L’Hérault en Camping-Car : conseils, areas, routes

How do I visit the Hérault in motorhome or van? Discover all the practical info in this article!

Why not visit the Hérault on a motorhome? Between Provence , Cevennes and Haut-Languedoc nature park , the Hérault is one of the must-see treasures of the Occitania region .

The department is renowned for the diversity of its exceptional sites, its attractive cities (Montpellier, Sète), its historical monuments, its seafood and its vineyards. The department is also visited for its seaside resorts (Cap d’Agde, La Grande-Motte, Sète), its grandiose landscapes and for the finesse of its terroir. With 130 kilometers of sea and lagoons, the Hérault is a country of nature, swept by the waves, living at the rhythm of the sea.

Due to its multiple attractions, 38 million people come to book a vacation rental in the Hérault every year. In addition to this, tourists without rent, who come to visit the Hérault by camping-car. Here is our mini-guide advice to make such a journey!

Ideas of itineraries in the Hérault by camping-car

This land of vineyards and fishermen, surrounded by waters and mountains, offers exceptional landscapes and flavours. The Hérault has many entrance doors.

From the North, your stay is marked by mountain walks and hikes on the southern foothills of the Cevennes. In the South you will take a sunbath on the beaches of the coast. From the remote corners to the cities and villages of artisans and artists, from the seaside towns to the major towns, the Hérault has many powers of seduction.

Here are some ideas of itineraries to visit the Hérault by camping-car:

Visit Hérault in a week

• Montpellier and its must-sees (Ecusson, Rives du Lez, Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle, Promenade du Peyrou, Jardin des Plantes, neighborhoods Sainte-Anne and Saint-Roch),
• The Pic Saint-Loup,
• Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone,
• Sète,
• Pézenas (city of art and history),
• The Lake Salagou,
• The Pont du Diable,
• Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert.

Visit Hérault in 15 days

• Same steps, plus the cities ofThau pond (Sète, Bouzigues, Mèze, Marseillan),
• Carnon (The Little Cross),
• La Grande-Motte and the beach of Boucanet (Grau-du-Roi),
• Le Creux de Miège (Mireval),
• Abbey of Valmagne,
• Fat girl,
• Clamouse poop,
• Cirque de Mourèze,
• Cirque de Navacelles.

Visit Hérault in 30 days and more

• The same course, plus the Gorges de l’Hérault,
• Beziers (Oppidum d’Ensérune, the Nine Locks of Fonseranes),
• The Pas de l’Escalette,
• The nature park of the Haut-Languedoc (Lamalou-les-Bains, Héric’s Gorges (Mons-La Trivalle),
• The Gorges de la Vis (Madières),
• Olargues, the Gorges de la Cesse,
• Mount Caroux,
• Salvetat-sur-Agout.

By doing these steps, you will already have a good overview of the Hérault, its cities and villages in charge of History and Heritage. But to fully know the department, we'll have to get in touch with its people.

Driving in the Hérault by camping-car : the traffic rules to know

The road network in Hérault is of good quality. Visit the Hérault by camping-car or by furnished van is very accessible. However, medium-mountain roads, which are more winding, can be narrow. Crossings are sometimes difficult or impossible, especially in motorhomes. So we have to ride with caution . Especially since the department is very touristic, the roads are often very frequent.

Attention to bikers in the corners , which often bites the central line. Do not hesitate to klaxonner to report your approach. In the Hérault and in the large towns (Montpellier, Sète, Béziers), the conduct of the premises is sometimes erratic, imprudent or incivil. The use of the flasher is rare, and safety distances are not often respected.

Some sometimes drive as on a race circuit, as if they felt alone on the road. Keep the eye always on other vehicles to anticipate braking or obstacles. Montpellier is a saturated city, among the most crowded in France: summer and during school holidays, the beach road is congested.

Be careful also on the highway: the A9, one of the holiday highways, is one of the most borrowed from France, especially during the summer season.

Motorway pass in the Hérault: what price for your camper category?

