Car Parks

[chrisb]

I was a bit disappointed to read that the authorities in St Lo areplanning to introduce charges in car parks.

Personally I've alway thought one of the more enlightened attitudes in France was that most towns opted for free parking as a way to encourage people into their town centres for the benefit it brings to the local economy. Perhaps they're now tempted by the possibilities of making money for the local council as is the norm in GB.

However it does seem that St Lo will make the first 90 minutes free - so there'll still be time to get round the market - but perhaps not for a leisurely visit to the cafe afterwards.

Has anyone else seen this creeping adoption of the English way of doing things?

[Miki]

Yes Chris, for quite a while now as well and, in some towns, even during the sacred times of 12h00 to 14h00 charges are being made !! France may play catch up at times but catch up, they certainly do !

[pagnol]

Our village which relies on tourism introduced charges for parking.

Such was the anger among the locals that they also intoduced a scheme for locals, where all parking except the high street is free ( even here you can have 30 mins free) as long as you apply for and stick the "macaron" obtained from the Mairie to your windscreen.

All you have to do is present your log book and the usual bill as proof of where you live and you are presented with a sticker with your car registration to stick on the windscreen.

The locals are happy but it is amusing to read the comments in the visitors book in the Tourist Information. Most of the comments express outrage at the parking fees, not comments about our lovely village.

 

 

[Jc]

Most of the French towns I go to (tho' not NW France)only charge for parking directly in the town centre;in fact one of our local towns actually has signs up telling you that this is the last "free" car-park.Also near the coast many of the car-parks that charge in high-season are free in the off-season.

[Coco]

As long as the charges don't get to be as ridiculous as certain areas of the UK I don't have a problem with it.  After all, the car parks do need to be maintained and I think the ones in Saint Lo are maintained pretty well.

I remember years ago as holiday-makers in Arromanches having parked and not realised that it was a PAYING car park we came back to the car to find a notice on the windscreen explaining (in English) that we had parked in a paying zone but as we were clearly visitors to the town we may not have been aware and therefore would not incur a fine but asked us to kindly remember on future visits that we did have to comply with the charges.  I thought that was a nice way to deal with the situation. [:)]