Club 80-90 Forums

hi all ,
we are off on another french trip this year and have decided to go down the east side of france this time ,and we are planning on stopping first in the champagne area,maybe troyes does anyone have any experience of this area ,and maybe recomend anywhere to stay ?
thanks

Why not join France Passion (£22.50) you get to stay on vineyards overnight for free, sample their wares with a view to buying some ... there's creameries and all sorts

That's what we're doing on the way to Italy and probably all the way back too ... it's going to be hellish but hey

Ian

the book ' all the aires ' .. will help

look on icampingcar for a look around the aires

remember if you have a tomtom look on our downloads for the aires pois


enjoy it ..

sorry my mistake their for the garmin ,, look on http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/tomtompoi.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for the aires pois

We stayed at a brilliant campsite about 30 k north of Troyes in Arcis-sur-Aube.
It's called Camping de l'île Cherlie and is run by a really great Dutch man.

It's quite quirky and not your normal Euro Avenue type campsite and it is actually on an island.

Hi
I disagree with the earlier post re aires. Many are fine others not but fundamentally ive always found it more worthwhile to use municipal sites, or campsites generally - muni's are good quality sites close to many (most) french towns which means you can stop off or stay somewhere where you can walk into town and enjoy the best of what France has to offer. This is essential also because the munis and smaller sites are suffering with the economic downturn. I love France and so would support the whole muni ethos which is to provide good quality inexpensive short or long term accomodation. They need people like us to use them and likewise visit the local resaurant etc and put a few euros into the local economy. Its a big issue at the moment.

Have a look at the Zoover website which has thousands of user reviews of campsites. You can drill down via the search options on the left to pinpoint sites in the area you want. You can also have a look at UKCS (google it) which is the biggest camping form in the UK, again loads of user reviews. They are as good a resource as you will find anywhere on the interwebby. Michelin and Alan Rogers books/websites are fine but I find they have a liking for a particular type of site and they are 'professional opinions'. Give me real peoples views anyday.

Ive drilled down to campsites in Champagne below - enjoy the search, I love it!

http://www.zoover.co.uk/campings/champa ... nne/france

Airs give you the ability to tour cheaply - if you constantly stayed on sites (Muni or others) then your holiday budget would go through the roof. Its good to use a site every so often for showering and having a base for a few days though.

Using Aires doesn't stop you putting cash into the local economy, users buy local produce and use local amenities/restaurants/ supermarches -but easily allows you to tour and view the wonderful country without being tied down- hence why there is a debate on another thread that they should have them in the UK.

Cheers for the link to the sites - many will find it useful. I hate booking somewhere then finding out it is a shiz hole and being stuck there for a week, so that is why I have a van for touring so I can move on if the mood needs. I also hate the big super complexes that are like miniature cities - blots on the landscape and no real feel about them (abroad and in the UK).

I disagree with the earlier post re aires. Many are fine others not but fundamentally ive always found it more worthwhile to use municipal sites, or campsites generally

Never seen a bad Aire yet, but I've seen 2 or 3 Camping Municipals I wouldn't let a dog stay on. Many C.M.s are full week on week during the French hols, with many Parisiens filling them for years in advance, taking everything from dishwashers and washing machines to fridge-freezers. Many Aires de Service (bog drop and water points) are just outside or part of the local C.M. anyway.

French campsites can be great but personally we like to spread the cost of the holiday by using a site every 3 or 4 days for a couple of days to have a turn around of the van and a bloody good spruce up.

Ian.

Louey wrote:Airs give you the ability to tour cheaply - if you constantly stayed on sites (Muni or others) then your holiday budget would go through the roof. Its good to use a site every so often for showering and having a base for a few days though.

Using Aires doesn't stop you putting cash into the local economy, users buy local produce and use local amenities/restaurants/ supermarches -but easily allows you to tour and view the wonderful country without being tied down- hence why there is a debate on another thread that they should have them in the UK.

Cheers for the link to the sites - many will find it useful. I hate booking somewhere then finding out it is a shiz hole and being stuck there for a week, so that is why I have a van for touring so I can move on if the mood needs. I also hate the big super complexes that are like miniature cities - blots on the landscape and no real feel about them (abroad and in the UK).

