 

[gus-lopez]

Do you seriously strap doors and use bolts on the doors while you sleep in the van ?

yes, thought everyone did?

 

[Basildog]

yes, thought everyone did?

We don't lock the doors at night very often

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[Vanderek]

I'm at Lagrasse aire at the moment ..it's 9pm and 28 degrees. .have a fly swat nearby just in case of trouble

 

[StitchesnFluff]

The natural worry of being a repeat victim is very high, higher than most think.

Motorhome owners should be able to take the security steps they feel necessary without being judged for it.

 

[StitchesnFluff]

The natural worry of being a repeat victim is very high, higher than most think.

Motorhome owners should be able to take the security steps they feel necessary without being judged for it.

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[jumartoo]

We crossed over into France from Spain yesterday and were in the Font Romeu area. We climbed to an official are at a ski area but the end of the aires was filled with new age traveller types in a variety of vehicles, huge lorries and caravans etc. Their boom boom music was already playing early afternoon so we left.

We spent the night here

Just downhill from our previous attempt. Another official place and so quiet last night. If we don't feel happy in a place we move!

And just cos I'm so pleased with this photo I'm posting it again here. View from our side window at 8.30 ish last night.

 

[Mel]

Sorry to hear that Mel. Glad they didn't get in.

Thanks Helen.
Only a door mock to replace so not too bad.

 

[Northernraider]

I sleep with this at the foot of my bed

I get any unwelcome guests they get slugged

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[Northernraider]

Each to their own but not a good idea to hinder your exiting the van in an emergency by even a split second.
Luckily for me I don't own anything that if I don't have it tomorrow I would be upset about. I certainly won't be locking myself in a tinderbox van for a few quids worth of crap.

No different from a van with no cab doors.
My a class only has one cab door on passenger side and I have one of those external fiamma locks on it and never use that door. I have a bar that goes over my habitation door to secure it inside and I set the alarm when going to bed if I'm in the middle of nowhere jist to be on the safe side.
Only way anyone is getting in then is through a window. ..and I've a louiseville slugger for that .

 

[Nicepix]

In the old van we only had one door and that could be secured internally using two simple locks. The current van has three doors and so I do the same as MickeScuba advised except that I also use a short cam-lock strap to secure the handle of the habitation door to the handle at the side of the step. That will do until we get a proper internal lock fitted. We have stopped overnight in all sorts of places, many off-piste, and never had any problem. But, I follow the previous advice about being circumspect about where we do and do not park overnight.

Regards the previous posts about French youths; I was parked up at Marans 17 a couple of years ago. I go there two or three times a year on fishing trips and this time I was at the end of a small lane that was a dead end. I was walking the dog back towards the main road when I could hear voices and glass being smashed. A lot of glass! 60 years of living in the UK and 25 years in the police made me fear the worst. But as I got to the end of the lane I saw a group of about 15 youths from about 14 to 20 years of age. They had been having a drinking party using a couple of wooden picnic benches and the sound of glass breaking I could hear was the kids putting the empties in a bottle bank. others were folding the cardboard wrappers and putting them in the yellow waste bin. When I got back from the dog walk there was no evidence of them ever having been there.

 

[TerryL]

Never stayed on Aires so can’t comment but I will get the vacarious books as advised because we would like to do trip down thru Loire using Aires
But: reading all thread they do sound like carparks, can you sit out with tables ect, we really must try them and see why we all pay such a lot for these vans but want to sit in a carpark lmao

Aires are just parking facilities with added services. You are not supposed to put out anything, such as awnings, tables, chairs etc. as that would mean you are camping and the (French) sit is not licenced for that.

That said, you will often find folk, especially the French, doing precisely that, often deliberately to ensure no-one encroaches on "their" space. Generally the authorities turn a blind eye to it but I have heard of people being woken during the night and told to take the items in and/or "depart with haste".

If you want to camp, you should use a camp-site.

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[DL42846]

Aires are just parking facilities with added services. You are not supposed to put out anything, such as awnings, tables, chairs etc. as that would mean you are camping and the (French) sit is not licenced for that.

