How to visit the Hérault region in a motorhome or converted van? Find out all the practical info in this article!
Why not visit the Hérault by motorhome? Between Provence, the Cévennes and the Haut-Languedoc nature park, the Hérault is one of the Occitanie region‘s unmissable treasures.
The department is renowned for the diversity of its exceptional sites, attractive towns (Montpellier, Sète), historic monuments, seafood and vineyards. The department is also visited for its seaside resorts (Cap d’Agde, La Grande-Motte, Sète), its grandiose landscapes and the finesse of its terroir. With 130 kilometers of sea and lagoons, Hérault is a land of nature, bursting with sunshine, cradled by the waves, living to the rhythm of the sea.
Thanks to its many attractions, 38 million people book a vacation rental in the Hérault every year. And then there are the tourists who visit the Hérault by camper van. Here’s our mini-advice guide for such a trip!
Route ideas in Hérault by motorhome
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This land of vineyards and fishermen, surrounded by water and mountains, offers exceptional landscapes and flavors. The Hérault has many gateways.
From the north, your stay will be marked by mountain walks and hikes in the southern foothills of the Cévennes. In the south, you’ll be sunbathing on the beaches along the coast. From secluded corners to towns and villages of craftsmen and artists, from seaside resorts to large conurbations, the Hérault has many powers of seduction.
Here are a few ideas for itineraries in the Hérault region by motorhome:
Visit the Hérault in a week
- Montpellier and its highlights (Écusson, Rives du Lez, Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle, Promenade du Peyrou, Jardin des Plantes, Sainte-Anne and Saint-Roch districts),
- Le Pic Saint-Loup,
- Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone,
- Sète,
- Pézenas (town of art and history),
- Lake Salagou,
- Devil’s Bridge,
- Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert.
Visit the Hérault in 15 days
- Same stages, plus towns on theÉtang de Thau(Sète, Bouzigues, Mèze, Marseillan),
- Carnon (Le Petit Travers),
- La Grande-Motte and the Boucanet beach (Grau-du-Roi),
- Le Creux de Miège (Mireval),
- Valmagne Abbey,
- Grotte des Demoiselles,
- Clamouse cave,
- Cirque de Mourèze,
- Cirque de Navacelles.
Visit the Hérault in 30 days or more
- Same route, plus the Hérault Gorges,
- Béziers (Oppidum d’Ensérune, les Neuf Écluses de Fonséranes),
- Le Pas de l’Escalette,
- Haut-Languedoc nature park (Lamalou-les-Bains, Héric gorges (Mons-La Trivalle),
- The Vis gorges (Madières),
- Olargues, the Cesse gorges,
- Mont Caroux,
- La Salvetat-sur-Agout.
By taking these steps, you’ll already have a good overview of the Hérault, its towns and villages steeped in history and heritage. But to get to know the department fully, you’ll need to get in touch with its people.
Driving a motorhome in the Hérault: traffic rules you need to know
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The road network in the Hérault is of good quality. Visiting the Hérault by motorhome or van is very accessible. However, the more winding mid-mountain roads can be narrow. Crossings can be difficult or even impossible, especially in a camper van. So drive with caution. This is all the more important as the department is very touristy, and the roads are often very busy.
Watch out for motorcyclists on bends, who often bite the center line. Don’t hesitate to honk your horn to signal your approach. In the Hérault region and in the major urban areas (Montpellier, Sète, Béziers), local drivers are sometimes erratic, careless or uncivil. Turn signals are rarely used, and safety distances are often not respected.
Some people drive like they’re on a racetrack, as if they were the only ones on the road. So always keep an eye on other vehicles to anticipate braking or obstacles. Montpellier is a saturated city, and one of the most congested in France: in summer and during the school vacations, the road to the beaches is congested.
Take care on the freeway too: the A9 is one of France’s busiest vacation highways, especially during the summer season.
Freeway tolls in the Hérault: what price for your category of motorhome?
