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Hiring a Campervan in France

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  • 26-01-2015 12:19am
    #1
    MiseO
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭


    Hi everyone,

    I'm thinking about this as a holiday this summer. Looking for any tips, advice or suggestions from anyone willing to help.
    I've only just started to look into it, and the more I looked the more I thought I'd be better asking people who've already been down this road, so any help will be greatly appreciated.

    It's only 2 of us travelling so we'll be keeping it simple!
    Thanks in advance!


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    #2
    user_name_d
    Registered Users Posts: 65 ✭✭user_name_d


    Hey MiseO - I was just coming on to this thread to post something similar. I'm looking with the OH this summer to take a week long break after our wedding travelling around the south of France in a Campervan/Motorhome

    Our initial research to find a good rental of a Motorhome brought us to www jelouemoncampingcar dot com which is a site sort of like Airbnb but for campervans.

    Looking against the commercial companies its a hell of alot cheaper but I dont have any experience with these.

    Wondering if anyone on Boards here has had experience with these or would recommend alternatives also?

    Out of interest - Where are you thinking of going for your trip? Have you planned a route? Thats something else i'm a little unsure of myself.. as in how long to plan for and how much is realistic in 7 days.

    Hope this helps and that someone here can throw in a few cents also ;)


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    #3
    SeamusG97
    Closed Accounts Posts: 384 ✭✭SeamusG97


    OP - Used these people a long time ago before we bought our own MH to see if it was for us. It worked out very expensive at the time but did serve its purpose. You will probably find somebody else who is cheaper.

    http://www.aviscaraway.com/

    Advice - Don't rent anything bigger than you absolutely need, don't try to travel too far, get a good guidebook and try out a few Aires, make sure GPS is included with the van or bring your own, get your fuel at supermarkets where it's cheapest, look at the possibility of getting bike rental/bike rack on the van.


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    #4
    Nekarsulm
    Registered Users Posts: 11,201 ✭✭✭✭Nekarsulm


    From my own limited experience, a few places worth seeing would include; Avignon, the old town, Papal Palace and the vineyards de Pape . A sunny day and a picnic at the old Roman Viaduct is very pleasant, visit a lavender farm, there are an order of Monks who have a monastery surrounded with lavender fields, the scenery and smells are incredible.
    If you like canoeing etc, Visit the Gorge du Verdun for a day and hire a canoe/kayak.

    its an enormous area, I've only visited this small area between Marseilles and Avignon, Pertuis and over to Les Salles/Verdun. Don't try and do too much.

    A quick google threw up these guys. From €750 for a weeks basic rental.

    http://www.motorhomerent.fr/searchtrip/index/result/


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    #5
    SeamusG97
    Closed Accounts Posts: 384 ✭✭SeamusG97


    Nekarsulm wrote: »
    From my own limited experience, a few places worth seeing would include; Avignon, the old town, Papal Palace and the vineyards de Pape . A sunny day and a picnic at the old Roman Viaduct is very pleasant, visit a lavender farm, there are an order of Monks who have a monastery surrounded with lavender fields, the scenery and smells are incredible.
    If you like canoeing etc, Visit the Gorge du Verdun for a day and hire a canoe/kayak.

    its an enormous area, I've only visited this small area between Marseilles and Avignon, Pertuis and over to Les Salles/Verdun. Don't try and do too much.

    A quick google threw up these guys. From €750 for a weeks basic rental.

    http://www.motorhomerent.fr/searchtrip/index/result/

    If you're hiring and time is limited you can always fly to the south and pick the van up there. Provence and nearby places are ideal. Gorge de Verdon is improbably pretty.
    Good luck with it.


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    #6
    user_name_d
    Registered Users Posts: 65 ✭✭user_name_d


    Great suggestions both - will take a look at the area you mention.

    We'll definitely be flying in, not sure what OPs idea is.. But from my research for two people flying in seems to be the most economical way of doing it.

    What would you roughly recommend for travel distances per day.. I know it's probably a hard question but is 2 - 3 hours a bit excessive each day. Looking at the travel times between some areas you can get very far in 3 hours but I'd be worried you'd be exhausted from all the driving.

