safe to rest overnight on french motorway stops? Forums

Oldskool

Sure looks like it Rolling Eyes

GeorgeTelford · Account Deactivated

Hi 2 point

All along the watchtower, I know 2 point, been spotting bellringers for years now. Good to see that other are alert though.

Bearded Pshycotic, aka Kate? or maybe even the wizard if Oz?

teemyob

On Holiday Camping/Motorhome

NO 1. Robbed?
NO 2. Gassed?
NO 3. Attacked?
NO 4. Broken in to?
NO 5. Molested in any way?
NO 6. None of the above?

Yes I have heard of " a lovelly old couple"
Yes I have stayed on Motorway Aires without incident

At Home
Yes my daughter was robbed in the street, in Cheshire where we live
Yes my father was pick pocketed on a greater manchester Bus
Yes my father was robbed in his sheltered home three times (Denton GM)
Yes the Armed Greater Manchester Police raided my Elderley mother-in-law (used to work at the police station!)and father-in-laws by mistake for drugs on their 50th Wedding anniversary, it was national news.
I wont go on ................

Best bet for you is if your worried book a site or get to one within reasonable time or

Pull of the Autoroute find the nearset small local town and Park in the square facing the Local police station or someone suggested Church recently.

As an example example if your traveling along the main N10 North towards or South away from Poitiers, you will find it packed with noisy Trucks. However, take a 10 Min detour towards the Small village of Civray and you could park legaly in front of the town hall and Police Municipal. Just dont park in a Market square on the eve of market day ! you may be rudely awaken by angry market trader whos family have traded there every Tuesday scince the year dot ! you may be pelted with a few rotten french Golden delicious if your not careful.

If you do park on a Motorway Aire

I would suggest that there is a very slim chance it may happen to you But more likely if the robbers know your vunerable and on your own and if you have been driving for 3 days without a decent kip you might not know they have been until they have gone.

Taking the aforementioned into account I must go on holiday more often, though might leave the in-laws at home just as a precaution.

Trev

matthewb

i wonder, if gas attacks and breaking into motorhomes is so prevalent on motorway services why the criminals havnt sussed a better place to commit these crimes........like a campsite........
I sometimes feel a little nervous parking on the motorway services, but have done so regularly for the last few years without incident.

I did walk out of my house, 5 yards from the front door to the road, 9 at night, under a bright street light to find a "youth" rifling through the glove box of the car(which i was going out to lock), when i asked hm what he thought he was doing he apologized and said " i thought it was my dads car" lol almost wet myself laughing. We had words, and he went on his way. I did report it to the police who were really really keen for me to shop him, but i never did, still see him around, and one things for sure it wont be him who breaks into my car next time! lol

A healthy dose of common sense is required when parkig up for the night, nothing more nothing less.

As for the gas thing, funny how when you google it, the stories of it happening always seem to come from thse selling you gas alarms isnt it?

desertsong

Hi folks,

I agree with Mathew B. I've been travelling through France for thirty five years. I've broken down in various vehicles in all parts of France and found help with no problem and always found that, if anything, I've been charged a fraction of what I'd have been charged in UK.

I lived in London for twenty odd years, (as well as I've said before here on different occasions that I also lived in France), but in London if you had to get a mechanic out God help you. If you were stuck, well, they got you where it hurts.

As for all the horror stories in parking in France, well, I've parked in aires since they were first built but I do prefer the ones with the petrol stations as there is semi official help around and cctv. I've parked and slept in town squares, local car parks, entrances to closed factories, beaches, woods and just about anywhere as long as I'm not obstructing anybody else or causing them any inconvenience.

