Thinking of heading to France

m8

Hi, thinking of heading to France in my camper but have no idea what to expect, Will be traveling with 5 Yr so need to keep her happy.

Would it be possible to go without too much planning routes?

If I was to go any recomdations on a route from Roscoff to head but not far from port max 1/2 day's drive that maybe we would could find some stops on route.

Planning to go 2nd week in aug for approx 2 weeks.

Any advice welcome.

CelticRambler

France is a country made for motorhoming. The only planning you need to do is how to avoid the toll roads as tolls are expensive. However, half a day from Roscoff means you're limiting yourself to the near half of Brittany which has the advantage of being toll-free, but you are excluding about 90% of France and not really getting the best out of France's motorhome-friendly infrastructure.

In your situation, I'd do two half-day drives - morning, visit location No.1 for lunch & midday stroll/playground, then an afternoon drive, and stop for the evening in location No.2. Repeat x14.

My youngest was only 4 when we first started touring (France) in a motorhome and she - like the others - got loads of fun out of the starting, stopping, buying baguettes in a different boulangerie every day, discovering different parks, playgrounds, fountains, whatever - and being on an aire de stationnement with another campervan just like ours (Benimar, not that common in France).

If you're not familiar with the "aire" system, Google it - (mostly) free overnight parking, mostly in town centres or within 5-year-old walking distance, or in wonderful beauty-spots. Avoid the over-hyped tourist areas (basically all the west coast) and you can have a great holiday for nothing more than the cost of your fuel and ferry ticket.

m8

I guess I'm be carefull but your right 1/2 day is not far enough so I will maybe head away southish for 3 to 4 days and then back another route.

Any recomendations on a route?

Towns I should head for for?

Benbecul97

Be careful not to overdo the driving. While you might see alot of France by driving every single day of your two week holiday, do you really want to do that much driving. Not my idea of relaxation, but horses for course I suppose.

Another option is to use the Municipal site available in many larger towns. Not free but not expensive either. Park up in one of these and base yourself there for a 2/3 days and then move on. The site fee in one of these will probably balance out the diesel you would use if driving every day.

Or maybe a blend of both options. Just a thought.

campingcarist

I like to stay two nights in most places. Arrive in the afternoon, visit my chosen location the following day and head off to my next location the next day which is usually no more than a few hours drive away.

Depending on what you like to do/see, google different places of your chosen interest and make a basic itinerary. Sometimes you may find that a place is not really your cup of tea (or coffee) and will therefore move on the next morning.

Bon voyage!

niloc1951

Using Aires is a very good way to tour France, there are over 7,500 of them, a lot are free but with only the rare exception you will never come across one charging over €12 (high season).

Another alternative is to use the network of Municipal Campsites. These are full service campsites (showers, toilets, ehu. etc). Municipal Campistes are sometimes adjacent to the municipal swimming pool and other municipal facilites and are a good option for those with children and on a tight budget, expect to pat between €8 and €14 per night, all in. EXAMPLE

Click http://www.camping-municipal.org/index.htm and allow Google to translate.

CelticRambler

The choice between aire and camping municipal really comes down to the spec of your camper. If you're fully independent (toilet, shower, electricity) then there's not much extra that a campsite will offer, they're pretty basic. Unless it's specifically prohibited, you can park a camper overnight anywhere in France (I stayed outside the gates of the Château de Versailles a few months ago). The aires just make it a little bit more convenient - decent sized parking bays and some services like water/electricity/waste.

If the budget is tight - or even if it's not - I would recommend finding a lake "resort" for swimming instead of the municipal pool. There are hundreds of them, often with an aire included, and at this time of year usually with catering and some kind of entertainment provided.

If you're not against the idea doing a loop, and if your legs are up to it, for your own interest I'd suggest heading for Dinan (south of Dinard, don't bother with that place) in Normandy - lovely town, nice aire over looking the river (small charge) then on to St. Michel (the aire there is on the inside of carpark, so you pay the daily rate and get the shuttle service out to the Mont, and maybe as far as Honfleur (another aire with a fee), then head back.

niloc1951

CelticRambler wrote: »

...................................... then on to St. Michel (the aire there is on the inside of carpark, so you pay the daily rate and get the shuttle service out to the Mont, and maybe as far as Honfleur (another aire with a fee), then head back.

