Winter stopovers in France
We are at the planning stage and have been stumped with overnighters in France. We plan to use the two CC sites in Reims and Lyon, but wonder if anyone has any suggestions for other sites? I am not asking you to do the planning for me, but I have searched
and am struggling.
We want to limit driving to around 4 hours a day.
We would like to finish up in Alicante where we have family, so any tips appreciated.
Comments
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Have you had a look at the first couple of threads in the 'Overseas' section, we found a lot of good advice and information when we travelled in France last year. Sorry couldn't comment on the sites you mentioned as we have not been to either.
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Thanks for that, I did look at that sticky last week and then dismissed it when Google map showed me a route that went in a virtually straight line south. Not that I knew it was any better.
The more I look at websites the more I lose the will to live. I am waiting for a new computer and then my searching may be a bit faster, 9 year old laptop is wheezing a bit.
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caravan or MH?
tolls or non tolls?
ok with mountain passes?
considered sailing to Bilbao/Santander?
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There are a lot more sites open than first appears. The Caravan Club don't offer many sites, but if you have the Overseas brochure it may help.
Where are you heading? And When? If you're going to the south of Spain then most people wouldn't use the Rhone Valley route, unless going down to Provence, but would head in a more westerly direction from that road, and cross the Pyrenees near to the Atlantic
coast, and then onwards from there.If you give more details about your journey some more helpful suggestions of actual sites might come up as many people do the same route every year.
Initially this website might help - though I know there are many more sites than those listed. I know that because we have a house in the south and I know of several overnight sites in our area which are not listed on this website.
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Greylag, after Lyon if you are going that way, there are open all year sites at Avignon and Narbonne. Is that the sort of spacing you want?
And if your computer is wheezing just use a hard print site guide in book form. Good luck. Take care.
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I'm sorry I didn't read your first post properly, and now see your destination is Alicante. However, many people would choose the more western route, as it generally avoids areas which may be at risk of winter snowfalls.
Here are two more website links which may help (click each bold link to take you to the website)
Campsites within 15 km of major routes through Europe - each site gives opening and closing dates.
Campsites Open All year (France) - this website is broken down into regions, so it may help to plan your route first, then look at the regions you'll be travelling through.
There are certainly enough sites for you not to have a real problem and if you have a motorhome, rather than a caravan, then Aires de Service Camping Car will be available to you too, and there are those in almost any town and village of any size.
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Val is right, and don't forget ACSI. Going to Alicante from Calais the direct route shows crossing into Spain on the med side. Arriving in France at Caen/Le Havre is a different story and staying west may be best. So with ACSI and the CC book you should
have a number of sites to choose from en route and there are also the Aires, for Motorhomes only, to consider if applicable (not the ones on the Autoroutes). Of course there is also the down the middle route - Orleans, Clermont Ferrand to Beziers using the
free A75 (except Millau bridge but well worth the fee). In winter it may be tricky but unlikely and you can get from Clermont area to Beziers easily in one day (almost your 4 hour limit!). Just do your research and you should be ok. Very cold central France
in mid winter so be prepared. You may consider staying in an inexpensive Premier or Formula One overnight. We have done all the routes mentioned when we lived near Beziers
and there are pluses and minuses for each but generally the centre one was our favoured and we never had bad weather - going south you can easily change your plan en route to avoid the A75. Be flexible, be armed with the books and don't over plan just
have a rough idea, it will be sure to change! (A plan is only valid until the first contact with the enemy (weather?). PS. 4 hrs a day will make it quite a long trip time wise. PPS.If you have good sea legs and a deep walet there is also the crossing to Santander
to Bilbao.0 -
"If you're going to the south of Spain then most people wouldn't use the Rhone Valley route, " Don't know that that's true!
Just to help here is our well-tried route ( again)
Here's our route from Calais:
1. Soissons - Camping Municipal -164 miles
2. Beaune - Camping les Bouleaux - 250 miles
3. Nimes - Camping Domaine de la Bastide - 272 miles
4. le Barcares - Camping Club Europa - 156 miles or Les Olivers at Le Boulou.
5.Hospitalet de L'infante ( south of Barcelona) - Camping Cala d'Oques - 200 miles. (not in ACSI, but they give a discount to card holders)Just keep heading south from there!
ps Don't forget it gets dark early in France in Winter just like UK ( a little later) so you need to be arriving at your night stop by mid afternoon.
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If you take the western route, bear in mind that the natural line towards Alicante takes you via Teruel which is statistically the coldest place in Spain in winter. Take your thermals.
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Wow. Loads of info, thanks very much. We are in a smallish MH, Sundance 530 and my niece is in a caravan and we will be seeing them later today. I will print this info and let them peruse over a coffee.
We have lots of CC publications, so we should be able to make a plan.
Regards.
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Good morning greylag,
Thank you for your enquiry.
I will add a link for you to view Winter Sites open all year.
http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/overseas-holidays/winter-escapes/open-all-year-campsites
Our Travel Team would be delighted to assist with any further information, the number to call is 01342 316101.
With kind regards.
Kimberley.
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The op mentions two sites for Reims, if one of these is Au Bord de L'Aisne my info is that it is not open for tourers after the end of October except for two pitches on the Motorhome Aire. If anyone has different info I'd be pleased to know for my winter
trip. I have found the only campsite open in the Reims area in winter is the municipal at Soissons.0 -
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Val is right, and don't forget ACSI. Going to Alicante from Calais the direct route shows crossing into Spain on the med side. Arriving in France at Caen/Le Havre is a different story and staying west may be best. So with ACSI and the CC book you should have a number of sites to choose from en route and there are also the Aires, for Motorhomes only, to consider if applicable (not the ones on the Autoroutes). Of course there is also the down the middle route - Orleans, Clermont Ferrand to Beziers using the free A75 (except Millau bridge but well worth the fee). In winter it may be tricky but unlikely and you can get from Clermont area to Beziers easily in one day (almost your 4 hour limit!). Just do your research and you should be ok. Very cold central France in mid winter so be prepared. You may consider staying in an inexpensive Premier or Formula One overnight. We have done all the routes mentioned when we lived near Beziers and there are pluses and minuses for each but generally the centre one was our favoured and we never had bad weather - going south you can easily change your plan en route to avoid the A75. Be flexible, be armed with the books and don't over plan just have a rough idea, it will be sure to change! (A plan is only valid until the first contact with the enemy (weather?). PS. 4 hrs a day will make it quite a long trip time wise. PPS.If you have good sea legs and a deep walet there is also the crossing to Santander to Bilbao.
Write your comments here
Comeyras I have used the A75 route but never in the winter. it is the route I would like to use travelling next mid Feb. You appear to suggest that this is a perfectly reasonable route to use. We were intending to overnight just south of Clerment mainly because of a lack of open sites until you hit the coastal areas. We are towing and not using a MH.
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We did the A75 route with solo car very late in Jan 14 and were lucky to get through. We ended up following a gritter truck for miles over the mountain section, got to our night stop in a Chateaux near Narbonne in the dark. It took us ages to find the accn in the dark. Many lessons learned!
BillC
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