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Hi All

This is my first post and looking for advise straight away

I currentley have my Caravan and family out in Spain close to Pals Girona,I have returned to UK due to work commitments. On the way out we stopped at service stations but had someone break into the caravan as we slept.

The wife and children are now refusing to overnight at a service stations so I am looking for clean cheapish camp sites on route to Calais any help will be fantastic.

I will also do some searching of the forum to see if my question can be answered.

Cheers 

I never really planned the routes or stop overs on the way out, I just put the site address in the satnav and off we went stopping only to refuel and overnight when we had done enough driving. Last year by chance it seems,we came across a clean safe place to overnight on our trip. After speaking to other people on the campsite I realise we should have planned the trip. My wife has never wanted to stop at service stations and always said the journey too and from sites should be part of the holiday, and not the mad rush to get there like I seem to do.

Thanks for the link going to get the map out and try to find a couple of places to stay I think we go through Orleans on route and have read on another thread here that theres agood place to stay near there .

Cheers

Nearly all towns have municipal sites which are great for stopovers - but this website Campsites near the main routes will allow you to find ALL the sites within 15km of the major routes through France.  Rather than recommending particular sites (as we've no idea which route you are taking) you could have a look on there - and work out which sites would be suitable for your chosen route.

Good towns for stopovers from the A75 - Millau, Issoire, Granat, then further north but on the N roads from there north,  St Pourcain sur Sioule, Chatel de Neuvre, Nevers or Salbris, Orleans, Dreux, Pont de L'Arche near Rouen, all of which have cheapish, cheerful sites, which are good for stopovers.

Quote: Originally posted by PEDESTAL3 on 14/8/2009

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I think we go through Orleans on route and have read on another thread here that theres agood place to stay near there .

Cheers

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Hi Pedestal3,

Sounds like you had a very similar experience to us this year. Fortunately our lock held (although it was then unusable) but another caravan two along from us wasn't so lucky and lost phones, ipod and cash. We were only in a service station as P and O had delayed us for four hours but another time we would rather drive all night than pull up in a place like that again.

Funny thing is the only times we have ever experienced crime is in France over the past few years - 3 bikes stolen, someone crashing into our car and then driving off and now trying to break into our caravan. I sometimes wonder why we keep going back!

Susie

Susie I think its the weather that draws us and a fantastic site in Pals called Cypsela we have only caravaned for 2 years and are really enjoying it so far.

Got to get a smaller van with single axle, the Fleetwood is a real beast to site,got it because we thought bigger=better I now Know otherwise.

Cheers

We have actually been to Cypsela but a long time ago when we used to hire Keycamp caravans and it was out of high season so the site was virtually empty. We loved the area and the stunning beaches. I would happily go there again but we can only have two weeks holiday at a time and towing that far would seriously eat into our time.

I know what you mean about big twin axle vans but I would never want to give ours up.

Susie

Hi Val,

Ours was called Chaumont-sur-Tharonne on the A71 about 20 miles south of Orleans. We were heading for the municipal at Salbris but due to the ferry delays we weren't able to make it before the gates closed and other sites we rang were full.

Susie

Hi

I will ask my wife when she checks in this evening I remember it being 500 miles from the port and having a Mobil forecourt. The wife may have recorded more detail than me, being a bloke names and places dont register well.

Quote: Originally posted by Val A on 14/8/2009

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Just out of interest, which service area were you on?  Both, I mean.  It would be worth pointing them out for the benefit of other people.

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We got some personal alarms which we now connect to the door overnight. Argos have them I think but they're similar to this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Personal-Alarm_W0QQitemZ120457468063QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Safety_Alarms?hash=item1c0bd3189f&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

I still wouldn't stay on an aire but we use them on site.

Quote: Originally posted by Ina on 14/8/2009

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But as I said earlier, opinions on this will always be strongly divided, I just feel sorry for people who end up being broken into, when it could have been avoided by not staying there in the first place.

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I think I should point out that neither we nor our neighbours who actually had stuff stolen would have been staying on that service station had we been able to avoid it. We had both been victims of the 4 hour delay at Dover which had thown all our stopover plans up in the air. It was the 24th July and all other sites we tried either didn't answer the phone because it was late or were full. It's easy to say these things can be avoided but just occasionally they can't.

Susie