Visiting Eastern France? Here’s our mini-guide to visiting Franche-Comté by motorhome!
Why not visit Franche-Comté by motorhome, renowned for its wide open spaces, gastronomy and vineyards? Bordering Switzerland and Alsace, Franche-Comté is one of the best regions in France for touring.
And yet it’s one of France’s least-visited regions, in the shadow of neighboring Côte-d’Or.
Looking for the best way to visit Franche-Comté, from its vineyards and mountain ranges to its lakes and listed villages? The editors of Generation Voyage have the best tips for travelling in Franche-Comté by motorhome!
Route ideas in Franche-Comté by motorhome
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Roman Babakin
Often described as a « Pays de Cocagne », Franche-Comté boasts a lush natural environment, studded with mid-mountain ranges and wide open spaces. This remarkable environment and heritage make it an ideal destination for nomadic travellers to visit by motorhome.
This historic and cultural region extends over 16,202 km², across the departments of Jura, Haute-Saône, Doubs and Territoire de Belfort. Naturally, you’ll need to tailor your itinerary to suit the length of your trip and your desires.
No idea where to go? Here are a few itineraries to do in Franche-Comté by motorhome, for a weekend, a week or two.
A weekend tour of Franche-Comté in a motorhome
For just three days of travel, you’ll be running out of time and will have to make some tough choices! For example, here’s a motorhome itinerary starting from Dole, the westernmost town in the region:
- Day 1: Dole, Besançon, Vesoul (105 km, 1h40) ;
- Day 2: Montbéliard, Belfort (90 km, 1h20) ;
- Day 3: Plateau des 1 000 Etangs, Luxeuil-les-Bains, Planche des Belles Filles (summit), Saut de l’Ognon (Servance-Miellin) (130 km, 3h).
You can also choose an itinerary departing from Lons-le-Saunier to visit the Jura exclusively. For example:
- Day 1: Lons-le-Saunier, Cascades du Hérisson, Salin-les-Bains (80 km, 1h25) ;
- Day 2: Arbois, Dole, Château-Chalon, Lac de Vouglans (150 km, 2h30) ;
- Day 3: Saint-Claude, Les Rousses (75 km, 1h20).
A week in the Franche-Comté region by motorhome
Here are a few ideas for a week’s motorhome touring in Franche-Comté:
- Day 1: Baume-les-Messieurs, Les Pertes de l’Ain, Nozeroy (50 km, 1h10) ;
- Day 2: Mouthe, Le Mont d’Or, Pontarlier (55 km, 1h) ;
- Day 3: Salins-les-Bains, Source du Lison, Besançon, Morteau, Cirque de Consolation, les échelles de la mort (180 km, 3h15) ;
- Day 4: Le Saut du Doubs, Baumes-les-Dames, Montbéliard (140 km, 2h20) ;
- Day 5: Belfort, Etang des Forges, Ballon d’Alsace (hiking) (55 km, 1h) ;
- Day 6: Luxeuil-les-Bains, Vesoul (90 km, 1h40) ;
- Day 7: Besançon, Dole, Dijon (160 km, 2h20).
Franche-Comté in two weeks
Here are our ideas for routes in Franche-Comté by motorhome, if you leave from Lyon for the second week:
- Day 8: Bourg-en-Bresse, Oyonnax (Ain), Clairvaux-les-lacs, Poligny (140 km, 2h20) ;
- Day 9: Saint-Amour, Lons-le-Saunier, Dole (160 km, 2h15) ;
- Day 10: Pesmes, Gray, Marnay, Fondremand (80 km, 1h20) ;
- Day 11: Besançon, Mouthier-Haute-Pierre, Ormans (95 km, 1h30) ;
- Day 12: Lods, Source de la Loue (30 km, 40 minutes) ;
- Day 13: Arc-et-Senans, Dole, Dijon (85 km, 1h20) ;
- Day 14: Nuits-Saint-Georges, Beaune, Meursault (Côte-d’Or) (60 km, 1h).
If you follow these itineraries, you’ll have visited almost all the must-see villages and towns in Franche-Comté. However, you can also opt for themed trips, such as wine tours or ski and hiking holidays.
Rent a motorhome for Franche-Comté
What budget for motorhome travel in Franche-Comté?
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Roman Babakin
Every motorhome trip has a cost, but it’s sometimes difficult to anticipate the vacation budget. So, to help you organize your motorhome trip in Franche-Comté, here’s a predictive guide to expenses (motorhome rental in Besançon, gas and any tolls):
Average budget for 1 weekend :
- Motorhome rental + insurance: €89 per day on average ;
- Petrol: approx. €35;
- Parking: up to €10 per day;
- Total: approximately €330.
Average budget for 1 week :
- Motorhome rental + insurance: €89 per day on average ;
- Petrol: approx. €75;
- Parking: up to €10 per day;
- Total: approximately €770.
Average budget for 2 weeks :
- Motorhome rental + insurance: 89 € per day on average ;
- Petrol: approx. €140;
- Parking: up to €10 per day;
- Total: approximately €1,500.
These rates are only an estimate. They will logically evolve according to driving style and fuel consumption. Also, the price of parking in each area and in each city can vary and impact this average evaluation.
