Tbear
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Chris
Just had a good look at the sites and are all on or near our route and look very good. You might just have planed our first few days.
Cheers
Richard
Showers
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Chris
Just had a good look at the sites and are all on or near our route and look very good. You might just have planed our first few days.
Cheers
Richard
Canalsman
Guest
That's a bit of luck
I am going to Le Mans for the 24 hour race again this year - in my MG TF - and planning to camp en route and on the way back.
That's how I happened on three of the sites (using Google). Malicorne is where I am staying, for the third year, in a gite.
I have visited the camp site in Malicorne. It's immaculate, by the river side, and there's a swimming pool too.
Malicorne is a really beautiful village that I recommend highly.
I will be able to report back on the camp sites we use, there and back, before you head off ...
Regards
Chris
gemnrich
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Hello,
We had the same problem when travelling around france for 3months last year, However over the time we improvised and found the best methods in which to do things, I know some of these ideas have been stated before but here's what we did along the way:
1) Buy a solar shower, they get the water nice and warm in the sun and, although they may not be the most powerful, its easy to find a secluded spot somewhere, open the camper doors to provide a cubicle and potentially thin about investing in a wind breaker for complete modesty (they come in handy on those brezzey west coast beaches as well!
2)Pop into a swimming pool en route, they're normally fairly reasonable in price and you can have a swim too
3) Go onto any campsite or municiple campsite and they will normally have a guest rate for the day, totalling around 2 euros, so much cheaper than spending the night there and you can pop in and out of the shower and be off on your way!
Thats what we muddle together on our way, and there was always one of the above options available to us.
Hope this is of some help!
We had the same problem when travelling around france for 3months last year, However over the time we improvised and found the best methods in which to do things, I know some of these ideas have been stated before but here's what we did along the way:
1) Buy a solar shower, they get the water nice and warm in the sun and, although they may not be the most powerful, its easy to find a secluded spot somewhere, open the camper doors to provide a cubicle and potentially thin about investing in a wind breaker for complete modesty (they come in handy on those brezzey west coast beaches as well!
2)Pop into a swimming pool en route, they're normally fairly reasonable in price and you can have a swim too
3) Go onto any campsite or municiple campsite and they will normally have a guest rate for the day, totalling around 2 euros, so much cheaper than spending the night there and you can pop in and out of the shower and be off on your way!
Thats what we muddle together on our way, and there was always one of the above options available to us.
Hope this is of some help!
Tbear
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That's a bit of luck
I am going to Le Mans for the 24 hour race again this year - in my MG TF - and planning to camp en route and on the way back.
That's how I happened on three of the sites (using Google). Malicorne is where I am staying, for the third year, in a gite.
I have visited the camp site in Malicorne. It's immaculate, by the river side, and there's a swimming pool too.
Malicorne is a really beautiful village that I recommend highly.
I will be able to report back on the camp sites we use, there and back, before you head off ...
Regards
Chris
Chris
Have a fantastic time and I will look forward to the up to date news when you get back.
Richard
Tbear
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Hello,
We had the same problem when travelling around france for 3months last year, However over the time we improvised and found the best methods in which to do things, I know some of these ideas have been stated before but here's what we did along the way:
1) Buy a solar shower, they get the water nice and warm in the sun and, although they may not be the most powerful, its easy to find a secluded spot somewhere, open the camper doors to provide a cubicle and potentially thin about investing in a wind breaker for complete modesty (they come in handy on those brezzey west coast beaches as well!
2)Pop into a swimming pool en route, they're normally fairly reasonable in price and you can have a swim too
3) Go onto any campsite or municiple campsite and they will normally have a guest rate for the day, totalling around 2 euros, so much cheaper than spending the night there and you can pop in and out of the shower and be off on your way!
Thats what we muddle together on our way, and there was always one of the above options available to us.
Hope this is of some help!
Hi Gemnrich,
We have solar and battery powered showers but they lack a bit of luxury on a cold, wet, windy day.
Swimming pools a posible.
I do like the idea of a municiple campsite motorhome stopover for 2 or 3 euros. Shower and sort the tanks. Sounds great, do many do this?
Richard
jann
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How to showe with little water!!
Fill the sink with hot water(kettle or water heater).Connect a pump to a length of pipe with shower head on the end,
fix an on off switch to it
submerse the pump in water.
stand in blow up paddling pool.
Shampoo hair.
submerse pump in water ,turn on rinse hair and wash self.
