Van road trip › France
Van road trip in France: how many days and how much does it cost?
France: allow 8 to 17 days by van for a loop of about 1,550 mi (2,500 km). Budget: between €650 and €1,100 for fuel and nights, without meals or sightseeing.
Estimates. These figures are rough estimates written from memory on Oct 25, 2026: prices and rules change. Check official sources before you go.
How many days?
Allow 8 to 17 days for a loop of about 1,550 mi (2,500 km), at a pace of 150 to 300 km (95 to 185 mi) a day. The longer you stay in the same places, the more days you need.
Famous routes in this country, to copy into a trip:
- Route des Grandes Alpes : From Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean over 16 passes: Iseran, Galibier, Izoard, Vars and Bonette, then down to Menton.
How much does it cost?
| Fuel | €650 |
|---|---|
| Nights (13 days) | between €0 and €450 |
| Total, without meals or sightseeing | between €650 and €1,100 |
Assumptions: 12 L per 100 km, 13 days, 1,550 mi (2,500 km) of driving, gas at €2.20 per litre. Tolls and vignettes extra. With your vehicle and your route, the planner works out the cost kilometre by kilometre.
Where to sleep? Tolerated depending on the spot
Wild camping banned on the coast, in protected sites and wherever the mayor bans it. Many motorhome aires (often free or cheap). Parking to sleep without setting anything out is generally tolerated unless banned.
Frequently asked questions
- France: how many days for a van road trip?
- Allow 8 to 17 days for a loop of about 1,550 mi (2,500 km), at a pace of 150 to 300 km (95 to 185 mi) a day. The longer you stay in the same places, the more days you need.
- France: how much does a van road trip cost?
- For 13 days, budget €650 for fuel (12 L per 100 km, gas at €2.20 per litre) and between €0 and €450 for nights, so between €650 and €1,100 in total without meals or sightseeing.
- France: where to sleep in a van?
- Tolerated depending on the spot. Wild camping banned on the coast, in protected sites and wherever the mayor bans it. Many motorhome aires (often free or cheap). Parking to sleep without setting anything out is generally tolerated unless banned. A night costs €0 to €35 depending on whether you find a free spot, a service area or a campground with hookups.
- France: do you need to pay tolls or buy a vignette in a van?
- Toll booths. Toll motorways with booths (credit cards accepted). A few free-flow sections with no booth (A79, A13, A14): pay online within 72 h. Caravans or RVs over 3 m high: pricier class.
- France: what do you need to enter with your van?
- Schengen Area: 90 days in any 180-day period, all Schengen countries counted together. Passport valid at least 3 months after you leave Schengen and issued less than 10 years ago. EES: fingerprints and photo taken on your first entry into Schengen, then checked at each crossing (system in place since 2025-2026). ETIAS: online travel authorisation, planned for late 2026; check whether it's in force before you go. International Driving Permit recommended (CAA, AAA): cheap, and it saves trouble. Insurance: your North American policy isn't valid here. You need European insurance for a vehicle registered outside Europe, with its green card.