Puzzled
Comments
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What ET does not tell us is how many motorhomes are also on the site he is staying at. It would be an usual site if there were none? Lots of things puzzle me about how different people enjoy our hobby but if it does not impact on me why not let them get on with it?
Many of us that have changed from caravans to motorhomes are, generally, likely to continue, in the main, to use campsites, However there will be times when an Aire might be the more sensible choice. One example would be that an Aire usually has a firm underbase either being tarmac or gravel. Many campsites in France and elsewhere in Europe are usually pretty unreliable in extreme wet weather.
Without doubt there are those motorhomers, who have never camped in anyother way, who seem dead set on spending the least they can on where they stay. Why that should bother anyone else I have no idea. Should we all not live and let live if it has no impact on us why do we need to ask?
David
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Wild, sounds like she was absolutely livid...
WE have not ventured abroad since getting the MH and when we caravanned we did see some Aires and most of them looked like car parks (because they were) and wondered why people would want to spend a holiday on them.
However whilst not wholly agreeing with BB there is a purpose for them in our mind and that is to enable us to visit towns and cities en-route and have somewhere safe to park for the day or overnight as sometimes parking a 7.5m MH can be a problem. We would like BB sue them as overnight stops or to specifically visit a city so maybe have a couple of nights if there were no suitable camp sites with public transport available.
We have used Cantebury Aire and it was great allowing us to visit the area. In a caravan of course you can drive into towns easier and park, and that is the difference in a MH we tour whereas in a caravan we rushed to site, set up then went out in the car to visit attractions.
For our main holiday we will use Aires/Stellplatz as we travel down but plan to spend 15-16 days on 3 different sites.
As to why villages build Aires it is simple to bring in people who may not normally access the place to spend money in local businesses. I doubt it puts camp sites out of business but can see it damaging trade in the quieter months where the majority of campers are in MH's so only want a quick stopover en-route, but in the main season there is room for both.
I do see some people who see it as a badge of honour to have a long holiday and not spend a penny on sites preferring as AD says to camp on a dust bowl next to a sewage works because its free
. Also after spending 100k on a MH it will have all mod cons so I guess they take the view that they may as well use it.0 -
Its no different to the age old question of 'why on earth would anyone stay on a CC site when there are so many other choices out there......'
the answer is no different either....
its because they want to and they can
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To quote MichaelT:
"when we caravanned we did see some Aires and most of them looked like car parks (because they were) and wondered why people would want to spend a holiday on them".
I've never stayed on an aire long enough to know, but I don't think m/homers 'spend their holiday on them'. I'm out and about during the day with the m/h or on foot or by public transport, returning to the m/h base for dinner/sleeping and the bathroom facilities. Don't shoot me down, but my perception is that many caravanners set themselves up on an attractive site (eventually
) and spend much of each day of their holiday in residence on just the one site.0 -
Well we certainly don't spend much of each day on site - we go out site-seeing either on foot, in the canoe, or in the car, and we move sites regularly much as motorhomes do. However, if we find a site we really like, with plenty to do and see in the immediate and surrounding area, then we may stay longer.
Perhaps families with caravans, who chose the larger 'destination sites' are more likely to stay around the site - but that's probably equally true of motorhome owners with families who are less likely to be staying on Aires without facilities for their children. I know friends of ours used to take their motorhome every year to Cambrils Park in Spain, spending the journey up and down on a variety of overnight sites where their children could let down their hair..
Everyone does things their own way, the way they prefer, and really it's nobody else's business but theirs why they do it the way they do so why should we question it?
The only 'problem' with Aires is that they are often detrimental to campsites, and we've seen nice small municipal sites close down whilst the aire in the same town or village remains open.
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The only 'problem' with Aires is that they are often detrimental to campsites, and we've seen nice small municipal sites close down whilst the aire in the same town or village remains open.
Unfortunatley I can see that trend continuing. When you look at it from the point of view of a small community. They can run a municipal site that brings in folk to spend money, but also costs a lot to run. Or they can spend a much smaller sum on an Aire, which achieves similar results. I am sure the local authorities in France are as cash deficient as ours and are looking for any way to save money.
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so why arent all the caravanners continuing to support the municipals?
or have they all bought MHs and are using the local aire instead?
if so, naughty caravanners
if they havent, then why have the number of caravanning customers dwindled?
naughty caravanners
perhaps this is where folk should look?
