Satnav around France
Having contacted all of the campsites for our tour round France this May, it occurred to me that in this country I put in a Post Code and I am almost there. What do I use in France? Do I have to enter the whole address or a shortened version.
Sorry if I am a bit dim.
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In France the Post Code will cover a far greater area, so you really need to enter as much detail as possible. If you look up sites on the ACSI website you will usually find Lat Long co-ordinates. Before we had our Avtex/Garmin satnav with the sites preloaded this was very useful.
As in the UK you may occasionally wonder why your sat-nav is directing you the way it does. We have found the D roads in France varied between something close to a gravel path through to a very nice single carriageway where you could happily do 50mph.
I'm sure you'll get on fine and enjoy your trip.
Colin
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The trouble in France is that post codes cover a much larger area than they do in the UK so they are not as helpful. The best way is to download campsite POI's (Points of Interest) if they still exist. That way all you do is select the campsite you want to go to and the route is planned using the campsite location. Depending on the Sat Nav you are using you may be able to input a route using Google Maps?
David
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A 'postcode' in France has 5 digits. The first 2 are the departement, roughly relates to county in the UK. The last 3 digits narrow the location down within the departement, but do not tie it down completely. The post code will be followed by the name of the town or village, which gets you closer. For a letter to go into the correct letterbox, the house number and the street, or road will be needed.
So in answer to your question, yes you need the full address. LaPoste have been tightening up lately following a law that requires all premises to have a proper address in the standard format. They were previously a bit forgiving, relying on the postie to know who lived where on their round.
Made up example.
Mr Anybody.
161 Rue de la Somewhere
99450 PLACENAME
France.
Nothing dim about the question. Have a good time.
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I tour regularly in Europe and find using the full address tedious and imprecise. I always enter the decimal co-ordinates (latitude/longitude) of my destination - and waypoints, if appropriate - into my satnav instead.
To obtain the co-ordinates easily, I zoom into the location on Google Maps and identify the site entrance. I then right click on my mouse and this brings up a sub menu, the first entry on the list being the co-ordinates for the point selected.
Then just enter these into your satnav and off you go. Simples.
PS. I use this method in the UK too.
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Nice to know I'm not so dim.
Many thanks for the excellent advice, I will try and find the lat/long details from google maps.
I have contacted 7 out of 9 sites, booked some and been told to just turn up at others.
All seems to be going to a plan??....apart from a leaking fuel filter, luckily outside of a garage who was willing to replace it. Test run to Sheffield tomorrow, hope the replacement holds up.
Always something to add stress to any situation...........phew!
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Bingo!
Just tried the google map idea of obtaining lat/long coordinates and it works. We used Copilot satnav for our tour of Germany and found it works well, so I will keep it on for another year. My wife trust Copilots performance, one less worry.
Many thanks for your help.
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I have been using copilot for some years as well and have found it excellent - much better than the Garmin dedicated satnav I had previously. Unfortunately the current version won't work on my elderly (but still fully functional - like myself) phone but I found a handy site where I could download previous versions.
I agree decimal co-ordinates are the way to go. I use the latest version of Archie's database which sadly is no longer updated.
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If you use the App SearchForSites it interfaces direct to Co-Pilot when you click on directions to the site you have selected. Just click on the "navigation options" and you get a list of usable Apps including Google Maps, Tom Tom Go etc.
peedee
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Sat down this afternoon and searched google for coordinates, easy to do once you know how. All 10 sites written out and ready to go.
Contacted all sites, some wanted deposits, others said just turn up loads of space, electricity at all of them. We will use our gas for when the van is parked during any excursions.
Really looking forward to the trip.
Thanks to all for the info, really helps!
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Ideally you should get hold of “Archie’s” files (POIs) which you can download to your Satnav. If you have an Garmin you use the free POI loader. Unfortunately he stopped updating these a few years ago and I’m not sure whether they are available from other sources. After all, campsites rarely change and they certainly don’t move! I have all European sites and also ACSI sites separately listed. No simple way to share my files though.
If anybody knows how to get the files then please post a reply.
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Hi, we use Tom Tom as per Red Kite does, but also we use Waze which we use getting close to our destination, we put the campsite name in and it takes us straight to the site but it will also bring to our attention if there are roadworks, traffic jams, road accidents and notify us of a diversion and it’s a free App on your iPhone. Just try it, we think it’s brilliant, it’s reassuring if your totally lost, it will get you back on track. It’s always updated to the minute.
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Search for sites shows two reasonably sized Aires, one either side of the harbour. They might provide an alternative if you have difficulty getting into the site.
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Firstly, I'm new to 'motor-homing', but can't wait to get started.
At some point I would like to travel to Spain,(Malaga region), via France.
Ideally I'll be travelling there/back sometime between April/Sept.2025 and would like advice on which routes to take and advice on any campsites/stop offs/places of interest etc.
I'm reasonably confident of taking a ferry to Santander, as I've done this twice without too much drama
, and then driven across to northwest Spain,(Barcelona region), but that was in a car, and the drive was non-stop.I did once look to drive through France, but I was put off by the amount of rules/regs etc. that are required,(at certain times of the year)....Winter tyres/snow chains, even in good weather had to used/carried just to mention a couple.
Anyways, I look forward to any advice offered, and thank you in advance.
Kind Regards
Walney 13
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Archie's files are no longer available. 'Archie' (not his real name) has now given up with what was his labour of love for many years. It took an awful lot of work keeping things up to date (I helped out sometimes) with so many thousand campsites to check. He had other responsibilities and decided keeping Archie's up to date took up just too much of his time.
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Google Maps is yoiur friend and getting the co-ordinates for the site is so easy BUT have a close look at the route the app is sending you on. I thought that I was so clever finding the co-ordinates for a site near Avignon on to find myself towing down a gravel road between millions of grape vines. If I'd taken the time, I would have seen that the dual carriageway which was not far away would hve got me there with a lot less stress and would have been a lot quicker.
AS BIG lesson learned.
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I would just like to thank one and all for the advice given prior to our trip to France. I took note of it all. From coordinates to Aire in Dieppe. Only blot during the trip was the domestic water pump gave up the ghost, had to use buckets of water the whole trip, bit like going back to the old days camping.
France puts us to shame from the roads to the way they maintain the verges/roundabouts, hardly saw one that was neglected.
Just enjoyed the whole trip!
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