Recommendations for Rhone-Alps and Burgundy aires please? (1 Viewer)

neilmac

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Busy making a rough plan for our next road trip which starts from our base near Valencia at the beginning of July.

We have some ideas for the part up to Nimes where Mrs Neilmac wants to try and see Mark Knopfler in concert :RollEyes: but after that we have no plans until we get up to Reims and onwards for a ferry to the UK in August.

So, could anyone recommend some great aires for the in-between bit? We're happy to just go with the flow but its really nice to get some ideas in advance.

leg.jpg


Aires only and scenic if possible, quaint villages that sort of thing.

Many thanks.:thumb:
 

staging lady

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We stayed on a nice aire at Bray Sur Seine

http://airecampingcar.com/aire_camping_car_gps.php/1926-Bray%20Sur%20Seine
Bray Sur Seine : Aire de service pour camping car

Coordonnées GPS : Longitude : 3.23810756 Latitude : 48.41702193

Adresse :
Au bord de la seine a coté du pont sur le grand Parking( On the banks of the Seine next to the bridge on the big car park)
77000 Bray Sur Seine

Type de l'aire : Aire municipale GRATUITE ( Free)
It is right in a town with places to eat etc. We also stayed in one at Villeneuve sur Yonne again on the banks of the river but use your own facilities here. On our return the area was being used by a circus and that's why we had to find Bray. Hope this is not too out of the way.
Camping Les Bouleaux in right off the motorway in Beaune and very handy
Lucille
 

mopauline

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Hi
The route you are showing looks to be the way we are hoping to go down to valencia starting on the ferry dover- dunkirk 6th September. Would you be kind enough to give me the names of the sites/aires that you are showing to give us some idea of where to stay. Never stayed on an aires before do any have any fcilities? thanks for all our help
Pauline & Maurice
 
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neilmac

neilmac

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Hi
The route you are showing looks to be the way we are hoping to go down to valencia starting on the ferry dover- dunkirk 6th September. Would you be kind enough to give me the names of the sites/aires that you are showing to give us some idea of where to stay. Never stayed on an aires before do any have any fcilities? thanks for all our help
Pauline & Maurice

Hi,

No problem, the ones we have in mind at this stage (in the direction you'll be going) are:


  • Gravelines
  • Arques
  • Catillon sur Sambre
  • Reims

The gap in the middle


  • Nimes
  • Palavas les Flots
  • Carnon Plage
  • Sete
  • St Pierre sur Mer
  • Leucate
  • Thues Entre Valls
  • Navarcles
  • Benicassim

Hope this helps with your planning :Smile:

Aires are great, well mostly! They vary from being very basic to having water waste and electricity if required, some are free and some cost a little. But don't use the motorway ones.
 

Ven

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Villerest is a nice aire right on the water next to small cafe & crazy golf although hardly anyone there when we were there in June last year.

I am attempting to attach a photo for the first time, so I hope it works :Eeek:

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mopauline

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Hi
Thanks very much for the list of sites it will be very useful. Do any of the aires have wc's or do we use our own facilities. Also do any of you use a dongle to connect to internet ifso do you buya local sim card from he country that you are in and if so where do I buy it and what do I ask for:Cool:

Thanks again
Pauline & Maurice
 
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neilmac

neilmac

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Villerest is a nice aire right on the water next to small cafe & crazy golf although hardly anyone there when we were there in June last year.

I am attempting to attach a photo for the first time, so I hope it works :Eeek:

Thank you that looks lovely, it may be a little west for us on this trip but certainly worth a visit another time :thumb:
 
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neilmac

neilmac

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Hi
Thanks very much for the list of sites it will be very useful. Do any of the aires have wc's or do we use our own facilities. Also do any of you use a dongle to connect to internet ifso do you buya local sim card from he country that you are in and if so where do I buy it and what do I ask for:Cool:

Thanks again
Pauline & Maurice

Glad they might be of use to you :Smile:

If you mean do they have WC emptying points then yes, most do. But, with aires generally there is more requirement to use your onboard facilities.

As regards a dongle then I think you'll find the general advice is that they're too expensive to use abroad with roaming charges and it can get quite involved trying to obtain a foreign simm card that you can get to work. We use the likes of McDonalds carparks to pick up free wi-fi which works well. Every now and again we come across a wi-fi signal close to an aire that may be 'available' :Cool:

There's a lot of information on here and elsewhere on the internet about aires and several books available that will serve as a guide, we've mentioned quite a few on our blogs too. As ever Google is your friend :Smile:

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Mags52

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Dompierre les Ormes

This is a little off topic (but not much).
There is a fabulous caravan site at Dompierre les Ormes north of Macon that had motorhome overnight pitches with electric and the usual facilities just outside the gates last time we were there. The charge for use was very reasonable and the site itself has a swimming pool and laundry facilities etc. Just thought if you needed a place for recharging and doing laundy etc. this might be a good choice.
Sounds like a great trip.
Best wishes
Mags
 
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neilmac

neilmac

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This is a little off topic (but not much).
There is a fabulous caravan site at Dompierre les Ormes north of Macon that had motorhome overnight pitches with electric and the usual facilities just outside the gates last time we were there. The charge for use was very reasonable and the site itself has a swimming pool and laundry facilities etc. Just thought if you needed a place for recharging and doing laundy etc. this might be a good choice.
Sounds like a great trip.
Best wishes
Mags

Thanks Mags, thats useful to know and pretty well on route.

We are spending about a month on this trip so may try to last out without laundry - not in the same clothes and bedding though :Eeek:. We normally go about 2 weeks between launderettes so we'll see.