Noooooooooo. The motorhome parking within the Mt. St. Michel car park is a massive rip-off, IIRC in the region of €22 per 24 hours, 24 hours and 1 minute will cost €44.

Seek out a Municipal or Aire for about a tenner in the locality and use bikes or local bus to get to The Mt.

The reason I mention using a Municipal camp site is your 5 year old will have somewhere to safely let of energy, Aires are usually not that safe for children to be out and about with passing traffic and they are after all public areas.

CelticRambler

niloc1951 wrote: »

Noooooooooo. The motorhome parking within the Mt. St. Michel car park is a massive rip-off, IIRC in the region of €22 per 24 hours, 24 hours and 1 minute will cost €44.

Seek out a Municipal or Aire for about a tenner in the locality and use bikes or local bus to get to The Mt.

Oh, I agree! I wouldn't stay there, not when I can park for free on the side of the road half a kilometre away, but I've been wild-camping with my children for ten years so everyone knows the drill. The OP doesn't have that advantage ... and le Mont St. Michel is worth a visit, especially now that they've made it an island again.

niloc1951 wrote: »

The reason I mention using a Municipal camp site is your 5 year old will have somewhere to safely let of energy, Aires are usually not that safe for children to be out and about with passing traffic and they are after all public areas.

False sense of security. I wouldn't let a 5-year-old be out and about on their own in a camping municipal. They're bigger and attract more people - especially in August - compared to an aire in an out-of-the-way village where there might be just two or three other campers, but perhaps a dozen local families enjoying the playground/sportsground/boulodrome.

From where I'm sitting right now, I can see one such amenity, with about thirty children and teenagers in it, no adults in sight. If it's safe for the local children to play without supervision, then it'll be OK for a visitor; on a campsite, all you know is that you don't know anyone and neither does anyone else. (I'm assuming that at least some of the teenagers down below are supposed to be supervising the younger children)

m8

I have booked now .

What does everyone do for WiFI when in France, are there some options?

niloc1951

m8 wrote: »

I have booked now .

What does everyone do for WiFI when in France, are there some options?

Apart from campsites which are usually a rip-off we usually rely on McDonalds, shopping centres and restaurants.

m8

Wherecan I buy some Disposable breathalizers in Ireland?

How many would I need for 2 weeks?

Is there anything else needed to comply with French law not required here?

niloc1951

m8 wrote: »

Wherecan I buy some Disposable breathalizers in Ireland?

How many would I need for 2 weeks?

Not required. Proposal to make them a legal requirement never went through.

CelticRambler

It did actually. They are a legal requirement (to have one, not two) ... but there's no penalty for not having one. Anyway, they're useless, don't waste your money buying one. See this thread for more about mandatory items.

Regarding wifi - McDonalds ! Many rural communes are setting up free wifi hotspots (not coincidentally, right next door to their aire de stationnement, tourist office, community hall, starting point for walks, etc) but it's still hit-and-miss. You can also subscribe to a 3G/4G mobile data package, either through your own provider if you have one in Ireland, or buy a SIM card in France if you've got an unlocked 'phone, then use the phone as a portable hot-spot for other devices. Some campsites have wifi, but rarely powerful enough to cover the pitches, so you have to sit by the office (outside of office hours, you're better off going to McDs)

niloc1951

CelticRambler wrote: »

.........................You can also subscribe to a 3G/4G mobile data package, either through your own provider if you have one in Ireland, or buy a SIM card in France if you've got an unlocked 'phone, then use the phone as a portable hot-spot for other devices................

Tried this option earlier this year. I got an SFR pay as you go sim. The data package did not allow hotspotting or VOIP :mad:

moodrater

niloc1951 wrote: »

Tried this option earlier this year. I got an SFR pay as you go sim. The data package did not allow hotspotting or VOIP :mad:

I used a lebara sim no problem including torrenting and hotspotting

CelticRambler

That's odd. SFR made a point of unblocking VOIP over mobile to compete against Free a couple of years ago. Sounds like it might have been a device configuration problem. The French networks are fussy about some things. Were you using an unlocked mobile?

niloc1951

CelticRambler wrote: »

That's odd. SFR made a point of unblocking VOIP over mobile to compete against Free a couple of years ago. Sounds like it might have been a device configuration problem. The French networks are fussy about some things. Were you using an unlocked mobile?

