Biarritz 2012

MikeW360

Guest
Hi . Hoping to take my Swift Bolero from Poole - Cherbourg and on down to Biarritz in June. Any help with good sites / wildcamping , routes etc would very much be appreciated. Many thanks
 
The actual Aire at Biarritz is I think €10 with EHU. It gets busy and is a bit cramped and noisy. There is another one just to the North of Biarritz at Anglet which is supposed to be €6 but on the two nights we stayed there nobody came for the money. Anglet - Aires Camping-Car/Stellplatze for Motorhomes, Camper Vans, Camping-Cars, RVs

We thought Biarritz was quite nice but much preffered being in the mountains around Gavarnie and Cauterets. Head to Lourdes (Also worth a visit) and then up into the hills. Superb Aires at both.
 
We went to Biarritz, and behond for three weeks holiday in Aug- Sept of last year, we used the vicariuos book all the aires. Had a whale of a time.

John.
 
Last edited:
Try Blaye north of Bordeaux. It's a small town on the Gironde. There is a parking area on the front below the citadel, we try to stay there every year on our way to Spain.
 
Hi, Depending on when you arrive in Cherbourg. If its late then you can spend the night in the port area.

If you prefer to drive for a couple of hours then this parking spot just outside Percy is very handy for an overnight. 48.895236,-1.198081

Just north of Nozey is another spot 47.574723,-1.625152 Both of these are free.

Once you are south of Nantes you have many alternative routes that I cannot help.

***** is pretty reliable for routes - nothing else, just routes.

Dezi :pc:
 
***** said:
There is a good alternative routier at Dervals about 20km north of Trelieres on the south bound side.
On the north bound side just before Rennes there is a aire called Aire du Hill. DO NOT stop here!
It is a queer hang out!
Click to expand...

***** you must have noticed that just about all the main road Aires close to French major cities seem to have these guys cruising around night and day. Castets south of Bordeaux and Bedenac north of same are notorious, bit disconcerting to some. but I've never witnessed any problems.Just have to be a bit circumspect using unlit public toilets when there's a few shadowy figures around.
 
Castets used to be a good overnite stop, I preferred it to many motorhome aires. gets too crowded these days.
I first noticed the cruising there over 20 years ago. I thought at first that it was drug dealing but soon realised that the Gendarms' took no notice, so neither did I.
10 hours is good going even in a car, I presume you must have had a relief driver.
 
Aire de Cestas seems to have the highest cruising count of the lot, being only 23km from Bordeaux. Used to often stop there overnite.
Again was a pleasant aire but has now become grossly overcrowded. trucks are forced to park on slip roads, hard shoulder and the car parks. Who'd wanna be a TIR truckie today?
 
And here's what happened to part of one UK trucking co.
Up to about 6 years ago I often used to see the John Mann trucks here and there en route to Morocco.
The other day I was passing Aguilas and noticed several still sign written J.M. trailers on waste ground being used to cage lions for an Italian circus, what a way to end up..... for J.M. and the lions.
 
hi, yes john man became jh international. 200 trucks could be bringing clothes from maroc all for a well know mud and snow shop. also jan delucy. the dutch company again m&s. i was at one time thinking of working for jm, one and a half trips a week. almost continual driving . have seen jm trucks in algeciras port. they were jm espania . have they gone or just not noticed them now.
i was offered a job with eurocold into gib from liverpool if i remember right . the longest you stop is waiting to get into gib. decided i drive enough .
lots of trucks going maoc now with the big greenhouses opened up over there.
 
Hi Alan hope everything is going ok for you, I take it you're not heading south at all this year, I think you said there may be a chance? This year as I suppose you know the weather has been the best for donkeys' years. In Torre del Mar at mo. Head for Gib manana.

I looked at the JM website seems they are not in existance in any shape or form these days unless they're into lion taming. I think Davies Transport seem to have taken some of the Moroccan work.
From the way ***** describes the international trucking scene it sounds as tho' you had a bit of good luck not finding yourself driving for an international haulier.

Even an outsider such as myself can see how things have gone; witness the scene at Bidart services near Bayonne, the car park area (always good for m/h overniter) in recent years has stationed (at least every time I happen to stop there) 6 plus Willi Betz tractor units (near new Mercs) with drivers. The drivers were all east Europeans and they told me they were camped up like this for days on end awaitng instructions.
Very difficult for anyone to compete with this sort of thing and stay the right side of legislation.
 
hi byronic . shant be out this side of summer i think. theres loads of work here in uk . specially in the summer . sewage and skips always find work there. its a changing work place .always has been . never stopped me just do something else. too many think training for a job guarantees a life time of employment . i,ve done alsorts . good for the survival we need now . regards to your other half . glad you ok. see you next winter in the sun.
its +3 here on the outside thermometer .was freezing last night water in buckets were frozen this morning. but lovely and sunny. perfect blue sky . like spain but very cold. nice by the fire. be good .cheers alan.
 
hi looks like john mann espana is still going . sorry to digress on topic.
thought i saw their wagons at the port last year. seems they do maroc to spain now.
 
Why do you have to mention the word........ work I was enjoying myself until I read your post. Not only that but here in T del M the sun has dissappeared and a cool wind has sprung up from the Sierras.
Back to the Biarritz OP...... IMHO this small area near the border with Spain has the best climate on the French Atlantic seaboard at least in the winter months, but I know you would dispute this. It's due to the the climate that the rich British Victorian establishment made into one of "the" French resorts along with Cannes and St. Tropez. Then again maybe they just like cruising the truck stops on the RN10!
 
Last edited:
vwalan said:
hi looks like john mann espana is still going . sorry to digress on topic.
thought i saw their wagons at the port last year. seems they do maroc to spain now.
Click to expand...

Alan I think they are called JUAN HOMBRE now ha ha. Now you mention it I think I saw their trucks at Algeciras last year.
Ah battery power the great leveller as it were, slowing down your progress to 9000 posts *****, are you counting on Phil granting you an award when you get there?
I'll be offline tomorrow. Moving on from Torre del Mar and don't know when I'll get another hotspot and online again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top