Visiting the Massif Central? Here’s our mini-guide to the Cantal region by motorhome!
On the edge of theOccitanie region and to the west of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, lies Cantal, right in the heart of the Massif Central. Renowned for its gastronomy and exceptional natural assets, Cantal is one of France’s top vacation destinations. With its wide open spaces, it’s an ideal département for motorhome travel.
Whether you’re looking for a sporting vacation in the mountains (hiking, biking, paragliding, skiing or climbing) or a touring trip, there’s no shortage of things to see and do in the Cantal. Here’s our mini-guide to visiting the Cantal by motorhome, for a weekend, a week or two.
Route ideas in Cantal by motorhome
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Iakov Filimonov
The Cantal département covers 5,726 km² betweenAveyron, Lozère, Haute-Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, Lot and Corrèze.
With a surface area of 2,700 km² and a diameter of 70 kilometers, Cantal is Europe’s largest volcano. It’s also the oldest, dated between 11 and 3 million years BC. The ancient crater of this stratovolcano forms an immense cirque, next to which are the department’s highest peaks: Plomb du Cantal (1,858 m) and puy Mary (1,787 m) are the best known.
Whether you’re coming to enjoy a 100% nature holiday in the Cantal by motorhome, to explore its culture or to do some sport, you’ll need to tailor your itinerary to your desires and the length of your stay. Here are a few ideas of what to do in the Cantal by motorhome.
A weekend in the Cantal by motorhome
- Day 1: Aurillac, Saint-Flour and Garabit Viaduct (70 km, 1h15) ;
- Day 2: Saint-Flour, Murat, Salers (75 km, 1h30) ;
- Day 3: Salers, Puy Mary (Le Claux) (20 km, 30 minutes).
A week in the Cantal by motorhome
- Day 1: Aurillac, Saint-Flour (70 km, 1h15) ;
- Day 2: Saint-Flour, Garabit viaduct (90 km, 1h20) ;
- Day 3: Le Claux, Tournemire (château d’Anjony), Saint-Etienne-Cantalès lake (75 km, 1h40) ;
- Day 4: Lac de Saint-Etienne-Cantalès, Lac du Pêcher (Neussargues-en-Pinatelle (90 km, 1h40) ;
- Day 5: Lac du Pêcher, Lioran resort (and Plomb du Cantal) (30 km, 1h);
- Day 6: Le Lioran, Chaudes-Aigues, (60 km, 1h) ;
- Day 7: Chaudes-Aigues, Massiac (55 km, 45 minutes).
Cantal over two weeks
We propose the same route as the first week, plus the following stages for the second week:
- Day 8: Allanche, Condat, Mauriac (75 km, 1h20) ;
- Day 9: Chambeuil waterfall, Sauvages lake (17 km, 20 minutes) ;
- Day 10: Lac de Sauvages, Lac de Grandval, Lac du Barrage de Lanau (70 km, 1h20) ;
- Day 11: Lac du Barrage de Lanau, Laguiole, Séverac-le-Château (120 km, 2h) ;
- Day 12: Séverac-le-Château, Gorges du Tarn Causses, Florac-Trois-Rivières (70 km, 1h25) ;
- Day 13: Florac, Saint-Jean-du-Gard (via the Corniche des Cévennes) (120 km, 2h20) ;
- Day 14: Saint-Jean-du-Gard, Alès, Pont du Gard, Avignon (100 km, 1h40).
This itinerary is of course only indicative. You can choose to stay longer on these stages or restrict the itineraries. But given Cantal’s relatively small surface area, ten days or so will suffice to visit Cantal by motorhome.
That’s why we’re taking you out of the département for a tour to the gateway to Provence. To punctuate your second week of travel, discover the south with stops in the Cévennes and the Gard.
Alternatively, you could choose to go to the beaches of the Hérault region, preferring Montpellier, Sète or the Etang de Thau.
What budget for motorhome travel in the Cantal?
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Yani Yano
All motorhome travel has a cost, but it’s sometimes difficult to anticipate the vacation budget. There are no toll freeways in the département, as the A75 is not under concession. Freeway travel between Massiac (Cantal) and Albaret-Sainte-Marie (Lozère) is therefore free.
But because of the Cantal’s topography and gradients, your motorhome may consume more fuel than usual.
Average budget for 1 weekend
- Motorhome rental + insurance: €261( average€87 per day) ;
- Petrol: approx. €25;
- Parking: up to €10 per day;
- Total: approximately €320.
Average budget for 1 week
- Motorhome rental + insurance: €609( average€87 per day) ;
- Petrol: approx. €90;
- Parking: up to €10 per day;
- Total: approximately €770.
Average budget for 2 weeks
- Motorhome rental + insurance: €1,218( average€87 per day) ;
- Petrol: approx. €180;
- Parking: up to €10 per day;
- Total: approximately €1,470.
RV parks and driving in Cantal
What’s the most important information I need to know about driving in the Cantal? Here’s all you need to know about driving a motorhome in the Cantal.
