La Franche-Comté in Camping-Car: rental, tips, areas, routes

Are you going to visit the East of France? Here is our mini-guide advice to visit Franche-Comté in camping-car!

Why not visit Franche-Comté on a camping-car, renowned for its large natural areas, its gastronomy and its vineyards? Border endorsed Switzerland and next to Alsace, Franche-Comté is one of the best regions in France to travel in itinerance.

Yet, it is among the least visited regions of France, in the shadow of the neighbouring department of the Côte-d’Or .

Are you looking to visit Franche-Comté, from vineyards to its massifs, to its lakes and classified villages? The Wanderlix editor unveils his best tips to travel to Franche-Comté on a camping-car!

Ideas of itineraries in Franche-Comté on motorhome

Often described as a “country of Cocagne”, the Franche-Comté enjoys a lush nature, constellated with medium mountain massifs and large natural spaces. This remarkable environment and Heritage make it an ideal destination for nomadic travellers, to visit by camping-car.

The historical and cultural region extends over 16 202 km2 , through the departments of Jura , Haute-Saône, Doubs and the territory of Belfort. Of course, you will need to model your itineraries depending on the duration of your trip and depending on your desires.

You don't know where to go at all? Here are some itineraries to do in Franche-Comté in camping-car, for a weekend, one or two weeks.

Visit Franche-Comté on a motorhome on a weekend

For only three days of travel, you will miss time and you will have to make choices from the horn! Here is for example a camping-car route from Dole, the most western city in the region:

• Day 1: Dole, BesançonVesoul (105 km, 1h40)
• Day 2: Montbéliard, Belfort (90 km, 1h20);
• Day 3: the Plateau des 1000 Etangs, Luxeuil-les-Bains, the Planche des Belles Filles (sommet), the Saut de l’Ognon (Servance-Miellin) (130 km, 3h).

You can also choose a route from Lons-le-Saunier to visit the Jura exclusively. For example:

• Day 1: Lons-le-Saunier, the Cascades of Herisson, Salin-les-Bains (80 km, 1h25) ;
• Day 2: Arbois, Dole, Château-Chalon, lake of Vouglans (150 km, 2h30);
• Day 3: Saint-Claude, Les Rousses (75 km, 1h20).

La Franche-Comté en camping-car sur une semaine

Here are some steps to be taken in Franche-Comté on a camping-car on a week:

• Day 1: Balm-les-Mesieurs, Les Pertes de l’Ain, Nozeroy (50 km, 1h10);
• Day 2: Mouthe, Le Mont d’Or, Pontarlier (55 km, 1h) ;
• Day 3: Salins-les-Bains, Source du Lison, Besançon, Morteau, Cirque de Consolation, the scales of death (180 km, 3h15) ;
• Day 4: Le Saut du Doubs, Baumes-les-Dames, Montbéliard (140 km, 2h20);
• Day 5: Belfort, the Forges pond, the Ballon d’Alsace (randonnée) (55 km, 1h);
• Day 6: Luxeuil-les-Bains, Vesoul (90 km, 1h40) ;
• Day 7: Besançon, Dole, Dijon (160 km, 2h20).

The Franche-Comté in two weeks

Here are our ideas for the race route in Franche-Comté on camping-car, if you leave since Lyon for the second week:

• Day 8: Bourg-en-Bresse, Oyonnax (Ain), Clairvaux-les-lacs, Poligny (140 km, 2h20);
• Day 9: Saint-Amour, Lons-le-Saunier, Dole (160 km, 2h15) ;
• Day 10: Pesmes, Gray, Marnay, Fondremand (80 km, 1h20);
• Day 11: Besançon, Mouthier-Haute-Pierre, Ormans (95 km, 1h30);
• Day 12: Lods, Source de la Loue (30 km, 40 minutes);
• Day 13: Arc-et-Senans, Dole, Dijon (85 km, 1h20);
• Day 14: Nuits-Saint-Georges, Beaune, Meursault (Côte-d’Or) (60 km, 1h).

Through these routes, you will have visited almost all the villages and cities in Franche-Comté. However, you can also prefer thematic trips, such as oentouristic tours or sports trips for skiing or hiking.

What budget to travel by motorhome in Franche-Comté?

Every camping-car trip has a cost, but it is sometimes difficult to anticipate the holiday budget. So, to help you organize your camping-car trip in Franche-Comté, here is a forecasting guide of the expenses (location of the camping-car in Besançon, petrol and possible tolls):

Average budget for 1 weekend:

• Rental + motorhome insurance : 89 € per day on average;
• Essence: 35 € about;
• Parking : until 10 € per day;
• Total: 330 € about.

Average budget for 1 week:

• Rental + motorhome insurance : 89 € per day on average;
• Essence: 75 € about;
• Parking : until 10 € per day;
• Total: 770 € about.

