Overnight in French Autoroute aires

[kp64zl]

Quick question- is it Ok to spend night in french autoroute aire/ service station pls? Will need a few hours sleep on way down to south of fracnce over Easter. Probably somewhere near Reims

Thanks

 

[kurienp]

Quick question- is it Ok to spend night in french autoroute aire/ service station pls? Will need a few hours sleep on way down to south of fracnce over Easter. Probably somewhere near Reims

Thanks

Absolutely fine.

You will find broadly two types of Aires - the ones attached to petrol stations and independent Aires only. At ones attached to petrol stations, we popup the roof and sleep up top

In the other standalone aires, we tend to sleep downstairs with the popup closed, with the option to move away quickly if needed to. Have not needed so far and nothing to be afraid of, but usually makes your sleep that much more quieter.

Enjoy!

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[Ozzy Pete]

We have stayed in quite a few village Aires over the years.Personally I wouldn’t stay on any Aire if you are the only camper van there. Always safety in numbers.

 

[calibusje]

I have my own opinion about it and I don't recommend it to anyone. However, you do what you want. It is mainly about how safe you feel: not ok: get away and find a another space like a camperplace. Why do you want to sleep on a parking when there are ‘thousands’ of camper places, for example in beautiful villages and easy to find with an app such as park4night.

For extra ideas or opinions, you could also read this thread:

France Roadtrip ideas

Hi all, We take delivery of a new Ocean next month and have just booked the Euro tunnel for a 1 week roadtrip in France at Whit. It’s myself, my wife and our 14 year old son. Can anyone recommend any good sites/ itineraries that they have followed? We went to Britanny many years ago and have...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

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[rod_vw]

My son was advised by the police not to stay on one Autoroute Aire and moved to another one. However his camper was broken into and items stolen whilst he and his partner slept at the second location.
So my advice would be NO.

We've travelled many miles in France and always use Aires when ever possible but only well away from an Autoroute and most often in rural areas. Aires are very plentiful and can be found on websites like Search for Sites where you will find reports from other users to give you some idea of the locality.

This is a screen print from SFS and if you look at the details of Autoroute stops on their website you will see that there are almost no recommendations for these stops.

 

[calibusje]

My son was advised by the police not to stay on one Autoroute Aire and moved to another one. However his camper was broken into and items stolen whilst he and his partner slept at the second location.
So my advice would be NO.

We've travelled many miles in France and always use Aires when ever possible but only well away from an Autoroute and most often in rural areas. Aires are very plentiful and can be found on websites like Search for Sites where you will find reports from other users to give you some idea of the locality.

This is a screen print from SFS and if you look at the details of Autoroute stops on their website you will see that there are almost no recommendations for these stops.
View attachment 90028

True, it’s that easy to find many camper places (aires like some call them) to stay away from autoroute aires/parkings. We also use search for sites, in addition to park4night (witch is French although you wouldn’t suspect it by the name) and a Dutch one.

 

[Ting Tong]

We’ve stayed on loads with abs no problem. We always choose ones with petrol stations and generally only on toll Autoroutes.

 

[calibusje]

We’ve stayed on loads with abs no problem. We always choose ones with petrol stations and generally only on toll Autoroutes.

That is very good for you (although I have my idea about that) but keep asking myself: why do you want to do that?

 

[Ting Tong]

That is very good for you (although I have my idea about that) but keep asking myself: why do you want to do that?

For example if you get off the Dieppe ferry at 9pm, you can get a couple of hours drive to an Aire on the A28 near Alençon and you’re straight back en route in the morning. Same if you get to Calais late…the Baie du Somme Aire on the A16 is always packed with people doing the same.

 

[calibusje]

For example if you get off the Dieppe ferry at 9pm, you can get a couple of hours drive to an Aire on the A28 near Alençon and you’re straight back en route in the morning. Same if you get to Calais late…the Baie du Somme Aire on the A16 is always packed with people doing the same.

Sure, but now you are talking about those two specific cases (and even then I wouldn't do it: with an app you can drive to a nice safe camperplace just minutes away from the péage and in the morning up and further) but I mean about all of France: you say you have done it loads of times, sleeping in car parks at gas stations along péages.
What I want to show is that there are so many beautiful camper places to spend the night in villages and very easy to find with an app. No need for carparks at a motorway. I would not recommend those to anyone, but everbody should know that for themselves, you are all adults but I really can’t recommend these places.
Happy travels.