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It could be the abundance of the very well appointed sites in the discounted ACSI scheme, removing a lot of potential customers at the beginning and end of the season. When we used to come to France with are tents, we rarely stopped at anything other than municipals as the were so reasonable. However, often they were fairly basic and these days folk seem to want more bells and whistles. We are currently just about to leave Bayeux municipal, not in the scheme and have just paid 111€ for six nights. The La Flèche municipal we stayed at earlier, which was in the ACSI scheme, was 87€ for 7 nights and was a lot better appointed than Bayeux (new block to be completed) 2018) Even the non municipal at Cheverny was only 108€ for 7 nights and that had a lovely covered heated pool.
We picked Bayeux for location and the easy access to the town. However, it has far fewer occupants than La Flèche, which could be down to price.
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Steve, your point about ACSI may well have some bearing, but what this shows is that demand for municipals is falling as those who use sites (caravanners and MHers) move to a more upmarket type (but at a discounted price) and those who don't, continue to make use of aires.
the former group are those who might be affecting municipals most as they are those who have moved to the discount schemes.
the latter group (like us) never used municipals anyway.
so, if there is any 'blame' as to the demise of municipals, it must be from those who used to use them but now dont.....the former group made up of all vanning 'types'.
to suggest that MHers using aires is killing municipals doesnt seem a valid argument as they werent 'into sites' anyway.
as i said earlier, perhaps its those caravanners (and other MHers) who now use discounted schemes rather than municipals that have contributed more to this 'situation'.
you cant blame those that 'ACSI'.....we (and very many more on here do) but for those that do to criticise MHers for not using municipals seems a bit rich
its all down to customer demand.....folk want great sites but at discount prices, especially out of peak (ACSI, etc....)
those that MH want easy (but no-frills) overnight parking to visit a resort/town and move on (aires).
its quite fortunate for CC that we, in the UK, seem to put up with so many 'peak/high' rates that seem to include anything to do with a weekend, one of the zillon BH, or a month with an 'R' in it, otherwise those UK sites in ACSI would be taking custom away here, too.
perhaps if a few sites seriously promoted a loss leader for a season, the message might get out there....
in a way, its the likes of Haven (great new camping infrastructure, full facilities etc) that are taking on the 'establishment' in the same way as ACSI is doing to the local sites 'over there'.....
perhaps in a few years we'll be cursing thise pesky 'commercials' for the demise of the CC
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Here's a photo of the awful Aire we looked at. A bad photo - from CamperContact - sorry. But you get the general impression of where those motorhomes were.
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yes, we all know its a carpark, as some aires are. after all, their primary function is a stopping place (stellplaze, etc) ....not a campsite.
still, you know this.
it probably suits these folks' purpose - a quick visit and away, no doubt, unless you've been out recording number plates to check how long they've been there....
anyway, we all know its not for you, so why bother with your line of 'questioning'?
just enjoy the site you are on and dont get too upset about what these folk are doing....
i can assure you, theyre not worried about you
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Twice this year in France we've parked overnight on Aires close to Campsites.
The first campsite at Lathus St Rémy (Vienne) appears to have been closed for at least a year or two, the large toilet and shower block looked in very good condition but was boarded up, and the free Aire was adjacent to the Campsite with free hook-up, water and waste disposal.
The second site at Vaas (Pays de la Loire) didn't open until May, it was shut October to May, but the adjacent free Aire, water, hook-up and waste disposal was available all year round.
Both Aires were within a 5 minutes walk of the town centres and I can only surmise why a campsite, that the Lathus Mairie had spent a great deal of money setting up, would close if there was any interest from Caravanners and Campers.
We don't need toilet and shower facilities as we have our own, one good reason to have a Motorhome in the first place, so paying to stop on a Campsite just to have them doesn't seem logical.
We move on almost every day but explore the surrounding area on foot, good exercise and at our age helps keep us fit (or as fit as we're going to get), during the day and we neither need or require the luxury of pools, bars and any other facilities the Camps provide.
It's what we like doing, five nights this year we've been the only MH on site on Aires, and the peace and quiet that affords us is immeasurable.
Caravanners may not 'get' it but we do and will continue doing it for as long as we can.
We're going to Ypres towards the end of July for the Passchendaele Remembrance ceremonies but we won't need to book a site to stay – we will just go and find somewhere for a night or two on the Aires in the vicinity.
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Last month my son with Motorhome and 3 young/adult children did the recognised 'Grand Tour of Switzerland'
The 5 of them stayed on accepted legal Aires/Stellplaze etc and it cost less than £50 for 3 weeks.....instead of about £900 for campsites!
We (2 and MH) will spend 3 weeks in Switzerland next month and staying on campsites it will cost at least £600.
If there were car parks available for us to stay, in the locations we are visiting, we would certainly choose some of them as we have done many times in the past.
