Visiting Isère and Drôme? Here’s a mini-guide to the Vercors by motorhome!
Straddling the Drôme and Isère départements, the Vercors is a vast mid-mountain massif covering 135,000 hectares. Between Lyon, Grenoble and Valence, it is the largest massif in the northern Pre-Alps.
Renowned for its sheer cliffs and high plateaus, the Vercors is one of France’s most beautiful travel destinations. Endowed with a remarkable natural and cultural environment, it’s also a site steeped in history and a popular destination for outdoor sports.
Whether you’re looking for a sporty way to explore the Vercors, or an itinerant trip in a motorhome to recharge your batteries in the great outdoors, the Vercors has plenty of surprises in store for you. The editors of Generation Voyage tell you how to visit the Vercors by motorhome.
Route ideas in the Vercors by motorhome
The Vercors rises up from Grenoble, facing the Chartreuse massif, to the Rhône valley at the gateway to Valence. The Vercors is not just a mountain range full of must-see sites and monuments. It’s also a hotbed of the French Resistance during the Second World War, with an exceptional historical and cultural heritage.
Don’t know what to see or do when you visit this region with its contrasting mountain and Mediterranean climates? Here are a few ideas for must-see places to visit in the Vercors by motorhome.
Plan your itinerary according to the length of your trip: a week is more than enough time to visit the Vercors by motorhome. However, you may need to stay in one place for several days to avoid visiting the massif superficially.
A weekend tour of the Vercors nature park in a motorhome
Here’s a route through the Vercors by motorhome if you rent your vehicle in Valence :
- Day 1: Valence, Romans-sur-Isère, Saint-Jean-en-Royans (48 km, 55 minutes) ;
- Day 2: Combe Laval tourist route via Col de la Machine, Bouvante, La Chapelle-en-Vercors (40 km, 55 minutes);
- Day 3: Villard-de-Lans, Corrençon-en-Vercors, Gresse-en-Vercors (115 km, 2h).
For a three-day long weekend, there are of course countless alternative itineraries. For example, you can choose to visit Grenoble and the north-east of the Vercors, with Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte or Lans-en-Vercors.
But you can also stay to the west of the massif from Valence, with the villages of Combovin, Peyrus and Léoncel. Or visit the south with Chateaudouble, Omblèze, Plan-de-Baix, Crest or Die.
A week in the Vercors nature park in a camper van
Here’s a route through the Vercors by motorhome if you rent your vehicle for a week in Grenoble :
- Day 1: Grenoble, Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte, Lans-en-Vercors, Saint-Martin-en-Vercors (55 km, 1h15) ;
- Day 2: Saint-Agnan-en-Vercors, Vassieux-en-Vercors, Font d’Urle (ski resort) (25 km, 30 minutes);
- Day 3: Le Chaffal (Canyon des Gueulards and Gorges d’Omblèze), Léoncel (Cistercian abbey of Léoncel) (75 km, 1h50);
- Day 4: Barbières (via Col de Tourniol), Saint-Nazaire-en-Royans, Saint-Laurent-en-Royans, Pont-en-Royans (60 km, 1h20) ;
- Day 5 Choranche (grottes de Choranche), Echevis (belvédère de Révoulat), Méaudre (le Trou qui Souffle), Autrans-Méaudre-en-Vercors (75 km, 2h) ;
- Day 6: Presle road, Bourne gorges road (Pont-en-Royans to Villard-de-Lans) (70 km, 1h45);
- Day 7: Combovin and the Tour de Barcelonne hike, Crest, Die (130 km, 2h30).
Some of our itineraries are deliberately long, to allow you to visit the must-see sites in the Vercors Regional Nature Park. These itineraries include a number of tourist routes and some of the massif’s legendary passes.
The Vercors Natural Park in two weeks
Got another week to spare? Here are a few ideas of sites and villages to visit in the Vercors Park for the second week. For the last few days of your trip, you can also leave the park and explore the surrounding area.