    Our initial plan would be to leave Toulouse and either go west toward San Sebastián and then loop back up by Bordeaux.. Or go east toward Marseille and then loop back.. Just not sure if we're being overly or under ambitious.

    Cheers!


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    #7
    Nekarsulm
    Registered Users Posts: 11,201 ✭✭✭✭Nekarsulm


    Three hours driving is lots, you can end up driving small roads and its no fun for hours at end.
    In my opinion, Marseilles is somewhere to get out of, not go to. Just my opinion. The area of little coves and inlets east of Marseilles , The Calanque's (spelling?) is gorgeous, but gets impossibly crowded at weekends and high season, parking wise.

    "Toulouse and either go west toward San Sebastián and then loop back up by Bordeaux.." that's a big area to cover in one week............

    Unless of course, you are both the kind of people who are up and fed and on the road by 8am.


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    #8
    Benbecul97
    Registered Users Posts: 988 ✭✭✭Benbecul97


    SeamusG97 wrote: »
    , get a good guidebook and try out a few Aires,

    Could you recommend a good campsite guidebook? And a good Aire guidebook?


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    #9
    SeamusG97
    Closed Accounts Posts: 384 ✭✭SeamusG97


    Benbecul97 wrote: »
    Could you recommend a good campsite guidebook? And a good Aire guidebook?

    All the Aires by vicarious books is the one we use. You can buy it online from the publisher.
    Online there's www.campingcars-info.com

    If you register with motorhomefacts you can access this one which gives campsites and aires for Europe on an interactive map.
    http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Campsites&file=map


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    #10
    Benbecul97
    Registered Users Posts: 988 ✭✭✭Benbecul97


    Thanks Seamus!
    Probably best get a hardcopy of a guidebook rather than have to depend on internet connection to access online versions.

    All the Aires France North and South together is expensive for a guidebook - £24.99 plus postage of £8.79 to Ireland - but it seems to have good reviews.


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    #11
    *Kol*
    Registered Users Posts: 2,549 ✭✭✭*Kol*


    Benbecul97 wrote: »
    Could you recommend a good campsite guidebook? And a good Aire guidebook?

    The Alan Rogers guidebook is excellent for campsites.


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    #12
    SeamusG97
    Closed Accounts Posts: 384 ✭✭SeamusG97


    Benbecul97 wrote: »
    Thanks Seamus!
    Probably best get a hardcopy of a guidebook rather than have to depend on internet connection to access online versions.

    All the Aires France North and South together is expensive for a guidebook - £24.99 plus postage of £8.79 to Ireland - but it seems to have good reviews.
    Yes I agree. You can't beat holding the book in your hand when you need it. I see that All the Aires is now in two volumes which seems to have pushed the price up. Still good value IMO though. We've done six week trips using little else.


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    #13
    user_name_d
    Registered Users Posts: 65 ✭✭user_name_d


    Nekarsulm wrote: »
    Three hours driving is lots, you can end up driving small roads and its no fun for hours at end.
    In my opinion, Marseilles is somewhere to get out of, not go to. Just my opinion. The area of little coves and inlets east of Marseilles , The Calanque's (spelling?) is gorgeous, but gets impossibly crowded at weekends and high season, parking wise.

    "Toulouse and either go west toward San Sebastián and then loop back up by Bordeaux.." that's a big area to cover in one week............

    Unless of course, you are both the kind of people who are up and fed and on the road by 8am.

    Thanks for the input Nekarsulm - think you are dead right on both cases. It was our first stab at a route and was more of a google maps with a few pins type job.

    We would like to get close to the coast and The Calanque in my quick google look amazing... will certainly check out.

    We're travelling in Septemeber so I am hoping it will be a little quieter.


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    #14
    Benbecul97
    Registered Users Posts: 988 ✭✭✭Benbecul97


    OP: Sorry for hijacking this thread re guidebooks. Proabably useful information anyway though!

    Mods: Can you create a new thread "Recommended guidebooks for France - Campsites & Aires" and move the posts from #8 on into it? Useful information for anyone in a standalone thread.


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    #15
    MiseO
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭MiseO


    Lots of good info and advice here, thank you all.


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