Is (casual) European touring ruined forever?

My profile picture was taken at Le Crotoy aire on the way home in October.

It does get rammed in peak season but it is a very convenient overnight stop outside those times, with a lovely walk alongside the moorings into a charming small town with lots of seafood restaurants.

They also have the big advantage of being available in October when so many of the sites in France have shut up shop. Even some of the ones that advertise they are open.

Le Croytoy is open all year, I have used it in the winter months. I think there is also a Camping de Mon Village site in the vicinity as well. I steered clear of it because it is described as more suited to smaller motorhomes.

peedee

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Here’s an alternative on the north coast of France - also open all year round.

Some Aires are a transient stop, others are very much a place to spend a couple of days leisure time. It so much depends on the Aire and its location. We recently spent a couple of nights at one in a ski resort in the Jura, of the 38 places only 4 / 5 were occupied.

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“Oh well, it’s fine for motorhomers, but you wouldn’t see me spending leisure time in such a place” aspect shows the great gulf. If we pull into an Aire, we are not “spending leisure time” but “getting our heads down time”, en route to a desirable, destination, leisure time place, as YT explained. I suppose caravanners don't "get it".

A rather condescending view, particularly as I was at pains to state I understood why Motorhomers would use such places. I do in fact "get it"! 

I just don't wish to, or most times cannot,  pitch my caravan there. 

As the OP is a caravanner the type of "casual touring" referred to by him isn't to be found on Aires as shown in Peedee's post.

Getting back to the original question....

My observations this summer are that NW France is significantly busier than in recent years, wheras Provence is notably quieter. My suspicion is that after last summers very very hot weather, ther is a trend towards the northern coasts and away from the south. Having said that I had no troiuble getting a pitch anywhere in France in August, generally making a booking two or three days in advance of turning up. As usual, site empty significantly after 14 August and by the last week in August nowhere seemed to be full.

We are crossing in the next few days and anticipate it to be no different to the last 2 years. Yes some sites are busy as are some areas of France and Spain.

We were over in April, May and June this year and did come across some sites that were busy, don't think we saw a Complet sign out anywhere, though some sites were only taking those who had booked. 

This spring certainly was busier than last but many folk were not yet back into travelling after Covid. In 2021 and 2022 we hardly saw a Brit outfit, this year there were many and not just the oldies, lots of younger folk out even just for a couple of weeks. We spoke to quite a few young families who were taking a year out to travel before the children started school. Can't remember ever coming across any before.

Times are changing and it's not just here in the UK, many across Europe are seeing things differently since Covid. 

I never thought I could spend any time on an aire especially a busy one. I'm glad to say I did give it a try and thankfully it was OK. To be honest some Aires are quieter than campsites and not so busy.