Le Massif Central in Camping-Car: rental, tips, areas, routes

Do you want to visit the Massif Central in motorhome? Here’s all you need to know to prepare your trip (location, advice, areas, routes)!

Endu de l’Etendu Auvergne in Languedoc, the Massif Central covers no less than 15% of the total area of France and is the largest massif in the country! Its mid-mountain chains also house most of the metropolitan France volcanoes.

Thus, visiting the Central Massif in a motorhome allows you to explore a vast mosaic of varied landscapes such as forests, lakes and meadows. Rich, with an exceptional natural, historical and cultural heritage, the Central Massif is a must-see destination in France!

Here's how to travel in the Central Massif by motorhome!

Ideas of routes in the Massif Central in motorhome

The Central Massif is spread over 85 000 km2 and thus constitutes a unique destination for sporting stays, cultural visits and travelling trips!

The massif is indeed rising from the Allier to the Aveyron passing through Cantal , Puy-de-Dôme or Lozère .

It should be noted that travelling in the Central Massif is equivalent to visiting a country as large as the Central Massif. Portugal or that Austria ! Therefore, you will benefit from a plethora of possible routes. Here are some ideas of steps to be taken in camping-car.

Visit the Massif Central on a weekend

For example, here is an idea of travel itinerary from Clermont-Ferrand the capital of the Auvergne.

• Day 1 : Clermont-Ferrand, Orcines (the dome puy and the caves of the Cliersou), Mont-Dore and Sancy puy (50 km, 1 hour);
• Day 2 : Saint-Nectaire, Murol (Château de Murol), Boudes (Vallée des Saints) (65 km, 1h25);
• Day 3 : Queuille (panorama du Méandre de Queuille) (100 km, 1h20).

Le Massif Central on a motorhome on a week

To visit the Central Massif in a motorhome for a week, we take you to Auvergne and Occitania starting from Lyon .

• Day 1 : Lyon, Vienna, Pélussin (mounts of Pilat, pass of Pavezin, crêt of the eyelon...) (85 km, 1h45);
• Day 2 : The Puy-en-VelayBrioude, Massiac (80 km, 1h15);
• Day 3 : Saint-Flour, puy Mary and Lioran station, Aurillac, Salers (190 km, 3h15);
• Day 4 : Mauriac, Laguiole (150 km, 2h30);
• Day 5 : Mende, Gorges-du-Tarn-Causses, La Malène, Millau (160 km, 3h) ;
• Day 6 : Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Nant, Dourbies (85 km, 1h30);
• Day 7 : Valleraugue (Mont Aigoual), the road to the Corniche des Cévennes (D9 between Florac and Saint-Jean-du-Gard (100 km, 2h15).

The Central Massif in two weeks

You're lucky to be able to stay for another second week? Here is an idea of the route in the Central Massif in motorhome, in the continuity of the first week:

• Day 8 Anduze, Montpellier, Sète, Clermont-l’Hérault, Mourèze, Liausson and Lake Salagou (160 km, 2h30);
• Day 9 : Avène, Ceilhes-et-Rocozels, L’Hospitalet-du-Larzac (80 km, 1h30);
• Day 10 : La Canourgue, Saint-Geniez-d’Olt-et-d’Aubrac, Lacroix-Barrez (Château de Valon) (175 km, 2h30);
• Day 11 : Aurillac, Murat, Saint-Flour, Massiac, Issoire (180 km, 3h) ;
• Day 12 : Ambert, La Chaise-Dieu, Job et Sauvain (mont Pierre-sur-Haute) (145 km, 2h45);
• Day 13 : Billom, Clermont-Ferrand (100 km, 2h) ;
• Day 14 : Ussel, Bort-les-Orgues, Argentat Dordogne) (190 km, 3h).

These journey ideas around the emblematic regions of France such as Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Occitania throughout the Massif Central.

But these steps will make you spend a lot of time on the roads. If you want to drive less, limit the steps to one or two departments. For example, by visiting le Cantal en camping-car or by doing only the Puy-de-Dôme in motorhome.

What budget to travel by motorhome in the Massif Central?

Your budget must be anticipated to spend a stay in the Central Massif in a stress-free and unpleasant motorhome. Here is an estimate of the incompressible expenses to be expected during your trip (home rental, petrol, parking).

