To pre book or just go???

[Leltel]

Hi all, as we are very new to all of this, previously being tenters, we would appreciate your opinions and advice. We are off to France in a weeks time, ferry is early hours of the Monday, we want to travel along the South Coast from Hampshire however from Saturday. Is it best to pre book and plan a route or are we likely to find somewhere to just pull up and stop off and just go with the flow?

Sorry if there is an obvious answer to this, but although we have downloaded the POI, we are still apprehensive (hubby more than me!)

Reading everyones posts re France it would seem that there is no need to book just find an aire or something as there are plenty?

 

[Leltel]

Thanks *****, not having the option to do so before, just puts a seed of doubt in our minds! I am not too bothered about campsites, so long as we don't run out of gas! Unfortunatly we are only in France for 5 days.......then its back to that lovely place called work!

 

[Kontiki]

France & Germany are the easiest places to just go without any booking or planning. As for places to stay we have the Campingcar Infos USB data, you can look on the website to see the places CAMPING CAR INFOS WEBSITE Although the site is in French it is very well laid out so easy to understand. With the USB key it is like being able to go online as the whole website is available offline. You can also download all the POI's from the website.

 

[Nolly]

Hi Leltel.

Just go for it when you get to France it's so easy. Here is a typical wild spot at Oye plage just a few kilometers along the coast east of Calais.

Once bristling with German guns it's now bristling with motorhomes. The only guns you will hear now will be the locals wildfowling.
If you're anywhere around southeast Burgundy on your trip we would be only to happy to show you some great spots.

Bonne route.
Nolly.

 

[Nosha]

Now August is behind you I think you should be OK, if you've got the Aires in your sat-nav and ideally a French camping site guide I would go with the flow and stop at the end of the day!

We had no problems in June, but I would pre-book in July and August.

 

[jann]

France

We always go September or October,always stop on aires, no problems.
Buy an aires book when You are there or from Camping club before

 

[Malantina]

aires

Hi we have been using the aires in france for a few years now (altho am new to this site!) First time we went got off the boat at calais with nothing booked or planned, turned right armed with our all the aires and various other guides and altho apprehensive it was easier than expected! stopping at free aires all the way down the normandy coast.... st valery-en caux...trouville/deauville...all the way down to mont saint michel which costs around 8 euros a nite in the car park. The aires guide books we found and still find essential along with the sat nav!! And as previously mentioned camp sites out of season there are nearly always spaces when you "turn up". The main things which i stress was for us!! is learning how to be self sufficient ie gas refills...no exchange in europe for gb bottles so we use gazlow, power so good batteries...we use 2x65 watt solar panels to keep the charge up..water...waste...toilet well there are taps everywhere etc and usually always other vans/motorhomes parked in the aires whose occupants on the whole are a great source of info and advice just ask!! So enjoy!! £50 or so for ferry, aires and camp sites (tho out of season dont rely on the sites being open) and the freedom not to rush somewhere to get booked on and the freedom to move a few miles to the next!! I think imho that as far as planning goes pick an area head for it and dont try to do as many miles and see as much as possible in a short space of time you end up tired and missing alot!!

 

[theteapackets]

Hi, this year we just toddled down the coast road from Dunkirk to Le Touquet and found plenty of places to park free, although without services.

Cap Gris-Nez has a carpark on the road off the beach - which is a fab rock beach - ours really enjoyed the clambering after a few days on flat sandy beach.

Hardelot Plage has loads of parking by the flats next to beach (you have to travel through posh housing to reach flats). Nice beach, shops and restaurants.

Stella Plage has dedicated free motorhome parking at top end of town. Nice place to sleep at the base of a huge dune that even my hubby couldn't resist climbing! The beach and town looked a bit run down.

We parked one night in the square by church in a small town called Wissant. There were motorhomes down by the beach, but it looked a bit 'dodgy' down there.

We used public toilets to empty the loo, making sure we left it clean (!), used a watering can to top up fresh water for washing and bought cheap drinking water.

Le Touquet was motorhome unfriendly.

Hope this is useful :¬)

 

[Deleted member 3011]

Main requirement for successful free camping is to be on your selected campsite no later than 3pm. Gives you time to set up and relax before dark.

Nothing worse than driving around the countryside in the dark.

Don't get too stuck on aires either. Lots of tiny villages don't have one, but they all have a village square and most don't mind an occasional overnighter. Just check the signs to make sure the next day isn't a market day.

 

[jann]

Cap Gris Nez

When we went to Cap Gris Nez last year there were signs saying no motorhomes at night, has that changed this year?

Last time at Le Touquet there was parking at a charge at an aire, also another free one at amotorhome dealers just out of town. I