Sure enough if the budget is very tight then aires offer a realistic alternative, but camping at munis (and other smaller sites), often for under a tenner aint too bad either. Hopefully the review section should reduce the risk of you ending up at a dump. I spend ages pouring over site reviews and campsite websites simply to avoid the "pooh" sites. Thankfully in France they are generally fewer than back in blighty. Weve spent many happy weeks all over France over the past twenty years, mainly in our tent so the search is well worth the effort. France has a huge camping culture and has so much to offer. Therees no question in my mind that campsites offer more than aires, thats fairly obvious but I guess its just a question of convenience/preference and whether the extra dosh is worth it. Id rather have good facilities/showers etc on a beautiful site and pay a few quid extra. I suppose this being our first year with a campervan there is the question of using aires as a stop off whilst en route. On balance id still prefer a good camprsite even as a stopover but the case for aires for single overnighters is clear. Oh and I absolutely agree with you re the Butlins type places, they tend to be expensive too. Ther are plenty of alternatives though.

Ian Hulley wrote:

I disagree with the earlier post re aires. Many are fine others not but fundamentally ive always found it more worthwhile to use municipal sites, or campsites generally

Never seen a bad Aire yet, but I've seen 2 or 3 Camping Municipals I wouldn't let a dog stay on. Many C.M.s are full week on week during the French hols, with many Parisiens filling them for years in advance, taking everything from dishwashers and washing machines to fridge-freezers. Many Aires de Service (bog drop and water points) are just outside or part of the local C.M. anyway.

French campsites can be great but personally we like to spread the cost of the holiday by using a site every 3 or 4 days for a couple of days to have a turn around of the van and a bloody good spruce up.

Ian.

As above Ian its just a question of preference and what you want to spend your dosh on. Ive never been (i cant recall) to a bad site in France because its worth doing your homework before booking. I know there are some dumps out there but theyre pretty well known, or at least the reviews will reflect this. Aires arent campsites, theyre not intended to be so they wont have the same standard of fascilities (generally) as campsites. Thats not a criticism its just illustrating the difference. I may end up using aires but it will take something special to get me away from campsites. Im from a tenting background so it s just what weve always done. We got our camper to make things more convenient and give us that flexibility.

You can't book C.M.s ... or at least you couldn't.

Ian

Ian Hulley wrote:

I disagree with the earlier post re aires. Many are fine others not but fundamentally ive always found it more worthwhile to use municipal sites, or campsites generally

Never seen a bad Aire yet, but I've seen 2 or 3 Camping Municipals I wouldn't let a dog stay on. Many C.M.s are full week on week during the French hols, with many Parisiens filling them for years in advance, taking everything from dishwashers and washing machines to fridge-freezers. Many Aires de Service (bog drop and water points) are just outside or part of the local C.M. anyway.

French campsites can be great but personally we like to spread the cost of the holiday by using a site every 3 or 4 days for a couple of days to have a turn around of the van and a bloody good spruce up.

Ian.

And that Mr Hully is what we are doing for 2 weeks starting Sat night - I can't wait.

Gandalf wrote:

Ian Hulley wrote: French campsites can be great but personally we like to spread the cost of the holiday by using a site every 3 or 4 days for a couple of days to have a turn around of the van and a bloody good spruce up.

Ian.

And that Mr Hully is what we are doing for 2 weeks starting Sat night - I can't wait.

Perhaps we'll see you bimbling around, we go on the 7th heading South and straight down the middle Have a great time

Ian

...do you guys have any particular preparations for the van before heading south?....which spares would you take?

anaconda wrote:...do you guys have any particular preparations for the van before heading south?....which spares would you take?

Been done before BUT I give it a thorough service and inspection and carry .....

Tools (a fold out case containing spanners, sockets, pliers, allen keys etc)
oil
anti-freeze
brake/clutch fluid
instant metal kit
bulb kit
fan belt
accelerator cable
gaffer tape
pvc tape
plugs
leads
cap
alternator brush pack
ignition switch
various relays
ignition module
starter motor
self-amalgamating hose repair tape
engine bay hoses
brake/clutch pipe making/repair kit
fuses,wire,crimps
clutch slave & master cylinder
brake rear cylinder
water pump
thermostat housing
assorted nuts/bolts/washers
assorted jubilee clips

Bearing in mind these are the spares I've collected over 6 years and most live either in the van full-time or in the shed of plenty.

Ian

Serously thorough......any room for the suncream and bottle opener?

Im hoping the AAz engine is pretty sturdy in ours, the same bloke installed it and has been servicing it for the past three years. Starts instantly , runs well, good mpg, so all fine so far. Obviously the non engine bits need some thinking about too.

Thanks, i'll work to a shorter list picked from yours but thats really useful nonetheless.