We are getting the Euro into France about 11.30pm at night during easter, can anyone recommend an Aire for us to stop over in the MH, near Calais or max half hour drive away??
Thanks
Claire
------------- Claire ;-)
just discovered somthing better than camping....a motorhome :-)
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
You can stay on the docks at Calais. Many other motorhomes do - and it's easy! Otherwise, there's an aire near Aire sur La Lys (south of St Omer), where we've stayed in the past.
The Baie de Somme aire on the A16 (Paris via Amiens) has a separate area for vans and M/H's to overnight - it's away from the main petrol / shops area and is pretty quiet.
I use the adjacent car parking area to get my head down for an hour or so after we cross (usually about 7 in the morning).
Probably a forty minute drive from Calais but worth the extra IMHO.
You can go either direction on motorway to Paris as you leave Eurotunnel. If you just want an overnight stop you don't want to be going out of your way. Motorway service areas(Aires) are accessible any time. You can head towards Boulogne & there is a services about 5mins down the motorway. Going this way will bring you into north of Paris which might not be ideal if you are heading south.
If you post up your destination you will get more specific help. St Omer is on the way to Paris but this going in the other direction & is a better route if you are going south from Paris. The first services on that motorway is sth of Bethune & will take an hour to reach.
The other type of 'Aire' is a motorhome aire, signposted 'aire du service campingcar' these are found off motorway in towns & would be a better bet if you knew where one was located. You can buy a guide book for these.
I looked at the Calais municipal (Docks?) as a stopover. It has a poor website. It seems to be closed March and April? I am stopping at les Epinettes campsite close to Calais off the A16 arriving there about 9.45pm late March. I am booked in. Not sure about later arrivals?
Fred.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
A lot of motorhomers leaving the tunnel simply turn left into the motorhome parking area at cite europe and stopover there. We have not done that, but we have left the tunnel and gone to the front of the terminal building at the ferry and stopped there.
There are Aires de Service de Camping Car, which are areas where motorhomes can park up for the night, but there are also autoroute aires, which are service areas where motorhomes, cars and caravans can stop overnight.
The Aire I mentioned is St Hilaire Cottes, just south of Aire sur la Lys, on the A26 autoroute, between junction 4 and junction 5.
Perhaps it's worth suggesting that a map of France might be a good idea so that you've an idea of which route you're going to use, and where any of the suggested places actually are.
There are lots of possible choices - but viamichelin gives you the choice of the A1 via St Omer (or by-passing it actually), or the A16 via Abbeville and Amiens. The A1 route is a few minutes shorter, but the tolls are 1 euro less on the A16. I'd personally prefer the A1 as it takes you to the 'right' side (east of Paris) in a very straightforward way, where the A16 involves a more complicated route around from the North West of Paris.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
If you will be travelling daytime during the week at anytime & weekends in holiday season the A16 route to Paris is much less busy. If you go the other way past St Omer, once you are onto A1 you have all the traffic coming from Holland/Germany.
If you go A16, when you get nr Paris, follow signs to 'Aeroport Charles de Gaulle' & you end up on last bit of A1 anyway, you then use A104 which is the outer ring rd to DLP.
There is a services within 5mins of Eurotunnel on A16.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Aires Near Calais
