Going back to agdes original post,I agree with his observations,and as for his spelling mistakes they are brought to his attention by the very people he,and I wish to avoid .
thanks everone i've enjoyed this post its had lots of good reactions and past the time of day.. the spell checker's have had there fun too...some people sort of do the same as me.. and some don't. and some people think i go around france and sh*t in the tents of other brit's...? ah well.............
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
I think Feeblecat is right in her reply - choose your site carefully and hopefully you won't have problems with whoever is on site, whatever their nationality. However, sites can change, and the site Agde recommends was (and probably still is) one of our favourites, because of the location mainly, and we've been back lots of times.
A couple of years ago it was a very different 'animal' on one of our visits, with loud people of all nationalities (Belgians behind with a radio on from 7.00 am to 10.00 pm, Brits to two sides who were friends and football fans, and shouted over our pitch to each other from morning to night, drank a lot and sat outside in their awnings watching football all evening) a quiet Dutch couple opposite, but to the side of them another Dutch couple with two barking dogs, and after the third disturbed night we upped sticks and moved. Had that been our first visit I would have found it very off-putting - not because of the nationality of the people staying there, but because they were loud and not the sort of people we'd choose to pitch next to.
This time on the six pitches on our 'row' (not at Neptune this time) we had Italians, Dutch, French, German, British (us), and Belgian - and it was lovely. At night it was quiet, during the day everyone was 'chatty', but not 'in your face' and Paula, the Italian lady had an icecream maker in her motorhome and kept everyone supplied with 'Gelato'.
There were a few Brits on site, but generally they were like us and kept their contact to 'time of the day' polite chat, rather than 'drop round, have a drink, and watch the football with us.................'
BUT last night we were in a restaurant in Calais, and a couple came in and sat next to us. They were obviously not that familiar with the set up in French restaurants, and hearing them struggle we made some polite suggestions. In the end we really did get chatting - they were retired customs officers, brought back into work from retirement to sort out the chaos as passport control (be warned................!!!!!.) and he had worked with my brother's best friend for years and years. We had an absolutely great night and in the end swopped email addresses and left after cheek kisses and handshakes all around! I'd highly recommend the restaurant (Au Vieux Fourneau) with an excellent four course meal for 15 euros (even on a Sunday night!)
It's all a bit like home, isn't it?
Some neighbours are great, and some you wouldn't waste the time of day with ... and then ... there are the 'neighbours from hell.'
We've been lucky in that we've come up against very few Brits (or other nationalities), we'd really rather avoid. A group of French 'travellers' last year, who were very noisy and drunk till 4 am in the morning ... they had been banned from the site the year before ... but, being a municipal, they just arrived and pitched when no officials were about ... luckily they were ejected after one night.
I reckon you can spot the more 'interesting' folk pretty easily, and those you may wish to avoid, likewise.
Of course, as you're camping, you can always 'move on'.
Don't meet that many Brits when we camp abroad but I have to say, all the ones we have met on sites have been lovely, and my kids have made friends with their kids etc. One lovely couple even bought a little present for my daughter one year as we were celebrating her birthday. On the other hand, I've met some right nasty pieces of British work in and around the Dordogne but they weren't campers, they had moved there and were acting as though they owned the place! As someone else said, I don't think we should generalise too much, because we run the risk of missing out on meeting some lovely people who make life richer and some God awful people who you can have a good laugh at when you get home.
We have seen very few Brits this holiday up to yet in Germany and Austria. 3 couples did come to Ossiach in S.Austria, at different times, 2 of them I had recommended the site to on my website and the other one had seen the site mentioned my me on a Forum. They were all delightful and enjoyed a few drinks with. We do like other company at times and enjoy talking to the Dutch, Germans and Austrians who are bulk of the visitors in these2 countries.
------------- Kia Sorento XS towing Elddis Crusader Storm.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Quote: Originally posted by snooks14 on 11/6/2012
We have seen very few Brits this holiday up to yet in Germany and Austria. 3 couples did come to Ossiach in S.Austria, at different times, 2 of them I had recommended the site to on my website and the other one had seen the site mentioned my me on a Forum. They were all delightful and enjoyed a few drinks with. We do like other company at times and enjoy talking to the Dutch, Germans and Austrians who are bulk of the visitors in these2 countries.
We went to Austria, Czech Republic and Germany last year and met just one British couple in the full 3 weeks.
Like others have posted on some sites we have been the only British couple, on others there have been more. We have never been to a campsite in France that caters for the British en masse though.
For some reason I can cope with screaming children when they are not screaming and shouting in English!!
Two weeks ago we were at Natterersee in Austria and there was a knock on the caravan door - it was a fellow-Brit who hadn't come across a single other English person for three weeks, and was desperate to have a chat in his native language! We are now at La Bien Assise, about to take the tunnel home, and this is the first time we've seen UK caravans in large numbers. We're so used to seeing Dethleffs, Kips, Wilks, Knaus etc, that a Bailey looked quite foreign! (We've been away for 5 months.)
------------- Il vaut mieux vivre ses reves que rever sa vie
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: avoiding the brit`s
