Aires

Yorkshirepudding said:
Yup, just checked. It does state "less than one quarter of service points listed require tokens". Some (Flot Bleu) take credit cards!
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I only came across a couple that required a credit card, and there is a problem, unless you have a carte bleu credit card which in the uK or lloyds tsb at least dont issue or recognise you are stuck !!

A similar situation to fuel stations a few years back I am not au fait with the mechanics but uK credit cards didnt work.

On the fuel front life is a lot easier nowadays and you can travel on a Sunday...but the flot bleus that require credit cards dont like ours !!!

Actually with a bit of planning, the impact is negligible IMHO in real terms.

I have two 5 l containers kept in the bathroom full of water...so if I do get stuck i can boil a kettle get a cuppa wash pots and give the hound a drink.

And never been stuck yet

Channa
 
channa said:
IA similar situation to fuel stations a few years back I am not au fait with the mechanics but uK credit cards didnt work.Channa
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Yes I well remember when we used to tour on a bike how exciting Sundays could get. With a range of 200miles you had to be careful.
 
Belgian said:
or sometimes someone comes to collect the fees ussually in the morning.
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And you can tell when they're about to call round to collect... a lot of French MHers suddenly decide to go for a walk! ;)
 
Belgian said:
VISA is generally accepted
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Unfortunately none of my English issued cards (Visa, Mastercard,Maestro) were acceptable at the self service fuel pumps. Believe me, I tried, I was desperate. The thought of pushing 400kg bike plus luggage did not appeal:D. They were accepted at manned services.
Just one of those things I guess.
The situation may have changed in the last 2 years. I do hope so.
 
Yorkshirepudding said:
Unfortunately none of my English issued cards (Visa, Mastercard,Maestro) were acceptable at the self service fuel pumps. Believe me, I tried, I was desperate. The thought of pushing 400kg bike plus luggage did not appeal:D. They were accepted at manned services.
Just one of those things I guess.
The situation may have changed in the last 2 years. I do hope so.
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That's typical !
I allways take the manned supermarkets pumps (cheaper too); and I look out not to have a refill on sundays. Some (most) of the petrol card machines are only on line during working hours (French 'working' hours that is :p)
 
Yorkshirepudding said:
Unfortunately none of my English issued cards (Visa, Mastercard,Maestro) were acceptable at the self service fuel pumps. Believe me, I tried, I was desperate. The thought of pushing 400kg bike plus luggage did not appeal:D. They were accepted at manned services.
Just one of those things I guess.
The situation may have changed in the last 2 years. I do hope so.
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That happened to us a couple of years ago, the bike went onto reserve, right outside a garage, (unmanned as it was sunday), neither of our cards would work, we just waited until someone else came in to fill up and gave them 10 euros cash to put some in the bike.
You should always have cash on you, you never know when your going to come accross some cheap beer.
Cheers, Pete
 
Dont forget that in France its legal to wild camp (well park, if your considerate) and there are loads of places. So even if the Aire is full, just empty your loo, fill up with water and clear off and find your own spot. Just look on here at Belgians (Leo's) wildcamping threads. Someday I hope to meet him and buy him lots of beer! Loads of GPS spots for everywhere. We used them a lot in France last summer and there are some cracking ones. We tend to stick to quiet rural, seaside and riverside locations in France and I feel 10 times safer there than in the UK.

Do it! you wont want to ever come back.

BD
 
Last year I filled up at unmanned stations on a Sunday using a UK Lloyds tsb debit card and credit card...I suspect in the bank card stakes things are a bit more harmonious than a couple of yeas ago. My yam too had a range of 200 miles.

I agree with zeezee ...If you get really stuck slip a frenchman 30 euros or whatever they will happily put it on their card in an emergency.

Back to aires, a little study of the books will soon identify jeton sites and free sites(gratuit) I always use the free ones, partly because a tight git , and partly it save the hassle of hunting down the jeton sellers

Channa
 
de fitzi

yes thanks to ye all the foregoing comprises the most accurate informative bundle of answers regarding France for campervansi've ever come . s a belge-France resident 2/3 year I confirm ALL the info is worthwhile and I am delighted so much is known in U nowadays . I come from ere when po-faced MMM was howling about how terrible wild camping is....and I do know of a caravan motohome club whose officials invited themselves to a major5 event: a French authorities tourism forum, and started trying persuade authorities to restrict aires, wilding and charge everywhere- wonde if they were planning takeovers the way they have done all over UK? I refuse to pay join or pay any club so it officals can haver a great freebee and I am totally opposed to clubs taking over private and to often, publin munincipal owned ratepayer financed sites and then charging me more than their members ( one in question is Downpatrick NI built with my rates but leased to CCC whosae members hagve priority and cheaper charges than me who paid a share of the place. I really hate their dull, conventional, snooty, arrogant home-from-home members who, motorhomes or no, are all just conventional caravanners at heart! I hate the lot of them -preening themselves and spending their time being one up on the next camper- "Oh do look darling=-the very latest most expensivce model....." And dressing up to the nines to eat their dinner!
Do I mean ther Caravan club or the Caravan and Motorhome Club or the top of the range latest model whatever club....Yes I do!
That's why I try to not spend any more time than I must on the mainland except on my sailimg reghatta excursions.
Oops sorry folks this thanks just ran and ran-but it is a matter I do feel strongly about...!
 
Hia
THANKS to you all for your replies.
I will print off and sit and read and ponder in the evenings and get my head round all you have said:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
Hia
I am not a french speaker but if I keep going on campingcar-inf ite I am sure I will pick up all I need :confused::confused::confused::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
Apart from being fluent in talking rubbish my language skills are very limited, use sites like BABELFISH to translate the entire website or just copy & paste the text you want to translate. Don't let a website being in a foreign language put you off as many of them contain good information (you can always look at the pictures :rolleyes:)
 
barryd said:
Just look on here at Belgians (Leo's) wildcamping threads. Someday I hope to meet him and buy him lots of beer! Loads of GPS spots for everywhere. We used them a lot in France last summer and there are some cracking ones. We tend to stick to quiet rural, seaside and riverside locations in France and I feel 10 times safer there than in the UK.

Do it! you wont want to ever come back.

BD
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Hi Barry,
There are a lot of witnesses around here about that promise. :eek::rolleyes:
(but a prefer more wine than beer :rolleyes:)
One day we'll meet and the next day wil be hang-over :eek::D
Leo
 
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