France

France is, without question, the finest motorhome destination in Europe. No other country offers such a combination of outstanding roads, varied landscapes, world-class food and wine, and — crucially — a network of motorhome facilities that makes touring effortless. The French system of aires de service and aires de stationnement provides thousands of dedicated motorhome stopping places across the country, many of them free, many in beautiful locations, and almost all equipped with fresh water and waste disposal. For motorhome travellers from our Pontefract depot, France is closer than you might think — and crossing the Channel is easier than ever.

Getting to France from Yorkshire is straightforward. The most popular route is to drive south on the M1 and M20 to Folkestone, where the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle takes you and your motorhome through the Channel Tunnel to Calais in just 35 minutes. The total driving time from Pontefract to Folkestone is around four hours, making it possible to be in France by lunchtime if you set off early. Alternatively, ferry crossings from Hull to Rotterdam or Zeebrugge (P&O and Stena Line) offer overnight sailings that avoid the long drive south — you board in the evening in East Yorkshire and wake up on the continent, ready to drive south into France through Belgium. This is often the preferred option for Yorkshire-based motorhome travellers, saving both time and fuel.

Normandy, just across the Channel, makes an ideal first stop. The D-Day beaches — Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno, and Sword — stretch along the Calvados coast, and the memorials, museums, and cemeteries that mark Operation Overlord are among the most moving historical sites in Europe. The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach, is a place of profound solemnity. Bayeux, home of the famous tapestry depicting the Norman Conquest of 1066, is a beautiful town with a magnificent cathedral and an excellent aire for motorhomes.

Mont Saint-Michel, rising from the tidal flats of the Normandy-Brittany border, is one of the most recognisable landmarks in France. The medieval abbey, perched on its rocky island, has been a place of pilgrimage for over a thousand years. Motorhome parking is available in the purpose-built car parks on the mainland, from where shuttle buses carry visitors across the causeway.

Brittany, further west, offers a rugged coastline, cider-producing orchards, medieval towns, and a Celtic culture that has more in common with Cornwall and Wales than with Paris. The Pink Granite Coast around Perros-Guirec, the walled port of Saint-Malo, and the prehistoric standing stones at Carnac are all outstanding. Brittany's network of aires is excellent, with many positioned beside the coast or in the heart of charming villages.

The Loire Valley, France's garden, stretches south from Normandy and offers over 300 chateaux set among vineyards and river meadows. Chambord, the largest and most extravagant, was built by Francis I as a hunting lodge and has a double helix staircase attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. Chenonceau, spanning the River Cher, is perhaps the most beautiful. Amboise, Villandry, and Azay-le-Rideau each have their own character, and touring the Loire by motorhome — parking at one chateau, driving through vineyards to the next — is one of the great European road trip experiences.

The Dordogne and the south-west of France offer a landscape of limestone gorges, fortified medieval villages, and rich gastronomy. Sarlat-la-Caneda, with its golden stone buildings and Saturday market overflowing with foie gras, truffles, and walnut products, is one of the most attractive towns in France. The Dordogne River itself can be explored by canoe, while the prehistoric cave paintings at Lascaux (the replica Lascaux IV) provide a window into human creativity spanning 17,000 years.

Provence and the Cote d'Azur, further south, bring lavender fields, olive groves, Roman ruins, and the dazzling light that inspired Cezanne, Van Gogh, and Matisse. Arles, Avignon, and Aix-en-Provence are cities of extraordinary beauty and culture. The calanques near Cassis — dramatic limestone inlets between Marseille and La Ciotat — offer turquoise water and white cliffs that feel more Greek island than mainland France. Motorhome touring in Provence requires a little more planning, as the roads can be narrow and the coastal resorts busy in summer, but the rewards are immense.

Practical considerations for taking a motorhome to France include ensuring you have the correct documentation — your driving licence, vehicle registration, insurance certificate, and a green card if required by your insurer. You will need a GB sticker or the new UK identifier on your number plate. French motorways are toll roads, so budget for peages or use the excellent network of national and departmental roads that are often more scenic and entirely free. The speed limit for motorhomes over 3.5 tonnes is 110 km/h on motorways, 80 km/h on single carriageways, and 50 km/h in towns.

France rewards motorhome travellers with a generosity that no other country can quite match. The food, the wine, the landscapes, the history, and the simple pleasure of parking beside a village boulangerie and buying a warm baguette for breakfast — these are experiences that make a French motorhome holiday unforgettable. Collect from our Pontefract depot and the whole of France lies ahead of you.