 

[chockswahay]

Quick question- is it Ok to spend night in french autoroute aire/ service station pls? Will need a few hours sleep on way down to south of fracnce over Easter. Probably somewhere near Reims

Thanks

We have stayed on hundreds of Aires in France but only on the local village/town type. On another forum we have used over the years the general received wisdom is to avoid motorway aires as they are particularly vulnerable to theft and break ins. I have rarely heard of such issues with the village type. It is of course personal choice but for us……. We would never stop on a motorway aire. As for distance? There will always be a safe aire only a few miles from wherever you are in France…… they are fantastic for touring

 

[calibusje]

We have stayed on hundreds of Aires in France but only on the local village/town type. On another forum we have used over the years the general received wisdom is to avoid motorway aires as they are particularly vulnerable to theft and break ins. I have rarely heard of such issues with the village type. It is of course personal choice but for us……. We would never stop on a motorway aire. As for distance? There will always be a safe aire only a few miles from wherever you are in France…… they are fantastic for touring

True, I just know a little bit too many people who have been robbed at a gasstation parking lot at motorways, at night, even under CCTV. Sometimes all nearby campers where also robbed at the same time.
It can happen everywhere, I know but those places at the péages are to avoid for overnight stays; the camperplaces at the villages are so much nicer and easy to find.

 

[Ting Tong]

Sure, but now you are talking about those two specific cases (and even then I wouldn't do it) but I mean about all of France: you say you have done it loads of times, sleeping in car parks at gas stations along péages.
What I also want to show is that there are so many beautiful camper places to spend the night in villages and very easy to find with an app. No need for carparks at a motorway. I would not recommend those to anyone, but everbody should know that for themselves, you are all adults but I really can’t recommend these places.
Happy travels.

Appreciate that but the op asked about somewhere to bunk down whilst he was crossing France to get to his holiday destination, so I told him what we’ve done on the loads of times over the last 20 years we’ve done the same. If we’re on a tour of La Belle France or have time to relax en route, we stay in a mix of sites and Aires du Camping cars and we find the France Passion sites particularly lovely.

 

[calibusje]

Appreciate that but the op asked about somewhere to bunk down whilst he was crossing France to get to his holiday destination, so I told him what we’ve done on the loads of times over the last 20 years we’ve done the same. If we’re on a tour of La Belle France or have time to relax en route, we stay in a mix of sites and Aires du Camping cars and we find the France Passion sites particularly lovely.

Of course and I respect your opinion and answer for the OP. My answer to the question to quickly get some sleep on the way down to the south was therefore clear: I can't recommend it and with an app you can find a safe camperplace to sleep not far from a péage. We have already used péages if we want to cover a large distance quickly in a short time (never to sleep at night). But most of the time we want to enjoy the beauty of France and I especially enjoy the small towns and villages we pass.
Keep enjoying traveling.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Quick question- is it Ok to spend night in french autoroute aire/ service station pls? Will need a few hours sleep on way down to south of fracnce over Easter. Probably somewhere near Reims

Thanks

We have always slept in the services on the toll roads enroute to the SW Coast with no issue; but have avoided aires on the toll roads as they always seem too quiet.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Just asking - is overnighting at a French Aire considered more risky than ‘wild camping’ anywhere? Lots of people on here wild camp in all sorts of places.

 

[The Blue Merle]

I’ve parked up all around Europe and would always prefer to be out in the middle of nowhere.

Always set up so you can move in 30s without getting out of van is my advise.

 

[The Blue Merle]

Just asking - is overnighting at a French Aire considered more risky than ‘wild camping’ anywhere? Lots of people on here wild camp in all sorts of places.

French aires are great but can be a bit noisy and busy (great out of season), autoroutes I stay clear of these days as prefer to explore and never in a rush to get to somewhere.

 

[calibusje]

Just asking - is overnighting at a French Aire considered more risky than ‘wild camping’ anywhere? Lots of people on here wild camp in all sorts of places.

Depends on what you mean by an aire: an aire-de-repos which is a parking lot to rest, as the name suggests, along a big road or motorway or péage (paying motorway); with toilet block and parking places. Also called aire de service. Generally has a name after ‘aire’: aire de ... Or a parking lot -also called aire and like the ones above- next to a gas station with camera surveillance and sometimes even a security service that drives by (on such a parking my father was robbed at night while they were sleeping, together with all the other campers with them; the French police knows these places an don’t recommend sleeping there overnight). I do not recommend these places. Then there are camping places near or in towns and villages, small and generally very clean and give a safe feeling. Easy to find with an app such as park4night. Also called aire de camping car.
So, if you mean an aire like in the first two I described: that’s for their own account. I think I understand why you're asking this: maybe to show the people who advise against staying overnight in a parking lot at a gas station on péages that free standing, sometimes very remote, could also be unsafe? You have a point somewhere, but with us it goes like this: if one of us doesn't feel safe on a camperplace, we'll look for another. And don't spend the night in a parking lot along a péage, of course.