Perhaps so, but SFR now have over 4 million mobile WiFi hotspots as an expensive add-on which is probably why mobile data is so restricted, BTW it was also painfully slow the network connection we were getting was rarely showing G or better.
Maybe in France, where they have always lead the way in telecoms, they are concentrating on basic voice and WiFi hotspots instead of fast mobile data.
The device used was a Nokia Windows phone and the configuration is not an issue.

CelticRambler

No, that doesn't make sense. All operators are aggressively rolling out 4G services, and the competition in providing all-in packages is fierce. It's the one thing that really shocked me when I thought about moving back to Ireland (or even the UK) - telecoms are so expensive compared to the options here ... and I feel hard done-by with my 0€/month 3G offer, including calls to international landlines!

However, if you're on a decent tarif in Ireland, you should be able to get a decent roaming allowance for two weeks at reasonable rates and not be bothered getting a French SIM.

m8

I have a LHD Camper and have beambenders on my headlights, would I get away without removing htem?

CelticRambler

Yes.

You'll hardly be doing much night-time driving, and there are so many French vehicles with dodgy lights, you'll blend right in! :pac:

campingcarist

m8 wrote: »

I have a LHD Camper and have beambenders on my headlights, would I get away without removing htem?

I managed to do 3 weeks in France last year with no headlights at all. As I don't drive at night, I only discovered that the only lights working were the side lights.

Never had a bother. Also I have a LHD and it got through the DOE without beam benders. All set for this year though.

niloc1951

CelticRambler wrote: »

That's odd. SFR made a point of unblocking VOIP over mobile to compete against Free a couple of years ago. Sounds like it might have been a device configuration problem. The French networks are fussy about some things. Were you using an unlocked mobile?

Yes, and it worked perfectly for incoming and outgoing calls and mobile internet, though very very slow.
No problems when on WiFi.

Dexter Bip

Just go and enjoy it. All the advice given above is good. Don't try to see it all in one go and make good use of the municipal campings and the aires. Get a good guide book for both ( These have been posted before on this forum so go have a look) and don't be too bothered about planning too far ahead. You'll always find somewhere to park up. Sometimes getting away from the internet isn't a bad thing. Learn a few words of French - once you make any effort it opens doors and makes friends. Anywhere south of the Loire will have fairly good weather if you are looking for sunshine - the climate in Normandy isn't that different from Ireland.
Many municipal campsites will have facilities to suit your child - playgrounds,access to a pool, child minders etc. but they vary. Many Aires are situated close to places you would want to see or visit.
Autoroutes are a bit expensive but are good value for money if you need get somewhere far away in a short time. The most you would pay would be 25-40 Euro for a long drive. If time is at a premium then it isn't a bad idea. Autoroutes are of a Uk standard but without any traffic and are fairly stress free. You can get to La Rochelle in an easy day's driving from Cherborug in this way.
Have a great trip and may it be the first of many.

CelticRambler

Dexter Bip wrote: »

Autoroutes are a bit expensive but are good value for money if you need get somewhere far away in a short time. The most you would pay would be 25-40 Euro for a long drive.

Those are car prices, and only for a "long" drive by Irish standards. You need to double it, or more for a camper (class 2) - about 10-15€/100km, and 100 km is nothing in France (I'd usually do 3-400 per half-day). You'll also pay more in fuel because of driving faster, especially if the wind is against you (particularly the Mistral and Tremontane, or strong coastal breezes coming off the Channel)

That said, there's very little motorway network in Brittany, and there are toll-free sections in Normandy, which is probably as much as the OP will cover in two weeks.

Speaking of fuel - for the best price, buy it in supermarket service stations or the Total Access network (not Total, just Total) but be prepared to pay by card at an automatic pump. www.prix-carburants.gouv.fr gives the day-by-day prices and also has a route planner tool that allows you see the different service stations and prices along the way. It's especially helpful if you're using S95-E10 petrol as not all départements have it. Or even E85 !

colmll

Hi all, as this thread is on motorhoming in France, I would appreciate some advice also. I am heading down from Cherburg to a campsite about 50km south of La Rochelle for 10 days next Wed and I am looking for any suggestions on what aires or campsites we could overnight on the way down. We don't book into the campsite until Fri so will need two overnights. I would also like to stay as close to the coast as possible and avoid motorways/toll roads. Any advice greatly appreciated.

