Question re French Aires

Le Mont-Saint-Michel ,go the day before park up ,go visit for the Le Mont on the link bus for the afternoon/evening ,grub up , next morning leisurely drive to the port .

You shouldn't worry. France has lots of aires, most of them free, being mixed parkings with lots of space. Use Campercontact.com to find them, this site even tells you max length. Further more, like in Ireland, you're allowed to sleep anywhere you're allowed to park. Use Park4night.com to find good wild places.
Cherbourg has a free aire next to the harbour (Allee du President Menut), 1 km from the city center, but this one may be crowded

There's a great Aire at Briquebec that's only about half an hour away from Cherbourg just off the D900. We usually stay there the day before our ferry. It's on a wee lake you can have a nice stroll around - there's a toilet and electricity and water that you can pay for if needed (used to be free but they changed it last year). The village isn't far away, well within walking distance with 2 supermarches and the usual boulangerie and shops - lovely wee medieval village to walk around with a small chateau and places to eat.

Spatuladad, Briquebec added to my list for October...

Check the searchforsites.co.uk website. Put in roughly where you want to go and it will throw up everything from Aires to sites, to municiple sites, service points, farm camping etc and is useful since it carries reviews by motorhomers for lots of them.

Regarding your car on a trailer plus Motorhome, don't be put off by arriving at an Aire and finding it full. There will be another not too far away ( often the next village) however if you avoid the honeypot Aires and opt for the ones slightly further inland then space is more likely to be available for the ensemble.

Many Aires can be a bit tight for space, i.e. The vans are only feet away from each other. It might be a sensible approach to walk in and assess the space you need before driving in and finding that you need to reverse out! Watch the French curtains twitch if they sense a bit of entertainment.

May I suggest the following Aires, both fairly close to cherbourg. Isigny sur mer. Right on a river bank. Small Aire, no charge, but loads of accepted parking on the grass and car parking area beside it. We used it about two weeks ago. Free Service point and a supermarket nearby. Handy to the normandy beaches if you have time to spare and having the car makes choice of Aire easier than us mortals who have to walk or cycle when parking is difficult.

St mere eglise. Not strictly an Aire as it has no service point. €8 per night and €2 for all day parking. Large flat grass area, literally yards from the airborne museum. Service points out side the campsite nearby and also at the super U (supermarket) on the other side of the village

Once you have tried Aires you won't want to camp, unless you have kids who need pools etc.

Have a good trip.

Davy

Petie, thanks for putting me at ease ref the trailer...

Davy, I'm blown away with your knowledge and experience.

Eirebus, I do think I will finish this trip with a stop at Mont St Michel, just for the WOW factor.

Most of this info will be used for my second trip later this year when I WILL be using only aires or wildcamping...

I'm amazed at the knowledge and support from the members here.

I am an avid motorcycle traveller and earlier this year I rode 3 weeks in Thailand and Vietnam with only the first night's accommodation booked.. Winged it the rest of the time without any major problems. Yet this one night stop in France has me up to high dough simply because of fact that the vehicle is quite large by Irish standards..... As I said earlier, I just got to wake up to the fact that Frence authorities and locals actually cater for motorhomes.

Much as I am looking forward to this week's trip, I'm now actually preferring the later trip as it will be a bit more of an adventure now I am armed with all this info for Brittany and Normandy.

Plenty of room at Beauvoir for a van and car

Look up Orador Sur Glane near Limoges for your Oct trip

We stayed 2 nights in Camping du Mont Saint Michel at the end of June at €30 per night for two adults and three kids. The free Navette bus departs for the island a couple of minutes walk from the campsite. You have to phone the campsite on arrival to get the code to raise the barrier, I think they charge a little for every time you come and go but we were just once in and once out.

They actively discouraged anyone sleeping in Motorhomes in the car park of the Mont. If you do overnight in a Camper, you're charged per calendar day so one night is two days parking.

Beauvoir is a handy cycle to the Mont, I did it the other way with my 8 year old son. If you were thinking of driving the tow car and paying for parking, you'd be as well off in the Camping du Mont Saint Michel. Walking would take about 30 minutes to the Navette or probably an hour to the Mont, you'll be doing lots of walking on the Mont too, I recommend paying the entrance fee for the abbey at the top.

An alternative to the Mont and not very far away is Fougeres, there's free Motorhome parking and it's got a lot of medieval charm. I'd recommend it for your next trip.

Just checked the aire at Beauvoir and the price has gone up from last Septembers €12 to €15.50 but you do get leccy and Wi-Fi. And its not a bad walk down the river to either the Mont or the free bus if you start flagging half way down

Et bon voyage

Have a safe one, and remember its only a problem if you cannot sort it

Have a great time Stephen hope all goes well...enjoy your trip

Pretty sure 70 mph towing a trailer is illegal you should keep it to 50 mph but that's up to you anything goes wrong at 70 will make one hell of a mess you and family included , be safe and enjoy holiday

Well, he was reported to the police......
Well he wasn't really...... someone rang the guards and stated they saw a motorhome doing 95mph and someone in a Toyota Yaris only 3 foot behind them tailgating !

Hi Betty,
Probably going to miss you in relation to this post. We have been here in France for the past week with the first 3 days around Bayeux. When touring the war sites if you spot a Dutch reg van near your destination follow them. They know all the handy parking spots.
The airboure museum in St mere Eglise is definitely worth a visit. Especially the aries behind it at €2 per day parking and €7/8 overnight.
Since you're travelling with kids, check out Decathlon. They are the ikea version of sport and camping gear at very reasonable prices. We sorted out our kids with gear for the next year.
French campsite are hugh by Irish standards. We are currently in a Castles site in Catherine de fierbois, just south of Tours. The wifi is only available by paying €5 per day. Ouch.
Regarding the engine light, ford doesn't have a big presence in France so if you think that a van check up is in order research a location first.
In the past I have used the ford garage in Tours and despite no common language we were happy with their service. Safe travels.
Malcolm

Glad all is good.
Now, settle in and enjoy your holiday.
Updates here so we can be jealous please !!

You could very well be right about the bad fuel. I was thinking the hard hot run you had to do may have given you the warning light.
As for making the boat we have all done that .
Have a safe trip and remembered the red stuff is only good for you in small quantities
Will be trying some this time next month my self

Glad that you have arrived safe and sound in France. Remember that an orange light is only precautionary not like a red which is critical. The fact that it's gone out is great from your perspective but it is troubling for me because your possible fuel issue is in my home town.
The speed limit issue is only because of your cannon ball run due to the holdup and I am gald that you have addressed it appropriately .
In the interest of reasonable discussion, the speed limit of towing a trailer/ car is the least of my concerns, but what do folks think of the 20 mg alcohol limit of such adventure. I think that equates to 20 hours of alcohol free drinking?
Betty, sorry for hijacking the post.
Malcolm

You have made it to France, how you got to the boat is neither here nor there, as others have said, needs must! Now enjoy France and all it has to offer, keep us updated on your journey and any good or bad points, after all it can help others making the journey at a later date