Satnav around France

In France the Post Code will cover a far greater area, so you really need to enter as much detail as possible. If you look up sites on the ACSI website you will usually find Lat Long co-ordinates. Before we had our Avtex/Garmin satnav with the sites preloaded this was very useful.

As in the UK you may occasionally wonder why your sat-nav is directing you the way it does. We have found the D roads in France varied between something close to a gravel path through to a very nice single carriageway where you could happily do 50mph.

I'm sure you'll get on fine and enjoy your trip.

Colin

The trouble in France is that post codes cover a much larger area than they do in the UK so they are not as helpful. The best way is to download campsite POI's (Points of Interest) if they still exist. That way all you do is select the campsite you want to go to and the route is planned using the campsite location. Depending on the Sat Nav you are using you may be able to input a route using Google Maps?

David 

A 'postcode' in France has 5 digits. The first 2 are the departement,  roughly relates to county in the UK. The last 3 digits narrow the location down within the departement, but do not tie it down completely. The post code will be followed by the name of the town or village, which gets you closer. For a letter to go into the correct letterbox, the house number and the street, or road will be needed.

So in answer to your question, yes you need the full address. LaPoste have been tightening up lately following a law that requires all premises to have a proper address in the standard format. They were previously a bit forgiving, relying on the postie to know who lived where on their round.

Made up example.

Mr Anybody.

161 Rue de la Somewhere

99450 PLACENAME

France.

Nothing dim about the question. Have a good time.

I tour regularly in Europe and find using the full address tedious and imprecise.  I always enter the decimal co-ordinates (latitude/longitude) of my destination - and waypoints, if appropriate - into my satnav instead. 

To obtain the co-ordinates easily, I zoom into the location on Google Maps and identify the site entrance.  I then right click on my mouse and this brings up a sub menu, the first entry on the list being the co-ordinates for the point selected.

Then just enter these into your satnav and off you go.  Simples.

PS.  I use this method in the UK too.

Nice to know I'm not so dim.

Many thanks for the excellent advice, I will try and find the lat/long details from google maps.

I have contacted 7 out of 9 sites, booked some and been told to just turn up at others.

All seems to be going to a plan??....apart from a leaking fuel filter, luckily outside of a garage who was willing to replace it.  Test run to Sheffield tomorrow, hope the replacement holds up.

Always something to add stress to any situation...........phew!

Bingo!

Just tried the google map idea of obtaining lat/long coordinates and it works.  We used Copilot satnav for our tour of Germany and found it works well, so I will keep it on for another year.  My wife trust Copilots performance, one less worry.

Many thanks for your help.

I have been using copilot for some years as well and have found it excellent - much better than the Garmin dedicated satnav I had previously. Unfortunately the current version won't work on my elderly (but still fully functional - like myself) phone but I found a handy site where I could download previous versions.

I agree decimal co-ordinates are the way to go. I use the latest version of Archie's database which sadly is no longer updated.

If you use the App SearchForSites it interfaces direct to Co-Pilot when you click on directions to the site you have selected. Just click on the "navigation options" and you get a list of usable Apps including Google Maps, Tom Tom Go etc.

peedee

Sat down this afternoon and searched google for coordinates, easy to do once you know how.  All 10 sites written out and ready to go.

Contacted all sites, some wanted deposits, others said just turn up loads of space, electricity at all of them.  We will use our gas for when the van is parked during any excursions.

Really looking forward to the trip.

Thanks to all  for the info, really helps!

Ideally you should get hold of “Archie’s” files (POIs) which you can download to your Satnav. If you have an Garmin you use the free POI loader. Unfortunately he stopped updating these a few years ago and I’m not sure whether they are available from other sources. After all, campsites rarely change and they certainly don’t move! I have all European sites and also ACSI sites separately listed. No simple way to share my files though.

If anybody knows how to get the files then please post a reply.