Daniel Guichard settles in Sauvian with a 7-ton motorhome

Freya Gill and Charlie Thackwray, both 29, moved into a caravan parked in Charlie's mother's garden to save on rent. After a year in the older caravan, they bought an Elddis Crusader for around €4,800, then in June 2025 switched to a more modern Adria Adora costing €19,000. Living in the caravan allowed them to save nearly €24,000 toward buying land to build a house and farm. Monthly costs include about €180 for the plot, €65 for fuel, €155 for financing and €420 for food; they pay no council tax or water bills, and gas refills cost about €95 when needed.

The Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe race starts from Saint-Malo on 1 November 2026. The race village opens on 20 October. Motorhomes can use a municipal aire near the racecourse (open 24/7, with water and waste disposal, free shuttle to the centre) and a private site with electricity. Overnight parking is banned on seafront car parks, including the Davier car park. On race day, road access to Cap Fréhel from Plévenon is closed, and motorhome parking is prohibited at the cape and at Plévenon municipal campsite. A year-round motorhome aire is located 5 km from the cape in Fréhel (from about €13/night in low season). In Saint-Cast-le-Guildo, a free year-round aire with service point is available, but motorhome parking on the seafront boulevard is banned.

Promobil has published a list of six campsites in southern France that remain open in October. The selection includes sites on the Côte d’Azur, in Provence and the Camargue. Most offer pitches for motorhomes and extend their season until late October or early November, with low-season rates typically applying. Some facilities, such as pools, may close earlier.

The Les Chênes Verts motorhome stopover in Brem-sur-Mer, Vendée, has been shortlisted by Camping-Car Magazine for its annual best campsite award. The site operates year-round, offers around 40 pitches and is part of the RVR environmental network. Overnight stays cost €13.60, plus a tourist tax of €1.22 per person per night, covering parking, waste disposal, water and electricity.

Emma Manadé has been travelling across France and Europe in a converted Renault Twingo since summer 2023. She has visited the Alps, Jura, Ardèche, Switzerland and Ireland. She documents her trips and shares advice on budget vanlife with over half a million followers on social media.

Georges (76) and Evelyne (74) from Loir-et-Cher, after eight years with a heavy motorhome Bavaria Fjord 710 on a 4.25-tonne Fiat Ducato with Al-Ko chassis, bought a new Globecar Summit 640 camper van on a 140 hp Citroën Jumper, 6.36 metres long, in 2019. It is their seventh motorhome. They cite easier driving and access to villages and trailhead car parks, plus a large sliding side door. Drawbacks include a smaller garage, no scooter, and a smaller fridge. The couple do not consider themselves vanlifers and may return to a wider motorhome.