Camping-Car Park

[Harrers]

OK - a word of warning if you are thinking of using these aires for less than 24 hours. I know it might not be common for most people to stay on them for less than an overnight stay. Where I park my van during the winter since I stopped working has no electricity supply and we planned to use the van to stay near the family house where we were going to celebrate Christmas. This again would have no electricity and I needed to make sure our Truma was going to work. I decided to spend some time checking the heater and found it needed a better than just 12 volts to get started. I decided to visit our nearest Camping-Car Park so I could work on the heating with the habitation batteries on charge.

The attached correspondence is self-explanatory. We subsequently decided to stay on the same aire for several days before Christmas to ensure we had plenty of charge for the festive night!


I visited the aire at Codolet on 11/12/2024 from 14.16 to 20.52 then 12/12/2024 from 16.10 to 19.20 These were two separate visits. 6 hours 36 minutes on 11/12/2024 and 3 hours 10 minutes on the 12/12/2024. I have been charged for 2 days. Please amend your records and refund the difference to my card XXX XXX XXX. Many thanks.



Thank you for contacting CAMPING-CAR PARK customer service.
We have just regularized your stay to bill your stay as follows: 1 period of 24 hours for the stay of 11.12.24 and a period of -5 hours at €6 for the stay of 12.12.24.
You now have €13.42 on your card balance.
I hope I have answered your questions.
Looking forward to seeing you again at the CAMPING-CAR PARK network areas.



Hi again

Sorry but this is still wrong.

I only stayed for 6 hours and 36 minutes on 11/12/2024 NOT 24 hours. I think you need to refund a further sum for my stay on 11/12/24.

Looking forward to hearing from you again.



Hello,

Thank you for your feedback.

After 5 hours on a site, the billing is by default a 24-hour time slot.
As a reminder, here is the pricing on the stopover areas as follows:
- from €5.50 to €7 from the hour of entry until 5 hours of presence on the site, which corresponds to the use of the services.
- 1 night, from the 6th hour of presence (i.e. 5 hours and one minute) until the day after the time of entry on the site.
- 1 additional night per 24-hour time slot. Each 24-hour slot started is due.

We look forward to seeing you again on our CAMPING CAR PARK sites.

Kind regards.

 

[TJBi]

OK - a word of warning if you are thinking of using these aires for less than 24 hours. I know it might not be common for most people to stay on them for less than an overnight stay. Where I park my van during the winter since I stopped working has no electricity supply and we planned to use the van to stay near the family house where we were going to celebrate Christmas. This again would have no electricity and I needed to make sure our Truma was going to work. I decided to spend some time checking the heater and found it needed a better than just 12 volts to get started. I decided to visit our nearest Camping-Car Park so I could work on the heating with the habitation batteries on charge.

The attached correspondence is self-explanatory. We subsequently decided to stay on the same aire for several days before Christmas to ensure we had plenty of charge for the festive night!


I visited the aire at Codolet on 11/12/2024 from 14.16 to 20.52 then 12/12/2024 from 16.10 to 19.20 These were two separate visits. 6 hours 36 minutes on 11/12/2024 and 3 hours 10 minutes on the 12/12/2024. I have been charged for 2 days. Please amend your records and refund the difference to my card XXX XXX XXX. Many thanks.



Thank you for contacting CAMPING-CAR PARK customer service.
We have just regularized your stay to bill your stay as follows: 1 period of 24 hours for the stay of 11.12.24 and a period of -5 hours at €6 for the stay of 12.12.24.
You now have €13.42 on your card balance.
I hope I have answered your questions.
Looking forward to seeing you again at the CAMPING-CAR PARK network areas.



Hi again

Sorry but this is still wrong.

I only stayed for 6 hours and 36 minutes on 11/12/2024 NOT 24 hours. I think you need to refund a further sum for my stay on 11/12/24.

Looking forward to hearing from you again.



Hello,

Thank you for your feedback.

