Camping-Car Park

peedee
peedee Club Member Posts: 9,389 ✭✭✭
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While browsing, I came across >this<   Unlike existing French aires you can book pitches and even have a BBQ. This service is new to me and appears to be a new concept with at least some of the existing French aires being incorporated into this system. Is it a sign of things to come with more and more of the existing aires in France and other countries being absorbed into this system?  Could we see such a system opening up in the UK ?   Have you used it? Does anyone know more about it? The English version of the web site is a bit sparce.

peedee

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  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,866 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #2

    I had come across this website before, can't remember where I heard about it. Seems to be heading towards a more "managed" offer for motorhomers?

    David

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,389 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #3

    It seems the Company was started by a couple of motorhome owners but I cannot find anything about when this came about. They don't own the sites which are the property of campsites, town councils and private investers.The arrangement with these owners is probably commercial sensitive but I note the intention is to cover all of Europe.

    peedee

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #4

    Looks good, will get the OH to look into it in more detail but could be good for those travelling out of season.

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,389 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #5

    TG a thread about this system was started a few days ago on MotorhomeFacts >here< Following up on some of the leads it was started in 2011 and at the end of 2013 had 20 sites (obviously many more now) I am trying to confirm what is the best way to obtain a card in anticipation that the network will only get bigger.

    peedee

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,866 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #6

    Peedee

    Interesting read, even if some of the posts were a bit predicable wink As someone who is a bit nervous of using Aires, well at least Margaret is, I quite like the idea of it being a bit more organised. The fact they seem to have electrics and wifi seems to be a bonus to me.

    David

  • Kontikiboy
    Kontikiboy Forum Participant Posts: 304
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    edited April 2018 #7

    Hi all, I have just received my new Camping-Car Park card.   €4 plus I loaded it with €10 just to get it started.     I will be using this on our next trip to France in June.    I ordered it on-line last Tuesday and it was in the post today.    Card, map and car sticker!    Very straight foward and looks easy to use.    LIke David said above, my OH is nervous of staying in lonely Aires, so we decided to give this a try.

    I pitched at Camping Nantes going and returning from Spain recently and took the opportunity to recce the Nante C-CP which is co-located with the Nantes site.   I was impressed with the site and the development news coming out of the C-CP HQ in Pornic, near St Nazaire.       It seems that a lot of work has been done with the Maries up and down France and it is the Maries that are helping with this initiatve.      There seems to be just over 100 sites up and running with a further 13 coming soon.     Has anyone else joined?

    BillC

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2018 #8

    Yes Bill,  we joined earlier this year ready for our next trip away. 

    Last year we noticed a fair few of these sites, some right next to full blown campsites. 

    We haven't been impressed with some of the normal type Aires we've seen although we have decided to try out some of the better type ones.

    I would hate to spend the night on some of the car park aires that you see, crowded and squashed in like sardines is not for us. BB has in the past assured me that the village type aires are much better and probably more to our taste wink

    There is one of these new Aires at Epinal, we were on the campsite next door so took the opportunity to have a good look around. Always seemed to have at least 4 vans on it but with lots of space around each outfit.

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited April 2018 #9

    We got a card last year in Castelnaud and used that and a few other Aires.  We got the card on the Aire from the machine and topped it up as we needed and still have a €8 CR at the moment I think.  Good thing is you can also just use them to park and use the services if you do not want to stay, they have free WiFi and most have EHU so good value.

    Lots of them have larger pitches where you can get the awning out if required so just like being on a  site, they are well placed in towns and villages for visiting.

    Below is us on the Aire in Serignan Plage last year, 200m from beach right in town.

     

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2018 #10

    Now that looks lovely MichealT, more my kind of place to stay. 

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited April 2018 #11

    I was we stayed 4 days.  It is an Aire and the railway sleeper is the demarcation line so your neighbour can use all the space if they wish but it was fairly empty so no need to bunch together and even if you did have a neighbour there would be plenty of space between vans.

    They had a few more with these size pitches we stayed on as well as the usual car park type Aires but they were all well managed, good services and had WiFi, this one did not have EHU but at €12 a day inc services and wifi a lot cheaper than Beauséjour it just about backed onto, you could also use the site facilities over the road at Etoille if required.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,866 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2018 #12

    Michael

    Was this previously a campsite or is it a revamped aire just back from the beach? I have been trying to look at it on Google Earth.

    David

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited April 2018 #13

    David, not sure if this will work but here goes.  

    Google Maps

    I think the maps is a bit out of date but it will give you an idea where it is..

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,866 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2018 #14

    Michael, thanks. That was the one I found on Google Earth but clearly the imagery is a bit out of date as it does not show the barriers and the photos in your link give a much better impression.

    David

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,389 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2018 #15

    Camping-Car-Park have now taken over the running of all the French Municipal camp sites and intends to open them all year to motorhomes and has named this system Camping Mon Village. I am assuming entry and payment will be automated in the same way the Aires are operated. Whether this will be the case in high season is not known. There is a little bit about it on their web site >here<

    peedee