The department of Hérault is crossed by several highways, one of which is subject to to to tolls: A9 , A709v, the A75v, l’ A750 . Only the A9, operated by Vinci Autoroutes, is paid. The A75 is the axis connecting Clermont-Ferrand to the Hérault. With the A750, the two highways allow you to go from the Aveyron , in Béziers or in Montpellier for free.

Are you going to visit the Hérault on a motorhome to go to the beaches? L’A9 en camping-car implies to pay in class 2. In fitted van, you will have to pay at the fare of cars in class 1. Here are a few rates for your trips on the highway:

• Montpellier-Toulouse : 37,10€,
• Montpellier-Perpignan (north): 22,80€,
• Montpellier-Narbonne (east): 12,90€,
• Montpellier-Sète : 2,70€,
• Montpellier-Agde/Pézenas : 5,40€,
• Montpellier-Béziers ouest (A9) : 9,20€,
• Montpellier-Béziers (A75): free.

In built-in van, the highway will cost a little less: count €8.30 to do Montpellier- Narbonne , or 3,60€ to go from Montpellier to Agde.

How and where to rent a motorhome in France?

You intend to leave in the South, but you do not have a vehicle? No worries! Now it is very simple to rent these vehicles between individuals. 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. Upon your return, after silling the Hérault, sign the state of the return places and the tour is played!

How and where to rent a motorhome in the Hérault?

Very accustomed to tourism, Hérault is one of the departments where renting a motorhome is very easy. In Montpellier and its surroundings, the choice is wide.

However, you will not be the only ones looking for a motorhome. As a result, booking in advance online can be more sensible, if you leave in summer.

Camping-car areas in the Hérault: where to park?

Where to park in motorhome?

Parking places are sometimes rare, especially in the city when driving a motorhome. You will have to get away from the city center if you want to park in cities like Sète, Mèze, Montpellier, Pézenas or Béziers. Coastal cities are so coveted that parking is sometimes complicated. But the municipalities and the general council have installed numerous parking spaces to park.

Often paid, they allow to park to go to the beach or visit the cities. The bill, on the other hand, can unfortunately be salted: private parking is expensive.

Where to sleep in motorhome?

But where to sleep to visit the Hérault in motorhome? If sleeping in his vehicle is allowed, this practice should not be similar to wild camping. As a result, free is the interpretation of the security forces in the event of control. If you want to install on the public space, always be discreet and avoid leaving the camping equipment (tables, chairs, laces, etc.). You will find more than a hundred service areas for motorhomes in Hérault. To sleep, you can also opt for campsites, but it will be a little more expensive.

But what motivates you in road trip is sleeping in nature? When you get away from the coast, you can easily find isolated spots where you can install to spend the night. Sometimes the beaches are equipped with car parks where you can install in fitted van or van. On the other hand, less discreet, you may be dislodged by the gendarmes.

In the hinterland and in the small mountain you will find easily where you can install: in a pine forest, on the edge of a watercourse, near a beach of the Hérault, on a hiking start, etc. To help you, you can use the Park4night app, a very practical tool that refers to thousands of spots to be tested (campings, service areas, car parks, isolated places, etc.).

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

When to visit the Hérault? All year round , with a preference for summer ! The Hérault enjoys a Mediterranean climate characterized by mild winters and hot and dry summers. Falls and spring are fresh and wet, with many stormy episodes. On the heights, the climate becomes more oceanic or even continental temperate.

L’Hérault is more than 300 days (2828 hours) of sun per year. The rainy days are few, but rainy cumulations are sometimes important, especially during cevenol episodes (September to November). In the summer, the temperature ranges between 30 °C and 35 °C, sometimes with peaks above 40 °C. In winter, the average maximum temperatures are mild (11.6 °C to 15.9 °C between November and March) but the nights are cool or even cold. On the heights and in the park of Haut-Languedoc, summer temperatures will be much cooler than the Mediterranean.

The best season to visit the Hérault in camping-car or furnished van is therefore extending May to October . Travel in June and September will be even better: before or after tourists!