After 5 hours on a site, the billing is by default a 24-hour time slot.
As a reminder, here is the pricing on the stopover areas as follows:
- from €5.50 to €7 from the hour of entry until 5 hours of presence on the site, which corresponds to the use of the services.
- 1 night, from the 6th hour of presence (i.e. 5 hours and one minute) until the day after the time of entry on the site.
- 1 additional night per 24-hour time slot. Each 24-hour slot started is due.

We look forward to seeing you again on our CAMPING CAR PARK sites.

Kind regards.

To be fair, the pricing of 5-hour periods and 24-hour periods is pretty clear from the CCP website. It does make a visit for services only very expensive!

 

[Harrers]

To be fair, the pricing of 5-hour periods and 24-hour periods is pretty clear from the CCP website. It does make a visit for services only very expensive!

Yes I realize that now but at the time they charged me for 2 complete 24 hours, the second of which they partially refunded. I still use them although will try and find a cheaper alternative.

When I visited the Charente in 2015 I was looking to buy a house. I parked in an aire next to the Super U car park in Rouillac. I walked into the town and visited the local estate agents. One of them had 3 properties in my price range and whilst staying on the aire, which was free but you needed tokens from the super market to use the services, I was able to see all 3 properties. I subsequently selected one and put an offer on it. 10 months later I picked up the keys to my house. I think the local commune has done quite well out of offering me a free aire!

Since then, however, the aire has become a recycling area and the borne has been removed. There are signs forbidding the overnight parking of camping-cars. There always was a municipal site in Rouillac but it has now become a CCP aire. Other areas in the town have the similar signs re overnighting. I have noticed though that some camping-caristes simply park in the Super U car park.

 

[Moped]

Super U as a default allow overnight motorhome parking in their parking areas unless stated otherwise. Many have service points. They like to think you get your morning baguettes from them.

 

[Harrers]

Super U as a default allow overnight motorhome parking in their parking areas unless stated otherwise. Many have service points. They like to think you get your morning baguettes from them.

Ah yes I always get my fuel at Super U in Rouillac not sure about their baguettes though. They do have a baguette vending machine on their forecourt but never tried one of those or a pizza vending machine either.

I do use supermarket car parks a lot. I do remember on one occasion, I think it was Intermaché at Juan les Pins or Antibes where the manager tapped on the window and told us we couldn't park there. He said it was "chez lui!" I don't think he personally owned the car park. He was very rude and didn't even say "Bonjour!" We had achieved our objective by staying the night and left after breakfast. We decided that as he had asked us to move we shouldn't hang around and use the shop!

 

[Sharon the Cat]

And yet you keep looking and commenting. Better direct your ire at UK councils. Now there really is 'restrictive practice'.

I think the thread has now run it's course.

Davy

As the OP I think has gone rather off course.

 

[barge1914]

Have used them for many years, as once they take over the local aire, they and the local Mairie, ensure their monopoly, so no alternatives allowed.
Be careful of the Privileges pack. It works on 12:00 as the start time. I arrived at 11:50 and was charged 6 euros for the 10 minutes ahead of booking. Leaving two days later, at about 10:00, still used the full two days prepaid for the booking!
Registered post needed to cancel, and no response to my complaint about the problem! Standard French business practices when it comes to customer care !!

Just used a booking, I put 11am as start time, no problem

 

[Rumour]

OK - a word of warning if you are thinking of using these aires for less than 24 hours. I know it might not be common for most people to stay on them for less than an overnight stay. Where I park my van during the winter since I stopped working has no electricity supply and we planned to use the van to stay near the family house where we were going to celebrate Christmas. This again would have no electricity and I needed to make sure our Truma was going to work. I decided to spend some time checking the heater and found it needed a better than just 12 volts to get started. I decided to visit our nearest Camping-Car Park so I could work on the heating with the habitation batteries on charge.

I must say, we have never had a problem either. I also can't see the "monopoly" thing either. It costs to maintain areas, so fielding it off to someone who maintains, provides services at a reasonable rate seems to be helpful rather than creating a monopoly. There are still free Aires all over France, but I have no objection to paying around a tenner or so for water, waste and electric, on a maintained Aire!

