French Washroom Facilities
Hi all,
I've just come back from a two week holiday in France. We had a great time and the weather was lovely. One thing that surprised us was the difference in washroom facilities - not nearly as good as ones usually found in the UK. The first place we stayed
was Camping Des 4 Vents near Paris. This is a lovely site (affiliated with the Caravan Club) with spacious pitches, privacy hedges, a pool and a rustic outdoor cafe/restaurant. What took us by surprise was there was no toilet rolls or toilet seats in the stalls
and no soap to wash your hands either. There was a large roll of loo paper near the entrance so you had to reel off this first - a very strange affair. Our second stop was in the beautiful town of Amboise in the Loire Valley. This was a municipal site and
more rustic but the same lacking washroom amenities with no soap or any toilet rolls to be seen. They were also unisex facilities which took a bit of getting used to. The chemical toilet was also right next to a long hose used to fill up your
water too which was somewhat off-putting especially when observing how some people just left the hose on the ground near the chemical waste. You wouldn't get away with this sort of setup in the UK. Perhaps these differences are the norm in Europe?
Comments
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What you describe is much more common in France than elsewhere in Europe. Earlier this year we stayed at quite a few sites in Germany and Austria which had really superb facility blocks and would even put the Club to shame in a couple of cases. I have never understood the one central roll of toilet paper!!!! It wasn't that many years ago that French campsite s still had Turkish style hole in the ground toilets so I suppose seatless loos are an improvement? Some would argue that is hot weather they are easier to keep clean because they can be pressure washed, perhaps another clue as to why toilet paper in not in the cubicle? We stayed on one French site that had converted one of the toilets to a chemical emptying point but did not provide a tap to rinse the toilet which of course only encourages misuse of other drinking water taps. With more and more permanent accommodation being placed on French campsites with their own facilities perhaps sites don't see the importance of improving facilities. The French campsite star system does not help either as the number of stars given are based on quantity of facilties not quality. Another reason fro always using your own facilities?
David
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Max, you went to two sites....and you are generalising on that basis?
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Hi, I'm certainly not generalising - just stating observations on both the campsites we stayed at and wondering if this is the norm should we venture to France and beyond again.
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Max, there is infinite variety.
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As long as they're clean (and not the dreadful squat type toilets which fortunately are now very rare) I'm happy. Seatless toilets and remembering to take paper are small prices to pay for the informality, friendliness, and often excellent position and
environment of so many French sites.0 -
Best facilities we have found were in Austria, but there is a huge variation in every country.
We go for location first when selecting a site, and use our own facilities when the site ones are not up to our requirements.
The CDP near to fresh water filling can be a problem, where I find it, I generally look for an alternative tap, having seen how many campers use the hose!
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As long as they're clean (and not the dreadful squat type toilets which fortunately are now very rare) I'm happy. Seatless toilets and remembering to take paper are small prices to pay for the informality, friendliness, and often excellent
position and environment of so many French sites.Did not really have any problem with that type when I was younger. Just remember to take your car keys out your shorts pocket, almost lost them once. A few places still have them and I must admit yo avoiding them, if possible, these days.
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The only real problem with French facilities is the temperature of the water in the shower, and the fact they favour the push button type. The only truely decent French shower I have come across on a camp site in nearly 40 years, was on a site owned an run
by a British couple.0 -
As others have said, we have encountered a wide range of standards in France.
None have been unusable and we look at the reviews / descriptions to avoid any that say squat toilets only or that are generally described as filthy.
We have been on sites with basic facilities (no toilet seats or paper) right up to ones with fabulous facilities - as good or better than we have at home!
One thing that we have found fairly consistently is that they are cleaned far more often than the 'once a day' regime that the UK seems to use.
I just remember that we are paying about half the price, so something might have to give.....
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As others have said, we have encountered a wide range of standards in France.
None have been unusable and we look at the reviews / descriptions to avoid any that say squat toilets only or that are generally described as filthy.
We have been on sites with basic facilities (no toilet seats or paper) right up to ones with fabulous facilities - as good or better than we have at home!
One thing that we have found fairly consistently is that they are cleaned far more often than the 'once a day' regime that the UK seems to use.
I just remember that we are paying about half the price, so something might have to give.....
..Off peak possibly
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One thing that we have found fairly consistently is that they are cleaned far more often than the 'once a day' regime that the UK seems to use.
I just remember that we are paying about half the price, so something might have to give.....
..Off peak possibly
He means half price off peak UK too
...But you do get proper toilet facilities with soap/toilet paper/seats and do not normally "Share" unless you have a "radar" key
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A few clicks on Google will give the names of a whole lot of French campsites with private bathrooms on the actual pitch , and then there's a whole lot more with private bathrooms available at the toilet block.... for anyone who regards that as an important
part of a holiday.0 -
One thing that we have found fairly consistently is that they are cleaned far more often than the 'once a day' regime that the UK seems to use.
I just remember that we are paying about half the price, so something might have to give.....
..Off peak possibly
He means half price off peak UK too
...But you do get proper toilet facilities with soap/toilet paper/seats and do not normally "Share" unless you have a "radar" key
Hmm about £8 a day for a toilet with paper what a great deal
..As said, better the devil you know, than an awfull lot of reviews from over there this year, how much is ferry?
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One thing that we have found fairly consistently is that they are cleaned far more often than the 'once a day' regime that the UK seems to use.
I just remember that we are paying about half the price, so something might have to give.....
..Off peak possibly
He means half price off peak UK too
...But you do get proper toilet facilities with soap/toilet paper/seats and do not normally "Share" unless you have a "radar" key
Hmm about £8 a day for a toilet with paper what a great deal
..As said, better the devil you know, than an awfull lot of reviews from over there this year, how much is ferry?
Worth every penny but then I know the value of things and not just the price
...Thats why we stay here with c/van, and almost "free" train travel if wanted gets us four/five star if needed beyond our shores
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...But you do get proper toilet facilities with soap/toilet paper/seats and do not normally "Share" unless you have a "radar" key
I've never shared a toilet. I just wait my turn.
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...But you do get proper toilet facilities with soap/toilet paper/seats and do not normally "Share" unless you have a "radar" key
I've never shared a toilet. I just wait my turn.
...There is a pub in Cambridge that took out the panels between some of the "ladies" loos, as they thought as they never stop talking and always "go" together, it would "help"
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Thats why we stay here with c/van, and almost "free" train travel if wanted gets us four/five star if needed beyond our shores
Only almost "free" we have free 1st class passes but it doesnt make any difference to our holiday preferences
...On all eu railways? and others? ours are 1st
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