Average budget for 1 weekend

• Rental + motorhome insurance : 109€ per day on average, or 327€ for 3 days;
• Fuel: 25€;
• Parking : up to 10€ per day;
• Total: About €380.

Average budget for 1 week

• Rental + motorhome insurance : 105€ per day on average, or 735€ for 1 week;
• Fuel: 85€;
• Parking : up to 10€ per day;
• Total: About 900€.

Average budget for 2 weeks

• Rental + motorhome insurance : 105€ per day on average, or 1,470€ for 2 weeks;
• Fuel: 190€;
• Parking : up to 10€ per day;
• Total: About €1,800.

Areas and driving in motorhome in the Massif Central

Before taking the keys to the camper, there are a number of things related to driving in the Central Massif in camping-car.

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 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.

Motorways in the Massif Central: what price for your camper category?

The Central Massif is so vast that it covers much of southern France. Paradoxically, only two highways cross the regions that compose it: the A89 and A75 .

The A89 is a paid toll highway. It allows to connect the city of Lyon to Bordeaux by Clermont-Ferrand, and is also called the Trans-European. In the north-south sense, the A75 belongs to an undivided network, so free . The A75, known as the Meridian, connects Clermont-Ferrand to Béziers (Hérault). On this axis, only the Millau viaduct is paid.

If you take the highways by traveling to the Central Massif by motorhome, here are some rates, to be paid in class 2 :

• Lyon-Brive-la-Gaillarde : 55,70€ ;
• Lyon-Clermont-Ferrand : 25,20€ ;
• Clermont-Ferrand-Brive-la-Gaillarde: 21,30€ ;
• Clermont-Ferrand-Béziers or Montpellier: 16,50€ (by Millau viaduct).

Other information about driving in the Massif Central

From the Allier to the Aveyron or the Lozère to the Creuse, the Central Massif is geographically included in 22 departments Metropolitan France. These are middle mountain areas where altitude varies between 300 and 1 886 meters altitude (the Puy de Sancy volcano, the highest point in the massif). Therefore, these areas have one climate very harsh sometimes hostile in winter .

If you come to visit the Central Massif in motorhome between autumn and spring, be careful on the small axes. Because at altitude, snow covers the ground for several months and frosts can be very strong. Small tracks will often be freezing!

In the departments of the massif, one or two national roads are often the largest axes. The rest of the road network is covered by small departmental and communal roads. Be careful during mountain crossings, especially in corners. Always let other motorists pass by locking to the right if the road allows it!

The camper areas in the Massif Central: where to park?

What better, by travelling on a camping-car, than to settle where you like to sleep in the beautiful star? The Central Massif houses a total of 9 regional natural parks , plus Cevennes National Park . Parking on the public space for the night is forbidden. And in natural parks, controls can be frequent.

You will find a very abundant offer of service areas for motorhomes on the entire surface of the massif. Dude Morvan Natural Park In the park of Haut-Languedoc, the massif still covers the entire southern half of France!

However, the offer of areas is more rare in altitude. You may need to ride from one commune to another to find an available area. There are few areas in the Puys chain, the Livradois-Forez park, the Aubrac, Lozère or the Cevennes. It is quite normal: they are high plateaus or isolated summits!

But you will always find a service area close to the must-see sites and monuments to visit in the Central Massif. Generally, service areas are free or low-cost . Their cost rarely exceeds 10€ . They provide access to quality infrastructure, including: flat parking , Wastewater discharge , drinking water point , electricity , sanitation and trash .

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 Massif Central. 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 we get back to the Central Massif, to settle all this.

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

So let’s say it immediately: the best season to visit the Central Massif in camping-car is spreading over the months of May to September . Several climatic influences are observed in the Central Massif. The latter is affected by the following climates:

• mountain climate (except Hérault, Lot and Aveyron)
• Ocean climate (Lot and Aveyron) ;
• Mediterranean climate (Hérault, Gard, est Ardèche, sud Aveyron) ;
• temperate continental climate (Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Haute-Loire).

Temperature differences are important between regions , resulting in many changes in vegetation and landscapes. The west of the Central Massif has an oceanic climate with significant precipitation . The south is more marked by the aridity .

Thermal amplitude is important between seasons. Thus in winter, the reliefs suffer heavy frosts and snowfalls in abundance from November to April. In summer, average maximum temperatures can frequently exceed 30 °C or 35 °C .