CelticRambler

That route crosses territory I'm not particularly familiar with, but as you've got two days, I'd recommend swinging around the bottom of the Cotentin Peninsula on your first day and stopping in Dinan (again!). It'll add about 50km to your journey, but the total is only 600km, so only one day's drive and you've got three days to do it.

Depending on how close to La Rochelle and/or your final destination you want to be on Day 2, you could do 300-350km to end up in either La Rochelle itself or the town of Niort, both of which have good aires (and, like Dinan, apply a small charge for 24hrs parking).

The "aire" in La Rochelle is just part of a big carpark, but almost smack in the city centre. Very easy to get into and out of, but not always easy to get space, especially if you arrive after 16h00. I've only used it in the winter season and there could be 30-40 MHs there, a good number parked in the ordinary (car) bays. I've never had any trouble, but in August it might be a different story.

Edit: in fact, I think the camper spaces might be free in La Rochelle ... can't quite remember. Car spaces are free overnight and on Sundays, like just about everywhere in France.

Niort is a much nicer facility, but tricky to find. On my first trip, I was fortunate to be following someone else who did all the hesitating for me! Even so, I couldn't quite believe he was indicating left and about to turn into what seemed like a crack in the wall. :eek: He was and he did, and I did too. It was more of an optical illusion than a really tight squeeze.

moodrater

Don't know why people think you have to drive so much I'm camping around Ireland 35 years and only see a fraction of it. We spent 18 days in France last summer and only drove about 350km. There is something cool at least every 5km in coastal France. Also worth cycling you see more in 10km on your bike than 1000km driving.

killalanerr

colmll wrote: »

Hi all, as this thread is on motorhoming in France, I would appreciate some advice also. I am heading down from Cherburg to a campsite about 50km south of La Rochelle for 10 days next Wed and I am looking for any suggestions on what aires or campsites we could overnight on the way down. We don't book into the campsite until Fri so will need two overnights. I would also like to stay as close to the coast as possible and avoid motorways/toll roads. Any advice greatly appreciated.

I don't recall any tolls on that route,i use the the airs in nozay when I'm down that way only 3 hours from the ferry and just off the motorway https://www.google.ie/maps/dir/Cherbourg,+France/Nozay,+France/@47.7882001,-0.5156283,8z/data=!4m8!4m7!1m2!1m1!1s0x480c970b9d33188d:0x40c14484fb97e90!1m2!1m1!1s0x480f5ceb1c5287a1:0x40d37521e0decf0!3e0
I would drop by Mont Saint-Michel if i had a day to kill there is a nice airs on the way to it (not the new car park)

If your any way handy with the computer which I'm not you could put the pois on to your satnav http://www.archiescampings.eu very handy

Dexter Bip

killalanerr wrote: »

I don't recall any tolls on that route,i use the the airs in nozay when I'm down that way only 3 hours from the ferry and just off the motorway https://www.google.ie/maps/dir/Cherbourg,+France/Nozay,+France/@47.7882001,-0.5156283,8z/data=!4m8!4m7!1m2!1m1!1s0x480c970b9d33188d:0x40c14484fb97e90!1m2!1m1!1s0x480f5ceb1c5287a1:0x40d37521e0decf0!3e0
I would drop by Mont Saint-Michel if i had a day to kill there is a nice airs on the way to it (not the new car park)

If your any way handy with the computer which I'm not you could put the pois on to your satnav http://www.archiescampings.eu very handy

Nozay is nice and has diesel and a supermarket nearby. We usually stop off there for a break on day one heading south. Spent the night there once in November. Free electric hookup.
La Rochelle has changed. The large free car park in the centre ( Parc les Esplanades) has been reduced to about twenty places with a barrierd aire at the edge of town instead at € 15 per night. Still worth the visit though.
Lots of nice aires and towns all along the coast. All advice given is good. Take your time and enjoy. It's all about doing it at your own pace and doing what you like.

killalanerr

Dexter Bip wrote: »

Nozay is nice and has diesel and a supermarket nearby. We usually stop off there for a break on day one heading south. Spent the night there once in November. Free electric hookup.
La Rochelle has changed. The large free car park in the centre ( Parc les Esplanades) has been reduced to about twenty places with a barrierd aire at the edge of town instead at € 15 per night. Still worth the visit though.
Lots of nice aires and towns all along the coast. All advice given is good. Take your time and enjoy. It's all about doing it at your own pace and doing what you like.