As for stopping 6 hours and 36 minutes, it is in the terms and conditions! Five hours and then 24 hour charge. That is not unreasonable or where does it stop? "Oh, I was only there 7 hours (to have a sleep) so why have I been charged for 24 hours?" Not really fair is it?

 

[alcam]

I must say, we have never had a problem either. I also can't see the "monopoly" thing either. It costs to maintain areas, so fielding it off to someone who maintains, provides services at a reasonable rate seems to be helpful rather than creating a monopoly. There are still free Aires all over France, but I have no objection to paying around a tenner or so for water, waste and electric, on a maintained Aire!

As for stopping 6 hours and 36 minutes, it is in the terms and conditions! Five hours and then 24 hour charge. That is not unreasonable or where does it stop? "Oh, I was only there 7 hours (to have a sleep) so why have I been charged for 24 hours?" Not really fair is it?

If the town ccp sites are located in operate a ban on parking elsewhere in the town [appears to be the case in some places] it has created a monopoly , only locally admittedly

 

[Wooie1958]

I got caught out once and charged extra by arriving at 11.35 on the Bray Dunes CCP that we had started using the night before returning to blighty.

The fact that we left at 06.30 the following morning so didn`t even stay 24 hours didn`t matter, i just asked for the extra charge to be refunded but got nowhere.

I also had the "PACK'PRIVILÈGES" and that counted for nothing as well.

Then when i closed the account because we was not going to France anymore it took me over 6 months to get my credit back which then had a hefty administration fee deducted from it.

 

[mikejay]

You left within the 24 hour period from arriving. I booked, and paid for two days. They started day 1 at 12:00 and closed day 2 at 12:00, 48 hours later. Because I arrived before the booking, they started a new stay which was charged as a 5 hour stop, and so I I was charged 6 euros. Their system presumably stopped my stay after 10 minutes, in order to start my booked stay of 48 hours. A software oversight on their part maybe. But a their failure to respond to my written complaint, led to me cancelling the Privileges subscription on the 3rd year renewal.

Have also been caught out by this got to an aire like 10mins early and charged now if I have pre booked and get there early I sit outside or not far away. Stopped at bray dunes on our way home the other year they class it as a premium 17,91 € /24h did not think much of the place very tight spots been on better. Google street view went past and captured our van on there and us walking into town Oh and they don't like negative reviews as they won't publish them so best looking at other known apps for honest reviews.


Mike

 

[Mothership]

Is this the company that is gradually taking over lots of the municipal sites in Europe?

A couple of years ago we wanted to use one of their sites in Belgium. I think it said there weren't many spaces so we tried to book. We had to download their app and add lots of things we didn't want, all of which meant that the first night was going to cost more than €60, so I just gave up with it.

So, is it worth using them? I'm wary of anything where you have to load it with money up front rather than pay the actual cost.

We are in Europe for 3 weeks after Easter and a 6 week trip in September, so maybe I should be looking at them again. But I would like to know what others think of them first.

Use them all the time, absolutely no issues whatsoever for over 6 years

 

[Rumour]

If the town ccp sites are located in operate a ban on parking elsewhere in the town [appears to be the case in some places] it has created a monopoly , only locally admittedly

I have never encountered that, but I don't really see a problem if that is the case. CCP are not expensive and the facilities are good.

 

[TJBi]

I have never encountered that, but I don't really see a problem if that is the case. CCP are not expensive and the facilities are good.

It has certainly been an issue in many communes that have gone with CCP. All that I require is somewhere to park overnight and services every few days. I don't require their WiFi, electricity, etc. and am not prepared to pay through the nose for facilities that I don't require..

 

[Rumour]

It has certainly been an issue in many communes that have gone with CCP. All that I require is somewhere to park overnight and services every few days. I don't require their WiFi, electricity, etc. and am not prepared to pay through the nose for facilities that I don't require..

In that case, if that is what you are finding, not that we have, you are going to be restricted on where you go for the sake of a few quid! Enjoy...

