Should 72 hours be compulsory on camperstops. 🤔

[bobandjanie]

The way things are going, more motorhomes more rules on what you can do and where you can do it, and although more and more camperstops are opening, it's always going to be a problem.

Just been reading a thread on the Portuguese forum, some members say our country can't afford to send foreigners away, while others argument is 90% are German, 2 are Spanish and the others are French and it will be like that for 6 months, yet the locals some only having a weekend away cannot get in it's full.

We always try not to upset the locals, I have watched people come looking for a space knowing that I'm going soon, and if a local motorhome comes in have been known to mention we are going in 5 minutes.

So personally I think if you want to stay all winter in one place use a campsite, I do feel their anger and think it should be max 72 hours, and then everyone gets a crack of the whip. Bob.

 

[EdwardFT]

I do accept all the points that you make, but why use a campsite? To me a camper stop and a campsite are two different things. A stop has minimal services, a campsite is more of a full service: good for some people, but something that I personally don't need and don't want. And don't want to pay for, I rarely enjoy paying for something I don't want.

 

[bobandjanie]

Maybe they should rename them camperstays.
I quite agree about paying for something you don't need or want, but as they are clamping down and handing out fines, it would be nice to tour and stop, rather than have to pay for a campsite especially as some have a minimum 3 day booking system, as in France with Aires, the idea is to encourage tourists to visit the town not take up residence for months on end. Bob.

 

[Zepp]

We know quite a few people who stay on the same aire for 9 months a year the owners are happy because they are full all the time .
One German couple have two pitches the owner is happy because they are paying full price for both pitches

I know what you mean it’s getting harder and harder to get on the popular aires we always have a back up aire just in case we can’t get on.

 

[Theonlysue]

Some older people don't have the energy to keep on moving.

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[jongood]

Brilliant, a post about motorhoming with no Nannies preaching.

We always stick to the timeframe where they are displayed, and agree with bobandjanie that we will try and help our fellows MHs by parking considerately.

 

[glenn2926]

I would think 72 hours is long enough to stay on one Aire. Staying longer just prevents others staying.
If you haven’t seen everything you wanted to in that time you can always return.

 

[pappajohn]

We know quite a few people who stay on the same aire for 9 months a year

If they are that content to stay 9 months buy a property in the village and sell the van.... They certainly aren't putting it to full use.

 

[Brains]

Personally I'd suggest either 24 or 48 hrs as a max for a 'stop'.
Anything else is a 'stay' in which case a campsite or other suitable area is where you should be.
If you can come to an agreement with a local farmer or factory owner for longer term parking, then great.

I have no issue with FLT's who keep moving, that surely is the whole point of being a FLT.
But free loaders who want to use the local facilities (be that space, water, loo's or dumps) for much more than an overnight stay should be paying for the privilege.

The only reason locals provide overnight stopping facilities is to boost the local economy.
If you are not in the local pub, restaurant, ice cream parlor, supermarket, castle, or other cultural attractions, on a daily basis, then you should not be using their parking space or facilities.

As an FYI, since the 1970's I have done hundreds of nights of both stealth camping and wild camping over the years, but as far as I can recall I've never spent a second night in the same place.

 

[steve69]

I thought the maximum stay allowed on any Aire in France was 2 nights! Maybe is but not enforced.

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[Caggsie1]

In my book timescales are good until you want to pitch and the site is full This is whether you have long stays or short stays. If a site is popular its always going to be full regardless of 2 day stays or 9 month stays

 

[bobandjanie]

Your right so you might have a chance in 3 days or the next 273 days. Bob.

 

[Madcaravanner]

A minimum of one night and a maximum of 3 nights would definitely help in some places especially where you find people there for months leaving no space for others to visit

There is one observation I would add is that German and Dutch travellers seem to travel with enough supplies to last for months and months - whereas we seem to have enough for a few days / a week at the most so need to stop to replenish and sometimes find that we can't stop due to the area being full

 

[gus-lopez]

that surely is the whole point of being a FLT.

no ,it is not to pay for anything

 

[nicholsong]

Bob

I was worried your thread title was suggesting a minimum stay of 3 days but apparently not. We are like Brains above as we very rarely doing that, for good reasons: We live in Poland and like to tour France but can only get away for 4 weeks at a time because of Basia's Mother, so we usually do 4 weeks, park-up, fly back and reverse later.


So with 4-5 days getting to/from France our time is limited so a day in each place is normal although we do not go far on travelling days so half a half day for activities.

Geoff

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[Tombola]

Split the space, % for long stay, % for short stay.

