Vanlife Expo 2026: expanded format and new cities

From June 25 to 28, 2026, the Studio 120 in Clermont-Ferrand will host the Summer Motorhome Show. Over 90 leisure vehicles will be displayed outdoors, including motorhomes, campervans, and converted vans, both new and used. Visitors can compare 2026 models and receive advice on selection, financing, and trade-ins. Entry costs €2, free with invitation.

Experts from the Touring Club Suisse (TCS) tested 129 motorway service stations in France, Spain, and Portugal, covering 10,000 km. France ranked first due to a high density of fast charging stations and well-developed facilities for motorhomes. Portugal came second with good food and charging infrastructure, while Spain ranked third due to a lack of charging stations (only one in ten) and frequent malfunctions.

A group of caravans has set up on the grounds of the Lycée du Chesnoy in Amilly. A spokesperson stated that stopping there was not originally planned. The reasons and circumstances of the occupation are being clarified.

A new episode of the Vanecdotes podcast has been released, in which traveler Mathilde Dubois recounts an unusual night spent in Brittany with a catch of seafood in her camper van. In 2023, she embarked on a tour of France to promote local gastronomic products as part of the Vaniti Vadrouille project. After a fishing trip in Finistère, a fisherman gave her lobsters, spider crabs, and octopuses, but cooking them in the small van was impossible due to the lack of a suitable pot. Dubois had to spend the night with the catch on the front seat, leading to unexpected sounds and a comical situation.

In Ostheim, France, Baron François de Watteville blocked a group of travelers who cut down a tree and branches to create a passage through a hedge of Schoppenwihr park to a field intended for parking at the Country Living event on June 20–21. The incident occurred on Sunday around 4:00 PM. Negotiations involving gendarmes and a representative of the Haut-Rhin prefecture lasted about two hours. The estate owner offered an alternative meadow for the caravans.

In spring 2026, the Touring Club Schweiz (TCS) evaluated 129 highway rest areas in France, Spain, and Portugal. In France, 86% of the 52 tested sites received 4 or 5 stars; in Spain, only one of 60 reached 4 stars, and nine of the ten lowest-rated sites were in Spain. In Portugal, 11 of 17 sites were rated as recommendable. The test found non-functional charging points at several Spanish locations.