- Day 8: Saint-Marcellin, Cognin-les-Gorges, Ecouges canyon (35 km, 50 minutes);
- Day 9: Saint-Eulalie-en-Vercors, la route des Petits Goulets, La Chapelle-en-Vercors (45 km, 55 minutes) ;
- Day 10: Col du Rousset and Belvedere du Rousset, Bouvante and Col de la Bataille (55 km, 1h15);
- Day 11: Crest, Montélimar, Nyons (140 km, 2h45) ;
- Day 12: Rémusat, Buis-les-Baronnies (65 km, 1h15) ;
- Day 13: Carpentras, Avignon (70 km, 1h15) ;
- Day 14: Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Les Baux-de-Provence, Arles, Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (95 km, 2h).
This itinerary takes you all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, in the Bouches-du-Rhône region. But from the south of the Drôme, you can also opt for a sporty end to your stay in the Ardèche mountains, the Ecrins national park or the Chartreuse massif.
There are so many things to see and do from the Vercors by motorhome, that you’ll have to come back!
What’s the right budget for motorhome travel in the Vercors Natural Park?
How much does it cost to travel in the Vercors Natural Park by motorhome? This is the least fun part of a trip: you always have to estimate your vacation budget. Here are a few ideas of how much it will cost to travel the Vercors by motorhome.
Average budget for 1 weekend :
- Motorhome rental + insurance: 105€ per day (315€ for 3 days on average);
- Petrol : 20€;
- Parking: up to €10 per day;
- Total: approx. 365€.
Average budget for 1 week :
- Motorhome rental + insurance: 105€ per day (735€ for 7 days on average);
- Gasoline: about 50€;
- Parking: up to €10 per day;
- Total: about €850.
Average budget for 2 weeks :
- Motorhome rental + insurance: €105 per day (€1,470 for 14 days on average);
- Petrol: approx. €100;
- Parking: up to €10 per day;
- Total: approximately €1,700.
Of course, these rates are only indicative and depend on how you travel and drive. Mountain roads can consume a lot of fuel, depending on how you drive.
And in the Vercors, you’ll find plenty of free parking. The budget of €10 per day for parking is a deliberately wide range.
Areas and motorhome driving in the Vercors
You may have some research to do on driving in the Vercors Natural Park. Especially when visiting it by motorhome. Here’s what you need to know about traveling in the Vercors massif by motorhome.
What documents should I carry?
- 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 the Vercors: what price for your category of motorhome?
The Vercors Natural Park is not crossed by any freeway. However, it is bypassed by three busy freeways: theA49,A48 andA51.
TheA49 links Valence to Grenoble, and is managed under a private concession by AREA . It runs along the north-western flanks of the Vercors. The A48 freeway links Lyon to Grenoble and connects with the A43 (linking Lyon to Modane via the Fréjus tunnel). It runs along the north-eastern edge of the Vercors. Grenoble, at the foot of the massif, is a direct gateway. Here are some tariffs for motorhomes (class 2) on these stretches:
- Paris-Grenoble: €78.80;
- Paris-Valence: €68.30;
- Lyon-Grenoble: €19.30;
- Chambéry-Grenoble: €8.90;
- Annecy-Grenoble: €16.10;
- Marseille-Grenoble (via the A51): €21.90;
- Marseille-Valence: €26.70;
- Montpellier-Valence: €28.80.
Further information about driving in the Vercors
Road conditions
The interior of the Vercors Natural Park is made up of small, sometimes very narrow mountain roads. The only major roads are those that encircle the massif, linking the largest towns in particular. These include the A49, A48 and A51 freeways between Valence and Grenoble or Grenoble and Monestier-de-Clermont.
With a motorhome, it’s easy to get around on the departmental roads on the outskirts of Valence: for example, the D538 from Alixan to Crest via Chabeuil, or the D93 from Crest to Die. In the Massif and on the way up to the plateau, crossings will be much trickier due to the winding mountain passes.