RV parks and driving in Franche-Comté
Before setting off to visit Franche-Comté by motorhome, it’s a good idea to take stock of the region’s general traffic conditions. Here’s the essential information you need to know about the destination.
What documents should I carry?
Photo credit: Shutterstock / David Milligan
- Driving license (B ) if the motorhome’s GVW does not exceed 3.5 tonnes;
- Motorhome registration;
- Motorhome insurance certificate;
- The rental agreement signed by both parties;
- A copy of the departure inventory of fixtures.
Freeway tolls in Franche-Comté: how much does your motorhome category cost?
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Andrey Armyagov
Franche-Comté is crossed by the A39 and A36 freeways. The A39, known as the « green freeway », links Dijon, Dole and Bourg-en-Bresse, making it possible to reach Lyon without using the A6.
The A36, nicknamed « la Comtoise », links Dole to Mulhouse via Belfort, and provides access to Germany. Both are toll freeways. Here are a few tariffs to be paid in class 2 motorhomes:
- Lyon-Belfort: €44.80;
- Lyon-Besançon: €32.10;
- Bourg-en-Bresse-Besançon: €22.90;
- Bourg-en-Bresse-Montbéliard: €35.10;
- Bourg-en-Bresse-Belfort: €35.10;
- Lons-le-Saunier-Belfort: €22.10;
- Dijon-Belfort: €22.90.
Taking these highways is relatively expensive compared to the few kilometers you have to cover!
Nonetheless, these will save you precious time in reaching towns from one département to another. Especially as small mountain roads can be impassable in winter.
Other information about driving in Franche-Comté
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Roman Babakin
The road network in the four départements of Franche-Comté comprises 28,437 km of roads, most of which are departmental and communal roads.
Generally speaking, the region’s road network is of good quality. Even the Haut-Jura massif is well served by departmental roads, although the route is winding on the higher ground. Be careful on mountain bends, especially if the roads are icy.
The relief is mountainous in the east of the region, in the Jura massif and in the foothills of the Vosges in the north. The relief eases towards the west, leading to the Doubs and Saône valleys.
In the mountains, it’s advisable to be equipped with chains or snow tires if you’re visiting Franche-Comté by motorhome in winter. Snowfall can be heavy in the higher regions. And thaw-free days are common at altitude!
RV parks in Franche-Comté: where to park?
Photo credit: Caramaps
In Franche-Comté, there are fewer service areas than in neighboring regions. And the higher you drive, the fewer you’ll find! Generally speaking, service areas are located in urban areas, often on the outskirts of town centers.
But you’ll only find one per town. This is the case for Besançon, Dole, Vesoul, Belfort, Montbéliard… Don’t worry: there’s always at least one available near a tourist site (Baume-les-Dames, Saint-Claude, Les Rousses, Mouthe or the Ballon d’Alsace).
Access to the areas is generally free, except near the most popular tourist sites. They are, however, well rated. Paid sites offer a full range of comfortable services (water, electricity, parking, wastewater disposal, sanitary facilities, etc.).
How and where to rent a motorhome in France?
Would you like to visit the Franche-Comté region by motorhome, but don’t have your own vehicle? It’s now very easy to rent these vehicles between private individuals, especially in France. Numerous online platforms, such as Yescapa, make this type of rental possible.
How does it work?
- First, you need to choose the motorhome in your city (e.g. Bordeaux, Nantes, Toulouse, Paris, Montpellier or Marseille).
- Make sure you choose unlimited mileage, check the number of berths available and whether international travel is possible.
- Make your rental request online and share your travel information (dates, rental options, mileage, etc.) with the owner.
- If your request is accepted and after payment, you will have access to the owner’s contact details to arrange a first meeting.
- On the day, present your driver’s license and pay the deposit.
- An inventory of fixtures is drawn up and a rental contract is signed by both parties. You’ll need to sign it as soon as you return from Franche-Comté, and once you’ve done that, you’re all set!
Rent a motorhome in France to explore the Franche-Comté region
When is the best time to travel by motorhome in Franche-Comté?
Photo credit: Shutterstock – photolike
Franche-Comté enjoys a humid, semi-continental climate, characterized by cold winters and hot summers. However, the region is subject to a variety of climatic influences due to its variable topography. The upper Jura chain has a humid mountain climate, with abundant snow cover in winter. Summers are cool and stormy.
But as you lose altitude, the climate warms up. And while Aurillac is reputed to be the coldest town in France, it’s actually the Jura and Doubs regions that are among the coldest in the country! Thermal amplitude is high between seasons, with severe winter frosts and record summer highs.
The weather between January and March, and between October and December, is therefore unfavorable for touring. Temperatures rise again in spring, but the climate remains cool and very humid. In Besançon, for example, the average maximum temperature ranges from 15°C in April to 22°C in June. It reaches 24°C in July-August, but exceeds 30°C every year during heatwaves.
The best time to visit Franche-Comté by motorhome is between July and September. In July and August, temperatures average 23°C in Belfort, 24°C in Besançon and 26°C in Dole. Early autumn sees a rapid return to cool. According to some climate observers, autumn in Besançon is comparable to winter in Montpellier…