The liberty of driving round France in your personal campervan, motorhome or RV is a real escape from the every day grind. There’s one thing so satisfying about being completely self-sufficient on the highway, with nowhere to be and nothing to do. Whether or not it’s for a vacation with the household otherwise you’re prepared to hitch the #vanlife motion, tenting in France with your personal automobile is an excellent alternative to benefit from the nice open air.
Earlier than you set off, it’s a good suggestion to get clued up on a few nuggets of knowledge that can assist make your journey go easily. Whether or not that’s sensible info for planning your journey, security suggestions when you’re there or basic tenting etiquette.
Listed here are our prime suggestions for travelling by means of France by campervan.
Prime suggestions for campervan holidays in France
Tenting with youngsters
Children of all ages love the barefoot freedom of a tenting vacation. Many campsites in France, significantly websites within the south of France, have wonderful services together with waterslides, swimming swimming pools and ice-cream parlours.
In the course of the summer season months, bigger campsites organise youngsters’ golf equipment with a vary of actions, together with bike rides, cooking classes, workshops and artwork lessons, and leisure for the entire household, reminiscent of discos, video games nights and expertise reveals.
Measure your motorhome
In case you’re not used to driving a bigger automobile, it’s positively a good suggestion to know your van’s weight and dimensions. There are restrictions on sure bridges, tunnels and roads to be careful for. The dimensions of your automobile may also decide the velocity you may drive on sure roads, so ensure you examine the principles round this earlier than you set off.
When you have a roof field, bikes or the rest on the roof, measure the precise, full peak of your automobile together with these things and stick a really seen discover in your dashboard to remind you! Dropping your bikes and damaging your roof wouldn’t be an excellent begin to your vacation and we have now seen it occur a lot of occasions!
Keep linked
Tenting is an effective way to get again to nature, however a dependable web connection is important, particularly if you happen to’re checking maps, importing images or streaming films within the van within the evenings. Relying in your information roaming protection, you might need to buy a pay as you go Wi-Fi machine on arrival in France, which ought to work in most areas. A dependable sat-nav system can be invaluable if you’ll be doing quite a lot of exploring. Again-up display grabs of your mapped route and/or an old school paper map are good to have, in case your battery runs out otherwise you hit an space with no cell community protection.
Camper stops in France (Aires)
Many villages have locations the place campers and motorhomes can spend the night time without spending a dime or for a small charge, referred to as Aires.
They are often discovered all through France and a few supply service factors for water assortment and disposal. You could find them utilizing apps reminiscent of Park4Night or campercontact. They can’t be booked, so that you simply have to show up and see if there may be house. You may arrive and depart at any time, nonetheless some have a most keep of 24-48 hours.
You may at all times select probably the most comforable choice of staying at a campsite, listed here are our tips about find out how to discover the right one for you.
Take time away from the wheel
Relying in your plans, the dimensions of your automobile and the intricacy of your camp set-up, you might choose to decide on a campsite in France that’s near a bus cease or prepare station so you may go sightseeing with out your motorhome, leaving it on the campsite. Bringing bikes can be an effective way to discover the world with out having to drive your campervan in all places.
Campervan safety
Get savvy with safety and don’t make it simple for anybody to interrupt into your house on wheels. You could find all of our prime motorhome safety suggestions right here.
France security legal guidelines
Listed here are a number of objects that, by legislation, you have to have with you or in your camper, whereas driving in France:
- Headlight beam converters (if you’re driving a right-hand drive automobile)
- Seatbelts for all passengers always
- UK sticker if driving a British automobile
- Hello-vis reflective jackets (one per individual and have to be accessible with out getting out of the automobile)
- Clear air sticker for driving in bigger cities (examine guidelines in your camper)
- First help package
- Warning triangle to placed on the highway if you happen to break down or have an accident.
Pace digital camera detection kits are unlawful so ensure you disable this setting on any sat navs or GPS programs. Breathalysers are now not required in France.
organise a campervan vacation in France
Open-air holidays are inclined to require a bit extra preparation than a visit to a lodge. You should take into consideration what to pack, find out how to journey round and the place you’ll park your campervan in a single day.
We promise it’s completely price it. So seize your favorite pocket book or arrange a colour-coordinated spreadsheet and get planning!
Packing in your campervan vacation
If solely there was one place you can go to seek out out what you’ll want to take in your subsequent campervan vacation in France… Effectively, we’re thrilled to tell you that we have now precisely what you’re on the lookout for. Try our Final Guidelines for a campervan vacation for the entire necessities.
