Arrival on a campsite or aire is fraught with all sorts of issues you have to think about. Where to park is it flat will you hit something etc. etc. of all the times we argued, for a long while this was it. So many stressful things that can go wrong, we have been lucky and careful so touch wood, all good to date. At the bottom of tis post is every place we have stated with GPS and a short review. If you have never motorhomed before it is great fun. Watch the video to see where motorhomes can get you.
Pitching up is not just arriving and parking the van, we over the months, have developed a routine for both pitching up and leaving a site.
Here are our Top 5 things we look for.
- Try to find a flat surface, putting the van up on chocks is extra work. Having the van flat helps you sleep and your fridge will not like be being on a slope, it can stop working nothing like warm wine, or even food going off, to ruin your day.
- Make sure that your door has room for you to get out, I know this sounds strange but an easy mistake to make.
Be careful that you don’t end up falling out f the van like this due to bad parking. - Since the weather turned warm we have found that if you want to keep your food cool, the fridge side of the van should be out of the sun. Basic rule of thumb we have found to work is park our van facing north-east. This means our fridge gets the least amount of sun on it during the day and the afternoon heat is kept off it.
- We had no real idea just how important shade was in the hot summer days. Parking in shade can mean the difference between sleep and no sleep. The van keeps the heat in the panels, also closes the shades on the windows facing the sun.
- Make sure the pitch is easy to get back off again, narrow access roads are very common and reversing off them is not that easy. So plan your exit when you arrive, it will make your life easier.
So what is our routine when we park in order
- Put hand brake on and leave the van in gear.
- Get out and check that you have the van level and there is room all around and you are square on you chocks if have used them.
- If you have an electric connection check the polarity and connect the van. Make sure if you have electric heating that the setting is right for the power you have. You don’t want to trip the fuse and be without power when cooking dinner.
- Then turn on the master, and in our case silence the low water warning.
- Then open fridge and prepare beverage of choice.
Leaving is the reverse but with some extra bits.
- Close all windows, on hot days pull roof blinds while travelling. This prevents the van getting hot on the road.
- Disconnect electricity and put away, if on chocks drop the van off them and put them away.
- Empty all waste grey and black reduces weight and helps fuel economy.
- If as we do a lot, you will be staying on an aire or freedom camping, fill up your fresh water tank. If going to another campsite you can leave low but in our opinion always have the minimum of 20% full for emergencies. Our preference for keeping the fresh tank full has helped us put out a fire for a farmer saving his animals. Mind you we lose around 30% of our fresh water as we travel from the overflow on the fresh tank. Annoying so I have fitted a stopcock to the overflow for when we travel.
- Lastly another run around the van checking all drawers and cupboards are locked shut. A quick look in the fridge to check it is loaded correctly so nothing can force it open in transit is a good idea as we have had it empty it’s contents while we were on the move.
Life in a motorhome is fun but simple checks help keep it and you safe and on the road. Whatever you do don’t drive off still connected to the electricity supply. From what we have seen his really annoys the owners of the site and is VERY expensive.
Here are all the places we have stayed.
