Le Guide officiel Aires de service camping-car - Edition 2022

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Staying at an aire means you must remain self-contained and take everything with you. If there are no waste disposal units, don’t just throw your waste out here. The French word aire literally translates to ‘area’. Over the years it has come to describe an area designated for overnight motorhome parking and to provide access to essential services such as fresh water and waste disposal. Do not outstay your welcome. Most aires limit the amount of time you can stay to one or two nights. Authorised arrival/departure times should be clearly signed. These areas are the traditional aires; large enough to fit quite a few motorhomes, dedicated overnight parking areas for vehicles and most often free. You will find a mix of these types of aires that do and don’t have services.

Can you stay overnight in an ‘aire de service’ on a French motorway? Yes, often it is allowed. They often have specific motorhome parking areas and there will be an allowed time you are allowed to stay for. This will be displayed clearly on a sign somewhere nearby. If in doubt, ask. That being said, if you want to have a picnic or set up some outdoor kit, don’t do it in a place where another vehicle could park . We are pleased to note that the use of tokens is now reducing, although some are still left. About 10-15 years ago, no machine had credit card facilities and the jeton was the only way to pay. We saw one during a recent road trip that still required a trip to the local boulangerie to get a token. Map of aires in France – standalone bornesMost aires, however, charge a modest fee for overnight parking, especially if they are in scenic areas such as national parks or near the coast. This can be a bit daunting- especially if it’s full of locals who all stop to stare as you walk in. Don’t let that put you off- we’ve had some great nights at French bars without a clue what’s being going on around us. These can be quite busy and there is a lot of coming and going with people arriving or departing at all hours. They may not be the quietest of places but are convenient. All aires have rules, whether they are run by the local council or a commercial company. The rules are often derived from local by-laws which exist to ensure that large groups of travellers do no arrive and stay for months. Often the rules will be displayed in English and French. You can arrive and leave whenever you wish, although vehicle movements overnight are not expected unless you are close to a seaport.

At some Aire’s, you will need a token. The information board will tell you where to buy a token, which could be from a cafe, bar, or a nearby shop. Arromanches-les-Bains: Perfectly situated for golden beaches ( Gold Beach in the D-Day landings) and a sweetly bustling seaside town. There are two aires in town, this is the one just north of Camping Municipal. We sleep great in French Aires. They’re often quiet, and motorhome owners tend to look out for each other. We’ve had complete strangers shout at local kids who have come over to look at our motorbikes- warning the kids to stay away and not touch. We have never had a disturbed nights sleep in an aire… except for with the puppy wanting to sit on my head! 🙁 VRBO and Stayz (in Australia) – great for holiday rentals of more than seven days and often have discounts for longer periods. These are definitely not safe (or peaceful!) places for motorhome stopovers, even though they often have an area of the car park designated for motorhomes. How much do French aires cost?There are so many motorhome stopovers dotted around the country that it can seem difficult to travel more than a few miles off the motorway without bumping into one. In my experience, the only time we have trouble finding an aire is when it’s getting late and the kids need to go to bed – or maybe it just feels that way!

Those at motorway service stations may feel less safe due to the comings and goings of people and vehicles. Make sure you secure your vehicle if you leave it for even a few minutes. You must only use one space (if they are designated). If you’re towing, your van and trailer must fit in the designated space. There are lots of apps to help you find free motorhome camping across Europe. Our favourite is Park4Night, which has thousands of aires detailed on their app. Aires de camping are for the use of motorhomes, campervans and other self-contained motor-caravans such as RV’s or overland vehicles, otherwise known as a camping car in Europe.Motorhome aires can be run by the local municipality or a commercial company and every aire is different! From gated aires with designated places to a patch of grass or gravel on the outskirts of a village, you’ll find something to suit your needs wherever you go in France.