After those long months of lockdowns, curfews and Covid-19 restrictions, May 2021 felt like a breath of fresh air, with a taste of normal life again. With friends, we rented a campervan for a week and hit the roads of France.

Setting off

+Planning your trip

Choose a model that suits your needs and budget, ideally from an agency close to home.

Plan a rough itinerary so you don't waste time on the road — we knew we wanted to start with Colorado Provençal and reach the beach 3 days later, the rest was left open. In theory, you can stop and sleep in a campervan anywhere; in reality, it's pretty frowned upon. We used Park4night to find campsites, rest areas and legal spots, and iOverLander for gas stations and dump stations.

01Leaving Nancy

Picked up the vehicle at 10am at the agency, with an explanation of the water, gas and drainage systems. Plenty of storage (wall, under the seats, exterior compartment) — we had enough room for 5 people, including a 2-year-old. Headed south-east, and thanks to Park4night, found a quiet spot in Crozes-Hermitage.

02Colorado Provençal & Cassis

Headed to Rustrel for the Colorado Provençal — €8 for campervan parking access. Two routes: the Sahara circuit (blue, 40 min, 2.1 km, easy) and the Belvédères circuit (red, 1h45, 3.9 km, easy to moderate), which we chose for the view from up high. Strollers not recommended with kids. Food on site is fairly pricey (min. €5 for a plain sandwich) — bringing your own lunch is recommended.

Then headed to Cassis for the night, found a spot on Avenue Notre-Dame (go for the start of the street, flatter, rather than the sloped end suggested by the app). Paths lead straight to the calanques from there. Explored the harbor and downtown, dinner at La Voûte — packed, with terraces reopening and a 9pm curfew.

Colorado Provençal

Colorado Provençal

Cassis

03Calanques & Aubagne

Biked in the morning towards the calanques, then hiked to the calanque de Port-Miou — the view all along the way is stunning. Stayed the night at the Garlaban campsite in Aubagne.

Calanques

Calanques

04Le Grau du Roi

After a rainy night, back to the sun heading to Le Grau du Roi — 2 nights at Camping de l'Espiguette, a real vacation village with direct beach access, a water slide pool, a mini-market, bakery and pizzeria. Celebrated a birthday that day with a surprise beach treat. In the evening, biked to the seaside restaurant L'Estuaire Plage — local specialty: bull meat.

Le Grau du Roi

Le Grau du Roi

05The Aigues-Mortes ramparts

About 12 km by bike along dedicated paths, crossing the Aigues-Mortes salt flats — pink, a distinctive feature of the area. The ramparts, built around 1270 by Saint Louis to protect this strategic Mediterranean position, stretch 1.2 km with tower access.

Aigues-Mortes

Aigues-Mortes

06Vallon Pont d'Arc

After the beach and the campsite pool, headed to Vallon Pont d'Arc. Again via Park4night, found Aigue-Vive, a canoe-kayak rental company that lets rental customers spend the night in its parking lot (restrooms available, gate closed at night).

A bit like the Gorges du Verdon — canoe-kayaking is a great way to see the area and paddle under the bridge. The owner, a campervan enthusiast himself, even let us use our own charcoal barbecue.

Vallon Pont d'Arc

Vallon Pont d'Arc

07Vallon Pont d'Arc market & Juliénas

The village market runs every Thursday — perfect for stocking up on local products. In the evening, headed to Juliénas for a wine tasting and a night among the vines of Domaine Matray, another gem found through Park4night. This passionate owner offers tastings and an overnight spot, with a shower and restroom now set up for travelers.

Domaine Matray

Domaine Matray

Domaine Matray

08Back to Lorraine

After a peaceful night among the vineyards, headed back to Lorraine for one last sunny drive, full of good memories, and returned the vehicle.

+Practical tips

For a short trip covering several regions, it's best to break up the driving — especially with a child. We drove in stretches of no more than 3h30. Dump stations are marked with dedicated signs. For tolls, a camper van (3m10 tall) counts as category 3 — and your car's toll transponder won't work in the campervan.

Dump station

Interior

Interior

Interior