 

[barryd]

When I first saw these CCP Aires popping up I didn't like the idea. I much preferred the old style "free" first come first served turn up and leave when you like with no fuss Aires but we used the CCP Aires a few times for the first time last year and whilst some I hated, some of them were pretty good and convenient. In the Pyrenees where we stayed for a while there was one we used several times when the weather in the mountains turned nasty. It also meant I could eek out the gas a bit longer with them having hookup.

When you consider what some CL's are charging now for pitches with hookup the CCP Aires are pretty good value. You would be hard pressed to find a CL or site in the UK with electric included now for £10-£15 which is what most of the CPP Aires charge. Many of them are £30 now here.

 

[GMJ]

We stayed on our first CCP site at Lorca whilst on our recent Spanish trip. As it was our first one I had to ring the help number as I couldn't get the barrier to lift. I suspect it was me being unsure of the process. Anyway we got in. €1 for the night which included free 6A EHU! Around 6 of the 12 outlets were not working but I managed to piggy back on a Spanish chap's outlet as he had plugged in a trail socket. I contacted CCP and they said they were aware of it and were getting it sorted!

Having not received my physical card, I also mentioned this and they had me walk back to the entry point and out it popped as I was speaking to them.

There was grey waste; toilet emptying; fresh water; and bins. Pitches on hardstanding tarmac.

Across the road from it is a vast free car park which had around 30-40 MH's parked there, many I suspect staying overnight.

 

[Wooie1958]

We stayed on our first CCP site at Lorca whilst on our recent Spanish trip. As it was our first one I had to ring the help number as I couldn't get the barrier to lift. I suspect it was me being unsure of the process. Anyway we got in. €1 for the night which included free 6A EHU! Around 6 of the 12 outlets were not working but I managed to piggy back on a Spanish chap's outlet as he had plugged in a trail socket. I contacted CCP and they said they were aware of it and were getting it sorted!

Having not received my physical card, I also mentioned this and they had me walk back to the entry point and out it popped as I was speaking to them.

There was grey waste; toilet emptying; fresh water; and bins. Pitches on hardstanding tarmac.

Across the road from it is a vast free car park which had around 30-40 MH's parked there, many I suspect staying overnight.

When we joined Graham the machine we registered on near the Château de Villandry issued the card and then it was straight forward although lots and lots of people at other CCP sites couldn`t for the life of them work out how to do it .

 

[alcam]

When I first saw these CCP Aires popping up I didn't like the idea. I much preferred the old style "free" first come first served turn up and leave when you like with no fuss Aires but we used the CCP Aires a few times for the first time last year and whilst some I hated, some of them were pretty good and convenient. In the Pyrenees where we stayed for a while there was one we used several times when the weather in the mountains turned nasty. It also meant I could eek out the gas a bit longer with them having hookup.

When you consider what some CL's are charging now for pitches with hookup the CCP Aires are pretty good value. You would be hard pressed to find a CL or site in the UK with electric included now for £10-£15 which is what most of the CPP Aires charge. Many of them are £30 now here.

No argument there Barry . But , imo , they are an insidious organisation . Though probably inevitable.
Several places I stay where I prefer the park up to the official aire .
CCP , which I do stay at , often take away that choice

 

[Wooie1958]

Every CCP site we stayed on was always clean, tidy and everything worked. very often there was a local person who came to it everyday tidied up and put the wheely bins outside the compound for emptying when needed.

To start with the water was openly free to use but it soon changed to having to tap your card on the bourne to get water. This was down to lots of people pulling up outside and getting free water.

A couple of times at Bray Dunes CCP whilst i was at the bourne guys came up with their watering cans or conatainer and asked if i`d tap it for him so he could get water, i said use your card to which they replied ......................oops silly me i`ve left it in the motorhome.

I said no to which they normally answered ........... fekking hell it`s only a bit of water ......... i answered ....... yes and i`ve payed for the priviledge so fekk off.

Anyone that knows Bray Dunes CCP knows that you are never that far away from your motorhome but co-incidentally there was one parked just outside.