Oh my God this is amazing! Great video

Great video thank you

👍 Thank you very much for all this information. Hope to use it one day soon. Very interesting & useful. Great vlog 👌

I used them this summer, worked great and telephone support around the clock! 👍

Very informative, just what we need to know ahead of our first trip to France this summer

Totally agree with your comments. I used last year and this. Was staying at the site you filmed the intro this July with its superb pool.

Very informative thankyou.

Have just got our card ,using it on this trip, thanks for info

Excellent video! We discovered Camping Car Parks on New Year's day 2022 by chance in a small town in the Pyrenees. In my opinion, it is a great operation and I have no issue paying for the services provided. On our last trip into Europe we used Camping Car Parks almost exclusively whilst in France. However, I am aware of some French folk who are not happy with having to pay for many park ups that apparently were free in times past. Living here in Ireland I can only wish we had similar if not the same.

@ExploreVanUK

3 ай бұрын

Yeah I wish more counties would adopt a similar approach. We used to use random aires in France before Camping Carparks was around and yeah some were free (or people got away with not paying) but the quality was often pretty dire, not looked after or massively over crowded. The ability to see how busy an Camping Carpark is and know there will be a space when you get there plus knowing the facilities will be intact and looked after, is well worth the small cost for me. Happy travels!

Do they have that ?

Hi. Useful video thanks. Can you sit out at table and chairs in a Camping Car Park or is it parking only? Thanks

@ExploreVanUK

4 ай бұрын

There are no restrictions on sitting out side with tables and chairs and all the ones we stayed at had the room to do this.

Don't wish to pick, but although arrival and departure is flexible you should consider other people when you park up. 11.30 at night is way too late to be parking near others who maybe asleep. Our recent holiday in Northern Spain was considerably less enjoyable because of inconsiderate people arriving late.

@ExploreVanUK

9 ай бұрын

I get your point but the whole point of aires and park ups is their flexibility over campsites and Camping-Car parks market their 24hr access as a benefit. When we’re arriving late we are conscious of keeping noise to minimum, getting to our spot quickly and turning the engine off. I wouldn’t view people arriving late, where it is allowed, as any more inconsiderate than your suggestion or expectation that they shouldn’t. Campsites have entry times so if you want to be sure of not being disturbed then they may be a better choice for you.

@SB-hr5yr

19 күн бұрын

Firstly, should one find themselves unavoidably detained and arriving later in the evening, we suggest promptly notifying our support team. Our 24/7 assistance is in place precisely to accommodate such unforeseen circumstances, ensuring that you receive the necessary support regardless of the time of day. Regarding the subscription’s benefits, the 24-hour access is indeed designed to provide the flexibility to come and go as you please within that period, as stipulated in the terms of service. We understand that many of our patrons, especially those travelling significant distances in their motorhomes, may prefer to travel or stop at various times outside of daylight hours. This flexibility is a cornerstone of our service offering. Lastly, while I understand the concerns about the activity at busy stopover sites, it is part of the dynamic environment we cater to. Our aim is to ensure a seamless experience for all our guests, regardless of their travel schedules. Thank you for sharing your thoughts

@ExploreVanUK

19 күн бұрын

@SB-hr5yr Thanks for responding! On a separate note our Pack Privilege is due to expire in August and as were not travalling in Europe this year we aren;t planning to renew it. Given we're able to see the expiry / sign up for it in the App, its a bit frustrating having to send a postal letter to France to cancel the renewal. Are there any plans to add the ability to cancel this into the App or at least by email?

Hi, Thanks for the video, very useful 👍. Do you know if you can upgrade to the premium package after getting the card? Also, I take it the machine dispensed your card on your first stay ? Cheers John.

@ExploreVanUK

3 ай бұрын

Hi! Yes you can upgrade at anytime through the App or online. Yes the machine dispenses your card on your first stay (unless you order in advance online an it will arrive by post) Enjoy!

Thank you for sharing this really helpful information but how do you reserve your place if booked for two days for example and you pop out for the day many thanks in advance and safe travels 😊

@ExploreVanUK

2 ай бұрын

Hi - glad it's useful! If you reserve it for 2 days the system knows you have, so will deem your space not available for someone else during that period. So even if you swipe out, it will not allow someone new in, if it would mean there wasn't an empty pitch for you. Unless you put a suitable notice on your pitch - its possible you may not return to the same pitch, but you will always be able to enter using your card and there will always be an empty pitch for you. Hope that makes sense.

@debbieelliott4978

2 ай бұрын

Thank you for your quick reply and your information 👏

@debbieelliott4978

2 ай бұрын

Hi we are going on a 5 week trip from cherbourg to Croatia please can you recommend a Toll roads calculator many thanks in advance

Great Video, I am considering a Caravan, but this has made me reconsider, family of 4, would you say the Motorhome/Campervan although less space gives you greater flexibility on the whole, as from research it looks like Aires both France and Spain are not for Caravans.

