Motorhomers Recommended 1st stop over in France

We have just returned from another lovely short tour of France in our trusty old motor home and are sharing our outward journey details as lots of new motor-homers look for a recommendation for the first nights stopover and we can't fault where we stayed this year. 

If you already have the Caravan Clubs Touring France guide or All The Aires France guide this beautiful Aire is featured in both. 

We left home at 14:00 for the Folkestone EuroTunnel and the journey down was totally uneventful, which is a first for our journeys, so we had arrived by 17:30 and were allowed to check onto the earlier train departing 18:50 rather than our booked 19:20.

This gave us plenty of time to use the fabulous, totally enclosed doggy play area with our puppy Alfie. He wasn't interested at all in the agility course style pieces of equipment in this, despite me running around like a loony trying to coax him through the tunnels etc but he availed himself of the facilities and thoroughly enjoyed checking out the scent messages left by earlier travellers. I cannot praise EuroTunnel enough, this area is fantastic with everything you and your dog need supplied and made our first trip abroad with the dog a pleasure.

Boarding the train was also smooth and efficiently organised and so we arrived in Calais 20:20 local time and headed for Embry 62990 arriving 22:15. This is a beautiful Aire and we were shocked to find we were the only ones there. 

The Aire has quite a steep approach and a shingle surface so you will need to use ramps to level on most pitches. If you need electric hook up; the pitches on the right as you go in are closest to the Fot Bleu machine (tokens are 3 euros for 4 hours electricity they have a vending machine for the Fot Bleu tokens which you can pay by card for at the facilities building); but we didn't so we chose the pitch closest to the facilities building and the garden area.

The pitches are generously sized and clearly marked out with flower filled planters and even have a chain and reserved board available for your use which if you need to go out you can put across your pitch to indicate it is already taken. They have no issue with you putting out your awning and loungers here and there is plenty of space between.

The facilities building itself has a male and female toilet cubicle, 2 shower cubicles (token required), 2 washing up sinks with hot/cold taps, a small local information point and book lending area and is kept spotlessly clean.

If you arrive before 18:30 then you will meet the lovely Domenique who looks after the site when she arrives to collects your fees; 7 euros per night. She also offers a bread delivery service which we took advantage of. A basket containing a baguette, 2 croissant, 2 pain au chocolate and a small jar of homemade conserve was delivered to our door for 6 euros and it was delicious and a very welcome start to our vacance en France.

At the rear of the facilities building is a very well kept, semi enclosed, lawned garden with brick built barbq's and picnic benches for your use. Alfie adored running around in this area and as we were the only people here he had the freedom to do so off the lead. 

If you need it, the grey water emptying point is over by the recycling bins near the entrance/exit of the Aire and the Fot Bleu machine (token required) is provided for emptying your toilet cassette and filling with drinking water.

We stayed 2 nights here and were joined by 3 other vans on our second day and thoroughly enjoyed the relaxing start it gave us for our holiday.

Highly recommend this Aire although one warning; make sure you have all you need on board before you arrive as there are no shops anywhere nearby.

Hope you enjoy. Aurevoir

Janine, Pete & Alfie :)