I also thought you meant minimum night like C&C, which I dont like

 

[bobandjanie]

Yes it's nice to free camp, we do the same but times are changing fast, where we live in Spain they have a 36 hour maximum parking on the roadside, I will admit at the moment some get away with it, and others have just been moved, but that's because there is not that many here, but in normal times they would be handing out tickets. Bob.

 

[bobandjanie]

Duplicate post.

 

[bobandjanie]

Split the space, % for long stay, % for short stay.

I also thought you meant minimum night like C&C, which I dont like

The thread is not referring to any particular country, but we have been to sites in Spain that have turned us away only wanting one night, and even more so if your using the acsi discount card. Bob.

 

[Paddington]

I have only stayed in aires in two scenarios:
1. I'm driving to Europe and I stop overnight to sleep
2. I'm skiing in winter and the village has no campsite. In which case I stay for a week and then move on.
But why anyone would want to stay on an aire for any length of time is beyond me...no shower or proper toilet facilities and no one policing the van full of (usually)brits being anti-social in the space beside you. Id rather pay more money and be able to relax at a campsite than spend my holiday in a car park!

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[denisejoe]

The time scale in France is enforceable according to a french guy I was talking to it’s not for normal motorhomers it’s for the other sort of traveller give them the time limit and move them on

 

[63720]

Controversial but I believe there should be a ban on trailers on a Aire with limited spaces.

 

[nicholsong]

I have only stayed in aires in two scenarios:
1. I'm driving to Europe and I stop overnight to sleep
2. I'm skiing in winter and the village has no campsite. In which case I stay for a week and then move on.
But why anyone would want to stay on an aire for any length of time is beyond me...no shower or proper toilet facilities and no one policing the van full of (usually)brits being anti-social in the space beside you. Id rather pay more money and be able to relax at a campsite than spend my holiday in a car park!

Your experience of using Aires seems to be limited and so maybe is your experience of on board shower ant toile facilities since your MH is a VW Transporter.

We have a very good shower and our cassette toilet has two cassettes which can last a week. Even if shower and toilet facilities are available we prefer the privacy of our own. Nearly all Aires have service points to empty both toilet and grey water and to top-up with fresh water, so toilet and shower blocks are unnecessary for those with on-board facilities, which the majority of MHs do have.

As for your comment about Aires being just car parks, some are, but that seems to indicate that you have not explored the many Aires which are set in scenic places and often more pleasant views than a lot of campsites. Likewise many wildcamping spots. Also many Aires are located near the centres of small towns or villages and more convenient than campsites, as one can nip out for fresh morning croissants, shopping and visiting interesting places.

Geoff

 

[Paddington]

I did have a motorhome before with a shower and toilet. I never used the shower as I didn't want the hassle of cleaning it and I was worried about damp long term. The current van has a toilet, but I try to use only when I don't have a choice. I'm sure some aires are nicer than others. Again depends on what you're looking for....Im looking for proximity to mountains not a bakery or castle.
now Geoff ....don't get me started on the wild camping debate....as a mountaineer....there is no such thing as wild camping in a motorhome......it's called parking without paying

 

[Lenny HB]

72 hours sounds fine to us, we rarely stay more than a couple of nights and over 95% of our touring is spent on Aires or wild spots.

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[Taran_Las]

Some older people don't have the energy to keep on moving.

I don't think Bob & Janie are that old

 

[Theonlysue]

I don't think Bob & Janie are that old

I know them. They do 70 mile cycles before breakfast

 

[jumar]

Having been involved with the construction and day to day running of a camperstop here in Spain, but not now. I totally agree with the original postings,.
My experience was that visitors to these places regard camperstops as cheap campsites, with demands for more and more services, firstly electricity, then toilet, shower, and good wifi connection, what about the breadman calling every morning.....
Of course the owners of camperstops care little about one nighters, as long as their pitches are filled, even giving discounts to encourage such.
It is totally unfair for those who need to break a journey, visit something special, or just have a weekend break, quite selfish to be honest.....but isn't this a common problem just now?

 

[Zepp]

It’s not just aires try getting a pitch in the U.K. on a weekend before COVID

 

[Northernraider]

72 hours sounds fine to us, we rarely stay more than a couple of nights and over 95% of our touring is spent on Aires or wild spots.

Thats the problem with Portugal now as they have stopped all wildcamping.

I think its a bad move and one that will backfire and cost them in the long run.

Its certainly made me think that i probably wont be back.

What Aires there are will now be packed like sardines and thats just not my thing.

And i expect there to be many vans of all nationalities that will do the same and now go elsewhere.

There's probably the same amount of MH that wildcamp in Spain and Portugal as the amount that use paid aires and sites

Trying to then fit them all on the authorised sites means more people in one place ....somethings gotta give

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