Caution: some roads are cut directly into the cliffs and include tunnels. These can be very tricky to negotiate in a camper van. Some stretches of road are very tight inside gorges and canyons. Trucks or cars and motorhomes, for example, will not be able to pass each other at certain points.
Don’t forget that in a camper van, you’ll have to veer to the left to avoid rubbing against the rock when the road is cut into the cliff.
Sometimes, however, you’ll have to avoid these difficult, yet sublime, passages. Take the Gorges de Nan route, for example. Looking for an easy route through the Vercors by motorhome? Take the D531 to Villard-de-Lans, the D103 (route de la Chute de la Goule Blanche) to La Chapelle-en-Vercors. Follow the Combe Laval tourist route via the D199 and D76 (Col de Carri) to Saint-Jean-en-Royans.
Getting around the Vercors
When motor-homing, many stretches of road in the Vercors wind their way up the mountainside, with little exposure to the sun. As a result, these roads can be wet and slippery (especially in winter). As a general rule, it’ s best to enter the high plateaus in summer, and avoid inclement weather (rain and snow).
Please note that due to the high altitude (the Grand Veymont is the highest point in the Vercors, at 2,341 meters), small mountain roads can be covered in snow and ice. Passes are closed in winter: check the tourist office website for road conditions.
Last but not least, we strongly recommend that you honk your horn on bends to let us know when you’ve arrived in poor visibility. Be careful on bends: the Vercors Park is an open-air playground for bikers who love speeding through twists and turns and mountain passes.
RV parks in the Vercors: where to park?
Looking for where to park, how and where to find a spot to spend the night in the Vercors? In principle, wild camping is strictly forbidden in regional and national nature parks. However, there are many isolated spots in the forest and mountains that are ideal for spending the night in a camper van. The police can’t be everywhere!
For example, you can try to park in a parking lot at the start of a hike, or on a path beside a road… Always try to be discreet, so as not to disturb the locals or animal species. And above all, never soil the environment – leave it as you found it.
If you’re looking for motorhome service areas, you’ll find few and far between the higher you climb. There are only a dozen or so in the park. Generally speaking, service areas are free of charge. There is a charge for service areas near tourist sites and towns, such as Crest or Pont-en-Royans.
The sites listed on the Caramaps platform within the Vercors Massif are generally well rated. They provide access to all the necessary services, such as water, electricity, parking, waste water disposal, sanitary facilities, etc. Hiking trails are often close by.
How and where to rent a motorhome in France?
Would you like to explore the Vercors with your camper van or van, for example? It’s now easy to rent a motorhome in France. How do you do this? By using platforms such as Yescapa, which put renters in touch with private owners of motorhomes.
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 signed by both parties. On your return, after having explored the roads of the Vercors, you sign the return inventory and that’s it!
When is the best time to travel by motorhome in the Vercors?
What are the weather conditions like for your touring trip in the Vercors by motorhome? The climate in the Vercors is mountainous, with oceanic and humid influences (to the north) and Mediterranean influences (to the south).
While the north of the Vercors is very rainy, the south (Diois) is more arid. Despite the influence of the Mediterranean climate, the Vercors is a massif with a contrasting climate due to its medium to high altitude. Logically, the best season for motorhome travel in the Vercors is summer.
Due to the altitude, there are significant temperature differences between winter and summer. The winter season is harsh, with maximum temperatures between 2°C and 4°C between December and February. Frosts are frequent, but not very severe (-3°C/-4°C on average over the winter), except at high altitudes.
In spring, average maximum values rise gradually, with 8°C in March and 9°C in April, 13°C and 18°C in May and June. In summer, the Vercors takes on the air of the South of France: maximum temperatures regularly exceed 30°C to 35°C, and even close to 40°C during heatwaves (July-August).
But the mountain climate is never far away, as even in summer, temperatures drop rapidly in the evening: the thermometer can read a minimum of 10°C on average, even in July-August. Finally, early autumn marks the rapid return of cool weather and precipitation, with temperatures dropping rapidly from October onwards.
The best time to travel in the Vercors by motorhome is therefore between mid-May and early October.