Don't leave the pump running all the time, switch off while washing.
empty paddling pool, using a jug if neccesary.
We try to keep our own water for drinking and pick up washing water in containers as we go on
Fill the sink with hot water(kettle or water heater).Connect a pump to a length of pipe with shower head on the end,
fix an on off switch to it
submerse the pump in water.
stand in blow up paddling pool.
Shampoo hair.
submerse pump in water ,turn on rinse hair and wash self.
Don't leave the pump running all the time, switch off while washing.
empty paddling pool, using a jug if neccesary.
We try to keep our own water for drinking and pick up washing water in containers as we go on
Tbear
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We only carry about half that but its all drinking water plus the flush for the loo. However i'm happy to use any clean looking water with a kettle of hot to shower in.
I am hoping that the water from Aires is fit to drink or we may have to buy gallon bottles from supermarkets to drink. Then sterilise the main tank when we get home. If there's a problem we will just have to drink more wine
I am hoping that the water from Aires is fit to drink or we may have to buy gallon bottles from supermarkets to drink. Then sterilise the main tank when we get home. If there's a problem we will just have to drink more wine
vindiboy
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we have a full size shower in our van and use it regularly and can carry plenty of water to operate it, so it's not a problem for us but what is wrong with having a strip wash often and washing your hair in a bowl of water, this we often do also and as we wild camp most of the time this helps with water usage, I love to sit in a lake or river and wash my hair ,waters often softer too.
Tbear
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*****,
Many thanks
Vindiboy,
We all like a bit of luxury when on holiday. We like a good soaping down at the end of a hot day followed by some good food and a nice big glass of something cold. It does not mean anything else is wrong, just not we want.
Richard
Many thanks
Vindiboy,
We all like a bit of luxury when on holiday. We like a good soaping down at the end of a hot day followed by some good food and a nice big glass of something cold. It does not mean anything else is wrong, just not we want.
Richard
isle of skye
Guest
Portable solar shower
Hi dont know if this any good but if you wild camping these are great after being strung up in the sun for a few hours great to freshen up with but be aware of where you hang them and of course your need to wear swimmers to wash down and i do avoid using shower stuff unless really good drainage near by. At least you will feel clean and fresh same goes for beach showers usually all over the place. These solar showers also great for heating up hot water if you stopped somewhere a while saves on gas, they really cheap to buy and even cheaper at supermarkets abroad but if you want to be safe get one here or two before you leave they are flat to store as only bags with shower hoses.
Hi dont know if this any good but if you wild camping these are great after being strung up in the sun for a few hours great to freshen up with but be aware of where you hang them and of course your need to wear swimmers to wash down and i do avoid using shower stuff unless really good drainage near by. At least you will feel clean and fresh same goes for beach showers usually all over the place. These solar showers also great for heating up hot water if you stopped somewhere a while saves on gas, they really cheap to buy and even cheaper at supermarkets abroad but if you want to be safe get one here or two before you leave they are flat to store as only bags with shower hoses.
Jude
Guest
We have a book called All the Aires it was written in 2009 and has pictures of aires to help find them. It isn't always right and does miss some out as they change often but we used it last year to find aires with electricity (free on one occasion) and with showers. They are out there. Good luck France is a great place for MHing
Talbot
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Solar showers
As many others have already mentioned, solar showers are brilliant and they fold away to nothing when you're travelling. We bought a 20 litre shower from Go Outdoors Outdoor Clothing Store | Camping Equipment | Tents | Cycling £4.00 and I hang it in the sun during the day, sometimes hanging from the motorhome, other times I'll hoist it over a branch on a tree. For best results when showering, I lay the bag on the roof of the motorhome as this is the perfect height for an optimum shower and there's plenty of water for both my wife and I to have a shower. Where possible, I reverse the van up to a hedge, open the rear doors and total privacy. If no hedge, we shower with swimwear.
