Provence in Camping-Car: advice, areas, routes

How to visit Provence in camper or van? Discover our ideas routes to explore one of the most beautiful regions of France.

Provence, here's a name that sums up the semantics of beauty alone. Who doesn't think of the garrigue, the cigales or the novels of Mr. Pagnol or J. Giono going to the Midi? Visiting Provence in camping-car or in furnished van will be an opportunity to explore one of the more beautiful regions of France .

You will radiate between the Mediterranean Sea, lakes and mountains, at your own pace, to discover an exceptional heritage. La Provence, du Rhône aux Alpes, de la Camargue at Luberon , is a country full of natural and cultural treasures. More than 10 million people visit Provence every year (11.5 million tourists in 2018).

This historic region offers its guests a festival of colours and flavours as well as an exceptional natural environment. Reheated by 300 days of sun per year and full of its innumerable attractions, Provence is a unique holiday destination in the world, with unparalleled charm. Here is our mini guide to visit Provence in camping-car.

Ideas of itineraries in Provence

The routes to be made in Provence are numerous and there will undoubtedly be several trips to get to know the behind the scenes. Provence is, of course, visited by its cities, sites and monuments. Provence is also found outside the beaten paths, in small remote mountain villages. No one can visit Provence by camping-car without discovering its terroir and local products.

The region therefore offers multiple faces, between beaches and the hinterland, sometimes still living with its multisecular traditions. And the diversity of its wealth is such that you will need to adapt your stages to the duration of the journey. Here are our ideas of course to be done by coming to visit Provence by camping-car, or by van.

• Visit of Provence in 7 days by the west : Avignon, Gordes, Rustrel, Simiane-la-Rotonde, Roussillon and Colorado Provençal, Aix-en-Provence, the chain of the Sainte-Victoire (winners to Vauvenargues or Saint-Antonin-sur-Bayon), the massif of the Star (winners to Cadolive, Saint-Savournin or Mimet), Marseille and Calanques, Ensuès-la-Redonne, Carry-le-Rouet, Sausset-les-Pins, Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, Arles,
• Tour de la Provence en camping-car par l’est : Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, les les les Gorges du Verdon, the lake of Sainte-Croix, Castellane, Draguignan, Toulon, Calanques de Cassis (Cape Canaille), Aubagne,
• Visit all Provence: same route plus Manosque, Valensole, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Forcalquier, Brantes (Mont Ventoux), Orange, Carpentras, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Les Baux-de-Provence,
• Stay in Provence for a month : same steps, plus the Provencal Gard (Uzès, Pont du Gard, the vineyards in Laudun, Chusclan or Tavel, Aiguez, the gorges of the Ardèche, the Cascades of the Sautadet, Little Camargue to Aigues-Mortes and Grau-du-Roi, the beach of Espiguette) and the Drôme Provençale with Saint-Paul-les-Trois-Châteaux, the Baronnies Provençales Natural Park, Poët-Laval, Grignan, Crest.

Provence is a vast region that houses a large amount of things to see and do. Your steps will vary depending on whether you want to enjoy large natural spaces or visit cities.

If you are curious to discover the local terroirs, or to make cultural visits (museums, castles, historical monuments), your itineraries will not take the same routes either. For that, adapt your route to the wishes and dates of the trip!

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

Some mountain roads in Provence are narrow, and involve driving below national speed limits. For example, in the Verdon Gorges or on the small secondary roads of the Luberon Natural Park. Consider the model of the motorhome, more imposing than cars. The weight increases the braking distances.

Moreover, the dimensions of the motorhome can prevent crosses on these small departmental or communal roads. Therefore, always be careful when driving. Anyway, you're on a vacation, so you can ride at the pace. You will normally have priority in climbs. However, some Provencal motorists forget the road code as soon as they drive. Beware of possible incivilities on the road.

Motorways in Provence: what price for your camper category?

The motorway network in Provence is of good quality. The PACA region is crossed by 839 kilometers of highways. With regard to Provence, it is the A7 , A8 , A51 , A55 , A50 , A52 and of A57 . Unfortunately, they are private highways (conced to VINCI) and therefore subject to to to tolls.

To visit Provence by motorway, you will have to pay in class 2. This represents higher rates than built-in van (Class 1). Here are some Class 2 rates:

• Lyon-Marseille (A7) : 40,40€,
• Montélimar-Avignon (A7): 11,80€,
• Avignon-Aix-en-Provence (A7) : 13,20€,
• Arles-Aix/Marseille (A54, A7, A8): 6,70€,
• Aix-Nice (A8): 27,60€,
• Manosque-Aix (A51): 6,30€,
• Manosque-Toulon (A51, A57): 14,50€,
• Aix-en-Provence-Toulon (A57): 9,50€.

Borrowing the motorway network to visit Provence in camping-car can be expensive.

How and where to rent a motorhome in France?

But how to rent a motorhome to visit Provence? 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 get back from Provence, and once done, the tour is played!

Campsites in Provence : where to park ?

Parking in Provence

But then, where do you park in Provence in camping-car? If one cannot do camping sauvage en France , however camping-car on all car locations .

Outside the towns, it will be necessary to ensure that the visibility of motorists is not obstructed. Do not park on a site that hinders traffic or road signs. In short, you can park anywhere where it is allowed, that is, in the absence of signs prohibiting parking.

Sleep in camping-car in Provence

What interests you is not parking, but knowing where to spend the night? The law prohibits the wild camping . However, there are still isolated places to settle without disturbing anyone. These are sometimes the car parks of the start of hikes (paying), or isolated places in the middle of nature.

Attention, however, the regional and national natural parks (e.g. the Calanques) are to be avoided. The Park4night app allows you to find, on an interactive map, spots to sleep nearby.

Installing on the public space to sleep for free will be much easier (and discreet) in van, van or van. Did you find an interesting spot? Watch if other vans are already installed. Often, known spots of wild camping are already occupied by other itinerant travellers. A golden rule: arrive late and leave early, without welding the environment.

The Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region has a total of 453 service areas for campervans. Visit the Camping-car site for access. You will find the areas in the Provençal departments (Bouches-du-Rhône, Vaucluse , Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Var ). These areas are often paid, but offer the advantage of finding a spot where to settle in respect of the law.

Finally, another alternative to sleep in your vehicle: camping pitches.

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

Provence offers a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild winters. Rainfall may be frequent, with less than 60 days of rain per year. Prudence, however, in autumn and spring, as rainfall can be significant. It is sometimes enough of a single Mediterranean episode to bring the equivalent of a month of rain.

In the summer, maximum temperatures can exceed 35°C or 40°C, especially in the hinterland. Winter is mild on the coast. It is colder in Haute Provence, with mountain climate influences (Luberon, Verdon).

April and October are the most wet months in Provence and the sun abounds between May and September. From May to late June, average temperatures range around 27 °C. Spring is the season where nature is the most blooming. In summer, the climate is hot and dry, Provence burns under a lead sun. Moreover, tourist attendance reaches its annual peak. Some sites and beaches are then stormed.

The best time to visit Provence in camping-car is that which spreads May to October .

Here we are at the end of the article. With all this information, you now have what it takes to make your visit to Provence by camping-car. Bon voyage :