Mayor of Agde vows to end illegal caravan encampments

The commune of Lestre (Manche, France) plans to adopt a municipal decree regulating motorhome parking along the shoreline. The move follows an influx of vehicles during the nesting season of the ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula), a rare and protected bird species in Europe. Existing signs from the French Biodiversity Office do not explicitly prohibit parking, leading to repeated violations and conflicts. The decree must be approved by the municipal council, after which traffic signs will be installed within 15 days.

A caravan was stolen overnight from May 25 to 26 in Heiteren, parked on the street in front of the owner's home. A theft complaint has been filed. Additionally, a caravan fire in Luttenbach-près-Munster (likely accidental), multiple collisions involving bicycles, motorcycles, and cars, and vegetation fires were reported.

On Sunday, May 31, 2026, the first summer evangelical mission of travelers will arrive in Saint-Brevin-les-Pins (Loire-Atlantique). The large passage area is ready to accommodate 130 caravans. Five missions are planned for the 2026 season, each lasting two weeks, until August 23. Parking costs €3 per day per caravan.

French singer Daniel Guichard, 77, purchased a luxury motorhome weighing over five tons. He uses it for travel across France, including Paris, where he parks at the Bois de Boulogne campsite. Guichard said he grew tired of shabby dressing rooms and hotels after 30 years of touring.

Since May 17, about a hundred caravans of travellers have been parked on the football field in Izier. Local residents are frustrated, recalling a similar incident last year when a group stayed for a month. They have submitted a petition with 79 signatures to the mayor and prefecture. The travellers argue that there are insufficient transit sites as required by the departmental plan.

On May 29, 2026, a car with Spanish occupants rear-ended a caravan towed by British motorists on the A10 motorway near Aiffres, close to Niort. A female passenger in the car towing the caravan was taken to Niort hospital in shock. The caravan was destroyed. Traffic in the Paris–Bordeaux direction was closed, causing queues up to 4 km. The road reopened around 3:30 PM.