La Creuse en Camping-Car : location, advice, area, routes

Are you going to visit the Central Massif? Here’s how to travel to the Creuse by camping-car and around!

Are you wondering why to travel to the Creuse in motorhome? Considered as a department of the Central Massif, the Creuse has many prejudices to deconstruct. Between medieval castles, large green spaces, protected natural sites and its typical villages Limousin , this department reserves you many discoveries.

Are you going on a road trip through the Central Massif, as a natural step on your way to the Midi de la France or the Atlantic Ocean? Certainly, it is not the national park of Cevennes , Corse or Vercors . But here’s an article-guide to travel to the Creuse on a motorhome, with the advantage of exploring a destination swept by visitors, and yet with a remarkable historical and cultural heritage.

Ideas of itineraries in the Creuse by motorhome

The department of Creuse extends between the Corrèze , the Haute-Vienne, the Allier, the Puy-de-Dôme , Dear and Indre . The second most populous department in France is a rural destination.

The area is partly located on the Millevaches Regional Natural Park in Limousin, bordered by lakes and large forests. You don't know where to go by visiting the Creuse on a motorhome? Here is a map of routes to be made in the Creuse, on a weekend or a week.

Visit the Creuse on a motorhome on a weekend

Several points of departure are possible to go to the Creuse in camping-car and have a good preview of the destination. For example, you can rent your camping-car in Clermont-Ferrand and go northwest, to explore the Châteaux de la Loire . Or, for example, going from Limoges , and radiate in the Central Massif via the Creuse.

• Day 1: Limoges, La Souterraine, Guéret (95km, 1h10);
• Day 2: Aubusson, Felletin, Vassivière Lake (100km, 1h40);
• Day 3: Bourganeuf, Bénévent-l’Abbaye, Crozant (90km, 1h30).

This loop-shaped route west of the Creuse from Limoges allows you to have a global overview of the department. It passes through the cities, some villages typical of the Limousin and vast spaces of wild nature.

These steps will logically vary depending on your desires. For example, visit the cities (Limoges, Guéret, Montluçon, Clermont-Ferrand), or on the other hand, merge the small rural villages of Creuse.

La Creuse en camping-car sur une semaine

Here are some ideas to go on seven days, starting from Clermont-Ferrand:

• 1st day: Clermont-Ferrand, Boudes (the Colorado Auvergnat and the Vallée des Saints) (50km, 40 minutes);
• 2nd day: the caves of the Cliersou, the Panorama of the Meander of Queuille (100km, 2h) ;
• 3rd day: Crocq, the castle of Le Monteil-au-Vicomte (100km, 1h45);
• 4th day: Ancient fortress of Crozant, the Rocks of the Fileuse (Côté Indre) (75km, 1h10);
• 5th day: Crozant, the cascades of Augerolles (72km, 1h10);
• 6th day: The Three Cornes, the Gorges of the Creuse, Le Bourg-d’Hem (25km, 45 minutes);
• 7th day: Gouzon, Montluçon (80km, 1h10).

This route involves making a lot of kilometers through the Creuse in camping-car and in the neighbouring departments. Visiting the remarkable sites and monuments of the Creuse can encourage you, with the desires, to stay longer or not in a place. Several days in the Creuse Gorges, for example, or in Vassivière Lake.

On the contrary, you might choose to leave the department to visit the must-see sites nearby: Oradour-sur-Glane (110km from Guéret), the Pans de Travassac (150km from Guéret) or, Mont-Dore and the puy of Sancy (150km from Geret).

What budget to travel by motorhome in the Creuse?

Taking a holiday always has a cost, even if travelling on camping-car saves budget, in theory, on hotel establishments. In order to prepare your trip in the centre-south of France, you will need to anticipate the cost of renting the camper and the costs of fuel.

Here is therefore an average budget for a stay in the Creuse in camping-car, calculated on three or seven days. We hear the average price of renting a motorhome from Clermont-Ferrand.

Average budget for 1 weekend:

• Rental + motorhome insurance : 103€ per day on average, or 309€;
• Fuel: 30€;
• Parking : up to 10€ per day;
• Total: About €370.

Average budget for 1 week:

• Rental + motorhome insurance : 103€ per day on average, or 721€;
• Fuel: 50€;
• Parking : up to 10€ per day;
• Total: About €840.

This estimated rate takes into account a total of 10€ parking per day. It is impossible to calculate the exact cost of parking. The price of the parking lot depends on the municipalities or private companies that own and manage it.

The amount of €10 per day is therefore a very large flat price, since the Creuse has many rural areas where parking will be free. Conversely, the daily price of parking in a commune can exceed 10€.

Areas and driving in camping-car in the Creuse

You will certainly need to learn about the conditions of circulation in the Central Massif before departure. Here’s what you need to know about driving to visit the Creuse on a camper.

What documents do you have on board?

• Driver's license (B) if the PTAC of the motorhome does not exceed 3.5 tonnes;
• Grey card of the motorhome;
• Certificate of motorhome insurance;
• The lease agreement signed between the two parties;
• A copy of the state of the place of departure.

