Overnight stop end July Orange or Nimes

[rstorrie1]

I am having difficulties trying to find a cheap, secure overnight stop en-route to Spain around the Orange, Nimes areas, basically just off the A9.

Option 2 is a secure Aire in this area any ideas. Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks

Russell

 

[ValA.]

Do you mean a hotel with secure parking, or a campsite? If the former then there are lots of budget hotels around Nimes - we stayed at the Ibis which is mid-range, secure parking - but there are cheaper options in the same area, literally just off the autoroute. This website gives links to most of the budget chains - and you can search their own websites for Nimes or Orange.

If you want a campsite, then there are several options depending on what time you want to stop, and how far off the autoroute. Have a quick look at

http://users.telenet.be/leo.huybrechts/camp1.htm
which lists ALL sites within 15km of the major routes through France. Click on the links to find the A9 and then the sites are listed from north to south. Opening dates are given as well as POI information.

 

[rstorrie1]

Thanks for your reply Val, I hope to be arriving in the area about 4pm with caravan.

I have already tried your link without success, most sites require you to stay 2 or 3 nights minimum. Thats why I might have to consider an Aire thats safe for a family with young kids suggestions anyone?

Russell

 

[anotherDavid]

Have a look at Camping Floral listed under Montelimar in the CC Caravan Europe book. Its a small and simple site with Belgium owners, there is a pool and a small cheap cafe. Its right alonside the N7. At that time of year it might be as well to ring ahead which shouldnt be a problem as they speak english.

Dave

 

[ValA.]

If it were me (and we stay at Aire de la Baie de Somme in the north twice every year)I really wouldn't stay on an Aire around the Nimes area or anywhere in the Rhone Valley. I know lots of people probably do stay in the south, on Aires, but most of the 'scare' stories you hear involve Aires in the south of France or Spain, rather than northern France. Municipal sites in most French towns will take overnight stops - but there's absolutely no need to book if you're planning to arrive around 4 pm. There is a municipal in Nimes (but I wouldn't recommend it). There is Camping Municipal Les Peupliers in Orange (which is highly recommended by Caravan Club members) Tel 00 33 (0)4 90 70 67 09) and Aire Naturelle Domaine des Favards 00 33 (0)4 90 70 93 North East of Orange. These are both taken from the Caravan Club book.

If you're coming from northern France, then I also wouldn't go down the Rhone Valley to Spain - it's a very expensive autoroute and very busy particularly around Lyon. A quicker and cheaper alternative would be to head west of Paris in the north, around Rouen and Chartes, and go down the A71 and A75 - no major hold ups anywhere and a free autoroute from Clermont Ferrand all the way down to Montpellier. On that route there are certainly sites which will take you overnight for just one night - we've stayed on many of them.

 

[Gafferbill]

.. I stayed at the Aire de la Baie de Somme early last September for an overnight stop.

There were warning sings from the local police advising vigilance, as there had been a number of thefts from leisure vehicles parked overnight even though they contained people sleeping.

The local police 24/7 contact telephone was given, together with the advice not to stop the night.

For this reason I parked in the noisier bays near the main building and fuel station and I did notice quite a frequent police presence.

There was no one parked overnight in the remote caravan / motorhome parking bays.

I give no advice...... I am just relating my experience of last September.

 

[ValA.]

We've slept there many times now, and never had a problem - but I do know other people are very cautious about staying overnight. We've not heard of any problems at Baie de la Somme, but as you say, it is always a potential risk - and you have to weigh up those risks. We only do it on our first night, because we arrive in France too late to find a campsite. On any subsequent 'travelling' nights we always make sure we find a campsite, and even in peak season when we used to go, have never had a problem finding a site which would take us for an overnight stop. In my experience the larger campsites may exclude overnights in peak season, but the smaller municipal sites are usually full of other people overnighting too.

The local gendarmerie do actually patrol Baie de la Somme about half a dozen times during the night and whenever we've stayed there we've usually been in the caravan area, which has been almost full. I don't think we'd stay if no-one else was around. On one occasion had to sleep near to the main building because there was no space in the caravan/motorhome bays.