I've never had a problem so far, though I must admit there must be some. There are plenty of hi-tech French jails and they can't all be wrongly convicted. Like was said before, it's all down to common sense. A lot of it is body language and if you play the part of easy meat, that's what you're going to be.

johnx6gtl

Hello everyone. I have been travelling through Europe as a HGV driver since 1972 and I have twice had my lorry broken into,once in Barcelona and once in Rotterdam. 2 years ago on our return from Spain my wife and I pulled into the north bound services at Montelimar, during the night our Westie started barking I got up and found nothing unusual,only a car pulling away. Next morning on closer inspection I found the drivers door lock had been attacked with what looked like a screwdriver also the drivers window had been slid open but no entry had been gained.On this occasion I had broken one of my Golden rules ie never stop on motorway services unless I could park near the fuel pumps.My usual place of Parking on motorways in France is at the Peage. All Peages have parking areas and these are under CCTV, there are toilets and a water supply, they are manned 24 hours and telephones, both ordinary and emergency are available. On my regular run down to Marseilles, in my last employment before semi retiring, I asked many restaurant owners where I used to stop overnight if motorhomes where welcome, in all cases the answer was yes. So why not get off the motorway and find these restaurants you will be surprised at the facilities on offer, good cheap food, showers and a nice drop of the red stuff. Sorry this has been so long-winded its my first post and once I got started that was it. All the best John

GeorgeTelford · Account Deactivated

Hi John

Welcome

Never heard/read such a misinformed statement in all my life, what an absolute crock, Longwinded indeed Wink

, it is short, concise, entertaining, contains useful info.

Great first post.

gromett

I have been through france 3 times in my MH now, stopped in all sorts of places and never had any trouble. Had someone try my doors in Belgium near the french border.

The only trouble I had in aires was a bunch of locals thought it was funny to drive backwards and forwards past all the motorhomes beeping their horns at 6:30 in the morning. I just totted it up in my head and I think I have stopped at Aires 20 odd times or there abouts.

Watch out for concrete bollards about 2 feet high in some of them. I like to hang the back end of my van over grass so my front doesn't stick out. With no reversing camera and at night I didn't see them and took out my rear lights Embarassed

In Spain my Spanish friend said to avoid parking wild on the east coast but said central and western Spain should be ok.

Anyways thats my tuppenys worth.

Karl

Texas

OK, I have to come clean, we were robbed on an Aire near Beune.

I don't think for one minute we were gassed, they had forced a device into the door and lifted the lock.

It was about 2.30 am when the wife woke me to tell me the side sliding door was open, and that she could see someone standing outside. Naturally, as I couldn't persuade her to investigate it was left up to me.

Sure enough by the time I'd got me strides on and went outside, there was nobody to be seen.

Had a good scout around -don't know what I would have done if I'd stumbled on to anyone - then called the police from the payphone.

The episode relating to the police is a long, long story, and not one I have the time to relate here.

Suffice to say is that we were relieved of most of our possesions, including money, cameras - movie and 2 x 35mm SLRs complete with 30 rolls of film, the wifes purse containing credit cards, passports etc, they even took her fully stocked vanity case, which really annoyed her

By this time it was getting light enough to check out the exterior of the van, under the van in front of the rear wheel I found the empty vanity case, carefully placed on top were the passports, credit card and the spare keys that the wife keeps in her handbag.

Upon return we made a claim on our holiday insurance (from the Post Office). Despite having all receipts and a crime number/document from the French Police the Post Office would only compensate us for 50% of the value of the stolen items, and only 250 euros of the 1500 we lost, despite having the receipt obtained from 3 days earlier (did I mention this was our first night in France?) Anyway I've rambled on long enough.

The moral? of this tale is ...think carefully where you wish to stay at night, if the place looks/feels dodgy then move on, there are plenty of other places in France.

Since our experiences we have continued to stay on numerous Aires every year for the past 6 years, and I am pleased to report we have never had any further troubles. Or been able to test out our van, bristling with burglar proof devices to see if they actually work in the field, so to speak.

Don't let negative thoughts spoil your holiday, I repeat ...if it doesn't feel right ...move on.

Hope you have a great holiday in France.... Wish I was there.

Green with envy,

Texas