Campervan documentation
In case you’re driving in France, you’ll want to have all of those paperwork onboard:
- Passport and full driving licence (in date)
- Motorhome insurance coverage paperwork (legitimate for driving in Europe)
- Breakdown cowl (legitimate for driving in Europe)
- Automobile V5 logbook (unique)
- Private journey insurance coverage.
Planning your route by means of France
From grand chateaux to verdant vineyards, and spectacular mountain ranges to good seashores, your tenting journey to France shall be unforgettable. Fortunately, we’ve finished the exhausting give you the results you want and located a number of the finest routes and locations so that you can select from.
Reserving your campsites
Reserving your journey couldn’t be simpler. Head to Campsited.com and search to your coronary heart’s content material. You may filter your campsite search by area, environment, facilities, and specialist themes, so yow will discover precisely what you need.
FAQ: Your campervan vacation questions answered
Ought to I guide my campsite upfront?
It’s possible you’ll must guide upfront, relying on when and the place you’re going. Summer season is the peak season for tenting in France. Campsites are inclined to replenish for July and August nicely upfront, significantly bigger campsites alongside the coast and near vacationer locations. There are additionally completely different facilities you might need to look out for, and understanding how completely different campsites differ in value.
In case you are travelling within the low season, you might not must make reservations, particularly if you’re simply stopping over for one or two nights.
Can I take my pet with me after I’m tenting in France?
Many campsites welcome four-legged pals (discover our listing of pet-friendly campsites right here), however at all times examine the campsite’s pet coverage earlier than you make your reservation, as there shall be site-specific guidelines and facilities. Most campsites request that canines are saved on a lead throughout the campgrounds, for instance. Bringing a pet may additionally incur extra charges. There are additionally authorized necessities you have to observe when taking your pet overseas – try our weblog on tenting with canines for extra suggestions.
Are you able to park a camper anyplace in France?
Parking your campervan within the daytime is far the identical as parking a automobile in France, until there are particular indicators prohibiting it. If you wish to know the place to park your campervan in a single day, see above for details about Aires, or beneath for details about wild tenting.
How a lot does it price to rent a campervan in France?
The price of hiring a campervan will depend on the kind of automobile you might be on the lookout for, the time of the 12 months, the age of the driving force and the extent of luxurious. It may be anyplace between £300 and £1200+ per week. One of the best ways to know is to spend two minutes filling in your vacation particulars in our campervan rent search device and get quotes from all of the rental corporations.
How outdated do it’s important to be to rent a campervan in France?
The everyday age requirement for hiring a campervan in France is 25 years outdated. Sure corporations will hire to 21-year-olds, however you might must pay just a little additional. Examine instantly with the rental firm – it will likely be detailed within the phrases and circumstances of all of the quotes supplied by our motorhome search device.
If an organization does settle for a youthful driver, a completely different insurance coverage coverage might apply, so additionally learn the insurance coverage phrases and choices rigorously, as you undergo the reserving course of.
Lastly, examine within the phrases in case your nationwide driver’s licence is suitable. Some rental corporations might require an Worldwide Driver’s Licence.
What sort of services can be found for campervans at French campsites?
In case you’re travelling with a motorhome, a totally serviced pitch usually contains electrical energy hook-up, water fill factors, and waste disposal for chemical bathrooms and gray water. You can too use communal campsite services, reminiscent of washing machines and BBQ areas, in addition to eating places, cafés and swimming swimming pools.
The dimensions of pitches will differ from campsite to campsite, so make a request upfront if you happen to require a bigger pitch or one thing extra personal. Relying on the campsite, you might also have the ability to improve to a pitch by the river or a spot with a view, so you may arrange your awning and loosen up within the shade.
Do all campsites settle for campervans?
Most campsites supply pitches that cater for tents, campervans and bigger motorhomes, though it’s at all times a good suggestion to examine upfront.
The value of a campervan pitch at a French campsite will differ relying on the variety of stars, the variety of individuals per pitch, and whether or not you might be tenting throughout excessive or off-season.
Is wild tenting permitted in France?
Wild tenting is a little bit of a gray space in France, with restrictions in nationwide parks, alongside the coast and near historic monuments to guard the pure setting and heritage areas. In different areas it’s usually tolerated with the permission of landowners, however you must take your waste with you, by no means gentle a fireplace, and attempt to depart earlier than 9:00AM. Examine the indicators wherever you might be, to keep away from paying a advantageous. See above for details about designated camper spots in France referred to as Aires.
We hope you’ve found a lot of useful suggestions and recommendation to make your subsequent French tenting journey unforgettable. Now all you’ll want to do is pack your baggage, put collectively the last word highway journey playlist and get on the highway.
Bon voyage!