It has one of those barriers now so not free anymore but still a handy spot,good advice Dexter, don't over plan and take your time

Dexter Bip

moodrater wrote: »

Don't know why people think you have to drive so much I'm camping around Ireland 35 years and only see a fraction of it. We spent 18 days in France last summer and only drove about 350km. There is something cool at least every 5km in coastal France. Also worth cycling you see more in 10km on your bike than 1000km driving.

Couldn't agree more. Distance doesn't equate to something worth travelling to see. We once spent two weeks in the van in the Haute Vienne and didn't travel more than 80km the whole time. We remember it as one of the best ( kids and parents ). Bit like travelling from Killarney to Kenmare and next day to Sneem followed by a long trip to Dingle. The one thing I would say is if you are expecting unlimited sunshine you need to go south. Once there settle and have a good time. If you have a quarter of the fun we've had in France in the past 12 years you will be blessed. Go
For it!

CelticRambler

moodrater wrote: »

Don't know why people think you have to drive so much I'm camping around Ireland 35 years and only see a fraction of it. We spent 18 days in France last summer and only drove about 350km. There is something cool at least every 5km in coastal France. Also worth cycling you see more in 10km on your bike than 1000km driving.

You don't have to drive, but one of the benefits of having a campervan is that you can cover a lot of distance and see several different aspects of the country. In many ways, if you're not going to take advantage of that mobility, you'd be better off doing a cycling (or walking) holiday.

Mind you, the walkers that come through my area are typically doing about 1-2000km en route to Santiago, or training for it. We never get any Irish though. The lazy feckers only seem to do the last little bit through Spain. :P

The point is: France is a huge country. If you've paid the fare to bring a camper over, it's a missed opportunity to park it just outside the port for two weeks.

La Rochelle has changed. The large free car park in the centre ( Parc les Esplanades) has been reduced to about twenty places with a barrierd aire at the edge of town instead at € 15 per night.

Since February this year?

I've remembered that there's another aire on the far side of the port with a lot more space, but although I found it on foot, I never figured out how to get in with the MH.

CelticRambler

Dexter Bip wrote: »

We once spent two weeks in the van in the Haute Vienne and didn't travel more than 80km the whole time.

I live on the edge of Haute Vienne and would do 80km just going to the shops and back! Besides, you forgot to count the 1000km before and after your 80km ...

Dexter Bip

CelticRambler wrote: »

I live on the edge of Haute Vienne and would do 80km just going to the shops and back! Besides, you forgot to count the 1000km before and after your 80km ...

Lucky you. Yes it is a long trip. But we spent a week and a half within a radius of 30 km of Serrieres en Chautangue ( forgive my spelling ) jJust went on to the next beautiful village and on again. Cycled along the dam and just took it easy. Never was too far from a supermarket as far as I remember. Still have the cheap barbecue that I found at the Super U nearby Serrieres

CelticRambler

Dexter Bip wrote: »

Lucky you. Yes it is a long trip. But we spent a week and a half within a radius of 30 km of Serrieres en Chautangue

Ehhhh, are you sure you've got your geography right? Serrieres en Chautangue is in the Savoie - about 500km from Haute-Vienne, definitely too far for me to go for a baguette and a litre of milk! Was it Haute-Savoie you were thinking of? I tried to go there last week while I was out for a drive, but Switzerland got in the way. I have a proper trip pencilled in for September/October.

Benbecul97

CelticRambler wrote: »

You don't have to drive, but one of the benefits of having a campervan is that you can cover a lot of distance and see several different aspects of the country. In many ways, if you're not going to take advantage of that mobility, you'd be better off doing a cycling (or walking) holiday.

The point is: France is a huge country. If you've paid the fare to bring a camper over, it's a missed opportunity to park it just outside the port for two weeks.

For many (not all) folks travelling to France this is their annual two week holiday - an extended period of leisure and recreation - not covering hundreds of kms in two weeks to pack in as much as possible. Many (not all) folks will return year after year to explore a different parts of France. Just because your not going to take advantage of the campervan mobility far from means you'd be better off doing a cycling (or walking) holiday. Some folks (not many) might like to park just outside the port for two weeks. :-)

Benbecul97

Dexter Bip wrote: »

Just go and enjoy it. All the advice given above is good. Don't try to see it all in one go and make good use of the municipal campings and the aires. Get a good guide book for both ( These have been posted before on this forum so go have a look).