If you do choose to stay overnight then obviously you would take sensible safety precautions with both car and caravan, including not leaving valuables anywhere in sight. We make sure that anything valuable is tucked away in one of the many secure and hidden places inside the caravan. Generally when you hear stories about robberies you also hear that the people concerned had emptied their pockets and left everything, including car keys, wallets and handbags on the worktop or the table!! Our car is alarmed - and we have a security device which we're certain would wake us up if there was an attempted break-in.

I certainly wouldn't suggest that Russell stays on an Aire in the south of the Rhone Valley - but if he does choose to then far better to ask advice from other people who have done it - and who perhaps can recommend an Aire where people feel reasonably secure.

 

[rstorrie1]

Thank you all for the advise, I will skip the Aire's, and try the sites suggested.

Unfortunatley Val I am booked via Amsterdam, Luxembourg then Chalon so the Rhone route was the easiest, would you suggest swinging across onto the A75 from Lyon?

Russell

 

[Jaydug]

If you get as far down the Rhone Valley as Lyon, I don't see any benefit in crossing to the A75. You might just as well continue down the N7 to Orange. When doing this route we often stay at Tain l'Hermitage. There's a municipal site there, situated along the river bank. It's only a short drive from Junction 13 of the A7 and about 70 miles north of Orange. Just across the road from the site there's a useful Intermarche for shopping and a tank topup.

 

[anotherDavid]

Thank you all for the advise, I will skip the Aire's, and try the sites suggested.

Unfortunatley Val I am booked via Amsterdam, Luxembourg then Chalon so the Rhone route was the easiest, would you suggest swinging across onto the A75 from Lyon?

Russell

I traveled that way last year From Rotterdam to Metz (Camping Paquis in the CC book), Macon and then across country towards Moulins joining the N9 then the A75 as recomended by Val. Its a bit further than going down to Lyon and across to Clermont Ferrand but it costs nothing in tolls and is a good road. The municipal in Macon is good for as long as you like to stay. From Macon we stay the next night in Millau again a good stopover. If you want to contact me ask the moderator how its done.

Hope this helps

Dave

 

[ValA.]

Russell - no, I don't think I'd swing across to the A75 either, to save the money. Fine if you're 'meandering' somewhere, but not if you've got a destination site you just want to get to.

There's a municipal site in Villeneuve des Avignon (see review here: http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/reviews.asp?revid=7063) which is just off the autoroute in the right sort of area. Friends have stayed there and recommended it - but we haven't been down the Rhone Valley for several years, so have never taken up the recommendation.

Thanks John - talking about this post last night, and OH and I both remembered staying somewhere in the Rhone Valley - it was Tain, but neither of us could remember the name! Usually I have an excellent memory for sites, but not for that one.

We've also stayed a bit further north at a site at St Clair du Rhone - Camping La Daxia (had to look up the name) which is a nice site for a stop over and in low season is very good value - price for 2010 12 euros, including electric hook-up! Even in high season not bad at 19 euros.

 

[Cragrat]

Hi Russel

I don't know if another David has used Camping Floral in the past 12 months, but I used it in March 2009 when traveling back from Spain, and with out going into further details, wouldn't recommend it for an overnight stop.

Paul

 

[ValA.]

It doesn't get good reviews, either, in the Caravan Club book, which mentions dirty facilities and itinerant workers on site.

 

[anotherDavid]

Hi Russel

I don't know if another David has used Camping Floral in the past 12 months, but I used it in March 2009 when traveling back from Spain, and with out going into further details, wouldn't recommend it for an overnight stop.

Paul

It must have upset someone more recently as its a few years since I stayed there.However it still gets a decent write up in 2007

I thought the owners a bit odd but ok apart from that.

Will be guided by more recent visitors

Dave

 

[rstorrie1]

Thank you all for the info, I recon I will try the site at Avignon suggested by Val A.

Many thanks

Russell