Menu Content/Inhoud
France motorhome rental, RV rent and Campervan hire - Location camping-car en France

France Motorhome Rentals
France Private Motorhome Rentals
France Motorhome Agents
France Campsites
France Travel Links


Where to go in France

Paris, the City of Light is one of the world's great cities. The splendor, architecture, and grounds of Versailles are unequalled. The Abbey at Mont-Saint-Michel is one of the most spectacular sights in the world. The Loire Valley, Provence, Côte d'Azur and Languedoc-Roussillon provide a distinctly non-Parisian view of France and are wonderful vacation spots. Vacations in Burgundy, Alsace and Rhône-Alpes offer some of France's most beautiful countryside and several of the most well known wine making areas of the country.

Road conditions / restrictions

The Autoroute system in France consists largely of toll roads,except around large cities. It is a network of 12,000 km (7,450 miles) worth of motorways. Some of the autoroutes have their own name in addition to a number: for instance, A6 and A7 are autoroute du Soleil (sun motorway), for they lead from Northern to Southern France and its sunny beach resorts. The A13 is named the autoroute de Normandie as it traverses Normandy. The A29 is part of the route des Estuaires, a chain of motorways crossing the estuaries of the English Channel. Additionally, the A40 is named the autoroute blanche (white motorway) because it is the road that goes to Chamonix and other French winter resort towns.

France speed limits on motorways:

  • Under normal conditions - 130 km/h (80 mph)
  • In rain or wet road conditions - 110 km/h (70 mph)
  • In heavy fog or snowy/icy conditions - 50 km/h (30 mph)

Where to camp

Wild camping
Almost everywhere in France wild caming is accepted. Special regulations for motorhomes can be found on signes by entering the town. It is permitted to stopover at motorway services, but toll roads often issue time restricted tickets.

Motorhome stopovers/ Aires de camping-car
There are many motorhome stopovers, the so called "Aire de camping-car or Aires de services or Aires de stationnement " along the way convenient for the overnight stops .

Campings
There are around 11000 campsites in France, Nearly every french town has its own "camping municipal."


Type of motorhome(s)

Hightop

A panel van (delivery van) conversion with a special high fixed roof. The 'wheelbase' of the van chassis has a strong influence on available space since the width is more or less fixed. Long wheelbase chassis give the most space but can be unwieldy to drive. Medium wheelbase is the most popular on newer vans, MWB is not available on older vans. Often known as a 'camper' or 'campervan' or even Dormobile after one of the original manufacturers.

Rising roof

A variant of the above with a 'folding roof' to lower the overall profile. Also known as a 'pop-top'. Has obvious advantages when driving but there are some problems with insulation and water ingress.

C-Class or Coachbuilt

An extended chassis on a van cab with a coachbuilt living space, rather like having a high spec caravan on the back. The wider 'caravan' body allows designers to cleverly incorporate almost everything you could need into a quite small space - even cross-body beds big enough for a six footer. Frequently called a 'motorcaravan'. Also known as a C-Class in the UK. Many have overcab beds in the 'Luton' but there are also 'low-profile' versions of these motorcaravans without the Luton over-cab space and sometimes with a lower roofline, these vans are much more economical on motorways due to their improved aerodynamics.

A-Class or Integrated

Medium or largish 'van completely coachbuilt - i.e. with nothing of the original van bodywork or cab exterior. Potentially the best design since almost everything is based on the needs of motorcaravanners but they are usually rather expensive and historically not that popular in the UK though this is changing. These days they are about 2.2 metres wide like the c-class coachbuilts and often have a transverse 'drop-down' double bed stored in the roof over the cab seats offering much more headroom than the Luton bed in a c-class. Often only 3 berth. The posh end of the market and often referred to as a 'motorhome'.


Driving license

At least 21 years minimum and holding driving licence for 1 year. In Europe Class B driver's license allows to drive vehicle up to 3.5 tons / 3500 kg / 7700 lbs (approx. 3.85 US tons) total weight. For bigger motorhomes class C or C1 is necessary.

Visa

General European Visa rules apply.

Health

In general, no special immunizations or medications are necessary for travel to France. Because of the presence of certain tick-borne infections, including Lyme disease, tularemia, tick-borne encephalitis, and rickettsial diseases, tick precautions are recommended for travel to rural and forested areas during the warm weather months.

 

Emergency telephone numbers

General european emergency number 112
Medical (more severe) 15
Police 17
Fire, rescue and medical (less severe) 18

Best time to visit

Summer is the most popular time to visit France. The resorts along the Côte d'Azur begin to fill up with tourists from around the world. February brings ski season in the Alps, as well as vacationing students. May and early June offer good weather and are smart times to visit before summer tourism begins in earnest. September offers warm days, cool nights, and great deals on travel.
 

Motorhome Republic