Aires de service are stopping points for motor caravans in France. They can be privately run or more usually run by the town council. In Germany they are known as Stellplatz.

They usually provide Fresh Water, Grey and Black waste dumping points. Aire De Service have a post (borne de services) that will sometimes require Tokens (Jetons) which can be purchased from a local shop or the Mairie itself. Aires are usually always reserved for Camping Cars which is the French term for Motorhome and are not to be used by Caravans.

Types of Aire

There are different types of aires;

Aire de services communale or prive - A council (Mairie) or privately owned facility for motorhomes. Most 'Aire de services' have some kind of motorhome servicing point (borne de service) ie fresh water, waste water and toilet dump points.

'Aire de stationement' - A place for motorhomes to park overnight, normally without any motorhome servicing facilities.

'Aire de services sur autoroute' - Similar to a communal aire mentioned above but on an autoroute.

'Aire de services sur terrain de camping ou a proximite' - Some campsites have a special tariff for motorhomes (aire interieure 1 nuit mini) for an overnight stop. Some campsites have a motorhome servicing point (borne de services) located within the site which can be used for a small charge without an overnight stop. Some campsites have an 'Aire de services' outside the campsite (aire exterieure) reserved for motorhomes to stay overnight.

Links

• Peejays MotorhomeFacts Guide to Aires
• Campingcar-Infos, a French search facility for Aires
• Full details on the various types of Aires

Categories: Camping in France