Are you planning to visit France or Europe in a motorhome? Did you know that it’s possible to rent a motorhome in the Pau region? We’ll tell you how!
Why not take to the roads of France and Europe in a motorhome, converted van or camper van? A real home on wheels, the motorhome is back in vogue, giving you considerable freedom of movement when you want to travel. However, setting off on a tour of France or Europe in a motorhome from the Pau region requires a great deal of organization!
As well as selecting your itinerary and finding parking areas or parking lots where you can park your vehicle, you also need to find out where and how to rent a motorhome, van or camper van in the Pau region. There are many sites offering rentals for several days or even several months, for all budgets, and sometimes with just a few clicks on the Internet!
Wondering how to go about it? Don’t panic, we’ll tell you how to rent a motorhome in Pau and the surrounding area.
How to choose a motorhome or van?
The first step to a successful holiday is to rent a vehicle suited to your trip! And the good news is that with just a « B » driving license, you can rent any type of recreational vehicle, as long as it has a GVW of less than 3.5 T.
From integral to van, here are four types of motorhome that you can rent in the Pau region and drive with a B licence in your pocket:
The nasturtium
- Freeway: Category 3
- Ideal for families
- Sleeps up to 6
- Water and gas supply + heating + refrigerator + sanitary facilities and shower
The profile
- Freeway: Category 2
- Versatile
- For 2 to 4 people, sometimes 6
- Water and gas supply + heating + refrigerator + sanitary facilities and shower
Integral
- Freeway: Category 2
- Interior volume & comfort
- Ideal for a couple
- Water and gas supply + heating + refrigerator + sanitary facilities and shower
Fitted vans and panel vans
- Freeway: Category 1
- Ideal for one person or a couple
- Little space, but well optimized
- Small kitchen area, sometimes refrigerator + sanitary facilities and shower
→ Good to know: If you’ve decided to think bigger and want to rent a motorhome with a maximum weight of over 3.5 tons, then you’ll need to have a HGV license in your possession! In addition to a different license, it’s important to take into account freeway charges when budgeting for a heavy-duty motorhome: vehicles over 3.5 tons belong to category 3, just like a bus or a two-axle truck.
In fact, three-axle motorhomes are even considered Class 4!
Where can I find a motorhome rental in Pau and the surrounding area?
Before starting your vacation itinerary, it’s a good idea to make an online reservation via an online campervan and motorhome rental platform.
There are now many such sites on the road-trip and wild camping market, and they enable you to take advantage of a vehicle at lower cost, like Yescapa, for example. Would you like to rent a motorhome or converted van in Pau or the surrounding area?
How does it work?
- Start by selecting Pau and the surrounding area as the geographical zone where you wish to collect the vehicle (for example Chalon-sur-Saône, Monceau-les-Mines, Bourg-en-Bresse…).
- Make sure you choose unlimited mileage, check the number of berths available, whether it is possible to travel abroad, etc.: you can filter the results by selecting several search criteria.
- Make an online rental request and share your travel information (dates, rental options, mileage, etc.) with the owner.
- If your request is accepted, after payment you will have access to the owner’s contact details to set up a first meeting.
- On the day of departure, present your driver’s license and pay the deposit.
- An inventory offixtures is drawn up and a rental contract is signed by both parties. On your return, after an unforgettable trip, sign the return inventory of fixtures, and that’s it!
How much does it cost to rent a motorhome or van in the Pau region?
It’s no secret that renting a motorhome or van is always more affordable when it’s done privately. Prices vary according to a number of criteria, such as the number of beds, the model of motorhome or van, the equipment available, the type of motorhome and whether pets are allowed.
In the Pau region, the average daily price is around 69 euros. Of course, if you plan ahead, you’ll have more choice!
Where to travel by motorhome from Pau?
Photo credit: Shutterstock / Lukasz Janyst
To travel from Pau in a motorhome, van or camper van, you’ll need to select your stopovers and forget about the idea of being able to see everything in one go.
Your itinerary will logically depend on your vacation dates: you don’t go on a motorhome trip for a week the way you go on a road-trip for several months. There are so many different ways to travel by motorhome or van from Pau, that it will take several years of vacation!
One week
- Start with a visit to Lourdes, and head deep into the Pyrenees National Park.
- From Laruns, head to Spain for an exceptional natural site: a hike through the lakes of the Ossau valley. Cross the border and the Pyrenees, and take to the roads of Aragon.
- The citadel of Jaca and the town of Huesca are your stopovers on Spanish soil.
- The Ordesa and Mont-Perdu National Park is a great place to get away from it all.
- Finish with Zaragoza, Lleida and Barcelona.
One month
For a month-long motorhome road-trip from Pau, head for Spain along the Mediterranean coast.
- Join Tarragona and explore the southern Catalan countryside. The Ebre Delta Natural Park and the Costa Daurada offer beautiful, sun-drenched sandy beaches.
- The town of Peñiscola is a must-see. After visiting the city of Valencia, head inland to visit the village of Chulilla. It’s a small village perched in the mountains, adorned with white facades.
- The hike along the route of the suspension bridges over the Turia river is magnificent. Back on the road, your stops will be Alicante, Murcia and Cartagena.
- Enjoy the beaches of Calblanque Regional Park and Mont de las Cenizas y Peña del Águila. Further west, head for the Sierra de la Muela, Cabo Tiñoso and Roldán.
- At the end of the cape, climb up to the Castillitos Battery for a sublime view of the sea (difficult to access by camper van). The Bolnuevo and Puerto de Mazarrón erosions are also worth a visit.
- End your journey on the Andalusian beaches of the Almería region (playa de Mónsul or playa de los Genoveses).
Here are some of the nearby countries you can visit if you rent a motorhome or van in Pau and the surrounding area:
- Austria (Graz, Vienna, Salzburg)
- Germany (Stuttgart, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg)
- France (Biarritz, Bordeaux, Brest, Toulouse)
- Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague)
- Italy (Venice, Rome, Milan, Florence)
- Switzerland (Lausanne, Geneva, Bern)