Everything people ask us about road trips

A motorhome road trip is a touring holiday where the vehicle serves both as transport and as a place to sleep. It blends freedom (choosing your stages, durations and detours) with self-sufficiency (water, power and bedding on board). It is the most flexible way to discover a region at your own pace.

A standard category B licence is enough for motorhomes up to a 3.5-tonne gross weight. Above that, you need a C1 licence (3.5 to 7.5 t) or a C licence (over 7.5 t). Most new motorhomes for private buyers are designed to stay under 3.5 t so they remain accessible with a category B licence.

A motorhome is a dedicated vehicle with a living cell (low-profile, A-class or over-cab). A camper van is a short van (such as a Volkswagen T6 or Renault Trafic) fitted out for travel. A panel van conversion is a longer utility van (such as a Fiat Ducato) turned into living space, a compromise between the camper van and the motorhome.

Yes, very much so. A motorhome gives children a familiar space that travels with them, the freedom to stop where they like and access to well-equipped campsites (pool, playgrounds, activities). Over-cab models offer 4 to 6 comfortable berths. Go for a motorhome rather than a camper van for a family of four.

Yes, and it is strongly recommended. Expect 700 to 1,500 euros per week depending on the season, the model and the company. One or two weekends on hire let you check the comfort on board, the driving constraints and the travel style before a big purchase.

The realistic rule: 200 to 300 km a day, that is 3 to 5 hours of actual driving. Beyond that, fatigue builds up fast and the trip becomes transit with no sightseeing. Better to think in driving hours than in kilometres, especially in the mountains where the average easily drops to 50 km/h.

The shoulder seasons: May–June and September. Mild weather, open campsites, reasonable crowds and far lower rates than in July–August. High season is still doable but means booking campsites well in advance, especially on the coast.

Between 30 minutes and several evenings depending on the tool used and your level of preparation. With a dedicated app, 30 to 45 minutes is enough for a complete first draft of a two-week itinerary. Doing it by hand with a spreadsheet and multiple tabs, expect 3 to 5 hours spread over several days.

In high season (July–August) yes, sometimes several months ahead on the coast. Off season, you can improvise day by day in 80% of regions. Service areas can never be booked: first come, first served, which is why arriving before 5 pm in popular spots pays off.

Brittany and Normandy are often recommended: a dense network of service areas, reasonable distances, no mountain passes and a mild climate. Alsace and the Jura are also accessible. Avoid Corsica, the Alps or Provence for a very first trip if you are not comfortable with mountain driving or summer crowds.

No. Free overnight parking on public roads is allowed by default unless a local council order says otherwise, but camping (table outside, awning) is prohibited outside campsites and designated areas. The coast, listed sites and tourist towns often have restrictions posted at the entrance.

A service area is a technical spot (waste emptying, drinking water, sometimes electricity) with no comfort or sanitary facilities, 0 to 15 € a night. A campsite offers toilets, showers, often a pool and activities, 20 to 60 € a night. The service area is for touring, the campsite is for resting.

Very tightly controlled. Prohibited on the coast, in listed sites, by the roadside, within 200 m of a drinking-water point and in national parks outside designated spots. Elsewhere, the landowner's agreement is needed. Simply parking overnight in a motorhome, however, is generally tolerated.

Generally 24 to 48 hours maximum, posted at the entrance. Some urban areas limit this to 12 hours. Overstaying is liable to a fine for improper parking, but above all it penalises other travellers looking for a space in a busy area.

The ACSI card gives access to around 3,000 European campsites at fixed low-season rates (15 to 20 € a night, electricity included). The subscription costs around 15 to 20 euros a year, easily paid back on a single two-week trip outside July–August.

A low-profile motorhome uses between 12 and 14 litres per 100 km on mixed routes, while a larger A-class climbs to 14–16 litres. Consumption varies sharply with elevation gain (+20 to 40% in the mountains) and speed (driving at 100 km/h instead of 110 km/h saves 10–15%).

Not mandatory but strongly recommended if your vehicle is over 3.5 t or 3 m high. A dedicated sat nav avoids low bridges, roads banned to heavy vehicles and villages with unsuitable narrow streets. Mainstream apps do not take vehicle dimensions into account.

Yes, with no particular restriction. A motorhome is class 2 (between 2 m and 3 m high, gross weight ≤ 3.5 t) or class 3 if the gross weight is over 3.5 t. The toll rate is about 50% higher than for a standard car. The maximum speed is the same as for other light vehicles.

130 km/h allowed like a car if the gross weight is ≤ 3.5 t, but 110 km/h recommended for fuel economy and safety. Above 3.5 t, speed is limited to 110 km/h on motorways and 100 km/h on dual carriageways.

Most are, with care. Passes above 1,800 m such as the Galibier, Bonette or Iseran require a vehicle in good condition (brakes, cooling). In hot weather, favour early-morning departures. Some passes are banned for vehicles over 3.5 t or over 12 m.

Between 800 and 1,500 euros for two adults travelling in comfort mode (a mix of service areas and campsites, a few restaurants), excluding the vehicle. Family budget with children: 1,800 to 2,700 euros depending on how many paid activities you do (water parks, zoos, tree-top adventure).

Formula: total distance × consumption (12–14 L/100 km) × price per litre (≈ €1.80/L in 2026). For 2,500 km, expect around €585. Add a 15 to 25% margin for detours, elevation gain and revving up on the passes.

Five levers: travel outside July–August, favour free municipal service areas, cook on board, avoid motorways and use campsite discount cards. Together, these levers can cut the total budget by 30 to 40%.

5 to 15% of the total budget depending on the route. A road trip on minor roads costs almost zero in tolls. A mixed 2,000 km journey generates €100 to €200 of tolls. Average 2026 rate: €0.15 to €0.20/km in class 2.

Yes, 10 to 15% of the total budget. The classic unexpected costs: a small breakdown, a tyre, replacing a gas bottle, a fine, a medical appointment, an unplanned activity you fall for. Better to come home with the reserve untouched than to dip into the red.

The free trial (1 without an account, 2 with a free account) lets you test the app with a reduced scope. For a one-off departure, the Travel Pass at €2.99 unlocks every planning feature for 2 trips (AI assistant not included). The 5-Trip Pack at €7.99 covers several departures and includes the AI assistant. Premium, at €24.99 per year, offers unlimited trips. The full plan comparison is on the home page, in the Pricing section.

You enter a start and end point, your vehicle type and your daily driving hours. The app automatically calculates the route, splits it into realistic stages and suggests service areas, campsites and points of interest at each stage. One free trial without signing up, two with a free account.

Yes. The app is developed and hosted in France, the data is never sold, and audience measurement relies on a self-hosted solution with no tracking cookies or profiling. The right to full account deletion is implemented (GDPR Art. 17).

One free trial without signing up, two with a free account. Then three plans: a Travel Pass at €2.99 for two trips, a 5-Trip Pack at €7.99 for five trips with no subscription, or a Premium subscription at €24.99/year for unlimited trips with every feature.

Yes. For an electric vehicle, the app automatically adds fast-charging points to the stages, taking the declared range and the route's elevation gain into account. The same logic applies to electric motorhomes, still rare but emerging.

Yes, up to 10 trips can be saved per account. Each trip keeps the full route, the stages and the selected campsites and points of interest. Trips can be edited and shared again via export. This feature is reserved for accounts with full access.