South west Coast of France Now (1 Viewer)

JackieP

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Morning all,

I've just made it to Saint Jean d'illac on the west of Bordeaux and my plan was to take the autoroute down to Hendaye but truly, it's a hellish road with nowhere to stay and I wondered about heading further west and travelling down some of the coast.

I was thinking of places like Ares, Cap Ferrat, Sanguinet, Mimizan, Capbreton…

My question is - will the aires be open and more importantly, will there still be people staying them at this time of year? I had a bit of a scary experience and I don't want to stay alone any more.

Can you help?
 
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Robert Clark

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Look online at Campercontact which shows when Aires and campsites are open
Hope this helps
 

DBK

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It is an area with long stretches of not a lot, especially at this time of year, but I would guess if you choose aires at popular places on the coast you should have company. We were in Brittany recently and the coastal aires were all busy.

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Mar 16, 2010
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Hi Jackie good to hear from you....we have stayed at Mimizan in October and it was quite busy on the aire. It works on a barrier system gives you a card when you put your reg number in and you pay before you exit . Sorry can't help with the others though.
The motorway from Bordeaux down to the border is hellish but it dosnt take that long and then there are quite a few good Aires near the border at Biarritz Bayonne and a good campsite larouletta just before the border. Stay safe
 
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[QUOTE="


My question is - will the aires be open and more importantly, will there still be people staying them at this time of year? I had a bit of a scary experience and I don't want to stay alone any more.

Can you help?[/QUOTE]

wife is interested in Why/ how you had a scary moment?
I personally prefer quiet and out of the way places to park up but the missus likes the comings and goings so she can people watch,
I appreciate it may be more difficult being a woman on her own but if you park so you have a easy exit if you feel uncomfortable for whatever reason, just drive away,
 
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JackieP

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Aye, that's just what I did. See, Where is JackieP thread for details. i don't want to dwell on it and to be honest, I rather wish I hadn't mentioned it as all it's done is bring it all back.
 

magicsurfbus

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Mimizan is basically a modern-built summer resort. I can't speak for how busy the aire will be but I imagine the town will be populated by tumbleweeds. We've been there in October and it was shut - I expected to see a small grizzling Mexican child run across the street, like Clint Eastwood in Fistful of Dollars.

You might want to avoid the Biscarrosse-Plage aire as it's wooded, and the resort is one of the tackiest I've seen in France. Great if you want to stroll through the dunes and surf but that's about it.

Lacanau-Ocean's aire is better-placed close to a main road and has automated barriers. Good cycle tracks round there too. The seafront has a distinct surfy vibe to it and there's a bit more about the town. I doubt if any stopovers along that coast will be deserted as October is the prime time for surfing, and it's something of a holy grail for European surfers.

I don't personally know the others between there and Biarritz, but we've alway liked the Anglet aire, which is close to beach and bus routes, with boulangerie and eateries within easy walking distance, and a pleasant riverside cycle route into Bayonne. There's also the Avenue de Milady aire just south of Biarritz which is bit more tightly-packed and more noisy than Anglet.

The aire at Hendaye is small, tucked away and next to a railway station so maybe not ideal for your purposes. There's another in St Jean de Luz which is next to a busy road but maybe a bit more secure for you.

Look in my signature below for a few aire pics. For detailed info (in French) try the CCI website at www.campingcar-infos.com/Francais/recherche.php

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JackieP

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Thats SO useful! Thank you! I've know the aire at Hendaye and have always stayed there but I might give SJdL a go when I eventually get down there.

Thanks!
 
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JackieP

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Mimizan is basically a modern-built summer resort. I can't speak for how busy the aire will be but I imagine the town will be populated by tumbleweeds. We've been there in October and it was shut - I expected to see a small grizzling Mexican child run across the street, like Clint Eastwood in Fistful of Dollars.

I just proper laughed out loud then. Somehow I know just what you mean!
 

ojibway

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You can go inland along the Gironde. We stayed at a lovely little aire in Fontet. Also the foothills of the Pyrennes are beautiful. We have stayed in Oloron St Marie and Laruns

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Hi Jackie,
You might be past there by now, but there is an aire at Andernos-les-Bains next to the port area that was open and quite busy last week. I think payment was by machine, but we only drove past so I'm not sure. Can recommend a restaurant Chez Alcide at Arès, overlooking Arcachon basin,which was also open last week.
 
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JackieP

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Hi Jackie,
You might be past there by now, but there is an aire at Andernos-les-Bains next to the port area that was open and quite busy last week. I think payment was by machine, but we only drove past so I'm not sure. Can recommend a restaurant Chez Alcide at Arès, overlooking Arcachon basin,which was also open last week.

Thanks for this. I spent nearly a week there. There was no fresh water at the bourne so the paying machine had been discontinued - the result was over a hundred French vans in attendance. I loved Andernos les Bains - lovely town - lovely people.

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JackieP

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This south west coast is a wonderful place to visit. I've stayed in some lovely spots along the coast. Currently in Gastes along with the last of the French holiday crowd. The weather has been superb. Blue skies every day. Would highly recommend a visit even at this time of year.
 
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So glad you are now enjoying your time in France Jackie.:)
I think that part of France is beautiful at this time of year.
Used to love going that way on our way to Spain for the winter
I'm not at all jealous:sick:
 

scotjimland

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Mimizan is basically a modern-built summer resort.

True and not so true..
it once was a logging town with a railway .. you can visit the old wooden church which is still in use today
This is a photo from the church notice board with a photo showing families on the beach ..I'm guessing the turn of the 19th century.

Yes, the town will be quiet.. but the aire will be quite busy..

Capbreton has a good aire, right on the beach and an easy walk into town.. it is busy all year..

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magicsurfbus

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True and not so true..
it once was a logging town with a railway .. you can visit the old wooden church which is still in use today

I should have made the distinction between Mimizan-Bourg and Mimizan-Plage, which is a common division between coastal settlements in that part of France. Mimizan-Bourg as I remember is a very pleasant little village with an almost English feel to it. It's the -Plage bit that's unrelentingly modern and seasonal. The logging heritage will explain the gravel forest track that our SatNav took us along on the way there :)
 

Emmit

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Can 'we' give a big up to a night spent, over the border at Hondaribillia which is literally the first town on the coast as you cross the border at Irun.
Admittedly I'm talking a fortnight ago (come to think of it, the same week as the O/P was asking) but we shared the car park at the beach with about 7 0 other units, the vast majority of them Spanish and not a bit of sharp word, raised voices was heard for the length of our stay.
Admittedly, it wasn't an Aire but fresh water was available and the town was very much open for business (but that could be because it was aSpanish Nat. Holiday weekend)

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sedge

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The elec and water is off at Cap Breton at the end of Sept I think - and certainly isn't back on at the end of March, so dunno when they do it!
 

sedge

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I think it's even bigger now Jim - double rows , with the elec bollards every 4 or 6 or 8, can't remember! - and a fair bit of Armco and wood in the fence between the dune and the aire, a tarmacked walkway over the dune ...... yes, May it's all turned on and you have to pay! It is at least free when the services are off!

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Cossieg

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We left Cap Breton a week ago & all services were on & the lady collecting the cash told us they stay on until 15/11. Mimizan Plage is a heated facility so i think is all year round. We used others wandering down & all were open. Lots of people around as well!
 

Hymie

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