L’Aubrac en camping-car : advice, areas, routes

Want of pure nature and air? What if you visit the Aubrac on a motorhome in the south of the Massif Central?

Are you planning to visit the Aubrac in a camper or in a furnished van? The Aubrac Regional Natural Park is a high volcanic and granitic plateau of the Massif Central. With a remarkable natural and cultural environment, Aubrac is one of the best destinations in France for a holiday on average mountain.

This travelling journey through the large spaces of the Aveyron , Lozère and Cantal , will surely give you a large bowl of fresh air. The Aubrac Regional Natural Park is surrounded by steppes and pastoral paths, forests and burons.

The region is also renowned for its rural economy, which is aimed at agriculture, Laguiole knives and its cultural heritage. The Aubrac is also a key step in the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela , from which you can admire monuments and landscapes classified as the UNESCO World Heritage.

You understood it, a lot of beautiful things are to be discovered in this region. This is why GV offers you a mini-guide advice to visit the Aubrac in camping-car.

Ideas of itineraries on the Aubrac in motorhome

The Aubrac Regional Natural Park stretches over 2,282 km2 between Saint-Chély-d’Apcher and Entraygues-sur-Truyère, between La Canourgue and Lac de Sarrans. Given its surface area, this top tray spread over three departments cannot be visited in just two or three days.

Your itineraries will logically have to integrate according to the duration of your stay as well as the nature of your activities. The Aubrac can be the subject of a short step, for example, on your way to the Grand Causses , Cevennes or the Languedoc.

But to visit the unmissable villages, sites and monuments of Aubrac, we recommend that you book at least one week. Here are a few ideas of unmistakable steps to mark to visit the Aubrac in camping-car or in fitted van:

• The Aubrac in 5 to 7 days: La Canourgue, Marvejols, Lac du Moulinet, Marchastel (the Roc des Loups, the bridge of Marchastel, the Point de vue sur l’Aubrac), Nasbinals, the silver road and the lakes of Aubrac (lake of Born, Lac de Saint-Andéol, Lac de Salhiens, Lac de Souveyrols, the col de Bonnecomote
• The Aubrac in 7 to 15 days: The same steps, the more the archaeological museum of Javols, the castle of the Baume, the spa of La Chaldette, the Gorges du Bès, Montpeyroux and the castle, the village of Aubrac, Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac (the ski resort of Brameloup so peril in winter and the botanical garden of Aubrac), the lake of Maury (may be frequented);
• Visit the Aubrac in motorhome and surrounding areas (20 to 30 days): the reserve of the European Bisons of Margeride, Estaing, Saint-Côme-d’Olt, Saint-Geniez-d’Olt.

Visit the Aubrac in a month and more

Do you have any time to visit the Aubrac in camper? Enjoy it to discover the surroundings and other must-sees of the region.

To the south, Gorges du Tarn from La Malène to Saint-Enimie and Florac, the road to the Corniche des Cévennes (from Florac to Saint-Jean-du-Gard), Anduze, Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort, Uzès, the Pont du Gard , Avignon , Nimes , Montpellier and the hérault hinterland (Pézenas, Clermont-l’Hérault, Gignac, le Lake Salagou , Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert , etc.).

To the north, visit Aurillac, Saint-Flour, the Cantal Mountains, Salers Brioude, Le Puy-en-Velay and the Monts d’Ardèche Regional Natural Park.

Driving on the Aubrac in camping-car : the traffic rules to know

The high plateau of the Aubrac is crossed by two main roads: the highway A75 and the departmental road D921 . The rest is made up of small communal and departmental roads. This means that to come and visit the Aubrac in motorhome, you will have to redouble your caution with the template of the camper.

The Aubrac is a region with very strong relief. The altitude ranges between 220 metres and 1,469 metres, with an average altitude of 1,200 metres. Therefore, be vigilant if you come to visit the Aubrac in camping-car in winter: the roads of the Aubrac will be frequently snowed .

Be aware also ice . On the secondary networks and away from the towns and villages, the roads will not necessarily be snowed at the time of your passage. Make sure your vehicle is well equipped with snow tires (which will soon be mandatory in the mountains).

Here is another specificity of the Aubrac: land of large spaces, you will certainly find sections where you will be absolutely alone on the road. Do not take you for Mr. Schumacher or Mr. Senna while driving your vehicle: Roll the pitch , even when there is no one on the tracks. First, because you are on vacation (you have time). On the other hand, to have a good braking capacity in case you encounter a wild animal (cerfs, deer, wild boars, wolves, sheep, cattle, etc.).

I mean, attention to speed limits : more and more sections are increasing to 90 km/h instead of the 80 km/h set in 2018. Revealing is discretionary to general advice: for Cantal, Aveyron and Lozère, you will have to look at the signs!

For the rest, all legal provisions relating to the road code apply as elsewhere in France.

Motorways to the Aubrac: what price for your camper category?

Here’s a good news to visit the Aubrac in a camper or in a furnished van: there is no toll to cross the Aubrac Regional Natural Park. The park is longed in Lozère on its eastern side by the highway A75 between Saint-Chély-d’Apcher and La Canourgue.

But the A75 is a highway that has not been privatized. Non-concede, its use is therefore free of charge except the passage of Millau viaduct In Aveyron. The cost of toll at Millau viaduct is 16,50€ camping-car, and 11€ in fitted van (and cars).

How and where to rent a motorhome in France?

Would you like to visit the Aubrac in 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'll have to sign it when you get back from the Massif Central, and once done, the tour is played!

Camping-car areas on the Aubrac: where to park?

Finding parking places in camping-car is often complicated in tourist areas. Especially if in addition to that, you travel in the summer.

Parking by motorhome on the Aubrac

When you come to Aubrac on a motorhome, you will not have this problem: it is a region renowned for its rurality and its large spaces. However, some villages are very touristic (Laguiole, Nasbinals, Marchastel, Saint-Urcize, etc.).

Starting, parking in the city centre in the summer or during major cultural events can be difficult. Fortunately, municipalities are often equipped with service areas and parking spaces for campers. This option offers the advantage of being able to radiate on foot and quietly explore the unmissable sites and monuments of the villages of Aubrac.

Camping on Aubrac in camping-car

Are you looking for a place to sleep on the Aubrac? Know that if he is allowed to sleep in a vehicle , camping-car is paradoxically regarded as a means of making camping wild . This practice is prohibited by law, especially since the territory of Aubrac extends over a regional natural park.

So you could be verbalized by the gendarmerie in the event of a check. If you try to sleep in the middle of nature, avoid as much as possible being visible from the road. For night parking in legality, you can reach the service areas for camper. They are often paid.

Another trick: to find “spots” where to sleep, you can use the Park4night mobile app. The tool is a sharing of spots between travellers, which refers to car parks, campsites, service areas, and also isolated places in the middle of nature where to settle.

What is the best time to travel by motorhome on the Aubrac?

The best time to visit the Aubrac in motorhome spreads logically on summer months . The climate on the Aubrac is harsh: it can snow from October to May and it can freeze every month of the year. It is a very windy area, which increases the feeling of cold. The climate therefore seems rather hostile.

In the summer, the Aubrac is not immune to the particles but the weather is quickly stormy. For example, in Laguiole, average maximum temperatures range from 22°C to 25°C between June and August.