Hi All,
Returned last weekend from three weeks in France and Spain which apart from some wet weather in France was enjoyable. A couple of points which may be of use to those who have still to go on holiday to France.
1) For anyone travelling to the South of France via A6 please be aware that there were signs in both directions stating that the A42 which by passes Lyon to the East is closed between 9PM and 6AM for three months for road works. They are widening the road. There was no indication on the signs on when the three month period had begun or was due to finish. If anyone is planning on going down that route overnight please be aware that you may have to go through Lyon on A6.
2) I know this has been mentioned on here many times before but obviously some people are either not aware of it or don't believe it. I am talking about robberies in motorway service areas. We travelled Hull to Zeebrugge, had an overnight stop at the municipal site in Chalon en Champagne then made an early start south on the Sunday morning (last Sunday in June). We stopped for breakfast just after nine at the somewhat aptly named ChateauVillain Services on the A5. This is a full service area not a rest area. Parking for caravans was in clear view of shop/cafe building and not away in some secluded corner. As we drew in I noticed there were two motor homes already there. We were almost immediately approached by a British lady from one of the motor homes asking if she could borrow a mobile phone. Turns out they had arrived in Dunkerque the previous afternoon, drove south till they felt like stopping and parked up in the service area for the night. Just prior to us arriving they had woken up to find out that at sometime during the night they had been robbed. Two mobile phones, camera, cash and credit card gone and never heard a thing, the other motor home had also been robbed.
They used our phone to contact relatives back home to cancel their credit card and mobile phones. The thieves had been very specific in what they were looking for, hadn't rummaged about just taken what was visible plus the cards in the gent's trouser pocket. There were five in the family, mum,dad and three children who looked in early to mid teens but nobody heard a thing. They had visited France before with a tent but this was their first venture with a motor home and they did not appear to have heard of the risk in staying overnight in service areas.
I do not want to sound alarmist, just drawing this potential risk to the attention of anyone else who is perhaps new to the forum and has not been alerted to the risk. Just in case anyone was wondering there was no mention of any of the family suffering effects of "gassing" as has been suggested in other instances. Seems to have been thieves who were very skilled at what they were doing. It certainly made us a bit more security conscious for the rest of our holiday.
For those still to go on holiday, please do not let the above put you off, just be aware of the potential risk.
Robert
Returned last weekend from three weeks in France and Spain which apart from some wet weather in France was enjoyable. A couple of points which may be of use to those who have still to go on holiday to France.
1) For anyone travelling to the South of France via A6 please be aware that there were signs in both directions stating that the A42 which by passes Lyon to the East is closed between 9PM and 6AM for three months for road works. They are widening the road. There was no indication on the signs on when the three month period had begun or was due to finish. If anyone is planning on going down that route overnight please be aware that you may have to go through Lyon on A6.
2) I know this has been mentioned on here many times before but obviously some people are either not aware of it or don't believe it. I am talking about robberies in motorway service areas. We travelled Hull to Zeebrugge, had an overnight stop at the municipal site in Chalon en Champagne then made an early start south on the Sunday morning (last Sunday in June). We stopped for breakfast just after nine at the somewhat aptly named ChateauVillain Services on the A5. This is a full service area not a rest area. Parking for caravans was in clear view of shop/cafe building and not away in some secluded corner. As we drew in I noticed there were two motor homes already there. We were almost immediately approached by a British lady from one of the motor homes asking if she could borrow a mobile phone. Turns out they had arrived in Dunkerque the previous afternoon, drove south till they felt like stopping and parked up in the service area for the night. Just prior to us arriving they had woken up to find out that at sometime during the night they had been robbed. Two mobile phones, camera, cash and credit card gone and never heard a thing, the other motor home had also been robbed.
They used our phone to contact relatives back home to cancel their credit card and mobile phones. The thieves had been very specific in what they were looking for, hadn't rummaged about just taken what was visible plus the cards in the gent's trouser pocket. There were five in the family, mum,dad and three children who looked in early to mid teens but nobody heard a thing. They had visited France before with a tent but this was their first venture with a motor home and they did not appear to have heard of the risk in staying overnight in service areas.
I do not want to sound alarmist, just drawing this potential risk to the attention of anyone else who is perhaps new to the forum and has not been alerted to the risk. Just in case anyone was wondering there was no mention of any of the family suffering effects of "gassing" as has been suggested in other instances. Seems to have been thieves who were very skilled at what they were doing. It certainly made us a bit more security conscious for the rest of our holiday.
For those still to go on holiday, please do not let the above put you off, just be aware of the potential risk.
Robert
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