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Here are pics of three Aires I stayed on last trip out;
>Neufchatel< Full facilities 12 euos, 5 minute walk to large suppermarket
>Availles-en-Châtellerault< Free, lovely rural site with farm shop
>Aire sur L'Adour< View from my cab and free as well, 5 mins walk into town
Not all Aires are car parks.
peedee
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BB - You are way off the mark with presuming that I'm anti motorhome. I'm not. I couldn't care less what other people do or where they stay as long as they leave me in peace.
However that doesn't stop me from having an opinion of whether I think that some motorhomes aren't interested in anything else apart from sitting on a car park next to a toilet. Just in the same way as some caravans aren't interested in doing anything else when they arrive on site and stay there for the duration. It's their money and up to them how they spend it.
I really don't have any "snobbish" tendencies at all. If we met you would realise that.
I have a friend who motorhomes and agrees that he hates paying for any campsite and parks wherever he can find. He laughs about it when I pull his leg about being tight.
That's the problem sometimes with forums. You don't often hear the tone, so apologies if I've offended your sensibilities but I really don't wish to rubbish anyone's choice. It just seems strange to myself and wife when we see Motorhomes cramped cheek by jowl in unlovely surroundings when there is a perfectly acceptable campsite next door.
Anyway I'll buy you a beer if we meet just to show there's no hard feelings, providing you'll accept of course.
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That seems a lot of money aren't you using ACSI?
We certainly don't need Showers and Toilets either but we do use them. Ours in Caravan is equal to any Motor Home.
We are on a small 30 van ACSI Site in Austria on the Ossiacher See cost is €130.90 per week inc all Taxes. Free excellent WiFi, non metered Electricity. Excellent Moden, Heated Showers, Toilets and Laundry. only extras are Washing Machine/Driver. Lawned grass cut every few days. Wonderful.
DianneT
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WN, why would i not accept your kind offer, thank you
'twas your '(some) motorhomers know the price of everything and the value of nothing' comment that made me assume you were thinking along the lines of 'more money than sense....' for staying on that awful aire etc....
im sure you really didn't mean for anyone to think that was what you meant, it just came across as a bit condecending and, yes 'snobbish', hence my post.
im sure you're not at all snobbish really and to show that ill have a beer with anyone, i gladly accept.
have a good one
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Yes Dianne we are using 3 ACSI sites.
Our overriding requirement is always location, taking into account public transport and 'bikeability'....so always a mixture.
This time there are no Stellplatze in any of the areas we will visit so it's all campsites.
I always thought that toilets/showers in Motorhomes and Caravans were more or less identical....allowing for different styles and manufacturers of course?
We are all different thank goodness
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Like eurotraveller I am intrigued by people's choices! I have been on an ACSI 20€ a night site as it was the only site I could find anywhere near the hospital my brother is in. BUT although the setting is nice the nearby N164 made it not at all peaceful. I was a little puzzled to find a motorhome next to me one night and wondered why he didn't use some of the Aires in the locality. He left at about 6 am too. Of course he may not have had a shower on board but I couldn't use the site ones as I found the water scaldingly hot. (I did ask if I had any control over the temperature and was told no - they did offer to turn it down but I said I could use mine and if no one else thought they were too hot.....).
It seems very few municipal sites are open in central Brittany early enough for me. I think they are opening now.
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I have just started a discussion on lost enjoyment. This discussion makes it abundantly clear that although we all like touring we go about it in completely different ways. I have no interest in where people with motor homes park overnight. I have no interest in pages of advertising in the club mag for motorhomes. I am sure that motorhome owners are not interested in the inside of my next caravan. So I have lost a little enjoyment as half the mag is for motor homes and more and more of the discussions are about things caravan owners have no interest in, like how good is the car park I slept in last night!!
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surely, the members are still the same?
those with caravans who were members before the rebrand are still members, and still the same people?
similarly, thise with MH who were members prior to our new name are still members and still,the same people?
and, to a degree, the mag used to have MH reviews as well as caravan reviews before the rebrand, as it does now...?
not a lot has changed in my view....
yes, we all do things differently, but we did things differently when it was plain old CC....
perhaps the mag has changed its content proportion a bit....i hadnt really noticed to be honest
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Well said, BB. Perhaps the complainant should be more selective in the threads he reads and contributes to.
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We were in Switzerland recently for a few days, compared to last time we were there about 5 years back, we found the tourist taxes really high. Our 19 euro site had an extra CHF 4.50 per head per night tourist tax, making the cost 26.50 euros per night.
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