Advice please for France

WeeJock

Guest
Been caravanning for years but have recently bought a motorhome. We've decided to go to the South of France in January and although I'm an experienced Continental traveller, including four weeks in the motorhome this year, we've always used sites.

I accept that occasionally we may have problems finding sites or even aires in January and I was just wondering how easy it is to get water and empty the loo occasionally if we can't find sites/aires that are open.

I've been lurking in forums for a while and whilst they are very helpful I can't find much on the basics! Can I get water at petrol stations for instance and where do you empty loos when you're wild camping?

Any tips will be gratefully received!
 
emptying loos

WeeJock said:
Been caravanning for years but have recently bought a motorhome. We've decided to go to the South of France in January and although I'm an experienced Continental traveller, including four weeks in the motorhome this year, we've always used sites.

I accept that occasionally we may have problems finding sites or even aires in January and I was just wondering how easy it is to get water and empty the loo occasionally if we can't find sites/aires that are open.

I've been lurking in forums for a while and whilst they are very helpful I can't find much on the basics! Can I get water at petrol stations for instance and where do you empty loos when you're wild camping?

Any tips will be gratefully received!
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Just use a public toilet the french do it all the time
just as you would do if you returned home
with the task left
 
I can't answer your questions but I'll be watching with interest for responses because I'm thinking of doing the same myself in the near future.

P.S. Love the username,maybe I should have been Wee Geordie
 
We travel a lot in France and are there at the moment. Most aires are generally open and disposing of waste is not a problem. In many places though the taps are turned off but as has been said look in loos. Garages will provide water if you ask and are filling up. There are even a few aires where you can get free electricity!! Only bad news is diesel is running at €1.20.
 
You could also join France passion,www.france-passion.com, they are fantastic you feel secure and you get the chance to buy from the owners, vino, cider, eggs, butter. the scheme runs from easter to easter. you can even join through the camping and carravaning club. £17.50.
 
Thank you all for your help. I feel quite confident now that I shouldn't have any problems with obtaining water and disposing of the contents of my loo.
 
Aires

No problems in winter with services. A few might not have the water on,but it is still possible to empty the loo. Even if you wild camp all the time,it is no problem to stop off in at an aire in the middle of the day.
 
advice for franc

Sorry can't help with this but we are doing the same in January. It will be our first trip abroad in our van so really interested. Which is the best and cheapest way to cross and also the quickest route to south of France.?
 
pamelacummings said:
Sorry can't help with this but we are doing the same in January. It will be our first trip abroad in our van so really interested. Which is the best and cheapest way to cross and also the quickest route to south of France.?
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Hi,
If possible, avoid the 'péages' take the N-roads (green way-markings), you don't have the nuissance of 90km-limited trucks, it's more relaxed driving and you see something. You don't loose much time, and you can have a nice diner with the money spared on the péages. :D
From Calais: N1 to Abbeville, A28 > Rouen, cross the Seine,> N154 Evreux, Dreux, Chartres. >N10 Châteaudun, >D956 Blois (Loire) Chäteauroux, >D943 Montluçon, >N144 Clermont-Ferrand, >A75 Montpellier - 'et voilà c'est la Méditéranée ':rolleyes: and 0 km péage !
(it's more than 1000 kms. I did the test once.-OK,from Belgium on- Friends toke the paying highways and I the nationals. I was 45 min behind them on 1 1/2 day:p)
Have a good trip.
PS avoid outskirts of Paris nowadays - riots going on :mad:
 
Yep, they got you.
The highway Calais>Boulogne is free, but the section Boulogne - Abbeville is not ! You have to leave the highway at exit 29 (also exit for 'lower' Boulogne) and than have N1
(not the coastway D940) to Abbeville. To Rouen the highway is free again. You have to cross the Seine at Rouen (don't take pont de Brotonne or Tancarville, paying and not so cosy with windy weather.)
Leo
 
Norfolk line seem to be very cheap out of season but they go to Dunkerque.
 
tresrikay said:
Norfolk line seem to be very cheap out of season but they go to Dunkerque.
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Hi.
We have sailed with Norfolkline twice now, can't fault the service, speedy load and unload, onboard food price quite reasonable and Dunkerque (Quest where the port is) has real easy access and is not too busy so probably easier for a first timer. We found even last year when we had to book very late they still seemed to offer the best deal. They will definately be our first choice next time and would recommend to anyone.

Regards Geoff​
.
 
ian81 said:
We travel a lot in France and are there at the moment. Most aires are generally open and disposing of waste is not a problem. In many places though the taps are turned off but as has been said look in loos. Garages will provide water if you ask and are filling up. There are even a few aires where you can get free electricity!! Only bad news is diesel is running at €1.20.
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that is still cheaper than back here in blighty at time of writing £1.08 €1.50 (approx)
 
walkers said:
that is still cheaper than back here in blighty at time of writing £1.08 €1.50 (approx)
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wow! I didn't realise deisel had gone so expensive, I thought it was still below £1 litre I always put in £40 worth and the price is always the same.
I'll have to start looking at the prices
:cool: :cool: sundown
 
No worries Sundown,
My neighbour always tanks for 25€. But his kms seems to shrimp. ?
Here (on this side of the ditch) we don't tank anymore BP,Esso,Shell,Fina or Q8; we go to the 'white' pumps, in the hope their prices are going down. No result as yet, but ???
Just wait a little and you smell this belgian driving by with a smell of fish & chips, (without fish,) running on vegetable oil. Aren't we the ones who invented the 'Frites' ?
_Regards_________________
"My bed has wheels"
 
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