Aire Faire?

[Badmiker]

Can we use the 'Aire's in France in an unconverted Bongo? I'm planning on fitting a cooking unit in the back but would prefer not to have to fit sink and waste water gubbins, so would be doing all wet stuff in a bowl/basin.

I've never campered in France; whenever I've been camping it hasnt been an issue taking the occasional bowl of dishwater etc to the drain. Is it different on an Aire?

[francophile1947]

Aires in France vary from having a filling station, shops, restaurants and hotels, to just a few wooden benches and a (sometimes dubious! ) loo.
Just play it by ear - you're never far from the next one anyway

[missfixit70]

A lot don't even have a loo You're supposed to be completely self sufficient within the vehicle, but saying that I've used Aires without having plumbing, as long as you're sensible about it, it shouldn't be an issue, An onboard loo is a must unless you want to miss out on some of the most amazing locations & risk the (as Franco said) dubious loos that may be provided. Have a look on http://www.vicariousbooks.co.uk/ the Aires book is a must, especially if you're just going with the flow, means you can aim for the free Aires or whatever requirements are more important also worth getting one of the books that includes all the municipal campsites, very good value for money, often cheaper than some of the Aires that you have to pay for, saw quite a few proper sites that were no morte than 5 euros with hook up
You'll love it, takes a bit of getting used to, but using the Aires (official & unofficial) you can have a fantastic holiday for next to nothing.

[Nick65]

Of all the aires I've used in 45 years I have not come across one that does not have a loo (So, I must have been lucky) - Even ones with just the obligatory hole are okay if desperate, but yes, get yourself one just because ...

[missfixit70]

Of all the aires I've used in 45 years I have not come across one that does not have a loo (So, I must have been lucky) - Even ones with just the obligatory hole are okay if desperate, but yes, get yourself one just because ...

Are you talking about the roadside services type Aires? Because of all the Aires in villages etc that I've used, very few had toilets, but then I do tend to look for the out of the way kinda places

[Nick65]

Of all the aires I've used in 45 years I have not come across one that does not have a loo (So, I must have been lucky) - Even ones with just the obligatory hole are okay if desperate, but yes, get yourself one just because ...

Are you talking about the roadside services type Aires? Because of all the Aires in villages etc that I've used, very few had toilets, but then I do tend to look for the out of the way kinda places

I tended to go to a more mainstream sort of place. It was generally because they were near my family and friends houses or villas, so they were a bit better (So to speak), but saying that holes in the floor were still a luxury

[pippin]

I would agree with the self-sufficiency bit.

Aires de Repos de Camping-Car are designed generally for use by conventional motorhomes with full on-board facilities.

Yes, water and drains may be provided but they are for emptying/replenishment of on-board tanks rather than for general use.
Indeed they are often totally unsuited for such a purpose.

The other thing to remember is that they are not campsites and thus it is non-U to put out tables, chairs and so on.
That's not to say that some don't do exactly that but it is not what aires are for.

Indeed, towed caravans are not allowed on motorhome aires.

Not-withstanding all of the above, the French do tend to have a laissez faire approach - the trouble is that there are also a lot of visitors from a large country to the north who are are not so relaxed!

[Alison01326]

but saying that holes in the floor were still a luxury

This is reminding me of the "Four Yorkshiremen" sketch (Monty Python).