Campervan Hire in France

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Campervan and Motorhome Hire France - All You Need to Know

France offers free and safe overnight parking on the outskirts of many towns and villages to enable tourists to spend their time exploring and enjoying their time without worrying about where to spend the night.

These areas are called Aire de Camping and are well signposted.

Driving in France

Driving in France can be a bit daunting if you have never tried it before but rent a left-hand drive camper and you will soon find your way.

Roads in France are wide and easy to navigate. Make sure you have a good map and plug in your google maps and you will soon be driving around like a local.

Speaking French

Using a guide book or a translation app will get you by. Many people in France are happy to try out other languages to help you out.

No Hidden Costs

Use the booking engine to make your selection of where you want to collect, the drop off point and the dates and you will be able to see full details of all the costs before you book.

Insurance Costs are all explained in full.

Campsites in France

Campsites in France are of a very high standard. Book some sites ahead and the rest by recommendation from other campers.

Breakdown Cover

All of the rental companies provide 24/7 roadside assistance across France.

The choice of campervans and motorhomes to rent in France

France has over 30 cities to start your campervan hire from. The choice of campers starts from a camping car to a luxury 6-berth motorhome and everything in between.

The small camping-cars to rent have a double bed and a gas ring to cook on.

The 2-berth campers with shower and wc are fully self-contained. This gives you the option to park up anywhere for the night including the free Aires that are all over France.

You will find at every depot 4-berths campervans/motorhomes and 6-berth motorhomes. These are also self contained.

Check out the bed layouts of the campervan before you hire a motorhome in France

Check out the bed layouts in all of these campervans before you confirm your booking. For families and groups of friends there are options where there is both a double bed option or a single berth or bunks at the rear of the camper.

What are garages in motorhomes?

A useful addition is a garage at the rear of the motorhome. This is a great space under the back of the campervan and is usually accessed both from outside the vehicle through a lockable door or, in some vehicles, by lifting up the bed. It is really useful for storing surfboards, skis, bikes, camping gear, beach bags, muddy boots etc.

Cooking in a French campervan

There is no more important activity in France than cooking. All campers, sleeper cars and motorhomes have a kitchen.

Some are very basic with a single gas cooking ring to others that have a fully equipped kitchen with oven, microwave, fridge/freezer - the works.

In France and in Europe generally, shop daily for the freshest fruit, vegetables and bread.

Travelling around France in a campervan.

France is one of the most popular destinations for a family holiday or for a romantic road trip.

Choose from the following cities for your campervan hire in France:

  • Ajaccio to explore Corsica.

  • Angers as a base to drive through the Loire Valley.

  • Bastia to explore the north-east of Corsica. Ferry services from France and Italy

  • Biarritz to explore southwest France's Basque coast. Great for surfing.

  • Bordeaux for exquisite wines and stunning scenery and Gothic Cathedrals.

  • Bretagne Nantes to explore northwest France including Brittany and the Loire

  • Bretagne St Malo to explore Brittany and Normandy. A major port with ferries from the UK.

  • Caen Carpiquet Airport in Normandy to explore the north of France. Must try the Calvados - while not driving!

  • Cannes to visit the French Riviera.

  • Clermont to walk the dormant volcanoes of central France.

  • Colmar - a fairytale village located in the Alsace region of France. Famous for Little Venice, and unique architecture.

  • Grenoble surrounded by mountains it is the capital of the French Alps and perfect for skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer.

  • Lille has great small campers at budget prices. Perfect for touring northern France and dropping into Belgium.

  • Lyon. Use Lyon as a base to explore the Rhone valley.

  • Marseille. A beautiful fishing port to start a tour of the South of France.

  • Metzin northeast France is a world heritage site. It's close to the borders of Germany and Luxembourg.

  • Montpellier - not far from the sea. This beautiful modern city with its historic centre.

  • Nantes and Nantes Airport at the heart of the Loire valley in upper Brittany.

  • Nice on the French Riviera. Start your tour of the South of France from here.

  • Paris - combine a city break and then collect a camper to tour France.

  • Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport Fly into Paris and collect your camper at the airport.

  • Poitiers to explore western France and visit La Rochelle, the coast and Tours.

  • Rouen perfect to start a camper tour of Northern France.

  • Salon De Provence close to Marseille. A good place to start a tour of the south of France.

  • Strasbourg - an historic city in Alsace close to the German border.

  • Saint Maxime Sur Mer on the Cote d'Azur between Marseille and Nice

  • Toulouse - a depot to combine a road trip of France and Spain.

  • Tours. Vichy Start your road trip of the chateaux of the Loire valley at Tours.

  • in central France in the Rhone valley.

Motorhome and campervan hire suppliers in France.

There are well known, trusted and long established campervan hire suppliers in France. They include:

  • McRent

  • Avis Caraway

  • Apollo Campers

  • Anywhere Campers

  • Autocaravan Express

  • Euromotorhomes

The Tour de France 2024

The next Tour De France will be held in France from 29 Jun 2024 – 21 Jul 2024. Tour de France Official Website.

There are many optional extras offered to you when you rent a campervan or motorhome in France:

Many motorhomes have the option of adding a bike rack. Some campervans have garages for extra storage. Some are automatic, some manual. Choose to add extras such as bedding and talk to us about insurance options for your rental vehicle.