Motorway to the Creuse: what price for your camper category?

La Creuse is not crossed by any highway. And yes, the department is in what the geographers call "la diagonale du vide"! You will therefore have no motorway tolls to travel to the Creuse on a motorhome.

However, the department is surrounded by several motorway sections: the A71 (the Arverne), the A20 (the Occitane) and the A89 (the Trans-European). The A71 connects Orléans to Clermont-Ferrand and offers a gateway to Creuse from the city of Montluçon. The A89 cuts France in two by connecting Bordeaux to Lyon and passes south of the Creuse. Finally, the A20, one of the highways of the sun (with the A7 and the A75), connects Vierzon to Montauban via Limoges. It is a major axis between Paris and Toulouse. You will borrow it to reach, from the north or south, La Souterraine and Guéret.

Here are some price ideas to pay by motorhome (class 2) on these highways:

• Paris-Guéret (A10, A20): 30,10€,
• Orléans-Guéret (A20): 9,20€,
• Toulouse-Guéret (A20): 26,10€,
• Clermont-Ferrand-Guéret (A71): 15,10€,
• Lyon-Guéret (A89, A71): 40,30€.

Crossing France by motorhome to come to Creuse is therefore expensive by highway: on average, around €0.12 per kilometer travelled toll!

Other information on driving in Creuse

La Creuse has a road network of only 11,252 kilometers, with 4,395 kilometers of departmental roads. The majority of the road network consists of small communal roads (6,764 kilometres, or 60%). So we recommend you ride with caution on the small roads of the secondary network: crossings can sometimes be difficult in camping-car.

Especially since the south of the department has a rather marked relief: the average altitude varies from 200 to 900 metres, especially on the plateau of Millevaches (high point, at Mount Bessou, 976 metres above sea level).

In addition, the Creuse is frequently covered with a thick white coat. The topography of the department only the snow is on the ground , and sometimes falls in abundance on the heights. Be careful if you travel in winter, and equip yourself with snow tires or snow chains .

The camper areas in the Creuse: where to park?

Are you looking for a place to park for the night or to visit a village of Creuse on a camper? Finding spots to sleep or to settle can quickly become a limestone when you leave on a travelling trip.

The wild camping is strictly forbidden, especially in the Millevaches Regional Natural Park. But because nature is large enough, you can always try to brave the law by installing yourself in isolated places. Be sure to always stay safe from the eyes and away from the homes. The Park4night app can help you find where to park in Creuse on a camper.

However, if you prefer to stay in the rules and comfortably, instead aim the service areas for camping cars. Direction the interactive map of the Caramaps platform, to see where to go. You will notice that the offer of service areas is more provided in the north of the department than in its southern part.

To the south, the plateau of Millevaches is protected in natural park. Logically, there are fewer agglomerations and therefore fewer services areas. You will find it easily in the cities and villages to be seen in the Creuse: Guéret, Bénévent-l’Abbaye, Bourganeuf, Aubusson, etc.

The good news is that the majority of the camper-car service areas listed by the platform are virtually free . It will often take pay a supplement to have the access to water or to electricity . But you can benefit from good quality infrastructure and services , such as Wastewater discharge , one flat parking space or sanitation .

Sometimes you have access to Wi-Fi , or one playground for children . And on the whole, service areas are pretty well noted by the community of travellers who have published on Caramaps.

How and where to rent a motorhome in France?

Today, it is very simple to rent these vehicles between individuals in France. No need, so, to own his vehicle before landing in the Creuse. Many platforms allow this type of rental, online, as Yescapa For example.

How does it work?

• At first, you have to choose the motorhome in your city (e.g. Bordeaux, Nantes, Toulouse, Paris, Montpellier or Marseille).
• Be careful choose unlimited mileage, to check the number of beds available and if travel abroad is possible.
• Do your work online rental request and share your travel information (dates, rental options, mileage, etc.) to the owner.
• If your request is accepted and after payment, you will have access to the owner's contact information to organize a First meeting.
• Day J, present your driver's license and pour bail.
• One. status of premises is executed and a lease is signed between the two parties. Just sign it, once Creuse returns, to settle all this.

What is the best time to travel by camping-car in the Creuse?

The Creuse has an oceanic climate, marked by significant precipitation from the Atlantic facade. But several climatic influences are observed due to the plateau of Millevaches in the south. In addition, the Creuse is a horse between the Loire basin and the central Massif Plateau.

The temperature therefore drops as you take altitude. The maximum average values range from 10°C in December-January to 28°C in July-August. Winter in the Creuse can be rigorous on the upper part of the department: frosts are common and the snow stands on the ground and can fall in abundance.

In addition, the climate is very wet throughout the spring: although the average maximum temperatures gradually rise after a cold and long winter, it is necessary to wait until the weather becomes favourable.

In June, the average maximums reached 21°C and rose to 25°C in August. Summer is therefore the best season to travel to the Creuse in camping-car.

September saw the arrival of “Indian Summer” with Canadian colours and the return of the fee in early October. The weather is still favourable until mid-October before it deteriorates strongly: the cold is back in November.