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Hi

I'm sure the answer to this is just a flat no but thought I'd check.

We're off to Biarritz for 2 weeks but getting a boat that arrives at calais at 325am, husband does all the driving so we're planning to drive till kids fall asleep in the car then stop in one of the service areas  off the motorway, one with just a loo rather than big services. we're taking one of these pitch in 5 mins tents our stop overs and just wondered if anyone knew if I was able to pitch this up in the service areas just so my hubbie can get a few decent hours kip while I look after the kids in the car.

I'm sure I can't but I thought I'd check incase someone has experience of this.

Thanks,
Kara xx

You can, but even I wouldn't!  Years ago my sons used to pitch their tent in the service areas - and we'd sleep in the car - but NOT those with only a loo block.  We always used to stay on the larger, manned, lit and frequently used Aires.  We still do - not in a tent now but in our caravan - but only at those we know are safe such as the Aire de la Baie de Somme, or Aire des Deux Caps - both on the route towards Abbeville from Calais. 

I've seen lots of other people, in tents, in the larger service areas, but as we'd never overnight in one of the unmanned ones I wouldn't know if any other people may be doing it.

No way would I use a picnic aire overnight. Some of them dont look safe in the daytime, never mind at night. I dont mind the open ones in view of the autoroute for our daytime picnics but even in daylight we drive off some of the ones that are heavily wooded and set back if we are the only people on them.

Carol

Gosh I didn't really consider safety an issue! I just thought that the chances of someone stumbling upon you was quite low

So you can pitch a tent at some of the larger ones then? I didn't realise that. I'll get my map out and have a look!

We're going rather a long route, going to disney then futuroscope then biarritz, back via bordeaux then one over night at disney again on way back so plenty of driving! I've looked at the F1 type motels but as a young family of 5 it seems to say we'd need to book 2 rooms and I don't want to end up sleeping seperatly plus the cost then doubles making it really expensive!

Thanks,

Kara xx 

F1 has family rooms that will sleep 5 or do what my work mate does and sneak the littlest in with a sleeping bag. You can check in anytime as well. Reserve online and use the reservation number in the machine ouside the hotel to get in at anytime of night. You would all get a decent few hours sleep that way and be much safer.

Carol

The toilets are not always as bad as s+gknight makes out - often they are the hole in the ground type, but usually cleaner than our public toilets in Britain.  I agree about the safety aspects though - we've been parked on the smaller aires during the day, on our own, and more than once been the subject of stares from a car of apparent undesirables which has just arrived.  Usually we've locked up and driven off in preference to staying.  I absolutely definitely wouldn't do it at night!

There were incidents reported of bandits on the motorways late at night, and I would suspect they haunt the Aires as well, no doubt near the major cities etc, maybe looking for a lorry to skin and other stuff, thing is when travelling to your destination, you just have to reduce the risks, and pitching on a deserted Aire to me says high risk, or at least the perception would be that, which would not lead to a good nights sleep, in the great scheme of things the cost of a room in F1, is a bargain, and if you can afford to go to France for a couple of weeks, then the cost is insignificant, I have witnesed 5 people coming out of those rooms in the mornings, and no one seems to bat an eyelid.

Andy.

Quote: Originally posted by kara_p_uk on 12/8/2009

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Gosh I didn't really consider safety an issue! I just thought that the chances of someone stumbling upon you was quite low Kara xx 

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I hadn't heard anything about people being attacked or robbed before. We've camped abroad lots over the years but this is the first time that I've suggested to hubbie we stop somewhere en route normally we just try to break up the journey with long stops.

I'm more than happy to fit 5 of us in a room its just the thought of 'getting caught' by a receptionist who then doesn't let us stay that worries me.  I wouldn't want to be on my own with one of the children while hubbie was in a different room with the rest as I would be so worried about things like fire which I know statistically is nearly impossible but...

 I think I'll do what we did last year which was just to stop at a normal service station and take the kids in for a few hours while hubbie sleeps in the car.

The only problem I had last year was that the sit down resturant where the kids play space stayed closed till about 7am so I was literally limited to sitting on the floor while the kids ran up and down the corridoor.

Is there any that I can research that stays open completely?

Thanks,

Kara x

There arent any receptionists at the budget hotels overnight. You let yourself in by machine which gives you a room number and pin for the car park. The receptionist in the morning wont care less how many kids come out of a room. Sitting on the floor in a deserted Aire is no way to start your holiday.

Carol