Motorway Aires (1 Viewer)

[wardj2010]

Hi All, Does anyone know the 'legal / official' about overnighting in these - in France and to a lesser extent Spain and Germany I see many lorries parked up for the night - so can I too?
It would save a lot of time during mad dash to get to the warmer climate if it were possible to stay on route rather than leaving to get to a site
Thanks

 

[f6c]

Be carefull!

 

[robrace]

We holiday in france every year and stay on a combination of sites and aires and we have never had any problems even at Calais!but I would be wary of staying on an aire on motorways.There have been reports of Motorhomers who have had been robbed etc on Motorway Aires and a friend who has a caravan lost most of their belongings on a Motorway service area on the their way to Spain so be careful.I would rather drive a few miles off the motorway and find an aire in a village.

 

[old-mo]

a friend who has a caravan lost most of their belongings on a Motorway service area on the their way to Spain so be careful.

"Gassed".... ????

 

[sdc77]

We used one once and just wernt comfy with it.. There's always an aire nearby..

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[grasscutter]

I have always stayed on the motorway aires on our quick journeys to and from Southern Spain. Normally park up with the lorries for around six hours before moving on. Never had a problem.

 

[Tea Bag]

Hi.
Son in law had m/h broken into at Hendaye ? spelling m/way services en-route to Portugal,we stayed at the proper Aire opp.station,no trouble
Tea Bag

 

[DavidG58]

We have used one particular motorway aire regularly to sleep overnight and would do again, Aire du Baie de Somme just north of Abbeville, it depends really on what time we arrive in France

Last year was our first try of village / town aires, some of those were in quite isolated and dark locations, I would have felt safer on the motorway aire than some village ones

 

[Bertie Bassett]

In the mid-eighties we used them a lot and invariably woke to find half a dozen German vans parked around us. There were a spate of attacks in the French/Spanish Border area in the late eighties so we stopped using them. None of the attacks was fatal and to the best of my knowledge no gas was ever proved to have been used.........though I'm sure someone will be along shortly to persuade the Royal College of Anaesthetists that it is indeed possible for a totally untrained scrote to administer just the right dosage of the 'unknown' gas to render all occupants of any weight, size and age incapable. Alternatively we can just agree that it's bolleaux as our French chums say.
Our advice OP is not to use Motorway Aires now unless there is a company of the CRS or Gendarmerie sharing it with you.

 

[markh]

Stayed at sobradiel near Zaragoza on the way across Spain, safe, free and quiet and a restaurant for breakfast

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[Xabia]

Stayed at sobradiel near Zaragoza on the way across Spain, safe, free and quiet and a restaurant for breakfast

I have been staying at Sobradiel en route to and from Spain for over 12 years and have always felt safe.

As I travel when most aires in France are closed I park overnight in the car parking area of the service stations and again have not had a problem, I would not park in with the lorries as you are surrounded by large vehicles and it would be easy for someone to sneak up on a motorhome without being seen by anyone else.

Mike

 

[Ockerron]

We have been travelling to and from Germany and all over France with and without our caravan for nearly 12 years and regularly 'got our heads down' in the car for a couple of hours when we got too tired for it to be safe to keep driving. Apart from waking up cold and stiff (cue Tootles) we never, ever had a problem nor did we ever hear of any problems. Although we did witness a rather entertaining 'show' late one night whilst in Belgium but that's definitely a tale for another thread!

 

[Reallyretired]

In reply to the OP, yes you can sleep overnight in a motorway aire, no legal problem. but as above it probably isn't a good idea to do so.
I stopped on one once on a toll motorway, and I'm sure I was charged extra for taking so long to travel the short section.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Why the mad rush to get south? France is great, take your time and enjoy it

 

[JJ]

Perfectly legal.

I have stayed overnight and sometimes longer on motorway service areas for decades and never ever had any trouble...

However don't do it if you think it is dangerous.

JJ

PS. I think you are limited to 8 hours on Portuguese service areas.

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[ludo]

Stayed at this motorway aire many times with no problems whatsoever. Aire de la Lozere, junction 32 A75, 44°52'12.13" N 3°14'59.37" E

Fuel, lorry park, Arboretum, restaurant, water, showers, open air museum of stone and granite. This is a cracking overnight place to stay. Look at it on Google Earth street view!

 

[Clive and Kerri]

Having been robbed while asleep on a large aire on the A1 would never sleep on a motorway aire again. Did everything suggested, large, busy, parked under a light and still they got in, even took the watch off my wrist. They tried 7, got into 2, both Swifts.

 

[Jaws]

When we are en route we only ever use garages.. Get tucked in between the lorries so you are not away from anyone else making your self a target.
We have been using garages for the past 6 years or so without a single issue..
In fact very often in the evening I will get out there and waffle with the drivers.. We have been given fresh fruit, veg, and enjoyed a wee dram with many of them.
The lorry pilots do it pretty much every day of their lives, and if it was dangerous they would be concerned.. All the drivers tend to watch out for everyone else too..