@ExploreVanUK

3 ай бұрын

It’s a definite yes from me. As a child I caravanned throughout Europe with my parents and siblings and whilst it’s great to have a base and then a car to get around in, you only have one lot of insurance/ road tax engine servicing etc but it takes more time to set up once you arrive and getting ready to leave and the places to stay are as you say more limited to “caravan sites” With the campervan you can just pull up and you’re set up then move on so it is so much more flexible. (and just a little bit more cool 😎) But whichever way you go you’ll have great fun and memories!

Could you use your Euron AC while parked at these sites? Was wondering if the electricity was enough.. 🤔

@ExploreVanUK

9 ай бұрын

Hi, yep no problem at all. We did trip one outlet when we accidentally ran the kettle with the aircon on, but it was easy to reset.

Great information thank you, we just signed up for this Camping Pass, looking forward to starting our France / Spain adventure in a couple of weeks. We have an Iveco van and are interested in the cycle rack you have on your van, can you give us any information on how that is attached and where to get one? Cheers John @ Cally 🍻

@ExploreVanUK

6 ай бұрын

Hey, sure you will have a great time, we found the Campong Car Parks superb. Our cycle carrier is attached to the towbar. If I remember correctly it is made by Buzzrack afraid I am not sure of the model. The great thing is that it tilts so that the back doors can be opened with the bikes on. We had to change a part that made it tilt further than the one with the standard rack pretty sure it all came from roofbox.Co.Uk Hope you have a great time and France and Spain!

@ExploreVanUK

6 ай бұрын

Just found a link to it. buzzrack.com/galleries/buzzquattro-tow-ball-platform-bike-carrier-2/

@ExploreVanUK

6 ай бұрын

And the tilt extension kit is shown in this video. kzread.info/dash/bejne/fIhm2NaJhZixm7Q.htmlsi=3mDy_QlJ6pYavJdG

@johncally4429

6 ай бұрын

@@ExploreVanUK Thank you much appreciated 👍

You never told viwers that you cannot pre book Caen or Biaritz.

@ExploreVanUK

10 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing, I didn’t realise that. I suppose 2 out of 450 isn’t bad.

I'll tell you how the company appears to work: they go to the local council, tell them they're gonna open an area, supposedly will give them good money, on the condition that they forbid parking autocaravans, campervans and similar vehicles everywhere else. At least that's what happened in at least two Spanish towns, where, upon opening the area, street signs forbidding parking in a nearby free area automagically appeared (and, BTW, it was by seeing this video and the map with the areas that I discovered this, so thank you for that). Now, they cannot do that, at least legally (autocaravans in Spain should be treated as any other vehicle, so you cannot forbid parking just to autocaravans, at least under 3500kg), but they do it anyway and it's an uphill battle to have them remove the unlawful prohibitions. I'm putting this company in my personal black-list due to this despicable modus operandi.

@ExploreVanUK

9 ай бұрын

That's interesting, but in some ways I would be surprised if it is the company - though it may give the local council the incentive to do it to increase their revenue if they make a cut from the aire. In a number of the French ones we stayed at there were still free / on street parking / P4N areas in the vicinity (obviously without the ability to book / often without elec / waste disposal).

@LucaOlivetti

9 ай бұрын

@@ExploreVanUK sure, I should have said "allegedly", but as they say "One coincidence is just a coincidence, two coincidences are a clue, three coincidences are a proof" and in two cases I know it's exactly what happened, just waiting for the third. One is in "La Seu D'Urgell", you can see in street view the street sign I'm referring to: last year it wasn't there (in fact it was a free area specifically for autocaravans) and now, with the appearance of Camping-Car Park, it's forbidden (of course I have already sent an instance to remove the sign, I'm hopeful I'll succeed but it will take time). The other one is in "La Puebla de Sanabria" and I learned about it in a Spanish forum.

@LucaOlivetti

9 ай бұрын

@@ExploreVanUK If you want to take a look by yourself these are the coordinates 42.358571, 1.465775 (I cannot put a link because youtube would probably remove the comment). (you'll have to turn around to see the sign, street view opens looking at the new area, at least for me, then you can see in the timeline that it's a new sign).

@ExploreVanUK

9 ай бұрын

I totally get you and as you say the two could be related, but again they could not be. For example, the council could have put up the signs without the Camping Car Park even being there causing a worse situation. Good to raise the examples though and a good question to contemplate - as a community would we be happy to have less "serviced" / Reservable but low-cost places to stay if that meant more free parking, but consequently official campsites with the €30-40 a night price tag being the only option for reserving a place / knowing you would have services. @@LucaOlivetti

@LucaOlivetti

9 ай бұрын

@@ExploreVanUK mine could be an unfounded speculation but, again, too many coincidences. The sign will eventually be removed (because it's unlawful) but it will take time and it's not guaranteed. I actually thought that these areas are a good, reasonably priced, option, but after seeing what happened I changed my mind.

Camping-Car Parks ......... Plenty of Aires in France still FREE!

@ExploreVanUK

2 ай бұрын

True and great to use them when possible, but you can't book a space, know how many spaces are left and be sure of working facilites, all of which made finding somewhere to stay much less stress free, even if it cost a little more.