Thanks again
 

barryd

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Niel. Before I start spouting about Aires and places to go on they way up how for east or west off the route between Nimes and Reims are you prepared to go? How long for that leg as well? If it were me I would either go west (on the way up) to the Tarn area Millau, Saint Rome de Tarn, Lake Pareloup or even more spectacular East to the Rhone Alps including Annecy area. Either way you have to deviate a bit but if you have a few weeks...

Cheers
BArry

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neilmac

neilmac

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Niel. Before I start spouting about Aires and places to go on they way up how for east or west off the route between Nimes and Reims are you prepared to go? How long for that leg as well? If it were me I would either go west (on the way up) to the Tarn area Millau, Saint Rome de Tarn, Lake Pareloup or even more spectacular East to the Rhone Alps including Annecy area. Either way you have to deviate a bit but if you have a few weeks...

Cheers
BArry

Hi Barry, thanks.

We've got a couple of weeks or so between Nimes and Reims on this trip and we think we're going to deviate to the east. Last year we stopped at Nantua and will probably do so again and we have heard good reports on Annecy and its lake so may well include that too.

So please start spouting and give me your very best :thumb:

:Smile:
 

lorger

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Hi

We stayed at a lovely wee aire at malbussion (spelling) right on the lake with a pizza van some nights and a bakers van in morning 4 euros a night has a couple of wc and a municipal caravan site next door where the ticket collector came from she even told us it was ok to use the campsite showers.


Gerry
 
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neilmac

neilmac

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Hi

We stayed at a lovely wee aire at malbussion (spelling) right on the lake with a pizza van some nights and a bakers van in morning 4 euros a night has a couple of wc and a municipal caravan site next door where the ticket collector came from she even told us it was ok to use the campsite showers.


Gerry

Thanks Gerry, that looks to be in the right area, I'll do some research - sounds good :thumb:

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barryd

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Right then. Here we go

Burgundy

The Aire at Grugy a few miles north of Auxerre is lovely. Right on the river and very peaceful. Its in the book

Further south Lake Setton in the Morven National park is lovely and there is an Aire at the top of the lake (Les Settons I think). Great swimming right below the Aire but no supermarkets for miles so stock up! Not sure if its in the book but its at N47.198362 E4.063157.

Further East the Aire at Lamarche Sur Saone is fantastic. Town is pretty average but the Aire is lovely on Grass right next to the river (shared with boats) again great swimming and hookup if you get there before the boats. Again its in the book.


Rhone Alps

Annecy

Really lovely area but in July its manic. We arrived on the 14th which is Bastile day and the lake was just full of people. It was really hot and every where was packed. There were motorhomes everywhere. There are a couple of official Aires and then just about any land that can fit a van on becomes a temporary Aire. We drove about half way down the lakeside from the official Aire (which was packed full) and just near I think the Macdonalds and Lidel there is a turn off towards the lake and quite a nice area just behind the college which you can use if its out of term time. It was quiet and not busy and only a short walk or bike ride to the lake shore and again (Great swimming)

We wild camped beyond there in the Park De Masiv Bourges and also round another lake south west of Annecy called Lac Du Bourget. A couple of good Aires but we camped on our own in the mountains and near the lake. It was a lot quieter there than Annecy but no less scenic.

Much Further South there is a lovely place called Lac de St Croix which again is in the Aires book. It’s a stunning place, however the Aire can get very busy but is in a lovely village with fantastic views over the lake. We biked all over this area and despite there being loads of fantastic looking wild spots there were signs all over saying no overnighting which people seemed to obey. One tip if you do get there is the lat and long reference in the 2007 Aires book is wrong. Our tom tom tried to take us to a car park down a single track lane that is not the aire and we almost overturned and got stuck.


If you need more detail then let me know.

Cheers
Barry
 
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neilmac

neilmac

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Superb! Thank you mate ::bigsmile: I shall sit down this evening, check them out where possible and weave them into our route accordingly.

Really appreciate your effort :thumb:
 

barryd

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Neil

Is the Tarn Valley a possibility? Round the Millau area is quite interesting. Tarn Gorges, Millau Bridge (a very big bridge but knowing your into photography you might make it interesting), Some lovely spots along the River Tarn, Roqeufort (cheese) and Lake Pareloup. Somebody else asked about that area recently and there are fab places to stay at Roqeufort, St Rome De Tarn and Pareloup (Sales Curan). If its any good I will dig out the details.

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neilmac

neilmac

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Hi Barry,

Yes, we really like that area and will spend more time exploring it. - on this trip though, I think we're going to keep to the eastern side of our route. We'll be returning south from this trip later in the year and that will be on the Atlantic side but maybe our next venture into France?

Just so much to see :Cool:

Thanks again for all your info :thumb:
 
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neilmac

neilmac

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We've filled the middle bit!

Thanks to all for ideas, we've come up with a route for the middle bit of our trip north. With a couple of weeks for this part we're going to be using the following aires, amongst others.


  • Cairanne
  • Aubignas
  • Hauterives
  • Lanslevillard
  • Les`Arcs
  • Annecy-le-Vieux
  • Sandrans
  • Dijon
  • Bray-sur-Seine

leg15.gif


We're really looking forward to spending this period in the Rhone-Alps and Burgundy as we have only really travelled through with a couple of stops before - this time we can have a good look about.

For those interested in blogs we'll be keeping ours up to date en route as far as internet access will allow. Hope to see some of you on the road....

MOST_P23.gif
 

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