We spent 5 weeks in France last year and the previous year, both times in August. Worked our way down to south coast. Stayed on Aires mostly on the beach, mostly free and never had a problem getting on any Aire even in August. There are always people on the move everyday and we find the best time to get to the next aire is before 10am on the morning we move, as this is when most movement happens. We normally stay for a couple of nights unless we find somewhere special and we usually do. Only had to pay for 7 nights out of 34 and a total cost of 40 euros. Many aires have drinking water, chemical empty points and bins. One of our favourite stopovers is Fontaine De Vaucluse Fontaine-de-Vaucluse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, a medieval village tucked away in the countryside in the Cote D'Azur. There is an Aire here and you can stay right by the river and walk to the village in the evening for a meal(loads of excellent restaurants) and have a wander round the shops and old water mills. Swimming in the river is exhilarating. The GPS co-ordinates are in the Aires book and will take you to the door. It costs 3 euros a day, or 3 euros when you leave, regardless of whether you stay a day, a week, a month, or a year. We stayed 3 nights as it is such a beautiful place and there is so many places to visit close by. It has full service facility for motorhomes and a toilet block. Well worth a visit. I notice you said there was a problem obtaining the aires book. I think you can pre-order the book now All The Aires France 3rd edition for March delivery. Let me know if you want any other information. These days, we find you don't even need the book in France as the French are allocating Aire sites all over France, There are now 1000's of them all over the place, inland as well as on the coast. Many of the coastal aires are often on or overlooking the beach itself. It's great and easy camping -enjoy!!
Talbot
As many others have already mentioned, solar showers are brilliant and they fold away to nothing when you're travelling. We bought a 20 litre shower from Go Outdoors Outdoor Clothing Store | Camping Equipment | Tents | Cycling £4.00 and I hang it in the sun during the day, sometimes hanging from the motorhome, other times I'll hoist it over a branch on a tree. For best results when showering, I lay the bag on the roof of the motorhome as this is the perfect height for an optimum shower and there's plenty of water for both my wife and I to have a shower. Where possible, I reverse the van up to a hedge, open the rear doors and total privacy. If no hedge, we shower with swimwear.
We spent 5 weeks in France last year and the previous year, both times in August. Worked our way down to south coast. Stayed on Aires mostly on the beach, mostly free and never had a problem getting on any Aire even in August. There are always people on the move everyday and we find the best time to get to the next aire is before 10am on the morning we move, as this is when most movement happens. We normally stay for a couple of nights unless we find somewhere special and we usually do. Only had to pay for 7 nights out of 34 and a total cost of 40 euros. Many aires have drinking water, chemical empty points and bins. One of our favourite stopovers is Fontaine De Vaucluse Fontaine-de-Vaucluse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, a medieval village tucked away in the countryside in the Cote D'Azur. There is an Aire here and you can stay right by the river and walk to the village in the evening for a meal(loads of excellent restaurants) and have a wander round the shops and old water mills. Swimming in the river is exhilarating. The GPS co-ordinates are in the Aires book and will take you to the door. It costs 3 euros a day, or 3 euros when you leave, regardless of whether you stay a day, a week, a month, or a year. We stayed 3 nights as it is such a beautiful place and there is so many places to visit close by. It has full service facility for motorhomes and a toilet block. Well worth a visit. I notice you said there was a problem obtaining the aires book. I think you can pre-order the book now All The Aires France 3rd edition for March delivery. Let me know if you want any other information. These days, we find you don't even need the book in France as the French are allocating Aire sites all over France, There are now 1000's of them all over the place, inland as well as on the coast. Many of the coastal aires are often on or overlooking the beach itself. It's great and easy camping -enjoy!!
Talbot
Tbear
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Hi Talbot
We have a 20 litre Gilert shower which I agree does a grand job of warming up the water on a good day. We have upgraded to a battery power shower which gives much better flow but you just cannot beat a proper good sized cubicle and a proper shower. We will manage with what ever we can find but a bit of luxury now and again goes a long way and it keeps the other half happy, so double plus points
Thanks for the tip about turning up at 10am, makes perfect sense.
Not sure how far south we are going but Fontaine De Vaucluse looks well worth a look.
We where a bit concerned that during the French holiday season we might have found things a bit more difficult so it was good to hear you had faired well.
Many thanks for the info
Richard
We have a 20 litre Gilert shower which I agree does a grand job of warming up the water on a good day. We have upgraded to a battery power shower which gives much better flow but you just cannot beat a proper good sized cubicle and a proper shower. We will manage with what ever we can find but a bit of luxury now and again goes a long way and it keeps the other half happy, so double plus points
Thanks for the tip about turning up at 10am, makes perfect sense.
Not sure how far south we are going but Fontaine De Vaucluse looks well worth a look.
We where a bit concerned that during the French holiday season we might have found things a bit more difficult so it was good to hear you had faired well.
Many thanks for the info
Richard