France Passion

[kathyshack]

Hi guys,
After hearing good things from you guys on here, about this scheme, we have purchased the 2012 membership for our trip at the end of april. just been looking through the book.... plenty to go at by the looks of it Reading the info at beginning of the book, it says the postcodes can be used with the GPS, silly question, but i cant see any postcodes listed??? is it the number next to each site, eg 24560 or is that the site ref number?

Also, just wondering which are your fave french passion sites you have stayed at? Theres so many to go at, might be nice if anyone has any favourites to list them here and why? I would love to stay at a cider orchard at some point on the way down from dunkirk to northern spain.

Look forward to hearing you recomendations and or about your stays on the FP sites. anyone stayed on them with children? did they mind the kids running around a bit or not?

Thanks in advance,
kathy

[Ian Hulley]

They aren't campsites and most are working farms but are usually very hospitable and we've been fine with our 2 (now teenagers). The directions are sometimes rudimentary and tend to be based from the nearest town or village but we've always found them. If you're unsure google map potential ones before you leave so you get a feel for where you're going.

Ian

[Ian Hulley]

The F.P. place at Montargis (an organic Cidre farm ) is very nice, the lady who runs it speaks no English but for a fee there are toilets, shower and leccy hook-up should you need them.




We also liked the vineyard in the Ardeche



The youngest likes this one near Rennes




Again a Cidre farm but with a variety of animals ... a donkey (called 'Pepo' ), several goats, rabbits, sheep etc etc.

[kathyshack]

Wow, thanks ian!
Getting very excited now about our first time abroad in a camper. First time driving abroad, and first time with the kids abroad.
Cheers for info,
kathy x

[jed the spread]

They all look like they are next to some kind of packing building or waist ground from the pictures I have seen on the wild camping forum.

jed

[Ian Hulley]

That 'waist' ground is also called the countryside Jed ... as I said most are on farms/vineyards so you have the usual assortment of barns and outbuildings that you'll find on any farm.

This one was in central France 3 hours south of Paris 2 hours north of Clermont Ferrand ..

The ramshackle building you see on the left is actually a climate controlled store and visitor's tasting building. VERY nice Cotes du Rhone controllee 'Chicago' red ... winner of international awards and about €6 to buy from the farm.

[lloydy]

I've got the italian version arriving soon, 35 euro's. I'm hoping between that and the italian aire's we will find the 3-4 spots we need. Even if you only find one that you like the look of, the 35 euro's is a night in a campsite. So no loss really. Google maps is great, you can check then, that just out of the photo isn't the village dump

[jed the spread]

That 'waist' ground is also called the countryside Jed ... as I said most are on farms/vineyards so you have the usual assortment of barns and outbuildings that you'll find on any farm.

This one was in central France 3 hours south of Paris 2 hours north of Clermont Ferrand ..

The ramshackle building you see on the left is actually a climate controlled store and visitor's tasting building. VERY nice Cotes du Rhone controllee 'Chicago' red ... winner of international awards and about €6 to buy from the farm.

Read carefully stroppy knickers

from the pictures I have seen on the wild camping forum.

jed

I was replying to the OP and the concerns of having a young family with them and like you said,

They aren't campsites

Hope this helps, have a nice weekend

jed

[Ian Hulley]

Read carefully stroppy knickers

Ey ? What the feck are you on about ?

Most F.P. places are in the countryside by their very nature ... as I said farms and vineyards .... the ground around them is countryside ... farm land.

Ian

[jed the spread]

That 'waist' ground is also called the countryside Jed ...

I am sure they will enjoy FP where ever they end up.

jed

[AdrianC]

We stayed at a couple on the way down through France last year - one was superb, the other was a corner of the gravelly parking area near to the yard, right next to a field of cows. Bit whiffy, and VERY fly-blown.

The one thing that MIGHT be make-or-break (it was for us) is not to believe the "toilets available" icon. Both of those were listed as having bogs. The first, they looked very surprised and rapidly emptied a pile of stored stuff from a very rough-and-ready loo, the other just shrugged and said "Nope, no toilets. Who said there was?"

[jed the spread]

We stayed at a couple on the way down through France last year - one was superb, the other was a corner of the gravelly parking area near to the yard, right next to a field of cows. Bit whiffy, and VERY fly-blown.

The one thing that MIGHT be make-or-break (it was for us) is not to believe the "toilets available" icon. Both of those were listed as having bogs. The first, they looked very surprised and rapidly emptied a pile of stored stuff from a very rough-and-ready loo, the other just shrugged and said "Nope, no toilets. Who said there was?"

Good review A&E I always appreciate your input from where ever you are

jed

[Ian Hulley]

right next to a field of cows. Bit whiffy, and VERY fly-blown.

Aye, like I said ... the country.*



*In fact if your a city dweller and don't want to spend time on farms and vineyards in the French countryside .... which is full of countryside and animals (which may/may not be horrid and frightfull, whiffy & attract flies) then on NO ACCOUNT buy France Passion.

There ya go Kathy ... sorted

Ian.

[AdrianC]

right next to a field of cows. Bit whiffy, and VERY fly-blown.

Aye, like I said ... the country.*

Makes me wonder why I've never been to the countryside before, eh...?

(For those who probably don't know, I grew up in a small village in the Peak District, and went to the same school as Ian...)

(and sorry for the thread hijack...)

where ever you are

As I type this, we're looking out over vines at the northern slopes of a very large and snow-covered mountain which seems to have a lot of steam and smoke coming out of it!



It's only a couple of weeks since Etna last erupted - the snow all down the Eastern slopes is covered with basalt rock, and from a distance looks like there's no snow at all.

We leave Sicily probably tomorrow, back on mainland Europe for the first time since the end of October. Across Italy to Bari, then over to Albania and up through the Balkans.

If ever anybody comes to Sicily, this place - http://www.etnawineagriturismo.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - is absolutely _gorgeous_.

[Titus A Duxass]

I have just joined France Passion and the BH is now planning a 2 -3 week tour in September.
We are going to start in Franche-Comte and make a big loop through central France.

Best I get my French up to speed.

Ian - thanks for all your France Passion info.