001 Santander Free Aire Cabarceno, our very first stop in Spain lovely location, can recommend. We would love the weather to have been better to see the elephants nearby. GPS 43°21'30.0"N 3°49'08.7"W
002 Nr Salamanca Free Aire, El Encinar,Spain, very remote but did the trick. Wind howled. GPS 40°52'48.6"N 5°34'55.8"W
003 Caceres free Aire, Cacares, Spain very good aire, right on the edge of town. Wter, grey and Black waste. GPS 39°28'50.0"N 6°21'59.5"W
004 Camping Vejer, Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, our first campsite, well laid out and clean. lovely The owners could not be more helpful. Will aleays feel this was our 'Home' in Spain. As we were attending Spanish school in the town we booked the whole of Jan and a bit of Feb to give us a base. Also gave us time to learn to operate a motorhome. GPS 36°15'07.8"N 5°56'20.4"W
005 Parking Santa Catalina, Cadiz, Spain. Just a very expensive place to park. GPS 36°32'00.5"N 6°18'27.8"W
006 Camping Rio Jara, Tarifa, Spain A lovely campsite on the beach. Not an ASCI camp but charged us €25 a night. Lovely site on the beach great facilities, cash machine on site. Beach is amazing goes on for miles. GPS 36°02'30.8"N 5°37'48.9"W
007 Camping Parque Tropical, Estepona, Spain This campsite was a little rough right beside the dual carriageway, difficult to park and not the cleanest, less said the better really. €26 per night to boot. GPS 36°27'15.0"N 5°04'54.2"W
008 Camping Vejer, Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, Return afaer time away, so same review! Well laid out and clean. lovely The owners could not be more helpful. Will aleays feel this was our 'Home' in Spain. As we were attending Spanish school in the town we booked the whole of Jan and a bit of Feb to give us a base. Also gave us time to learn to operate a motorhome. GPS 36°15'07.8"N 5°56'20.4"W
009 Puerto Gelves Aire, Seville, Spain, a wonderful paid aire, €12 per night and €2.80 for electricity, water, grey and black waste included. It is 10 km outside Seville bus to town 140 €2.10 directly out side, also easy to cycle to city. GPS 37°20'27.4"N 6°01'24.4"W
010 Camping La Aldea, El Rocio very good quality campsite. ASCI card rate €17. Lovely location very quirky town most of the roads are sand and peole uses horses to get around. Be there for a Sunday as there are processions of the brotherhoods of the Virgin of EL Rocio for each of the Sunday masses. Don't even try and go during Pentecost as 2 million people converge on the town for that weekend. On top of that there is the sunning Doñana National Park that has the Ibeian Lynx and as many birdsas you can think of plus Flamencos. GPS37°08'31.0"N 6°29'24.2"W
011 Free Aire, Palma Del Rio, Spain, a bit forlorn but OK, a car park, free and greay and blackwaste disposal and fresh water, felt safe but busy. Large childrens adventure playground right by it. GPS 37°41'32.0"N 5°17'04.1"W
012 Camping La Campiña, La Guijarrosa, Spain, this was a lovely campsite south of Cordoba recommend. Location is rural, with great walks and cycling nearby. Owners very friendly and helpful. Bus to Cordoba directly outside the campsite. before we bought a ACSI card €21. GPS 7°37'22.4"N 4°51'31.2"W
013 Montilla our first Freedom Camp, Literally out side a Bodega as the aire promised in the town by Espana Discovery could not be found! For the excitment here is the GPS 37°34'52.9"N 4°38'36.4"W
014 Free Aire, Cabra, Spain, A lovely Aire in a most beautiful town lots to do, only two spaces, but lots to do here. There is a Via Verde right beside the aire a 68km cycle track on a disused railway track (Think flat). You can cycle for miles without killing yourself! GPS 37°27'58.5"N 4°25'25.4"W
015 Free Aire, Antequera, Spain this is a lovely town, the aire is beside the football ground. Fine for a night. The town is beautiful and the aire is close to the centre. It is very busy and quite noisy. GPS 37°01'16.6"N 4°34'17.7"W
016 Paid Aire (Rincon La Vctoria), Malaga , this was a lovely site the owner could not be more helpful. we would recommend it.€12 inc eletricty. GPS 36°42'58.9"N 4°14'16.0"W
017 Camping Playa de Poniente, Motril, Spain, a surreal town did that we really did not like much. To date the only place where we had a restaurant rip us off. €21 GPS 36°43'06.3"N 3°32'51.3"W
018 Camping Los Lomas, Guejar Sierra, Granada, Spain, set high in the Sierra Nevada near Granada. This was our first 'Camping Red' Campsite and it was wonderful, amazingly helpful staff good value at €19 inc electricity. There are stunning walks nearby and the views are extraordinary. Loved it. GPS 37.160119, -3.454482
019 Freedom Camp, San Jose, Cabo de Gata, Spain, a carpark but safe and secure near the beach lovely. At the time we were there overnight parking was allowed and so we did. Great restaurants nearby lovely walks pretty town. Remember freedom camping means NO facilities so make sure all your tanks are either full or empty as required before you stop. GPS 36°45'52.9"N 2°06'35.1"W