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The Hérault département is crossed by several freeways, one of which is subject to tolls: theA9,A709v,A75v andA750. Only the A9, operated by Vinci Autoroutes, is subject to tolls. The A75 links Clermont-Ferrand to the Hérault region. Together with the A750, these two freeways provide free access fromAveyron to Béziers and Montpellier.
Visiting the Hérault region by motorhome to go to the beaches? The A9 in a camper van means paying class 2. If you’re travelling in a van, you’ll have to pay class 1 motorway rates. Here are some rates for freeway travel:
- Montpellier-Toulouse: €37.10,
- Montpellier-Perpignan (north): €22.80,
- Montpellier-Narbonne (east): €12.90,
- Montpellier-Sète: €2.70,
- Montpellier-Agde/Pézenas: €5.40,
- Montpellier-Béziers west (A9): €9.20,
- Montpellier-Béziers (A75): free of charge.
With a van, the freeway will cost a little less: count €8.30 for Montpellier-Narbonne, or €3.60 for Montpellier-Agde.
How and where to rent a motorhome in France?
Are you planning a trip to the South of France, but don’t have a vehicle? No problem! It’s now very easy to rent these vehicles between private individuals. 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 signed by both parties. On your return, after having criss-crossed the Hérault region, sign the return inventory of fixtures and you’re all set!
How and where to rent a motorhome in the Hérault?
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Inu
Hérault is one of the departments where it’s easiest to rent a motorhome. In and around Montpellier, the choice is vast.
However, you won’t be the only one looking for a motorhome. That’s why it’s a good idea to book online in advance, if you’re going away in the summer.
RV parks in Hérault: where to park?
Photo credit: Caramaps
Where can I park my motorhome?
Parking spaces can be hard to come by, especially in town when you’re driving a motorhome. If you want to park in towns like Sète, Mèze, Montpellier, Pézenas or Béziers, you’ll need to get away from the city center. Coastal towns are so sought-after that parking can be a problem. But the local authorities and the Conseil Général have set up numerous parking facilities.
Often subject to a charge, they allow you to park for the beach or for sightseeing. Unfortunately, the bill can be high: private parking lots are expensive.
Where to sleep in a motorhome?
But where to sleep when visiting the Hérault region in a camper van? Although sleeping in your vehicle is authorized, it must not be allowed to become a form of wild camping. The police are free to interpret this as they see fit. If you wish to set up on public land, always be discreet and avoid taking out camping equipment (tables, chairs, wedges, etc.). There are over a hundred motorhome service areas in Hérault. For overnight accommodation, you can also opt for campsites, but these will be a little more expensive.
But do you spend your road-trip sleeping in the wild? If you stray a little from the coast, you’ll easily find secluded spots where you can spend the night. In some cases, beaches are equipped with parking lots where you can set up camp in a converted van or minivan. In a camper van, on the other hand, you run the risk of being dislodged by the gendarmes.
In the hinterland and small mountains, you’ll easily find a place to set up: in a pine forest, beside a river, near a beach in the Hérault, at a hiking trailhead, etc. To help you, you can use the Park4night application, a handy tool that lists thousands of places to try out (campsites, service areas, parking lots, isolated spots, etc.).
When is the best time to travel by motorhome in the Hérault?
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When to visit Hérault? All year round, with a preference forsummer! Hérault enjoys a Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and hot, dry summers. Autumns and springs are cool and wet, with frequent stormy spells. On higher ground, the climate becomes more oceanic, or even temperate continental.
Hérault enjoys over 300 days (2828 hours) of sunshine a year. There are few rainy days, but rainfall totals can be significant, especially during the Cévennes (September to November). Summer temperatures fluctuate between 30°C and 35°C, with occasional peaks above 40°C. In winter, average maximum temperatures are mild (11.6°C to 15.9°C between November and March), but nights are cool to cold. In the highlands and in the Haut-Languedoc Park, summer temperatures will be much cooler than around the Mediterranean.
The best time to visit the Hérault by motorhome or van is from May to October. Travelling in June and September is even better: before or after the tourists!