Review: All the Aires Spain and Portugal (5th edition)
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this guide for this review. I did not receive any payment and was not required to write a positive review.
All the Aires Spain and Portugal was the very first Vicarious Books guides we ever used. That was back in 2009, when the first edition of this excellent guide was published.
Things have moved on since then. Not least because this guide is now on its fifth edition (published Sept. 2017), and is bigger and better than ever. We recently received a copy of the latest Spain and Portugal guide from Chris and Meli, the founders and directors of Vicarious Media.
I’m pleased to report that the new edition fully lives up to expectations! 200 new aires have been added since the 2015 edition was published, giving a total of 636 inspected aires plus hundreds of LPG filling stations:
- 455 Spanish aires
- 181 Portuguese aires
- 200 LPG filling stations in Spain
- 114 LPG filling stations in Portugal
More than 400 of these aires were inspected by Chris and Meli in 2017. Of the remainder, 97% were inspected in 2015 or 2016. So although a few sites may have changed by the time you reach them, the information and photos in this guide can generally be trusted.
As in France, the number of aires in both Spain and Portugal has increased significantly over the last few years. So too have the number of motorhomes, but by following Chris and Melis’ inside tips during busy periods, you should still be able to enjoy the affordable and hassle-free comforts aires can provide.
What’s in the guide?
If you’re not already familiar with the All the Aires series of guides, then here’s a taster of what to expect:
- Colour photos, GPS coordinates and driving directions for each aire
- A list of facilities at each site, using a graphical key
- Details of the type of location, nearby attractions, space for large RVs, etc.
- A large, fold-out map for easier route planning
- Last but not least, a comprehensive guide on how to use (and not abuse) aires, which do have different rules to campsites
As you can see from the picture above, these guides are both fantastically detailed and very easy to use. I can’t really recommend them highly enough for motorhomers who want to stay away from campsites, or just enjoy a more affordable and conveniently located alternative. For example, in towns and cities, aires are generally much better-located for urban exploring than most campsites.
Book information:
Title: All the Aires Spain and Portugal
Publisher: Vicarious Media
ISBN: 978-1-910664-12-4
Price: £18.50
Available to buy on the Vicarious Media website: www.vicarious-shop.com