Commercial Aires: ad-hoc stops & stays in france
Skylark parked at Camping-Car Park, Aire de Brambell, Piriac, France
Rocking up in a town and parking over lunchtime is never going to be that easy with a 7m Motorhome but thanks to the network of commercial aires across France (and much of Europe) it’s far easier than you might think.
These commercial camping aires are a great way to embrace the flexibility of motorhoming. Whether you want to stop for a few hours, a night or a couple of nights, you can either take your chances on arrival or book in advance via the app.
Aire is the French word for zone or estate (much like we use with Enterprise Zone or Industrial Estate) and is also used to signify service stations on the motorway.
Commercial aire on the outskirts of La Turballe, France
These commercially run sites can offer everything from a graveled parking area to a fully serviced site with loos, water and waste-disposal and all accessible via an online app.
Camping-Car Park, Aire de Brambell
We used a Camping-Car Park aire but there are other organisations as well and they run in similar ways. The sites are well sign-posted and even in the height of French holiday season (August) we were able to get spaces at some incredibly scenic aires.
essentials
You can sign up when you arrive at your first Camping-Car Park aire (or buy a card in advance if you know you’re going to use them)
The telephone support service works well and has English-language speakers available
When you sign up you are given a plastic card which you use to tap in/out of the aires
You can load the card with Euros to give you credit for future stays
The app is a great way to plan ahead, check what services are offered at sites and book a night or two
You are charged according to the amount of time you stay and they notify you of when you will enter the next charging price point so that you can decide how long you stay/what you want to be charged.
Cameras and number-plate recognition oversee the access and exit barriers adding security and transparency.
Lunch with a view. Camping-Car Park, Aire de Bramwell, Piriac, France