That said, you will often find folk, especially the French, doing precisely that, often deliberately to ensure no-one encroaches on "their" space. Generally the authorities turn a blind eye to it but I have heard of people being woken during the night and told to take the items in and/or "depart with haste".

If you want to camp, you should use a camp-site.

Depends on the aire. A lot of them are just as a stop over with no camping but some you can camp and have space to put out an awning etc. Just around the area we live in here in France a couple of places spring to mind where you can camp. Noiretable, Aire de Loisirs du Barrage, Villerest, and port De Roanne. All on CamperContact.

 

[Nicepix]

Aires are just parking facilities with added services. You are not supposed to put out anything, such as awnings, tables, chairs etc. as that would mean you are camping and the (French) sit is not licenced for that.

That said, you will often find folk, especially the French, doing precisely that, often deliberately to ensure no-one encroaches on "their" space. Generally the authorities turn a blind eye to it but I have heard of people being woken during the night and told to take the items in and/or "depart with haste".

If you want to camp, you should use a camp-site.

Sorry, but that is incorrect. That only applies to parking places, not aires.

As has been said; there are many types of aires. Some are nothing more than a parking space where you haven't got room to put out a awning or table and chairs, but many others are used by long term stayers and are indistinguishable from camp sites.

 

[Shrimp]

Depends which kind of Aire he was referring to!

I've never had a problem with an Aire de Camping Car, but I have on an Aire de Service, and never did use an Aire de Jeu to overnight!

Agree with the above, we’ve been using Aires for over 10 years now, we have decided a few times the Aire we had landed on was not feeling quite right so just moved to another.
We’ve not had trouble in France but have been broken into on an English CL!
Judging by the amount of French using the Aires (a lot leave windows open all night) they must be ok!

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[DL42846]

Agree with the above, we’ve been using Aires for over 10 years now, we have decided a few times the Aire we had landed on was not feeling quite right so just moved to another.
We’ve not had trouble in France but have been broken into on an English CL!
Judging by the amount of French using the Aires (a lot leave windows open all night) they must be ok!

A lot of the French have small dogs with them. We have a shiatsu who goes off into one if anyone comes anywhere near the van.

 

[JackieP]

My dog barks like a Rottweiler if a leaf goes past on a windy night but when the yoofs appeared to bang on my windows he slept through he whole damn thing. We had to have a serious talk the next day about how we were.a team and how he had to take his responsibilities seriously. He slept through that as well.

 

[Whiskeymac]

Used Aires for many years and never had any problems, as was previously stated don't stop overnight in the motorway services
Have a great time
Regards whiskeymac

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[JJ]

I have stayed on many, many, many motorway services, sometimes parked with the Rufty Tufty truckers (always wanted to be one really), and never ever had any trouble...

But... NEVER stay overnight anywhere where YOU don't feel happy.


JJ

 

[StitchesnFluff]

I have stayed on many, many, many motorway services, sometimes parked with the Rufty Tufty truckers (always wanted to be one really), and never ever had any trouble...

But... NEVER stay overnight anywhere where YOU don't feel happy.


JJ

Yes and ‘gut instinct’ works surprisingly well, so don’t ignore it.

 

[yodeli]

Et sur les aires d'accueil?
Beaucoup de municipalités ont choisi de créer des aires spécifiques où les camping-cars peuvent stationner. Elles ne sont pas considérées comme telles par la loi, et son sujettes aux réglementations locales. On y trouve généralement des camping-cars posés sur leurs cales, et du linge séchant sur les portes-vélos. Mais pour ce qui est du mobilier de jardin et des stores, mieux vaut vous renseigner auprès des voisins et des panneaux d'affichage. La règle qui prévaut est généralement une règle de bon sens: évitez de donner une mauvaise image des camping-caristes et de déranger les voisins. Sur certaines aires d'accueil (aménagées dans d'anciens campings, par exemple), il semble tout à fait possible de sortir les chaises de jardin. Mais sur des parkings situés dans les agglomérations, on évitera de faire acte de camping…

I leave it to you to use google translate! Here it's nappy time .. sorry!

Picked up on:
http://www.lemondeducampingcar.fr/p...s-stationner-ou-camper-quelle-difference.html

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[JJ]

I've Google translated for everyone because I am a good boy...