@OP:Here you go
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=94147668

CelticRambler

Benbecul97 wrote: »

For many (not all) folks travelling to France this is their annual two week holiday - an extended period of leisure and recreation - not covering hundreds of kms in two weeks to pack in as much as possible.

That's a fair point, but if that's the enquiry, wouldn't it be more appropriate to the Travel forum? You kind of expect someone posting in Motoring & Transport to enjoy the driving bit!

Benbecul97

CelticRambler wrote: »

That's a fair point, but if that's the enquiry, wouldn't it be more appropriate to the Travel forum? You kind of expect someone posting in Motoring & Transport to enjoy the driving bit!

Well, their holiday accomodation is in a motorhome so more appropriate where it is, I think.

Yes, but enjoy driving to get to a destination and then relax for a few days, and then on again. Don't forget OP is traveling with 5 a year-old. I don't think OP wants to hear a daily mantra of "Are we there yet?":D

moodrater

CelticRambler wrote: »

You don't have to drive, but one of the benefits of having a campervan is that you can cover a lot of distance and see several different aspects of the country. In many ways, if you're not going to take advantage of that mobility, you'd be better off doing a cycling (or walking) holiday.

Mind you, the walkers that come through my area are typically doing about 1-2000km en route to Santiago, or training for it. We never get any Irish though. The lazy feckers only seem to do the last little bit through Spain. :P

The point is: France is a huge country. If you've paid the fare to bring a camper over, it's a missed opportunity to park it just outside the port for two weeks.

No ones suggesting parking outside the port. Its just everytime the topic comes up people suggest you drive 500 -700km in the first couple of days I think theres no need especially with a 5 year old (unless the long term forecast is awful). There are tons of interesting things in brittany and normandy, pays loire.

I've been all over france my favourite would be area around Nimes, les baux, provence but I wouldn't drive all the way from roscoff to see them with kids. My dad was a 500-700km a day man it was torture.

I know what you mean about the camino i have a few friends that started in france and ended up skipping the final 40km because it was black with people that wanted to pretend they had done it and eejits on mountain bikes.

CelticRambler

OK, I've obviously bred a litter of unusual children! Between the ages of 5 and 10, they used to fight over who got to be chief navigator and had control of the map ... :cool:

However, I'm not one of those who suggests driving 500km the first day to get to a "destination" unless you really need to be there in a hurry, or for a specific event. But doing three short drives a day (stop for lunch, stop for afternoon sight-seeing, stop for the night) it's easy to clock up several hundred kms/day in France without feeling like you've driven several hundred kms.

Getting back to the suject of stopping spots, it's worth remembering that in France you are allowed park (and sleep) overnight on any public hard-standing unless it's specifically prohibited. This means that you can stay in any picnic site or municipal car park if that's where you are when you decide you've done enough driving for the day.

Also, if you time your arrival to coincide with a festival, parking/camping is almost always free or included in your ticket. It's particularly worth looking out for traditional music and dance events in out-of-the-way villages, as they cater for the whole family. Follow the sign marked "Bal Trad" if you see one! :cool:

Dexter Bip

CelticRambler wrote: »

Ehhhh, are you sure you've got your geography right? Serrieres en Chautangue is in the Savoie - about 500km from Haute-Vienne, definitely too far for me to go for a baguette and a litre of milk! Was it Haute-Savoie you were thinking of? I tried to go there last week while I was out for a drive, but Switzerland got in the way. I have a proper trip pencilled in for September/October.

:o:o:o:o Yes - A slip of the pen. I meant the Haute-Savoie...You'd definitely be buying in bulk if you had to go that far to the boulangerie!

colmll

CelticRambler wrote: »

That route crosses territory I'm not particularly familiar with, but as you've got two days, I'd recommend swinging around the bottom of the Cotentin Peninsula on your first day and stopping in Dinan (again!). It'll add about 50km to your journey, but the total is only 600km, so only one day's drive and you've got three days to do it.

Depending on how close to La Rochelle and/or your final destination you want to be on Day 2, you could do 300-350km to end up in either La Rochelle itself or the town of Niort, both of which have good aires (and, like Dinan, apply a small charge for 24hrs parking).

