Network of municipal sites from this spring (1 Viewer)

[Solwaybuggier]

I’ve just had an email from the French CampingCar Park organisation, the network of private aires. It looks as though they are launching, from this spring, a network of municipal sites with common booking facilities, so far about 60 sites signed up. Details (in French) on their website at (sorry, couldn’t get proper link tool to work!)

I suspect there will be mixed views about this - as there are about the private aires network generally- but I thought people may want to know about it.

 

[Flamenca]

Thanks for the information.

This is the link to the web site in English:

BROKEN LINK

I have doubts that the French will pay those sort of prices to stay on an aire but I guess that many of the 'aires' are old municipal camp sites.

 

[42208]

Does not appear to be posted on the English version of the site, however, can only be good news. Personally find the existing Camping Car Park network first class and last year they became first choice if one in the area I was passing through. Secure well marked sites, fresh water, grey and black drains with electricity included in price. Pre paid card making entry and exit easy, 7 to 15e a night depending where you stay. App lets you know how many units are on site before you arrive. Obviously of no use if looking for free overnight stops.

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[Larby]

Here's one of their sites, I stayed here in the summer. As it is now a business they don't restrict to 48 hours, this site allows up to 21 days. I had problems getting barrier to open, rang the help number and got an English speaker who was helpful and opened the barrier. Free wi-fi with 100 metre radius of barrier, stay on site and flash card to turn on water, in and out often as you like during the 24 hr paid for period. Price OK for me as site next to beach but saw many French people refusing to pay €10.80 a night with unlimited water. No need to drive off, used containers to refresh and discharge water and cassette
To me that's almost free!

 

[DBK]

I've used them a few times. They can be useful and for the facilities offered on most of their locations they are reasonable value if you consider them more of a campsite than an aire. I did come across one in the Dordogne which was horrible - a former building site or abandoned cap park in a village. Null points for ambience so we didn't stop, but some of their sites are in good locations.

 

[Reallyretired]

The old municipal sites turned Aires are pretty good. Often stay at Moulins on the way down. We don't like the one at Gruissan though. We don't mind paying a small fee to use them, but they are not popular with the French who hate paying at all. Oddly the Dutch, who the French accuse of being tightfisted , don't seem to mind paying.
Don't like the idea of booking though, surely this is against the principle of motorhoming. Certainly in 30 odd years we have never booked.

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[Solwaybuggier]

As people have said, some of them seem to be former municipals, while others are standalone or part of an existing commercial site. The first one we used was like that - used it because it was very wet indeed, main site was flooding and the CCP had hardstanding. There can be problems with the barriers - I've just heard of 3 GB vans getting stuck inside a barrier (not 100% certain it's a CCP,) no answer from help lines, ended up having to dismantle the barrier!!

I find their online booking useful to book on the day - can be helpful for ones like Neufchatel-en-Bray, which does get full.

It will be interesting to see whether municipals in this new scheme stay as municipals rather than follow the trend to becoming CCPs.

 

[deleted-member02]

We've stayed at a few of these aires, as already mentioned, the ability to book in advance or see the number of spaces available is really useful.
This one near Perpignan is a good value stopover, also near to beach, shops and cycle paths. I've never known it full but certainly seems to get busier each year...
https://www.campercontact.com/en/fr...rhome-parking-night4campingcar.aspx?fromsso=1

 

[csd4t]

I stopped on one last year (Azur) and the French hippy, p***y, traveller types had worked out how to get 4 vehicles (caravans,cars and a mhome) in using the exit barrier.

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[42208]

https://www.microsofttranslator.com...://campingcarpark.com/camping-de-mon-village/

What they are proposing for next year is a new set of campsites (from spring 2018) to supplement their existing network, looks like all year round for motorhomes and seasonal for camping. Guessing like above, that they are taking over and improving a number of what are currently municipal campsites

 

[Solwaybuggier]

I'd read it slightly differently - as they refer to them as "camping municipal" (municipal campsites) rather than as "former municipal campsites" I'd assumed they would still be locally owned, but with CCP acting as an agent (& no doubt charging a %!)

 

[Lenny HB]

We have stayed a couple of them this year they are quite good especially if in the right location although I do think they are a bit expensive as tourist tax is often on top of the quoted price.
The one at Millau is pretty grim, in the town surrounded by flats, we went off and found a nice wild spot in the hills.

Only the French appear to have trouble with the barriers, yet to see a Frenchman get in, in under 20 min., we have never had any problems and thats on the same ones the French take 20 min to get in.

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[LesW]

We saw a French man close to tears in Brantome aire, but he couldn't get out.. felt really sorry for him, he'd lost his entrance ticket which also had the code on it to get out..

 

[daveinspain]

Thanks for the info, Solwaybuggier (nearly missed out the i in your name, giving it an entirely different meaning!). I´ve just ordered a card ready for our summer trip.

 

[42208]

I'd read it slightly differently - as they refer to them as "camping municipal" (municipal campsites) rather than as "former municipal campsites" I'd assumed they would still be locally owned, but with CCP acting as an agent (& no doubt charging a %!)

What they are going to do is run existing municipal campsites and make them available to motorhomes in the offseason when they would normally be closed using their card and barrier technology. Water, waste, electricity and wi fi available as current camping-car park sites. They expect them to be similar to their current aires i.e. unlikely to have toilets or showers open. Like a number of their existing aires they may well still belong to the community just managed by camping-car parks. Regardless looking forward to a new out of season offering and new locations.

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[42208]

Apologies, just re read your note, I think that is just what you said!

 

[Larby]

I stopped on one last year (Azur) and the French hippy, p***y, traveller types had worked out how to get 4 vehicles (caravans,cars and a mhome) in using the exit barrier.

The one I was on saw was a MH followed by wife in car, she tailgated MH, the barrier doesn't fall until the inner loop detects absence of metal. The next day the car was driven out and left in the car-park for 2 weeks. Day before departure, car driven in then follows MH out. Cost for 2 weeks stay was 2 nights.
Saw a big Concorde arrive, spat out a Smart car, same thing applied, car driven out so appears to be 1 night stay, 2 weeks later it comes in and is eaten by big MH which departs next day, again only 2 nights cost. They had to rely on getting water after paying customers had finished before tap shutting off after 20 minutes Oh yes, both French and as also stated by Lenny HB, it was the French that had problems with barrier, too impatient maybe?


The exit barrier did go missing one night, found 3 days later in wood and replaced. Oh such fun watching people trying to get out that came in through the exit, as they hadn't been registered going in the system didn't want to let them out even after they had paid, albeit 1 night. Had to call control and were made to pay minimum of 3 days

 

[Puddleduck]

Looks great

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[Reallyretired]

The Millau one doesn't look very inspiring, and actually costs more than the site we stay at which is only €10 a night, but of course is not open all year.
I am always gobsmacked by the tricks certain people get up to to avoid paying an often tiny amount. The Moulin aire (previously Municipal) is just €1.40 for an overnight park, and certain people still try to avoid paying it.

 

[magicsurfbus]

Interesting scheme if it adds more options into the mix. I don't begrudge anybody a tenner for an aire stopover, but free or cheaper is much preferred. I think I'll get a card and keep it as a back up. One or two spots look handy for when we're doing long stretches of the journey, and more beachside spots are always welcome.

I hope they get somewhere within easy distance of Lille - they have Europe's biggest two day flea market there in September and it's virtually impossible to get a MH anywhere close.