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Camargue Natural Park by motorhome traveling through France by motorhome what to see and do?
The Camargue Natural Park is a dream destination in our neighboring country, perfect for exploring by motorhome. Discover this unforgettable place.
Live it!
On a route through France in a motorhome, we discover fairytale villages, emerged from a freezer of the most remote history of Europe, pirate villages and beautiful coves on its coast, impressive natural parks and surprising archaeological sites. In addition, we discovered France with children and with our dog Max, who broadens our gaze and makes us enjoy it 200%.
This time, we're taking a 10-day winter trip along the Rhône River, from its source to its mouth in France. It's on this route, which you can see a summary of in our YouTube video , that we discover the Camargue in all its splendor.
Stay on our journey through our posts on our blog and start traveling with us to France by motorhome.
The Camargue Natural Park by motorhome: what to see and do
What to see in the Camargue Natural Park by motorhome
Observe the power of the river
The Rhone River passes between two opposing villages: Tain l'Hermitage, on the left bank, and Tournon, on the right bank. You can see a large river that winds away towards the sea. This view gives the river a sense of power.
Enter the Pont de Gau Ornithological Park
There you can discover the fauna and flora of the Camargue with a guarantee that you will see them with great probability. Above all, it welcomes pink flamingos, of great beauty and it is the easiest way to spot them up close and in an accessible way.
It is located 4 km north of Saintes Maries de la Mer in the middle of the Natural Park. It has 60 hectares full of wild fauna that can be seen through its different discovery routes with observation towers and well indicated circuits.
More or less it will take at least 1,5 hours to visit one of its trails on foot, which are most accessible to go with carts or wheelchairs.
Admission is about 7,5 euros per adult and 4,5 euros for children and they close at 18:17 p.m. in summer and XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. in winter.
Something important that you should know for those of you who go with dogs like us is that neither dogs nor any domestic animal can access.
Discover the museum of the Camargue
The Camargue museum collects different documentation, photographs and historical utensils on the way of life in this natural park. It's not too big and it's all in French. Perhaps the most interesting is the route that has a discovery call of around 1 hours of travel where you can see birds, horses, amphibians and other fauna.
Visit the medieval village of Aigues Mortes
One of the essential things to see in the Camargue is the pretty medieval town surrounded by pink salt flats of Aigues Mortes. Discover in this post everything you can see and do in Aigues Mortes here.
We advise, manage, solve doubts, give support and set up a route or trip in a motorhome personalized to your tastes and needs, so that you can go calm, safe and your trip in a motorhome is unforgettable.
With this service you will really enjoy a motorhome trip without setbacks or loss of time.
What to do in the Camargue Natural Park by motorhome
Talk to the fishermen
It is advisable to go down the small Rhone, whose mouth is in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, to the Mediterranean, in the company of fishermen.
Mini river cruises in the Camargue
You can take river cruises through the Camargue to see wonders such as: the walls of Aigues-Mortes, the Etang de Thau, the impressive beaches of Palavas-les-Flots, flamingos, ...
Photograph many birds and animals
If you are fond of photography this is your paradise, you will not stop!
Do one of the hiking trails that are marked by the Camargue Park
There are many routes around the Camargue, although most of them run along the same forest tracks as cars.
Through the Fangassar there is a route that we recommend that is 10 km round trip from the parking lot (which can be spent the night without camping) to a lighthouse that is excellent to see a sunset.
Also the route to the Giraud salt flats is a good bike excursion.
Park and spend the night in the Camargue in a motorhome
In the Camargue there are few car parks and those that exist are small and are accessed by narrow roads or forest tracks. Therefore, the ideal way to go by motorhome or camper is to go out of season.
There are few places where overnight stays are explicitly prohibited, one for example is in the parking lot of the Natural Park museum, although you can park during the day.
What is totally prohibited in the entire Natural Park is camping (taking out an awning, table, chairs or any element from the perimeter of our home vehicles).
We have motorhome areas in Aigues - Mortes and parking facilities in some private restaurant farms.
REMEMBER, CAMPING IS OUTSTANDING THE PERIMETER OF YOUR VEHICLE (taking out a table and chairs, awning, opening windows, spending more than 72 hours in the same place ...). For camping you can go to private areas or campsites.
