Rest Stops in France – The Good Life France | EUROtoday

If you’re driving by way of France and want a spot to stretch your legs, use the amenities, and perhaps get one thing to eat or gasoline in your automobile, the place do you go? Especially if there’s not a decent-sized city for miles?

The reply: an space.

What is an Area?

Year space is what English-speaking nations name a relaxation cease, motorway service space, lay-by, or one thing related. Areas are typically clear, handy, and well-maintained (though watch out for the occasional squat bathroom.)

Like relaxation stops, there are completely different sorts of areas in France.

Rest Area

This is the most typical kind of spaceset alongside the nation’s highwaysin addition to on a number of the busier secondary roads.

Rest areas at all times have bogs, contemporary water, and separate parking areas for vehicles and for tractor-trailers, and sometimes embrace different companies like picnic tables, merchandising machines, and electrical car charging stations.

Service space

These are bigger than the relaxation areas. In addition to the companies offered by the smaller areasthey’ve a service station and a minimum of one restaurant or self-service eating choice. Most have charging stations for electrical automobiles, and plenty of embrace retailers, showers, and dumping stations for campers.

Reception Area

These are areas created particularly for campers and motor houses. By legislation they’re established for using touring folks (itinerant vacationers), however anybody can use them. A useful supply for locating different locations designed for campers is the park4night app.

Spending the Night

Travelers are welcome to sleep of their automobiles, although areas tends to be busy and never very quiet. Travelers also needs to remember that freeway pay tickets are solely legitimate for twenty-four hours, successfully making a restrict of 1 night time’s keep.

How to Find an Area?

Areas are marked with particular blue indicators alongside the aspect of the highway.

• The prime part exhibits the identify of the space
• The center part exhibits the space to the space
• Below which can be containers exhibiting companies offered past the minimal (bogs, parking, and water.) For instance, a gas pump signifies a gasoline station, a crossed knife and fork signifies eating, and a teeter-totter signifies a kids’s play space. Electric car charging stations are indicated by a drawing of a automobile with a plug popping out the again. Sometimes the precise names of the gasoline station and the eating places shall be proven.
• For service areasbeneath the containers is the space to the subsequent service space. This is useful for drivers deciding when to fill their gasoline tank.

Keith Van Sickle splits his time between Provence and California. He is the writer of An Insider’s Guide to Provence, One Sip at a Timeand Are We French Yet? Read extra at Life in Provence