safe to rest overnight on french motorway stops? Forums

eddieo

safe to rest overnight on french motorway stops?
of soon for our usual month in the sun, I have always stopped without incident
and parked near other motorhomes. but I now feel a bit nervous. heading to cote de azure - paris -A6 - A7. I and aim to stop around Lyon - any advice/sugestions gratefully received.

johnsandywhite

Hi eddieo. I have been stopping at Aires and Motorway service stops all over France for the last 5 years. Back in 2000. I even parked at the side of the River in Lyon itself twice. Once when we dropped our daughter off at the University and the second when we went to pick her up. No problems in any shape or Form. Just be aware of your surrounding's. Wink

peejay · Campsite DB Admin

Hi eddio,

Got to dissagree with JSW re autoroute aires,

Since starting travelling on the continent many years ago I have always been advised by fellow travellers that it is unsafe to overnight on an autoroute aire especially in the southern regions of France near the med and have heard many stories from others so therefore i have never done it and always advise others not to do so.

I have no statistics or proof to back up this advice but if i were a robber it would seem to me to be the logical place to carry out robberies with such a high volume of passing traffic and an ideal place for a quick getaway. I think you will find most camping and motoring organisations also frown upon the practice. I limit my autoroute stops just for servicing the vans facilities or for a quick break.

As you mention, you're getting a bit nervous about it so why risk it?

For what its worth, when overnighting on a journey south i always seek out an aire a few km's off the autoroute or even a municipal camping. Its worth it for the sake of a few extra minutes drive and the peace of mind.

Have a great holiday.

pj.

BillD

Hi,
I echo peejay's comments.
If you are on holiday, enjoy yourself - and besides the aires will almost certainly be quieter and in a more pleasant location.
BillD
PS I never travel on autoroutes anyway - I prefer to see the countryside as stress free as possible.

GeorgeTelford · Account Deactivated

Hi

I have used autoroute Aires, I know others (personally) that use motorway aires and none have ever been robbed on an Aire.

These warning always come from other travelors "who have heard stories" and pass them on, does anyone PERSONALLY know of any actual incident?

Discounting GAS attacks which common sense (and the facts) says are absolute bull, what do they do? Dick Turpin? Stand and deliver? or sneak in becase you have not locked the doors?

These are like newspaper quotes and fillers " a source in the police said" its rife in the south of France or anywhere they dont happen to be a the time.

Thousands of people doing it all the while, were are the stories? and when they appear read them carefully see if they are made up or first hand, tey always seem to be passed on by " a lovely couple who were...."

eddieo

my problem regarding aires of the motorway is that, I catch an evening speed ferry and motor down overnight - aiming to rest near lyon - usually pull in arond 4.00 -sleep for 4 hours or so and arrive on coast in the afternoon. so its hard to find a site of the motorway at that time of the morning.

autostratus · Moderator

Hi George
I promised myself that I wouldn't mention gas any reply but hey ho look who_has_ mentioned it. Smile

1. There was a poster to these boards a few months ago (before the site went down) who told of his parents being robbed on an autoroute aire in northern France.

2. We met a family in southern France (on Camping St Clare, nr. Le Lavandou) who had been robbed on an auto route aire on the A7 south of Lyon.
They had parked near to lorries for safety and woken up in the morning to find they had been robbed during the night. There were 5 adults in the van and not one of them had been disturbed.
In fact until the driver looked for his shorts and couldn't find them they didn't realise anything was amiss. He found them next to the wheel of an adjacent lorry.

We travel extensively in France and NEVER overnight on an autoroute. Even if I was thinking of doing so it would NEVER NEVER be on an autoroute around Lyon and south. It has been a hotspot for autoroute crime for many, many years.

Take the advice given by peejay and find an aire or municipal. We find the west bank of the Rhone to be better for overnight spots.
Personally if we are in the area we use the small (ex-municipal) campsite at Tournan-sur-Rhone or the town square on your right next to the Rhone before you get to the campsite.
In the attached pic the campsite is about 200m beyond the las motorhome.

GeorgeTelford · Account Deactivated

Hi Gillian

I do not say that robberies do not occur at all, just that if they do they are extremely rare.

So we have had one set of parents and one regular posters relatives robbed on an autoroute aire.

Met a family doesnt count at all, sounds like they left the door open and slept through a sneak robbery (if it occured at all)

Family and friends travel regularly some for pleasure and some on euro business none have ever been bothered on a Euro autoroute Aire.

The stories we hear are hearsay at best and I and my family shall continue to enjoy them and no not one of us as bought a gas detector either.

Look through the Mags all the stories seem to be third hand.

Quote" It has been a hotspot for autoroute crime for many, many years. "

Only according to rumour.

nobbythehobby

Like many others I have slept on French Autoroute Aires in the past and had no trouble.
However, I have met a surprising number of people while on trips to Spain who have been broken into while sleeping on motorway Aires in the Narbonne/Perpignan area of France. One such of these were good friends with whom we spent the remainder of that particular trip.

I have not yet met anybody who claims to have been gassed while in their motorhome and while I personally believe gassing to be an urban myth, Autoroute break-ins are definitely not. I think member RedOne will confirm that.

I seem to recall that one German member (Boff?) has in the past pointed out that surveys done by German MH magazines, which have a huge circulation, revealed a high level of personal experience of crime on Autoroutes in Southern France, of which Lyon featured prominently.

There are many areas in France where Autoroute sleeping is perfectly safe. However, I have to agree with Peejay that there are other areas where it is decidedly risky.

I have many years experience of travelling through France and sleeping on the hoof in a variety of locations and I have never had any trouble with crime. That said, I am not foolish enough to believe that because I have been lucky, that it has not happened to others.

Choose your sleeping locations carefully - criminals DO target the autoroutes around Lyon and towards the Spanish border where there are many potential targets. They are lazy wasters looking for easy pickings and do not travel big distances to a quiet sleepy village miles from anywhere on the off chance that there will be a motorhome there. I know where I feel safest.

Nobby

johnsandywhite

OK. Let's start a Poll. Who on this Motorhome Facts Web Site has actually been :-

1. Robbed?
2. Gassed?
3. Attacked?
4. Broken in to?
5. Molested in any way?
6. None of the above?