The "aire" in La Rochelle is just part of a big carpark, but almost smack in the city centre. Very easy to get into and out of, but not always easy to get space, especially if you arrive after 16h00. I've only used it in the winter season and there could be 30-40 MHs there, a good number parked in the ordinary (car) bays. I've never had any trouble, but in August it might be a different story.

Edit: in fact, I think the camper spaces might be free in La Rochelle ... can't quite remember. Car spaces are free overnight and on Sundays, like just about everywhere in France.

Niort is a much nicer facility, but tricky to find. On my first trip, I was fortunate to be following someone else who did all the hesitating for me! Even so, I couldn't quite believe he was indicating left and about to turn into what seemed like a crack in the wall. :eek: He was and he did, and I did too. It was more of an optical illusion than a really tight squeeze.

Hi Celtic Rambler, thanks for the suggestions. Do you know where exactly is the aires in Dinan?

SeamusG97

colmll wrote: »

Hi Celtic Rambler, thanks for the suggestions. Do you know where exactly is the aires in Dinan?

Here it is:

https://www.google.com/maps/@48.4542992,-2.0383269,20z/data=!3m1!1e3

It's underneath the viaduct.

Benbecul97

SeamusG97 wrote: »

Here it is:

https://www.google.com/maps/@48.4542992,-2.0383269,20z/data=!3m1!1e3

It's underneath the viaduct.

There seems to be many aires in the Dinan area.
The one in google maps above (underneath the viaduct) is marked #2 (green) in this link http://en.calameo.com/read/001173285de6991609826
Note its parking only - no services. Plenty there with services (# in pink).

moodrater

colmll wrote: »

Hi Celtic Rambler, thanks for the suggestions. Do you know where exactly is the aires in Dinan?

If you have an android phones be there are several aire apps. Cant remember the name of it but the Dutch one has excellent reviews for the Aires by visitors, visitor photos, services listed you can sort by surface type and facilities etc. Most of them you can just click to navigate to the aire. It's worth trying out all the aire apps before you go one was so up to date it told us an aire nearby had just opened when we got theres it was brand new.it had thousand more listed than the others and some swanky private ones too that were more like campsites with internet all services for about a tenner a night.

moodrater

I took a look back at the Android Aire apps, the dutch one is:

All Motorhome Parkings:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.nkc.camperplaats&hl=en

Good: Pictures, site description, user reviews, services, navigation
Bad: small number of sites

Park4night:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.tramb.park4night&hl=en

Good: Very large number of places, some pictures, user reviews, etc. decent interface, some translations

Aires Campingcar-infos:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.aires.ccinfos&hl=en

Good: Probably the most complete list of aires (8611), municipal campings and parking areas
Bad: Clunky non intuitive interface, not translated

There may be others now, those were the best I found.

CelticRambler

SeamusG97 wrote: »

Here it is:

https://www.google.com/maps/@48.4542992,-2.0383269,20z/data=!3m1!1e3

It's underneath the viaduct.

That's the one - the only aire in Dinan itself. The fact that it's under the viaduct should also warn you that there's a bit of a climb to the town centre! :cool:

(But still a much shorter walk than if you stay on an aire in any of the other communes marked on the calameo link).

There's not much need to worry about whether or not an aire has "services" when your on the move. If you're sticking to the main roads, you'll pass a waste dump every half hour or so (usually well signposted). If you're dependent on mains electricty, aires are rarely satisfactory (one hour, regardless of how many Ah you need). That just leaves fresh water which can be sourced in small quantities in many areas apart from the aires (e.g. picnic spot toilet blocks).

moodrater

CelticRambler wrote: »

That's the one - the only aire in Dinan itself.

Thats the advantage of the apps. If you look at the park4night aire app theres another aire at the entrance to the campsite, theres also a camping car area at the hospital a few meters away. Theres two more serviced aires at lanvallay and léhon another 800m away.

Benbecul97

#1 (pink) in this link http://en.calameo.com/read/001173285de6991609826
Camping Chateaubriand is down as an Aire de Services.

but here http://www.campingfrance.com/uk/find-your-campsite/brittany/cotes-d-armor/dinan/camp-municipal-chateaubriand its a Camping Municipal

So which is it? Both? Do some municipal campsites allow the use of services without staying the night?