 

[Lenny HB]

Not wise to stay on Portuguese toll motorways, if you stay are on a section for more than 12 hours the toll fee doubles.

 

[iandsm]

Sensible question, but please lets not turn it into another gassing thread. Just cant take them anymore

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[scotjimland]

I wouldn't use an Autoroute aire... particularly near any large town ..

Geo was broken into and robbed on an Autoroute aire .. as I recall he was traveling with friends also in an RV..
can't find the original thread.. just this reference to it..



You want first hand you got it
Pammy very light sleeper (her own description)
Me Normal to heavy sleeper (my own description)

We were robbed in France
RV broken into 2am ish
Habitation door lock destroyed entry failed due to deadlock
Driver door lock destroyed and entry gained, cash only stolen
credit cards left in the wallet, wallet left on floor robbers disturbed and seen fleeing from our RV
We Both slept through it like babies, no gas ,no headaches, no alcohol to speak of, well two of the small french bottles
You sleep very much sounder than you think,
it took a few mins of our mobile ringing to wake us up for our friends to tell us we'd been done over
Dead locks Dead locks, and with the help of Jims staying safe security advise
tis the only way:thumb:
Geo

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/gassing-yes-spoke-to-the-man.51219/


so it does happen.. but it can happen in any aire or site.. we just have to reduce the risk by using less risky places.. and in my opinion, auto-route aires are high risk..

 

[JJ]

One person was robbed on a motorway aire and this is terrible.

But how many people were not robbed on that very same aire.

A person I knew was killed on the road going into Manchester but it didn't mean I stopped using that road.

You can be broken into and robbed wherever you park.

The main thing is if you think it is dangerous don't park there.

But just because people think it is dangerous it doesn't necessarily make it dangerous.

JJ

 

[eddie]

We use motorway Aires all the time when we travel in France. It is legal and the motorway Aires are patrolled.

I obviously have got total faith in my alarm systems and sleep like a baby.

We speak to lots of people who have been burgled who take security a lot more seriously after an attack than before, and I genuinely don't believe that motorway Aires are any more of a risk than any other overnight stop.

I posted last year that three of us travelling together had met at an Aire, two RV's both fitted with our Growler system and one car and caravan combo. The Caravan was broken into and their cash taken. Two adults and two children and none of them heard a thing. The caravan was not alarmed.

Our RV,s were not touched.

Aire's though can be great places, imagine being able to do this on a motorway service area in the UK?

 

[Ockerron]

So, I'm a thief and I want to target the goodies in these flash Motorhomes that I see parked everywhere. I have a couple of options...I can target a Motorway Aire, as some people stop overnight. However, there are also lots of big hairy lorry drivers around, it's well lit and my escape route is limited to joining the motorway in one direction only...a problem if I'm disturbed and have to make a run for it! Alternatively I could head to a remote town or village (plenty not too far away!) and target a municipal Aire...much quieter, less people around (especially out of season!) and lots of options for a faster getaway, and an even bigger choice of Motorhomes! Now, assuming that just because I'm a thief I'm not necessarily a moron, I know where I'd sooner hunt!

 

[eddie]

If I remember we brought out a table top BBQ and had Fillet steak, very blue, with a bottle of bubble and a nice salad as we watched the sun go down. Great way to travel.

I do worry and am embarrassed when I European, especially French motorhomes pulling into our piss smelling, pot hole surfaced, dirty, expensive services though!

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[cruiser]

we have stayed at motorway services. and we parked right in front of the entrance. to the shop. with quite a few other m/homes. one silly s-- parked right in the corner on his own. which one got broken into.??

 

[John & Joan]

When we started touring abroad we were advised to avoid motorway Aires that were near centres of population. We used picnic Aires (not the services Aires) away from the trucks and have done so often since and never had a problem. Our adviser looked at the maps and would not consider anything within 50km of a town.

6 years full timing and spending winters in Spain, we now feel comfortable with parking for the night away from other vehicles. Parking in groups in our opinion can attract undesirables. They would be lucky to spot us on our own. Take precautions but don't be afraid of shadows.

 

[JJ]

one silly s-- parked right in the corner on his own. which one got broken into.??

That would be me parked away from the rest... but haven't been broken into yet...

Still, I suppose, as I have only been full timing in motorhomes for 25 years, mostly parking off-site, my time will come...

JJ

 

[cruiser]

no JJ they all know to stay away from you. and I hear they have run out of laughing gas.

 

[Hollyberry]

I wouldn't stop on a motorway Aire in France. Your shoes ( and dogs feet if you let them out of the van) will stink of urine when you get back in your vehicle. Just how many people pee on the ground each day for it to get that bad ???? And why?
I have overnighted in a motorway service station area in France a couple of times, noisy but no problems and felt safe.

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