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Hi All

I am going to France hopefully in the next week.  I am travelling alone and in a VW stealth white panel van.  Inside it is kitted out like a palace !! On the outside just the hookup and outlet are the clues I am in there.  I am going to France for 6 months to live 3 days b&b and 4 days van a week.  I aim to see most of France barring big cities.  I wonder if anyone has any advice re:safety, where to park, etc.  I do not know what to expect and yes I am eversoslightly deranged !  I think it is a midlife (38) crisis but it is something I must do with the purpose of seeing all the hidden places and taking lots of photos! I have a gas alarm and will be sleeping with one eye open.  Any suggestions welcome !

Fi

Just park in town centre carparks or on seafronts, many towns have motorhome parking areas signed 'aire du campingcar' or similar. There is no need to park on Autoroute service areas & doing what you are doing theres is no point in using Autorotes at all & paying out for tolls.

I cant see why you want to stop in B&Bs tho, although there wont be many campsites open until May in France so I suppose at least you can get a shower in a B&B try  http://www.hotelformule1.com/formule1/index.html  for cheap places to stay. May onwards the camping municipals will be opening up, cheap council run campsites in almost every town so you wont need to pay out for B&Bs

I find your 'stealth' idea somewhat amusing. You are not trying to park in Cornwall & pretending you are a panelvan now! France is very motorhome friendly you can park for the night almost anywhere without breaking the law.

& you aint really deranged either, loads of folk tour France in campervans.

Welcome to UKCS, by the way. 

Don't make it sound so 'scary' and new - it's not.  You'll find France much more amenable to people who live in campervans than in Britain!  Almost every town and village has a Aire de Services Camping Car - with EHU and water, and waste disposal facilities - usually in the middle of town.  You'll be made welcome everywhere - even farmers and vineyard owners welcome you to their estates - France Passion, I think, is the name of the book - providing you purchase something from their vineyard or shop.

Like Marty says, I wouldn't bother with the B and Bs - you'll find plenty of places to have a shower - and if your van is really like a palace then why bother - almost every large garage on all the major routes will have shower facilities for truckers, and in most place you don't have to pay.  You'll go through the most beautiful scenery, meet the friendliest people, and eat some of the tastiest food (even McDonalds in France is better than here). 

If you want scary and adventurous then tour somewhere much further afield.  France has been used to people doing what you're doing, for years and years.

Perhaps what I would say, in the way of advice, is whilst the weather is cold go south as far as you can, and then work your way back up through and across France as the weather warms up.  The Med in winter/early Spring is a lovely place to be - and watching the migrating birds returning, and the flowers opening on houses and mountainsides, definitely cheers the spirit.  Also, you'll be going the opposite way to the crowds then - you'll be coming North as everyone else and his dog is going south!!!

If you want to stay at some lovely sites (many of which won't be open yet, but from Aprill will start to open again) then check out the ACSI card (www.campingcard.com) Camping Cheques (www.campingcheques.co.uk) and Touring Cheques (www.touringcheque.co.uk) - off of which offer some four star sites at 11.00 euros to 15 euros per night, all in.  Municipal sites, in smaller towns are often very cheap too.

Buy fuel in supermarkets rather than roadside fuel stations and you'll save a fortune.  Get a good Michelin detailed map to find all those out of the way places, and photo opportunities that you want.  Take the A75 motorway south (free) from Clermont Ferrand for beautiful scenery, and on the way go over the Millau viaduct but take time to visit the Gorges du Tarn, Jonte, and Dourbie. There are some fantastic places to see and to photograph, and have a great time!  

Just wanted to say Hi back.  I too am doing mid life cris (39 though).  Doing similar just not in a white van!  Leaving on Tuesday with a caravan, two children and a husband. About  6 months travelling and working through France.

Need to find out whats at the end of my yellow brick road!

www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/France-in-a-caravan

Ang