Video summary of our entire route down the Rhône by motorhome, where we visit the Camargue
To finish ... 3 maxims about France in a motorhome
1 Don't forget winter chains or tires in winter
You should know that between November 1 to March 31 in 48 departments of France, including those bordering Spain, it is mandatory to wear chains (at least for the two driving wheels) or winter tires.
If you want to see an article about which snow chains and/or winter tires are best for a motorhome, here's an article we wrote based on our experience with our motorhome.
Finally, here's an article with recommendations on what you should never do in the snow in a motorhome.
2 Do not forget the necessary documents
To go to France, you must carry valid ID cards or passports for adults and children as identification documents.
You must also bring your Covid vaccination certificate or QR code , or a negative PCR or antigen test for those over 12. This may be requested not only at the border, but also in many restaurants, museums, and other places of interest.
On the other hand, for medical matters, you must have a valid European Health Insurance Card , although you should know that in France there is a co-payment for foreigners in most medical procedures. Therefore, and based on the experiences of several colleagues, we decided to always have travel medical insurance , which, given the cost, gives us peace of mind. We always use Iati Escapadas insurance, which is designed for family trips in motorhomes or campervans. Besides medical insurance, it even includes accident insurance for any pets you travel with and a small amount of insurance against theft from the motorhome's interior. For the price, it's truly worthwhile, especially with Covid still present here. We're including a 5% discount on the insurance we mentioned, in case you'd like to request a better price.
3 Learn about the regulations on parking, spending the night and camping in a motorhome in France
We make it easy for you, here is a small practical guide about France by motorhome with everything you need to know.
Traveling in France in a motorhome is the easiest. Without a doubt, the motorhome routes in France are among the best in Europe.
Regulations on parking and spending the night in a motorhome in France freely
The regulations in France regulate that you can park and spend the night anywhere that a vehicle can do it, as long as it is not camped (you leave the perimeter of your vehicle, that is, take out tables, chairs, etc.), as in Spain although with particularities, which we will see later. This is the general rule, you can park and stay overnight without problem if there is no explicit prohibition.
Regulations on camping in a motorhome in France
Camping in France is meticulously regulated in various ways depending on the region and site.
However, as a general rule , free camping (setting up tables and chairs, opening windows, putting up awnings, etc.) is prohibited in these places throughout France:
- By the sea
- In natural parks or protected environmental areas
- In the streets and public roads
- Less than 500 meters from a tourist attraction
- On private farms without permission
Outside of these sites, you have to look at each case about the region we are in and place, a normative tidal wave.
But as a general rule, outside of the sites mentioned above, if there is no prohibition, we could take out our awning, table and chair to eat without problem.
Another important thing to know is that the French motorhome culture is of great respect and education, which means that no one thinks of leaving their table and chair and awning anywhere all day. They only do it at the time of use and then they collect everything quickly. You must always do this as well, so that free camping is still tolerated in France outside of the sites we have mentioned above.
Motorhome services and areas in France
Traveling through France by motorhome is very easy, as it boasts the largest network of motorhome areas in Europe, with over 6000 sites . These areas offer full services, including waste disposal and water filling, and many also have electricity.
Most of the overnight areas for motorhomes or campers are municipal and free or at very low prices, less than € 10 for 24 hours.
In practically all points of interest or tourist towns you will find a motorhome area, and generally always central or well connected to the center of the towns.
The French have a PhD in camping and caravanning and it shows.
In addition to these motorhome areas, we find a network of overnight areas in very important farms and vineyards where they allow to spend the night and camp in exchange for the purchase of km0, this network is what makes France Passion.
Routes
In general the roads are very good in France. The national ones usually have a hard shoulder and are usually fine, although depending on the area you will find many changes in grade, curves and a lot of two-way traffic.
The highways are great, but against the extortionate prices. In some sections there are highways, however they are minimal.
Finally, you should know that between November 1 to March 31 in 48 departments of France, including those bordering Spain, it is mandatory to carry chains (at least for the two driving wheels) or winter tires.
If you want to see an article about which snow chains and/or winter tires are best for a motorhome, here's an article we wrote based on our experience with our motorhome.
