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I am off to Lake Garda in Italy and am looking for an overnight stop about 4 of fice hours from Oostende (ex Trans europa Ferry). I expect to get to the Metz/Nancy area.
Is it safe to sleep at a 24 hour motorway service area in the lorry park for example or is it dangerous?
Rapide561
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You don't say what time of year you are going but heres a few..
South of Nancy and midway between there and Epinal on The N57 there is a good aire at Charmes, open all year and usually 5 per night but last time we were there it was free out of season, similarly in the quiet months the electricity is possibly turned off. Still a good night halt though and was 'aire of the year' a few years ago in the french aires book.
I've put an entry in the campsite database on here, use 'charmes' as the searchword or PM me for further details if req'd.
I also did a route on
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and it came in at just under 310 miles, quite a long days drive, so if thats too far ......
A bit nearer is the municipal campsite at metz..
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Never stayed here but it has good comments in the caravan club sites book for france. Not open all year though.
In addition to this there is an aire on the road just outside the municipal campsite in Metz which is useable all year round, i haven't used it personally but I remember someone mentioning it on here, use the map on the above link for its location..
I personally would recommend you steer clear of autoroute aires, imo its just not worth the risk as there have been reports of robberies, recommend you use the search facility on these forums for more about this.
pete.
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I am off to Lake Garda in Italy and am looking for an overnight stop about 4 of fice hours from Oostende (ex Trans europa Ferry). I expect to get to the Metz/Nancy area.
Is it safe to sleep at a 24 hour motorway service area in the lorry park for example or is it dangerous?
Rapide561
Hi 561,
Why not go via Luxembourg, pick up some cheap fuel and stay at the Aire de Capellen between junction 1 & 2 on the A4 as you enter Luxembourg. If you do decide to stop there use the area on the north bound carriageway as there's more room and it's flatter. It's less than two miles between junction 1 & 2 so it's not much of a detour.
There's always the risk of problems overnighting on motorway service areas. Your safer in the winter than in the summer, we have been overnighting on motorway service areas in mid winter without problems for many years. But it's always a risk.
I take it your going via Basel and the St Gothard Tunnel.
Don
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Is it safe to sleep at a 24 hour motorway service area in the lorry park for example or is it dangerous?
Hi Rapide,
you should never sleep on a French (or German, by the way) motorway service area. No matter how well-lit it is or how many others (motorhomes or lorries) do it.
If you are heading that direction, either follow Peejay's advice regarding Charmes. Or, if you don't want to go that far, there is also a nice aire at Millery (post code 54670) just off the A31 motorway (Exit 25 Belleville) about 20 km north of Nancy.
Fresh water could be turned off due to frost, but stopover and probably even waste water disposal is no problem. The aire is free of charge and should be - except maybe for the church bells - very quiet.
Best Regards,
Gerhard
______________________________________________________________ Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. (Finagle´s law)
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Thanks for the post. Yes the usual route - Oostende, Brussels direction, Arlon, Luxembourg, Metz (then either Nancy/Epinal) or Strasbourg, Basle, Lucerne, Chiasso, Milan and then Garda. Done it about 100 times by coach/car. Always stayed in hotels en route or gone for the "kill" - 17 hours from Calais with comfort stops.
Later in the year when the dogs are with me I am going up to Scotland via northumberland, then the Superfast Ferry (dogs are allowed in the cabin with Dad - to hell with the price), then we are heading for Germany, stopping for a couple of nights at Axams near Innsbruck and then over the Europa Bruck and into Garda at the northern end.
Away for 16 days on that - I am glad the dogs like the van! They really seem relaxed when travelling - if they were n't, I would not take them!
Rapide561
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We're going that way on the 6th January from Rotterdam to Brindisi, having a night on the stellplatz at Trier, with five days to kill we'll just potter along. I like to transit Switzerland on a Sunday when most of the trucks are off the road.
Enjoy lake Garda.
Don
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