020 Paid Aire, Puntas de Calnegre A lovely spot very quitewith some nice walks nearby some resarunts near that were ok. €6.50 no electricity. GPS 37°30'44.4"N 1°24'43.2"W
021 Paid Aire Narejos, Los Alcázares / San Javer, Spain, Very pleasant spot, how paid Aires should be done. €11 per night €3 for electricity. Lots to do and see around here with great food to be had and lovely beaches near. GPS 37°45'47.4"N 0°49'52.3"W
022 Free Aire, Mula Village, Spain, fresh water, grey and blackwaste disposal. The smell of orange Blossom was amazing. Town is small and the is a lot to see around but then the rains came. GPS 38°02'22.6"N 1°28'53.7"W
023 Back again to the Paid Aire Narejos, Los Alcázares / San Javer, Spain, Very pleasant spot, how paid Aires should be done. €11 per night €3 for electricity. Lots to do and see around here with great food to be had and lovely beaches near. GPS 37°45'47.4"N 0°49'52.3"W
024 Camping Los Batanes, Lagunas de Ruidera, Spain This was a stunning campsite in natural park. As you might guess now we are staring to love Spain's National parks. It is in the middle of nowhere off any tourist track but lots of walks and and cycle paths, good restaurants near as well. Cost €21 including electricity. GPS 38°56'14.7"N 2°50'51.9"W
025 Camping El Greco, Toledo, Spain We stayed for Easter 'Semana Santa' Toledo is the centre of the Catolic faith in Spain and the celebrations were ver atmospheric. It was expensive at €30 per night including electricity. But located really close to the city with lovely views. So happy enough. GPS 39°51'58.8"N 4°02'51.8"W
026 Freedom camp, Playa Municipal, Cuneca, Spain We parked beside the river, this was near the local summer beach so doubt it would be availbal in the July, August. The rest of the year fine. There are no services other than a dustbin, so make sure you are ready for this. Close to town and cycle routes. The town is wonderful and worth visiting the 'Hanging Houses' and coulors are special, really you should go here. GPS 40°05'11.6"N 2°07'46.0"W For the record there is a lovely looking campsite just outside the town that is not in any of the books. ACSI or Alan Rogers, Camper contact.
027 Camping La Serradora, Peralejos de las Truchas, Spain , Another great find not in any books, found it on Google maps by accident. €20 a night including electricity. Fantastic cycling, walking, hiking. Right by a river. Lovely owners very helpful. We will be heading back. GPS 40°35'37.7"N 1°55'42.1"W
028 Paid Aire, Valencia Camper Park, Valencia, Spain This is a good value paid Aire very near a Metro station for access to Valencia. Very clean. The town nearby is not bad but not a lot to do. It's all about Valencia access, there is a pool in summer. Quite good food. €15 per night including electricity. GPS 39°34'46.8"N 0°26'43.7"W
029 Area Camping Car La Marina, El Saler, Nr Valencia, Spain this was a paid Aire €11 it had no eletric We di have water and grey and black waste, to be fair it was rining and forlorn but it was not worth the money. GPS 39°23'12.1"N 0°19'58.0"W
030 Freedom Camp, Puerto Deportivo, Denia. Spain, The rain Poured and we parked on the harbour road with spectacular sea views. We were reasrching to find places to stay for friends visiting in June so it will be intresting to see what the place looks like in June with no rain HOPEFULLY! GPS 38°50'15.3"N 0°07'16.7"E
031 Camping Altomira, Navajas. A Stunning Campsite great value €15 with our finall bought ASCI discount card. On the longest Via Verde in Spain. Really recommend this site. GPS 39°52'25.2"N 0°30'35.4"W
032 Camping Bonterra Park, Benicàssim, Spain a slightly industrial campsite with excellent facilities but too big for us. Full of 'Snowbirds' GPS 40°03'31.4"N 0°04'19.9"E
033 Camping Didota, Oropesa del Mar a simple campsite great facilities narrow access to pitches. Has a great value restaurant and is right beside the beach. GPS 40°07'16.1"N 0°09'30.9"E
034 Camping Ribamar, Alcossebre, Spain, this is a stunning campsite 5* luxury in an amazing location, we really recommend this site and the location. Alcossebre is what you would hope that Spain could be low rise well presented and great beaches. GPS 40°16'12.7"N 0°18'23.0"E
035 Free Aire, Morella, Excellent facilities fresh water grey and black waste, with a view of one of the most lovely towns in Spain before you. The town is lit up at night at the weekends. another MUST see GPS 40°37'26.8"N 0°05'28.0"W
036 Camping Ciudad de Albarracin, Albarracin, Spain a lovely location with great walks nearby, The town is picture post card pretty, in fact the town is stunning a MUST see. Good site ACSI rate €17 GPS 40°24'42.2"N 1°25'37.1"W.
