Arriving on the coast near Marseille brings us to the Mediterranean and the hope of some late Autumn sunshine. It’s quite late in the evening and we decide to try Sausset-Les-Pins and Carro afterwards. The main reason is because both these towns have a motorhome Aire, so we know we’ll find a place for the night.
Our trip has been through Provence previous to arriving on the coast. More precisely, having last night been staying on a CampingCar-Park near the village of Goult in the Luberon which has an old railway line cycle path to Apt.
The Aire at Sausset-Les-Pins
The Aire at Sausset-Les-Pins isn’t particularly appealing at first glance. It’s one of the CampingCar-Park network of Aires which operate mainly across France and the location serves a purpose to visit the resort town. They follow the same format, with barrier entrance, EHU and dump/fresh, costing €16 a night.
Despite the lack of great location, which gives a feeling of being out of sight, out of mind, the Aire is soon full. It’s next to a fairly busy road and there’s not a lot of space but it’s convenient.
A modern resort
Our morning walk into the centre of the resort brings us to the centre of town. The buildings are relatively new style, mostly 80’s in design rather than a more quaint, typically French architecture.
Amongst the main area is a harbour with bars, restaurants and small boats moored. It’s a pleasant stroll in the Autumn sunshine, soon leading to a promenade type walkway. Unfortunately the sea is a bit choppy, so we don’t get to experience it at its best.
Another important point is that we’re here out of season, so there’s a lack of atmosphere too. It’s still nice to take a morning walk, find a boulangerie and buy our daily fresh baguette.
We realise we have actually been here before some years ago and think the Aire was then a basic dusty parking area, albeit in the same location.
Returning back to the campervan is easy enough. It’s only a short walk from the centre so now it’s time to decide what to do next.
Moving a few km further on – Sausset-Les-Pins and Carro
After a re-fill of the tanks and emptying at the dump, we choose to move a few km further on along the coast.
This brings us to another harbour town by the name of Carro where there’s a large motorhome Aire beside the sea. We’ve been here before a few years ago so know what to expect.
Carro comes under the resort of Martigues and has a small selection of shops set back from a harbour. It’s a somewhat more traditional feel here with fishing boats and some lovely beaches along its headland position.
Motorhome Aire at Carro
The motorhome Aire at Carro is huge with 78 places, barrier entrance and maximum 72 hour stay.
Off season, it’s only €8.50 a night which is pretty good value and includes a dump/fresh area within the Aire.
Here, the Aire is beside the sea, but the downside is the strong winds. If you’re a surfer you’ll be happy and there’s plenty catching the waves during our stay.
Sea views and brisk walk
We’re able to park overlooking the sea, so it’s a great place to watch the water activities in front of the van.
Kitesurfers strut their stuff on the water as the blowy conditions lift them high off the sea. Unfortunately it’s too chilly to sit outside but we are able to take a brisk walk from the van along the coast path.
We pass a couple of sandy bays, walking across the sands and enjoying a calm spot out of the wind. On the headland we emerge onto the cliff top path and make our way towards a red and white lighthouse.
We soon come across several motorhomes wild camping on the road to the lighthouse. Other than that, it’s really quiet.
Taking a route back through the town brings us towards the harbour. Not many shops are open, although there’s a few people around. I’m unsure if it’s due to being off-season or the time of day.
As the winds pick up and rain clouds gather, we retreat back to the campervan for shelter. It’s a shame the forecast is poor for the next few days, so we don’t think we’ll hang around here.
Feeling the need for somewhere with a little more shelter, we opt to move on tomorrow. More on that next time!
