Overnight campsites to stop within an hour of Caen

Many thanks for all your replies! Lots of food for thought there, - will definitely reconsider some aires, as I have always previously associated them with little more than rudimentary lay-bays on the side of the road, with zero facilities and the constant risk of theft! Just shows that we have a lot to learn on this new type of holiday!

Not like any I have seen....

take a look at Search for Sites to see what is available with real reviews.

ill add campingcar-infos.com and park4night app to Michaels post.

good luck.

ColBur

Excellent recommendations above can i also add this company which are starting to run quite a few local aires,

https://campingcarpark.com/en/       

you will find for 10e a night electricity, wifi and  hard standing  and a lot are better then some municipal site we have been on.

Phil

Aires are certainly worth considering ColBur. We were also new to Motorhoming (but not France) when we took our 6 month old van to France last September. Our first night over there was on a Camping Car Park Aire, our introduction to that type of touring. We were sold and although using campsites as well, stopped on 7 more during our 6 week tour. Some for more than one night.

Of the chargeable variety, the Camping Car Park ones are particularly easy to use. You can purchase a card for a few euros before leaving home. This can be charged up online. When  you get to the Aire you tap it on a pad at the barrier and it lets you in. You tap it again to leave and it debits your stay from the card. There are no other charges, services are inclusive, including electric and WiFi if provided. I must admit I am not keen on those that suck your credit card in. I am always afraid I am not going to get it back.

Pontorson - Camping Haliotis, Acsi site, fuel 300m away and supermarket

one of our first French site visits, lovely....great position, amazing facilities and, as you say, ACSI priced....a terrific site.

im determined to fit in a Brittany/Vendee tour soon and Haliotis will be our first stop (from Cherbourg probably)....

Visited this site the first year of its private ownership and the proprietors were very keen to tell us of their plans for their ownership. We [i.e. me, the big kid] nicknamed the site 'Halitosis'  and had a great time, if somewhat testing stay in our [then] new frame tent, in a frame tent in a 3 day stay with unremitting strong winds.

We were able to cycle to Mont St Michel and avoid the aggro + cost of car parking, whilst feeling all virtuous [i.e. smug!] about our eco credentials

Steve

An hour from the Caen ferry? Only if you're Lewis Hamilton.

in fairness, the OP did say 1-1.5 hr and googlemaps suggests 1hr 31mins solo in a car, not much longer in a MH....but heading towards 2 hrs with a caravan.

still, worth it when you get there.