Stop overs in France- not just Aires.

[Moonraker 2]

"You are allowed to stay overnight for free anywhere that a passenger car (or camper <3,500 kg) or bus (or camper> 3,500 kg) may park. So, officially you can spend the night at any place where you are allowed to park. However, you should not stay for longer than seven days in one place."

I found this recently on a website (WEBSITE BLOCKED BY ADMIN.com) about visiting France. I know about Aires but has anyone done the above??
7 days- ha ha ha.

 

[guerdeval]

No, but I’ve just purchased the “websiteblockedbyadmin” page as I reckon it will get plenty of traffic

 

[mark61]

Done it loads of times over the years, mostly for one night.

 

[TJBi]

"You are allowed to stay overnight for free anywhere that a passenger car (or camper <3,500 kg) or bus (or camper> 3,500 kg) may park. So, officially you can spend the night at any place where you are allowed to park. However, you should not stay for longer than seven days in one place."

I found this recently on a website (WEBSITE BLOCKED BY ADMIN.com) about visiting France. I know about Aires but has anyone done the above??
7 days- ha ha ha.

On numerous occasions, but not for 7 days/nights.

 

[barryd]

I was invited to stay on the middle of a boules court on a village green once in the south of France in a rather posh village when we were lost early evening Imagine that happening in England in some Cotswolds village? NOT!

 

[witzend]

"You are allowed to stay overnight for free anywhere that a passenger car (or camper <3,500 kg) or bus (or camper> 3,500 kg) may park. So, officially you can spend the night at any place where you are allowed to park. However, you should not stay for longer than seven days in one place."
know about Aires but has anyone done the above??

All we've ever done if a area appealed to us

 

[alcam]

"You are allowed to stay overnight for free anywhere that a passenger car (or camper <3,500 kg) or bus (or camper> 3,500 kg) may park. So, officially you can spend the night at any place where you are allowed to park. However, you should not stay for longer than seven days in one place."

I found this recently on a website (WEBSITE BLOCKED BY ADMIN.com) about visiting France. I know about Aires but has anyone done the above??
7 days- ha ha ha.

What I normally do . Assumed everyone does ?

 

[RichardHelen262]

We have stayed in all sorts of places in France, they don’t even give you a second look, unlike the uk where you would end up all over social media,
Many years ago we met a French couple who spoke fluent English as they had both done their university degrees in the uk.
We usually visit them whenever we are travelling through France
And they have told us of the places they stay with their camper, including knocking on a strangers door, who happened to have a small piece of land at the side of their house,
And asked if it would be ok if they could stay there the night, which the owners said was fine, then they even let them join them in their evening meal, and offered them the use of shower and toilet.
They don’t understand why it is so difficult to find places to stay without costing an absolute fortune when they come to the uk.

 

[JQB]

I was invited to stay on the middle of a boules court on a village green once in the south of France in a rather posh village when we were lost early evening Imagine that happening in England in some Cotswolds village? NOT!

Checkout Those Happy Days with Liam & Janine on utube etc, they were told to move on by some guy who emerged from an area with multi million £ houses.

 

[Makzine]

Same here but not for 7 days.

 

[gasgas]

Years ago I bought a new French motorhome and as it was a Bleu Moon, the Wolves were howling and I had been eating some peculiar tasting mushrooms I started reading the Owner's Manual.
The first pages recounted how in the early 1970's the French Govt couldn't decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing to allow motorhomes to park in town overnight. They commissioned an independent survey to find out and concluded it was a good thing for the local businesses if motorhomes could stay. So the Govt made it law that every town mayor has to provide for motorhomes to stay overnight. I don't recall anything about a time limit though. Once I was parked in a public car park, paid for the parking, went shopping, came back to find two friendly looking Gendarmes wanted to talk to me - Ou Est Votre Ticket? It's on the dashboard, I'll get it for you. Opened the door to find the ticket had fallen to the floor. I showed it to the Gendarmes who were super pleasant, welcomed me to the town, was I enjoying my stay, over there is a nice river with a waterfall have you seen it, bon voyage.
So we always go to France and stop and stay wherever we like. Never to a camp site, sometimes to an aire where we have to pay €1 for water or toilet dump.

 

[alcam]

Years ago I bought a new French motorhome and as it was a Bleu Moon, the Wolves were howling and I had been eating some peculiar tasting mushrooms I started reading the Owner's Manual.
The first pages recounted how in the early 1970's the French Govt couldn't decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing to allow motorhomes to park in town overnight. They commissioned an independent survey to find out and concluded it was a good thing for the local businesses if motorhomes could stay. So the Govt made it law that every town mayor has to provide for motorhomes to stay overnight. I don't recall anything about a time limit though. Once I was parked in a public car park, paid for the parking, went shopping, came back to find two friendly looking Gendarmes wanted to talk to me - Ou Est Votre Ticket? It's on the dashboard, I'll get it for you. Opened the door to find the ticket had fallen to the floor. I showed it to the Gendarmes who were super pleasant, welcomed me to the town, was I enjoying my stay, over there is a nice river with a waterfall have you seen it, bon voyage.
So we always go to France and stop and stay wherever we like. Never to a camp site, sometimes to an aire where we have to pay €1 for water or toilet dump.

This is why I have concerns about the Camping Car Park company . Yes their aires are usually pretty good (at a price) but it appears parking in the towns where they operate is banned

 

[mark61]

Checkout Those Happy Days with Liam & Janine on utube etc, they were told to move on by some guy who emerged from an area with multi million £ houses.

I'd ask them to move on too, even if I was in a tent. Anything to help with their drama

 

[witzend]

This is why I have concerns about the Camping Car Park company . Yes their aires are usually pretty good (at a price) but it appears parking in the towns where they operate is banned

Yes that is True I was told that in Roscoff council office when I complained after they closed the aire at Lalabier that CCP now operated a aire at Piccardy

 

[teckguy]

We found there are Height restricting car parks in France by getting a ticket in Ile de rey.