037 Free Aire, Jalance, Spain a pleasant stop when in transit, town lovely but we could not find a restaurant open but such is life. Water grey and black waste disposal available free. A side note, Spain's largest nuclear site is 3 k's away. An an amazing sight at 1000m altitude. It has it's own dam for cooling water. It creates it's own cloud cover. GPS 39°11'15.0"N 1°04'34.0"W
038 Free Aire, Puerto Lapice, Spain, this is a lovely free Aire well situated and free water grey and black waste disposal. The village has all the Don Quixote and Cervantes you need. Good food too. GPS 39°19'35.3"N 3°29'00.3"W.
039 Free Aire, Luciana, Spain This was a strange one but met our requirements to be near one of the best Manchego cheese producers in Spain 'Villadiego' that we wanted to visit. Has won the most awards in Spain, the cheese was great mind you! GPS 38°58'57.7"N 4°17'32.0"W
040 Camping Mirador de Cabaneros, Horcajo de los Montes, Spain, yet another 'Camping Red' site, which have to date all been marvelous, Could not be happier. It is right beside the Cabañeros National Park with beautiful scenery, walks and wildlife. The 'Spanish Serengeti' it is called in the guide books. ACSI rate €19
GPS 39°19'23.5"N 4°38'57.0"W
GPS 39°19'23.5"N 4°38'57.0"W
041 Camping Merida, Merida,The ACSI reviews for this site are appalling and we understand why. There is no one around they seem to turn up when they feel like. the site is expensive at €18 and there are no seats on the loos. But it is clean and there is a restaurant on site open all day. Merida is a must see place and they have closed the aire so there you are, one night to see the most fantastic Roman ruins in Spain GPS 38°56'06.0"N 6°18'16.1"W
042 Camping Alentejo, Evormonte, Portugal, After Merida we decided to treat ourselves to what was said to us in Albarracin something special, a big thank you the unknown caravaner and this site is special we crossed the border to Portugal and for €12 we have a site that is possibly the best we have been on so far on the journey. Pool, spotless, large pitches, slight downside is a little road noise. If you are going through this area stop for a couple of nights run by a Dutch family, it is stupendous. GPS 38°47'30.3"N 7°41'19.5"W
043 Free Aire at Monsaraz, Portugal, If you have never stayed at an Aire this one might just convert you. The location is stunning on the one of the ramparts of the village, overlooking the largest man made lake in Europe. A truly stunning spot. Waste and water are not available but 2kms down the road these facilities are available. They were free when were there. Amazing. GPS 38°26'33.1N 7°22'47.4W
044 Free Aire at Monesterio, Spain. This was a more than adequate site close to the town, not in the aires book but camper contact had it. with free water grey and black waste disposal. The town is the 'Home' of Jamon with one of the best Jamon musuems in Spain and we certainly thought it was amazing. GPS 38°05'34.9"N 6°16'36.2"W
045 Free Aire at Fregenal de la Sierra, Spain, at a bus station and now they allow lorries to park so a lot of toing and froing sleep not good. But again free water grey and black waste disposal, and the town is lovely, so worth a night. GPS 38°10'11.0"N 6°38'58.5"W
046 Free Aire at Zafra, Spain, again a safe place to stop for the night with free water grey and black waste disposal. on a main road so some noise. The the town is lovely worth a night or two. GPS 38°25'31.2"N 6°24'39.6"W
047 Lorry Park at Jerez Los Caballeros, Spain, We were visiting the 27th Jamon fair here and there is nowhere to stay and it was pouring with rain. We were able to stay at the lorry park €12 a night. OK except there noise form the fair went on late like all things in Spain! The town is lovely and the Iberico was worth it! In the end though we had paid we moved due to the noise from the fair due to go on until 1.00 am GPS 38°19'44.5"N 6°45'43.5"W