"And on the reception areas?
Many municipalities have chosen to create specific areas where motorhomes can park. They are not considered as such by law, and subject to local regulations. There are generally campers parked on their holds, and laundry drying on the bike racks. But when it comes to garden furniture and blinds, it's better to get information from neighbors and billboards. The rule that prevails is usually a common sense rule: avoid giving a bad image of the motorhome and disturb the neighbors. On some reception areas (in former campsites, for example), it seems quite possible to get out the garden chairs. But in car parks located in built-up areas, we will avoid camping ..."


JJ

 

[Nicepix]

Put simply: Read the rules on the notice boards.

For example; in Brantome (24) you are not allowed to wind your awning out, but there is nothing to prevent you setting up tables and chairs. In some places you are only allowed to park in designated bays and not seek shade by parking outside those areas.

Most of the article is about the thorny legalities of parking .v. camping. Basically it advises that many 'No Camping-Car' signs may not be enforced if you do not do anything that an ordinary motorist parking there would do. For example it advises that you don't leave your step out or put chairs outside the vehicle. However, it also says that whilst one court overturned a fine imposed by a local council, it is better not to test the law in that way. So, for peace of mind go elsewhere.

It is just one of those grey areas that you are best using your discretion rather than pushing or testing the law. There are many aires where you can put out your awning, table and chairs and use the facilities provided such as BQ areas and picnic tables. But read the notice board if you are unsure.

If you are really stuck for a place for the night look for a large supermarket. They rarely in my experience prohibit motorhomes from parking overnight and many have the bornes for water and waste disposal.

 

[gwyntaxi]

Talking to an old pal who used to have a MH today and was picking his brains about travelling in France.. He was not at all keen on Aires. He said he felt they were not the safest places to stay and felt a bit like a sitting target...

Now obviously an Aire in a rough area or perhaps in a supermarket car park may be best avoided ? This was his words not mine as We haven't crossed the water yet.

So rather than listen to his alarmist opinions I thought I would ask the MF massive .

Our plan is to use camp sites most of the time and Aires if we are struggling.

Hi Charlie,
I have used aires for nearly 20 years now, and, because of their suitability have never felt the need to use sites when in France, that said, you will get a feel for whether an aire is not suitable, eg. no-one else (campers etc,) on the aire but a presence of boy racers or related activity such as skid marks from handbrake turns etc, empty beer cans and rubbish strewn around, it's quite unusual to find a totally deserted aire ,but you might, and if you get an uneasy feeling, just move on to the next town, there's always another they're usually near village centres or near a canal or riverside location, rarely are they miles from anywhere, and in the middle of nowhere, some of the larger more popular aires can have up to a 100 vans or more, if you have the relevant publications to hand, such as, camperstop, or the app camper contact, a really useful one that, it will tell you the location and surrounding places of interest, if it has numerous pitches and facilities such as water, chem disp, etc, then it's worth checking out,if it has none of these and maybe only 4 or 5 pitches pick somewhere else, I'm sure you'll get along fine with aires, give them a try before dismissing them.

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[The Nomad]

Have been using French Aires, and indeed Aires in most other mainland European countries too, very extensively for the past dozen of so years.
Perhaps 50 or more nights on Aires each year in France alone.
Have never once had, nor seen anyone else have, any sort of security problem.

But by Aires I mean "proper" Aires in towns and villages, I DO NOT MEAN service areas on motorways, which we have never overnighted at, and never will.

 

[Heyupluv]

Lived in France 15 years, toured all over France. and only used Aires....NEVER USED CAMPSITES

 

[FIDGET]

Lived in France 15 years, toured all over France. and only used Aires....NEVER USED CAMPSITES

Hi Mel, nice to hear from you, hope you & yours are OK.
Terry

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[Puddleduck]

And this thread was started in Aug 2015

 

[Heyupluv]

Hi Mel, nice to hear from you, hope you & yours are OK.
Terry

Hi you two..."the fidgets"...Terry we are fine...plodding along and getting older ..I keep seeing your postings ...keep up the good work..Mel