Family holidays, romantic getaways, fun adventures or tour a new region while hiring a campervan or motorhome.

Other Campervan Hire locations in Europe

Campervan and Motorhome Rental Trip Planner for France

We have chosen some useful sites for you to use to help plan your French road trip:

  • France Aires these are either free or cheap areas where campervans and motorhomes can overnight. They are run by local towns and villages and provide a great service on the edge of towns and villages. Look out for the signs that says "Aire de Service" You can usually stay for a maximum of 48 hours. The facilities vary from none at all to those with showers and toilets and fully serviced campsites.

  • Many aires are listed on Google Maps. Simply search for "aires de camping-car" or "motorhome service areas" in the region you're visiting. You can cross-check reviews and photos for accuracy.

  • Wiki-travel France. A useful overview of France with reliable information to help you plan your trip.

  • France Tourist Board. Lots of useful information from route planning to campsite information.

  • Website: France PassionWhile not free to join (you pay for membership), this network gives access to thousands of free overnight stays with local farmers wine growers and producers.

Regions in France

If you need more in depth information about the regions in France, check out the local regional tourists boards for more information:

Useful links to help you plan a France road trip

Best time to tour France in a campervan

France is an all year around destination for campervan hire. Summer time attracts many visitors and the main centres can get busy.

Spring - April, May and Autumn - October and November are pleasant months to drive. There are fewer visitors and facilities are not crowded.

Frequently Asked Questions About Campervan and Motorhome Hire in France

Do you have to buy extra insurance cover for campervan and motorhome rental in France?

You don't have to buy extra insurance for campervan rental in France if you are prepared to risk an insurance excess of around €2000.00. Your credit card needs to be able to cover this as the amount of insurance excess will be deducted from your card at the start of your rental and returned at the end. It may take up to two weeks for the refund to reappear on your card.

You will be offered the chance to buy extra insurance to reduce the level of liability both during the booking or quoting process and when you collect your campervan from the depot.

Check your travel insurance to see if you already have insurance excess cover on vehicle rental.

Even if you take full cover insurance a Security Bond will be taken from your credit card. This is usually around €250.00. This is to ensure that you return the campervan in a clean condition to the agreed location on time. Returning it later than the agreed time can incur extra charges.

During peak season these may not be available unless you book early. You can pick up in one city and return to another. There is also the option to rent from France and return to another country in Europe. These options can be seen in the booking engine on the drop-down menu.

It may take a little longer to confirm a one-way rental request.

Aires de Service are popular places to spend the night in France. They vary in quality and in price. Some are free. They are the same as Stellplatze in Germany and Aree de Sosta in Italy

France is a popular country for both campervan and motorhome rental as well as camping generally. There are hundreds of campsites to choose from. Our Trip Planner France is a good place to start.

France's National Parks also have camping facilities but these must be booked in advance.

Camping at a "Bienvenue a la Ferme" is also a great way to sample local produce and wine and spend the night in some really special places for free. We do advise buying wine at a vineyard or produce from the producer before you stay the night.

Do I need to always rent a powered site?

You need to be hooked up on a powered site if you want to use the microwave. Everything else runs on your battery. If you are spending a few days in one place then you will need to recharge your battery from a power source.

We recommend a visit to a supermarket for the essentials before you start your road trip and then try to use local markets and shops to keep topped up with fresh food. It is easy to cook most dishes in a campervan, especially with all the amazing food you will find in France. Fresh bread daily to accompany fantastic cheeses. All can be kept chilled in the onboard fridge.

Emptying the toilet cassette in France should be done regularly. You will find facilities to do this on all campsites and also at Motorhome Service Points or in a public toilet. Make sure you leave it clean though.

We suggest driving slower than you would in a car. Large motorhomes won't stop as quickly as a car.

If you have rented a motorhome with a bed over the cab - a luton - be careful you don't hit trees, walls or any overhanging object when driving or parking.

Many of the modern campervans and motorhomes have reversing cameras but we suggest that you ask someone to watch you reverse to avoid any mishaps.

Normal rules apply when driving and watch your speed limit.

Find out more about driving rules in France can be found courtesy of the RAC, here: Driving in France

Fuel is sold by the litre. Full costs that are updated regularly can be found here: Petrol costs in France

Diesel costs in France

At some point during your road trip around France, you will likely have to use a toll road, especially if you are using the motorways or have to travel through a tunnel or across a bridge. Check out the app store on your phone or keep a credit card handy. Cash is also accepted.

Number plate recognition is also being used, but you have to have a credit card linked to an account to use this system. Make sure you cancel it at the end of your hire, or you could end up paying for other people's charges.

Find out how much your journey will cost in tolls: Autoroutes France toll calculator

Bike racks are often an optional extra offered during the booking process. France has an extensive network of cycle paths, so it is worth renting bikes or taking your own.

Most campervans and motorhomes have air-conditioning in the driver's cab that operates when driving. Additional air-conditioning in the rear of the vehicle is offered in some cases at an additional charge. This will not operate until you are on a mains electrical supply. So, an electrical hook up in a campsite or connected to the mains supply at a house or hotel.

Need help or have a question?

It's easy to talk over what you are looking for in a campervan hire when our office is open 24 hours a day and our phone calls are free or at local rates.

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