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.
Further information about driving in Cantal
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Lucien Mollard
The Cantal is a mid-mountain département, situated at a high average altitude (900 meters). As a result, you’ll need snow tires or chains if you take your vacation in winter. Snow is no more abundant here than in the Alps or Jura, but the frost keeps it on the ground for several weeks.
The territory of the Parc naturel régional des Volcans d’Auvergne is home to Cantal’s main massifs and puys. Secondary roads can therefore be narrow and winding, especially on the slopes of the Cézallier, Monts du Cantal and Margeride massifs.
The main roads provide easy access between towns (Aurillac, Saint-Flour, Mauriac or Massiac). But be careful here too, as traffic is heaviest on the main roads. Beware of difficult junctions.
It’s a good idea to honk your horn before a bend where visibility is poor, to let other road users know you’re coming. Watch out for motorcycles, too, which love the winding mountain passes and turn the road into a vast open-air racetrack.
Freeway tolls in the Cantal: what price for your category of motorhome?
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Lucien Mollard
Cantal is not crossed by any section of toll freeway, as it has not been conceded to any private company. The A75 freeway enters the Cantal on its eastern flanks at Massiac. It crosses the department from north-east to south-east as far as Lozère via Saint-Flour, but is free of charge.
On the other hand, you will certainly have to drive on several toll freeways if you rent your motorhome outside the département. If you’re traveling by motorhome, you’ll have to pay the flat rate for class 2 motorways. Here are some toll rates if you’re coming from Paris, Lyon, Montpellier, Clermont-Ferrand, Toulouse or Bordeaux:
- Paris-Aurillac (A10, A20): €30.10;
- Lyon-Aurillac (A89, A75): €25.20;
- Montpellier-Aurillac (A75): €16.50 (Millau viaduct) ;
- Toulouse-Aurillac (A20): €18.70;
- Bordeaux-Aurillac (A89, A20): €28.50.
RV parks in the Cantal: where to park?
Photo credit: Caramaps
Cantal promises to be an open-air paradise for nature lovers. Relatively isolated, very rural and sparsely populated, the département has no shortage of places to park without getting in anyone’s way.
It’s easy to find places to park in the middle of nature, for a peaceful bivouac. Sleeping in your camper van in an isolated mountain spot will let you contemplate the spectacle of nature. You’ll be filled with peace and quiet, and you’ll never want to go back to sleep in a city again.
However, this practice is forbidden, especially in the Parc naturel régional des Volcans d’Auvergne: this is a protected natural site. If you do so, please be discreet and leave no litter on the ground so as not to disturb the ecosystem.
If you’re looking for motorhome service areas in the Cantal, you’ll find them just about everywhere, especially around towns. And, logically, the number of motorhome service areas decreases with altitude: don’t expect to find a motorhome service area on the summits of the puys!
Most service areas are free of charge, with the exception of those near tourist towns such as Mauriac, Aurillac and Saint-Flour. According to the Caramaps platform dedicated to motorhome travel, most service areas are rated highly by travelers. They offer a wide range of high-quality services. You’ll generally find access to water and electricity, as well as facilities for emptying waste water.
How and where to rent a motorhome in France?
Would you like to visit the Cantal by motorhome, but don’t own a vehicle? It’s now very easy to rent these vehicles between private individuals, especially in France. There are a number of online rental platforms, such as Yescapa.
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 the Cantal, and once you’ve done that, it’s all over!
Rent a motorhome in France to explore the Cantal region
When is the best time to travel by motorhome in the Cantal?
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Evan Frank
First of all, the Cantal doesn’t have such a hostile climate. Renowned for its harsh climate, Aurillac is often referred to as the coldest town in France. And yet it gets more sunshine than Bordeaux or Lyon! It’s worth noting that Cantal remains a department in the south of France: the town of Saint-Flour, for example, is only 230 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea!
The Cantal department is divided into three climatic zones. The western part has an oceanic climate. The center, corresponding to the high plateaus and summits, enjoys a mountain climate. The east of the département is more continental: drier than the west, but cold due to the high altitude.
Temperatures vary widely in the department, with altitudes ranging from 250 meters to 1,858 meters! As is often the case in France, the best time to travel in the Cantal by motorhome is between May and October.
In Aurillac, average maximum temperatures range from 6°C to 11°C between November and March. The weather is therefore cold and wet. At altitude, the frost keeps the snow on the ground for several weeks, and the wind reinforces the sensation of cold. Temperatures rise rapidly in spring, averaging between 15°C (April) and 22°C (June).
With only ten days of rain a month, conditions in May and June are ideal for motorhome travel in the Cantal. In summer, average maximum temperatures reach 25°C. Summer values exceed 35°C every year during heat waves from the south. All in all, this is the best season for motorhome travel in the Cantal.
September and October are wet months in Aurillac, but mild: values average 21°C and 16°C respectively. The weather turns cold and wet from November to March.