 

[chockswahay]

Just asking - is overnighting at a French Aire considered more risky than ‘wild camping’ anywhere? Lots of people on here wild camp in all sorts of places.

Deffo less risky…. We like to do both and spent over 700 nights in first van but that was a 6m Globecar. We love the French Aire system, very safe and easy. Of course there are always a few ‘dodgy’ ones….. in which case just drive a few more miles to the nest one

They all have the advantage of fresh water and toilet drop. I think many are now charged for but only in the region of 8 to 10 Euro per night and this often includes hook up.

 

[itsSteve]

No-one can be certain that anywhere is 100%, but for more the past twelve years we have regularly overnighted on French (and German) motorway services with our (now) teenage son. Many of them have dedicated areas for campervans. It is worth noting that the French toll roads have video on, video off cameras, offering a degree of security and that, as the receipts often make clear, paying the toll "buys" you 24 hours on that road. There are frequently picnic areas as well as shops and toilet facilities, which may be useful. Common sense, of course, should prevail, and I would not leave a van unattended and out of sight for long. BTW, the stops on non-toll trunk roads frequently seem more vulnerable (and less hygienic!)

 

[kp64zl]

Interesting, thanks all - some good points there. Was thinking of somewhere on a peage section - main reason is that it saves driving time.....especially when arriving about 1am and planning to depart early. When a student I would camp out in the aires (bivi bag) and I do remember it being distinctly unpleasant (noisy and rainy) but that was somewhere near calais in the winter....

I just wonder whether France is really that different to the UK -- I wouldn't think twice about staying in a motorway service station if necessary ... just about acceptable with earplugs, no hassle.... and don'thave to put up with stupid UK campsite rules (perhaps that's the difference)

 

[The Blue Merle]

Interesting, thanks all - some good points there. Was thinking of somewhere on a peage section - main reason is that it saves driving time.....especially when arriving about 1am and planning to depart early. When a student I would camp out in the aires (bivi bag) and I do remember it being distinctly unpleasant (noisy and rainy) but that was somewhere near calais in the winter....

I just wonder whether France is really that different to the UK -- I wouldn't think twice about staying in a motorway service station if necessary ... just about acceptable with earplugs, no hassle.... and don'thave to put up with stupid UK campsite rules (perhaps that's the difference)

France is way easier to just pull up and stay in your camper they pretty much welcome it in most places.
I would just look for a little village just off the toll.
Don’t pop roof and just use internal windscreen covers.

 

[calibusje]

No-one can be certain that anywhere is 100%, but for more the past twelve years we have regularly overnighted on French (and German) motorway services with our (now) teenage son. Many of them have dedicated areas for campervans. It is worth noting that the French toll roads have video on, video off cameras, offering a degree of security and that, as the receipts often make clear, paying the toll "buys" you 24 hours on that road. There are frequently picnic areas as well as shops and toilet facilities, which may be useful. Common sense, of course, should prevail, and I would not leave a van unattended and out of sight for long. BTW, the stops on non-toll trunk roads frequently seem more vulnerable (and less hygienic!)

True, no one can know for sure, and I certainly won't say so; I will not, however, recommend staying overnight in a parking lot along a motorway (or péage); even in spite of CCTV and possibly physical security firms, these places are well known for robberies at night. The robbers do not come along the highway but rather from 'behind the fences' with transport along a road behind the car park (info from the police). These parking lots are also known for their scams. Been acquainted with it several times (but not fooled).
As you say, the amenities are nice to have on the road (but certainly much more expensive than other places) and there is sometimes animation during the day which is also pleasant. Using common sense during your stop is important.
We avoid the car parks (aire de repos both along péages and the stops along the trunk roads) to spend the night anyway. There are so many nicer places to stay overnight, easy to find with an app.
Have fun traveling!

 

[andyinluton]

We use the French motorway services to overnight frequently. Just use common sense, if it feels wrong keep going to the next one.

I would always avoid those nearest to major Towns / Cities.

The only one that we've changed our minds about after we had stopped was the Baie de Somme ( something like that). heading South from Calais. We made a move after about 12 Uk registered transit pick ups towing twin axle caravans decended on the place & it started getting a bit noisy.