It is with regret that I have to inform you that Castets has changed hands and the new owners in their “infinite wisdom” have decided that just like every other routier between spain and bordeaux that truckers don’t need to eat, drink and shower on a sunday so they are now closed 
just to top it off they have also changed all the female staff for blokes so no eye candy either 
I won’t be giving them my custom during the week if they won’t continue a tradition that has looked after us for years
the family that still own vivonne, les minieres and belle cantiniere do still however open on a sunday plus the new one at bedenac
welshboyinspain:
It is with regret that I have to inform you that Castets has changed hands and the new owners in their “infinite wisdom” have decided that just like every other routier between spain and bordeaux that truckers don’t need to eat, drink and shower on a sunday so they are now closed
just to top it off they have also changed all the female staff for blokes so no eye candy either
I won’t be giving them my custom during the week if they won’t continue a tradition that has looked after us for years
the family that still own vivonne, les minieres and belle cantiniere do still however open on a sunday plus the new one at bedenac
That is another institution gone, it should be a part of their liquor licence, that they must provide at least some basic facilities, unless like the UK they are sick of British, Bulgarian and Romanian drivers eating in their cabs.
the new owner was in there on saturday so i asked in my schoolboy french why he was closing on sunday and he said its his day off 
what about the nearly 200 trucks outside? he wasn’t interested
I bet he will be when he see’s the takings down hugely compared to who he bought it off
welshboyinspain:
It is with regret that I have to inform you that Castets has changed hands and the new owners in their “infinite wisdom” have decided that just like every other routier between spain and bordeaux that truckers don’t need to eat, drink and shower on a sunday so they are now closed.
I’ve got to ask the question When was Castets open on a Sunday?
Not been down that way for a couple of years but when I did the main building was always closed on Sundays, though the cabin at the bottom of the car park served up a reasonable meal.
Time to buy yourself a cooker then. 
I can give you some tips if you wish 
squarepeg:
welshboyinspain:
It is with regret that I have to inform you that Castets has changed hands and the new owners in their “infinite wisdom” have decided that just like every other routier between spain and bordeaux that truckers don’t need to eat, drink and shower on a sunday so they are now closed.I’ve got to ask the question When was Castets open on a Sunday?
Not been down that way for a couple of years but when I did the main building was always closed on Sundays, though the cabin at the bottom of the car park served up a reasonable meal.
the restaurant has been open on a sunday until 4pm for at least the last 7 years that I’ve been living in spain
welshboyinspain:
It is with regret that I have to inform you that Castets has changed hands and the new owners in their “infinite wisdom” have decided that just like every other routier between spain and bordeaux that truckers don’t need to eat, drink and shower on a sunday so they are now closed
just to top it off they have also changed all the female staff for blokes so no eye candy either
I won’t be giving them my custom during the week if they won’t continue a tradition that has looked after us for years
the family that still own vivonne, les minieres and belle cantiniere do still however open on a sunday plus the new one at bedenac
Good, the place is a ■■■■ hole anyway!
Shame got some fond memories of weekends there, also some not so fond when stuck with some right knobs for company always of the iv’e been everywhere brigade who get loader with more ale. Lets hope the new people can do something about the smell from the sewers or is it always going to be a problem when the showers are down stairs.
welshboyinspain:
the restaurant has been open on a sunday until 4pm for at least the last 7 years that I’ve been living in spain
I can remember it being open on Sundays in the 90’s and then being closed around 2005.
But if it was only open upto 1600h by the time I arrived it would definitely be closed.
thetourist:
Shame got some fond memories of weekends there, also some not so fond when stuck with some right knobs for company always of the iv’e been everywhere brigade who get loader with more ale. Lets hope the new people can do something about the smell from the sewers or is it always going to be a problem when the showers are down stairs.
The waitress used to think she was doing me a favour seating me with my fellow Brits. 
The bogs and showers have always been a bit of a disaster area
Yes, castets, always the good reason to put the wire on for a bit and get to sunbilla on a sat night, never liked the place.
jimboy124:
welshboyinspain:
It is with regret that I have to inform you that Castets has changed hands and the new owners in their “infinite wisdom” have decided that just like every other routier between spain and bordeaux that truckers don’t need to eat, drink and shower on a sunday so they are now closed
just to top it off they have also changed all the female staff for blokes so no eye candy either
I won’t be giving them my custom during the week if they won’t continue a tradition that has looked after us for years
the family that still own vivonne, les minieres and belle cantiniere do still however open on a sunday plus the new one at bedenacGood, the place is a [zb] hole anyway!
but at least it was a ■■■■ hole that was open on a sunday, now more drivers will have to impersonate the plastic russians and eat out of the trailer box 
For years the urinals down the stairs have been over flowing and blocked,the smell is over powering as soon as you walk in,you see the Gendarmes pulling in the magnet boys,and Spanish fridges that have gone over their two weekly driving limits,i saw the fine for that.
Food was not the best when i paid a visit.Bread and butter with jam for breakfast,that is good.
toby1234abc:
For years the urinals down the stairs have been over flowing and blocked,the smell is over powering as soon as you walk in,you see the Gendarmes pulling in the magnet boys,and Spanish fridges that have gone over their two weekly driving limits,i saw the fine for that.
Food was not the best when i paid a visit.Bread and butter with jam for breakfast,that is good.
I hadn’t been off UK internal work for long when I first stopped at Castets.
The food may not be the best, but in comparison to what I was used to, the food was bloody good and not expensive. As for the bogs being rather… aromatic, it wasn’t much worse than the majority of UK places so barely worth noting.
Simon:
I hadn’t been off UK internal work for long when I first stopped at Castets.
The food may not be the best, but in comparison to what I was used to, the food was bloody good and not expensive. As for the bogs being rather… aromatic, it wasn’t much worse than the majority of UK places so barely worth noting.
Fully agree, as I said in another post. Re Best French Rouitier.
Extract
squarepeg:
To answer to the original question as to the best, or favourite Routier.I cannot comment other than my normal route from Cherbourg or Caen down the western side of France through to Spain.
My Favourites, in direction order.
Southbound after crossing on the night boat. Always Castets due to its location, which is correct for driving hours and time of day and whilst other routiers along the forest road are full, there is usually room for one more at Castets.
Also if youre there before 2300h you will get fed and you can leave your fridge running where others do not allow it after 2200h.
toby1234abc:
Food was not the best when i paid a visit.Bread and butter with jam for breakfast,that is good.
I always enjoyed the choice of food on offer in the evening and crusty bread and jam with a cup of coffee was fine for breakfast for little cost.
Sometimes the urinals would flood,and there would be the overflow as you walk in the “dungeon”,some nationalities prefer the badger system of washing the armpits in the sink basin,by the time you have flapped around with that,you could have a had a proper wash in the shower.As said before,there was room for one more for late arrivals,and get fed,watered,at a late hour.
richmond:
Yes, castets, always the good reason to put the wire on for a bit and get to sunbilla on a sat night, never liked the place.
Of course I got the San Malo boat Monsieur Gendarme 
richmond:
Yes, castets, always the good reason to put the wire on for a bit and get to sunbilla on a sat night, never liked the place.
Ha ha, I always took the view that if I could get to Castets (on the way down) I’d ‘push it’ on to Sunbilla;)
Ross.
I took my car down to spain earlier this year, i had to stop at the as24 centre routier bordeaux to fill up with fioul oil domestic, i didnt want to put an end to my 100 percent record of driving down to spain…
richmond:
I took my car down to spain earlier this year, i had to stop at the as24 centre routier bordeaux to fill up with fioul oil domestic, i didnt want to put an end to my 100 percent record of driving down to spain…