048 Camping Cáceres, Cáceres Spain. Municipal Campsite accepts ACSI cards €17 individual toilet and showers on each pitch. Nice. The town is wonderful with great food options and loads of history. we stumbled on the WOMAD festival, this was fun but the heavans opened and we beat a hasty retreat back to camp. Caceres is also a great base to visit the wonderful medeival city of Trujillo another must see in Extramadura. GPS 39°29'21.4"N 6°24'41.7"W
049 Free Aire in Moraleja, Spain, good location but the water and waste machine broken when we were there. GPS 40°02'53.8"N 6°40'23.3"W
050 Free Aire in Torre de Don Miguel, Spain. Amazing location overlooking the valley, free water grey and black waste disposal and free to stay. Be very careful coming up the road as it is very easy to ground the vehicle as we did. GPS 40°13'19.1"N 6°34'16.6"W
051 Camping Monfragüe, Plasencia, Spain is the campsite for the Monfragüe National park, this is one of the most special places, take a guided tour, it is worth doing. The site is homely, but the facilities are excellent and the staff amazing. could do with a little smoothing of the edges but that said great value with ACSI cards accepted. €15 GPS 39°56'41.2"N 6°05'01.0"W
052 Camping Yuste, Aldeanueva de la Vera, Spain, Idyllic location, very narrow services could have been a little more up to date. Owners were very lovely, tapas very good! Valle de la Vera is the 'Home of Pimenton' truely lovely area. €22 GPS 40°07'32.8"N 5°41'37.5"W
053 Camping Jaranda, Jarandilla de la Vera, Spain, Lovely location beside river with rapids, All very pleasant indeed, the services were very good. Narrow to get motorhome in. €21 per night. GPS GPS 40°08'14.8"N 5°40'01.4"W
054 Free Aire in Jerte, Jerte, Spain, here we are in yet another very pretty valley, the aire is on a min road but it is not that busy at night and is safe. There is a restaurant across the road. The reason to visit is the cherries Blossom at the end of march first week of April and the best cherries in Spain from early June. There are also some incredible walks and bird life around here. GPS 40°12'34.4"N 5°46'21.4"W
055 Camping El Pinajarro, Hervas, Spain, beautiful campsite near the lively town of Hervas, shops just up the road lots of walks and cycle routes near. Plus the most stunning motor museum. ASCI card €17 worth it. GPS 40°16'12.6"N 5°52'48.7"W
056 Free Aire in La Alberca, La Alberca Spain, The town is yet another must see place. nd though the roads are all white ones on the maps it is an easy and very worthwhile run to see what we consider to be the prettiest village in Spain to date. To top it off they provide 10 spaces free for motorhomers less than five minutes walk from the center of town. And all for free, fresh water, grey and black waste sorted as well. Why not? GPS 40°29'20.1"N 6°07'00.7"W
057 Camping Don Quijote, Salamanca, Spain, a lovely campsite which is about 6Km from the center of town. Facilities are goo,d the toilets having just been refurbished. ACSI card is accepted. So €15 a night off season was not bad. They bake fresh croissants every morning and bread is fresh daily. All in all very good. GPS 40°58'31.1"N 5°36'15.5"W
058 Municipal Aire, Pinto, Madrid, Spain, this is a paid aire with video security and regular visits while we were there of a security car to check on the site. There is water, grey and black waste facilities of a high quality. The site is right beside a lovely large park and a shopping center is also beside the site with some of the cheapest diesel we had seen for a while. The town itself is lovely and safe with a lot to do, and trains to the heart of Madrid every 15 min make this a very safe and good stop for Madrid. It is €8 a day but for location worth it. Downsides there is noise from the nearby motorway. which is not as far as we were concerned oppressive. GPS 40°14'19.3"N 3°41'27.0"W
