RV & Campervan Rental France 🏷️ Compare Prices

The most budget-friendly way to see France is to rent a campervan and start driving. Not only are your transport and accommodation costs combined, but you can use these handy tips to save extra money on your French campervan vacation:

1. Sleep for Free Wherever Possible: France has a huge network of motorhome stopovers (aires) and low-cost campsites. Some aires are free, while many charge a modest nightly fee (and/or small fees for water/electricity). If you use public parking, always follow local signs and time limits, leaving a vehicle in the same spot for more than 7 days can be treated as abusive parking (and local rules can be shorter).

2. Get Early Booking Discounts: Many rental companies price varies and booking months ahead (especially for summer) often gives you the best selection and can reduce costs.

3. Avoid the Highways: You often pay to drive on France’s tolled autoroutes. Slower National or Departmental roads can be free, more scenic, and may reduce toll spending, just plan extra driving time.

4. Travel with Friends: You can comfortably split the cost of your motorhome rental and overnight stays when you travel with friends.

Summer is the most popular time of year for a campervan holiday in France. Between June and August, the days are long and many campgrounds and services operate at full capacity. Temperatures vary a lot by region, coastal areas are often milder, while inland and the south can get very hot during heatwaves, so it’s smart to plan shade, water, and ventilation.

Anyone visiting the country to enjoy the famous Alpine slopes should consider France in the winter. Skiing, snowboarding, and picturesque ski towns are typically best enjoyed between December and March, depending on snowfall and resort conditions. Temperatures in the mountains are often around freezing or below, while many lower-elevation cities are milder.

Visiting France in the spring or fall often means fewer crowds (and sometimes lower rental prices), with a good balance of comfortable driving conditions and seasonal scenery, just be prepared for more variable weather and shorter daylight than midsummer.

If you're sticking to one area, maybe for a ski trip or beach getaway, you need at least one week to immerse yourself in your trip. You can get much more sightseeing done in two weeks while still having plenty of time to relax. Traveling across France takes time, so you'll need a whole month if you want to really see it all.

France's biggest cities are connected by autoroutes (major highways). Many long-distance autoroutes are toll roads, and you will pay at a péage on tolled sections (either at entry/exit in a closed system, or at barrier points). You may be asked to pay multiple times if you use several tolled sections. Some major tunnels and bridges also have separate fees.

Driving on tolled autoroutes can make journeys much faster, but you'll want to factor tolls into your budget. Toll prices vary by vehicle category, typically based on your vehicle’s height (commonly around the 2 m / 3 m thresholds) and number of axles, and on many networks whether the vehicle’s GVW is up to or above 3.5 tonnes. You can calculate toll costs before you start your campervan trip (note: calculators may apply to specific motorway networks).

If you enjoy scenic drives and prefer to save money for sightseeing, you can easily traverse France using the free National or Departmental roads. While these roads may have lower speed limits, they’re often lined with beautiful rural villages and memorable roadside stops.

You can park your campervan weighing less than 7,716 pounds in public parking spaces during the day if you pay at the parking meter, as you would with a car. According to French law, campervans are even permitted to park in spaces along the side of a road. Still, you can't set up your lawn chairs or open your awning if you park in public areas, and you can only stay in one parking spot for a maximum of 7 consecutive days.

Some underground car parks may have height-restricting barriers if they can not accommodate tall vehicles, so be sure to know the height of your campervan before you set off. If you see a road sign with a motorhome inside a red circle, you cannot park or sometimes even drive on that road.

It is against the law to park a campervan anywhere in Paris. When visiting the capital, please park in one of the surrounding campsites or suburban areas and take public transport into the city center.

France is filled with motorhome stopovers often called aires (you may also see aire de service or aire de camping-car), found near towns and villages and sometimes close to major routes. These are different from motorway rest areas (aires de repos / aires de service) and are designed for short stays by motorhomes. Many aires offer basics like waste disposal, and some provide water and electricity for a fee. Some are free, but many charge a nightly price depending on location and services.

Camping is generally allowed on private land with the landowner’s agreement, but there are important restrictions in certain protected or sensitive areas, and local authorities can also prohibit camping outside designated sites in specific zones (with proper signage). If you want a simple, legal overnight without a campsite, aires are usually the easiest option.

In many places, you can sleep in your vehicle where overnight parking is permitted, but you must follow local signs and time limits, leaving a vehicle in the same place for more than 7 days can be treated as abusive parking (and local rules can be shorter). If you’re seeking a farm or vineyard stay, France Passion is a popular option that connects campers with hosts (membership required).