Overnight Stopping

[Simon_5127476]

We are to France again in a couple of weeks and we have a Dover-Calais ferry booked at 11pm. We are heading to La Rochelle. I have two very young children and it would be irresponsible to try and drive through.

I am concerned about the posts about aires? I cant get to a campsite as I wont enter France untill the early hours.

Has anybody got any suggestions on how to overcome the concerns or any reccomendations where I can stop for 3-4 hours to get some kip?

 

[PC_5119929]

I'm in with the set who have heard and know of as much danger if not more on UK roads.

We have stopped on Route in France at times. A deserted out of the way Aire would be rather silly.

As Suggested elsewhere here, we have stopped at the main Total service station at 2 Caps just south of Calais. The services are open and manned 24 hours and the Caravan parking area is to the far right of the pumps away from road and truck stop and right in front of the Services Main Building. Baie De la Somme services farther south has a large caravan area and due to the location and numbers of vans that park a thief would be pretty silly to attempt anything there. We have parked in the caravan area nad have been directed to park in front of the main building in the truck area.

If you stop at a manned 24 hour service area in well lit area with plenty of others around you as we've done, we feel as safe and secure as any camp site!

A deserted unmanned picnic Aire , NO WAY !

 

[MikeP]

Here we go again. You will get highly emotive arguments against stopping in aires, ranging from the risk of petty theft to being knocked out by some magic gas which has never become available to be named or analysed by the authorities.

I stay on aires when I need to, and I enjoy a good night's sleep. Take sensible precautions - put your valuables and car keys etc in the bedbox under your head (unless it has an external hatch!) This is not to avoid theft, it is to ensure that you have a worry-free night. You will find an international selection of overnighters, including caravans, lorries and white vans.

You are more likely to be sideswiped by a foreign lorry on the M2/M20 than have a problem on an aire. I speak from experience as I did both last April. No problem on the aire, but I was sideswiped as I drove out of Dover. Nothing in life is risk free, but overnighting is pretty low risk and is probably your best solution.

 

[PC_5119929]

Truck driver who delivers to our works stopped doing night time runs as he had been robbed three times in the Midlands area UK!

I wouldn't stop the van in Brixham or some dertes city approach road in the UK.

Using a bit of "common" the French stops can be as safe as your own front garden.

 

[JamesFrance]

This is an excerpt from The British Foreign and Commonwealth advice for driving in France:

"Mugging incidents have occurred at isolated rest areas on some French motorways, usually those without petrol stations and cafeterias. There is also a continuing problem of burglaries taking place during the night whilst travellers have been asleep in their caravans, mobile homes or other vehicles. In a number of these cases, victims had first been rendered unconscious by the thieves using gas. Try to avoid parking in isolated or dark areas of camping grounds or car parks, and consider installing an alarm in your caravan or mobile home.

In Calais British registered cars may be targeted by thieves, both while parked and on the move (eg by thieves flagging down drivers for a lift or indicating that the vehicle has a flat tyre). Valuables, including tobacco and alcohol, should not be left unattended in parked cars and they should be kept out of sight at all times."

 

[Simon_5127476]

This is an excerpt from The British Foreign and Commonwealth advice for driving in France:

"Mugging incidents have occurred at isolated rest areas on some French motorways, usually those without petrol stations and cafeterias. There is also a continuing problem of burglaries taking place during the night whilst travellers have been asleep in their caravans, mobile homes or other vehicles. In a number of these cases, victims had first been rendered unconscious by the thieves using gas. Try to avoid parking in isolated or dark areas of camping grounds or car parks, and consider installing an alarm in your caravan or mobile home.

In Calais British registered cars may be targeted by thieves, both while parked and on the move (eg by thieves flagging down drivers for a lift or indicating that the vehicle has a flat tyre). Valuables, including tobacco and alcohol, should not be left unattended in parked cars and they should be kept out of sight at all times."

Thank you for your helpfull information, we have decided to stop at Aire de la Bale de Somme-Ouest.

I understand that this a large service area and is often frequented by stop overs.

Happy Holiday!

 

[PC_5119929]

Problems around Calais are virtually all to do with people filling cars with booze and fags etc prior to returning to the UK and then leaving the sagging rear end as they go for more shopping or a meal!

 

[GeorgeB]

Simon,

Speaking as one who has been robbed on an overnight stop in an Aire, just north of Lyon in 2003, I took what I thought at the time, all the sensible precautions, manned 24 hrs, well lit, outside & to the right of the main building, waste & aqua roll just inside the door, but still they broke in through the door & managed to get away with passports, cash & credit cards before my wife & I realised what was going on.

The advice from the French police was that you will have been targeted as you pull in, so try to look as impoverished as you can! dirty car & caravan, don't be smartly dressed & if at all possible dont stop on the south side Aires, the thieves work on the principle, if you're going south with a nice car & caravan, you're bound to be a good target, by comming off & then going north & stopping on the north side Aire, you're less likely to be targetted, certainly has worked for me, costs a few more euros in tolls, but if it buys you extra safety, it must be worth it.

I'm going down to the Vendee at the end of August, so if you see a dirty Castleton pulled by a dirty 06 plate Audi A4 avant, give us a wave.

GeorgeB

 

[MikeP]

I don't understand how wallets and passports etc can be stolen "before someone realises what is going on". We keep ours in a safe. In a drawer blocked by bed slats/the bed would be OK too.

 

[GeorgeB]

Now all our documents,cash, passports & credit cards now kept in a safe bolted to the floor under the bed, but then, being niave, were in the top locker over my bed, we did'nt hear a thing until he knocked over my glass of water.

I chased him through the car park (in hindsight another stupid thing to do!) he jumped into a car and sped away.

The police retrieved the passports, wallet (complete with all the credit cards! but by now I'd cancelled them all!) but no cash, from the toilets on the next Aire alang the autoroute.

GeorgeB

 

[PC_5119929]

Now all our documents,cash, passports & credit cards now kept in a safe bolted to the floor under the bed, but then, being niave, were in the top locker over my bed, we did'nt hear a thing until he knocked over my glass of water.

I chased him through the car park (in hindsight another stupid thing to do!) he jumped into a car and sped away.

The police retrieved the passports, wallet (complete with all the credit cards! but by now I'd cancelled them all!) but no cash, from the toilets on the next Aire alang the autoroute.

GeorgeB

It does not take to much skill and imagination to make VERY safe valuable hiding places in the van apart from adding a safe / security box.

Our door is also alarmed so we can sleep feeling secure. We take youngsters on camping trips and get entrusted with their passports and spending money, after one young wag decided to raid the funds ( as a joke hiding them so I thought they had been stolen ) 5 years ago we had a think annd devised a simple secure storage for our vans.