Average budget for 2 weeks:

• Rental + motorhome insurance : 89 € per day on average;
• Essence: 140 € about;
• Parking : until 10 € per day;
• Total: 1 500 € about.

These rates are only an estimate. They will evolve logically according to the driving and fuel consumption. Also, parking prices in each area and in each city can vary and impact this average rating.

Camping and driving in Franche-Comté

Before taking the road to visit the Franche-Comté in camping-car, it is necessary to take stock of the general conditions of traffic in the region. This includes the essential information about the destination.

What documents do you have on board?

• Driver Permit (B) if the PTAC of the motorhome does not exceed 3.5 tonnes;
• Grey card campsite-car;
• Certificate of Insurance campsite-car;
• The lease contract signed between the two parties;
• copy of the state of the premises from the start.

Motorcycle tolls in Franche-Comté: what price for your camper category?

The Franche-Comté is crossed by the two highways A39 and A36 . The A39, called the “Green Motorway”, connects Dijon, Dole and Bourg-en-Bresse and allows you to reach Lyon without going through the A6.

The A36, known as the Comtoise, connects Dole to Mulhouse via Belfort and allows to enter Germany . They're two toll highways. Here are a few rates to pay by motorhome, in class 2:

• Lyon-Belfort : 44,80 € ;
• Lyon-Besançon : 32,10 € ;
• Bourg-en-Bresse-Besançon : 22,90 € ;
• Bourg-en-Bresse-Montbéliard : 35,10 € ;
• Bourg-en-Bresse-Belfort : 35,10 € ;
• Lons-le-Saunier-Belfort: 22,10 € ;
• Dijon-Belfort: 22,90 €.

Borrowing these highways will cost you relatively expensive, compared to the few kilometers to perform!

However, these will save you a valuable time to reach the cities from one department to another. Especially since small mountain roads can be impractical in winter.

Other information about driving in Franche-Comté

The road network of the four departments of Franche-Comté has 28 437 km roads, most of which consist of departmental and communal roads.

In general, the region's road network is of good quality . Even the Haut-Jura massif is well served by the departmental roads, although the route is sinuous on the heights. Be careful in mountain corners especially if roads are frozen.

The relief is indeed mountainous in the eastern part of the region, in the Jura massif and in the early foothills of the Vosges in the north. The relief is reduced to the west, leading to the Doubs and Saône valleys.

In the mountains, it is recommended to be equipped with snow chains or tires if you come to visit the Franche-Comté in camping-car during the winter period. Because snowfall can be abundant on the heights. And the days without frost are frequent at altitude!

Campsites in Franche-Comté: where to park?

In Franche-Comté, the offer of service areas is less abundant than in neighbouring regions. And the more altitude you take, the less you will find! In general, service areas are located at the agglomeration level , often on the margins of downtown.

But you will only find one per city. This is the case for Besançon, Dole, Vesoul, Belfort, Montbéliard... Rest assured: there is always at least one area available at the edge of a tourist site (Baume-les-Dames, Saint-Claude, Les Rousses, Mouthe or the Ballon d’Alsace).

Access to areas is generally free except near the most touristic sites. However, they are well noted. Paid areas have a full and comfortable service offering (water, electricity, parking, wastewater drain, sanitary...).

How and where to rent a motorhome France ?

Would you like to visit Franche-Comté on a motorhome, but you don't have a vehicle? Now it is very simple to rent these vehicles between individuals, especially in France. 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 (For example 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. You will have to sign it as soon as you return from Franche-Comté, and once done, the tour is played!

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

The Franche-Comté enjoys a humid semi-continental climate, characterized by cold winters and hot summers. But the region suffers various climatic influences due to its variable topography. The high Jura chain is concerned by a wet mountain climate, with snow-filling abundance of winter. Summers are fresh and stormy.

But as long as you lose altitude, the climate warms up. And if the city of Aurillac is known to be the coldest city in France, it is actually the Jura and the Doubs that are part of the coldest areas in the country! Thermal amplitude is high between the seasons, with heavy winter frosts and peak temperatures in the summer.

The weather is therefore unfavourable to a travelling journey between January and March, and between October and December. The temperatures go back to the spring, but the climate remains fresh and very wet. For example, in Besançon, the average maximum temperature ranges from 15°C in April to 22°C in June. It reaches 24°C in July-August, but exceeds 30°C each year during the canicle episodes.

The best season to visit Franche-Comté in camping-car is therefore between July and September . In July-August, temperatures reached an average of 23°C in Belfort, 24°C in Besançon and 26°C in Dole. The beginning of autumn sees a quick return of freshness. According to some climate observers, autumn in Besançon would be comparable to the winter of Montpellier...