Via Strasbourg to Southern France

departure at home

Overnight stay at Schöntal Monastery, situated in a very scenic location in the Jagst Valley

Stopover to buy a gas tank at Hornbach. It's more idyllic through the Odenwald than on the A6 anyway 😉.

Overnight stay while visiting friends in Pfaffengrund.

Parking lot at a community center at the end of Schwalbenweg - from here you can safely explore the city in peace and leave your RV there for free. There were no restrictions.

Staying with friends in and near Heidelberg

Brilliant parking lot for visiting Strasbourg - opposite the European Parliament, free at weekends, not far from a tram stop. But be careful: the access is limited by concrete blocks to a maximum width of 2.20 meters. I managed to get through there just about easily with my campervan, but it won't work for a "normal" RV!

A 24-hour tram ticket costs just €4.60. A stroll through the city is worthwhile: the cathedral is well worth seeing with its magnificent stained glass windows and impressive architecture, the Petite France district is very pretty with many beautiful half-timbered houses. Overall, the city is very green and has many canals running through it. A stroll is varied and you can spend a lot of time here. There are plenty of restaurants and cafés, so everyone should be happy here.

I had actually planned to take the Vosges High Road, but I quickly realised that it was too winding for me. And I wanted to go south! So I gave up and took a well-maintained route to Belmont.

I spent my lunch break in a small town where there was a (currently closed) supermarket with a large parking lot.

Large parking space near the old town, free of charge, including supplies and waste disposal! But it's not as comfortable as it seems, here you're parked close together. But it's definitely OK for an overnight stop.

From the parking space it is only a short walk into the old town. The town is quite pretty for a little stroll. The citadel that towers over the town is very impressive!

Today was a driving day. On the motorway to Lyon for €49.10!!! From Lyon I drove on country roads, which was exhausting and tough as it goes through many villages. A large part of the route ran along the Rhône, and from around Valence the landscape became more varied and more southern. I only made a few photo stops to stretch my legs a bit, for example in Saint-Vallier, below the Crussol Castle (Château de Crussol) and in Cruas. There is an ancient church there (Abbatiale Sainte-Marie), but unfortunately it is already closed.

Tonight I'm spending the night in a large car park in the municipality of Saint-Montan in the Ardèche valley. Tomorrow I want to visit the castle and the medieval town, then continue on to the Ardèche Gorge.

The village is well worth seeing, many old houses have been restored. I immediately fell in love with the pretty little town and would come back anytime. It was just a shame that the castle was closed. In the low season it is only open for tours on weekends. I hiked to the "Hermit's Cave", but as I thought it was much closer to the town, I set off without a water bottle. I later regretted this very much, as the path was steeply uphill in places and over hill and dale. So I walked the same route back. With water, you could have done a circular tour of the neighboring town, which is about 10 km long. Nevertheless, it was a very beautiful day here with beautiful weather (around 22 degrees).

After lunch we continue to the Ardèche Gorge.

A stopover to visit one of the caves in the Ardèche valley. Entrance fee 14 euros. You basically go into two connected caves, the tour lasts an hour. In the cave you mainly go down 65 meters of stairs, which you then have to climb back up again.

Parking space in the city, currently costs €9.80 for 24 hours - that's okay considering that there are otherwise only campsites here.

However, I cannot recommend the site for people like me who are sensitive to noise - the night was short because there was a lot of traffic around it early in the morning. I wouldn't spend the night here again, I would rather stay at one of the many campsites. Incidentally, the parking is very close together here - the photo is deceptive, it was taken the next morning when most of the RVs were already on the road again.

I drive back through the Gorge d'Ardèche because the landscape is so fascinating that I enjoy the views again with many photo stops.

Another beautiful medieval village with only about 215 inhabitants, located directly above the Ardèche. It's worth a stroll and there are nice little boutiques to browse. The church has very beautiful stained glass windows for such a small place.

The parking space costs €6 per day, is beautifully located and really quiet. However, there are only garbage cans and pit toilets (or something similar, they smelled pretty bad anyway), so the site is more suitable for self-sufficient vehicles.

Today I'm taking a day off and enjoying the great weather and the beautiful surroundings. It's about 25 degrees and the sky is clear blue - I like it that way 😉.

Visit the triumphal arch, where there is free parking opposite. Visit the amphitheater, which is well worth seeing (it's amazing what the Romans built!) and the museum opposite.

Parking space on a winery. Really nice welcome, quiet location, there is a shop with wine and regional products, wine tasting is also possible. Just rubbish bins, no water and sewage available, so more suitable for self-sufficient vehicles.

Good stopover, for example on the way to Avignon.

No overnight accommodation for people sensitive to noise, but theoretically there is no ban

Visit to the Pope's Palace and the famous bridge, known from the children's song “Sur le Pont d'Avignon…”😉.

The Pope's Palace is absolutely huge - it's unimaginable how much money and time must have gone into building it! Even if you're not interested in churches etc., you should still stop by just for the impressive architecture.

Old town with many impressive old houses, almost palaces - you have to take your time. There is also a city wall with a total length of 4.3 km and it is very well preserved.

By the way, that was my lucky day: admission to the Pope's Palace and the gardens was free today. Normally admission is free every Sunday. But this way I saved €14.50, so I can't say no to that.

Compared to yesterday's parking spot at a winery, this one is less beautiful and idyllic - it is in the middle of the village above the road. If I hadn't arrived so late, I would have looked for a quieter area. But it's OK for one night and I'm grateful that there are many farms, wineries, etc. in the area that offer free parking. Unfortunately, the shop was closed because it was the weekend.

All I can think of right now is: “The Romans are crazy!” 😂 An incredible building and a masterpiece of craftsmanship!

There was a small market with regional products. On a short circular path you could enjoy the view of the Pont du Gard again and learn something about the cultivation of wine, olives, etc. (if you understand enough French 😏). Unfortunately, the signs were only in French.

Parking costs €9, but you can register online and then use the parking space free of charge for a year – ideal for repeat offenders.

Good stopover for supplies and disposal if, like me, you mainly stay at (private) campsites such as wineries, etc. Draining the grey water and emptying the toilet cassette was no problem.

Quiet parking space on a farm/winery in the middle of the Camargue. The small shop offers a good selection of regional products (wine, olive oil, sausage, soaps, ceramics, etc.) at absolutely fair prices. A bottle of organic Merlot, for example, costs €4.80 - that's a really good price!

I was able to observe a few nutrias in a small pond (canal?) directly at the campsite.

Today I simply enjoyed the beautiful surroundings and treated myself to a little time out to process the many impressions of the last few days.

Hike through the Camargue "discovery center" in Scamandre. Beautiful bird watching, nutrias and a few "wild horses" (?). Part of the path is on logs. Very easy and pleasant to walk.

Free parking space for 4 RVs near the tennis courts/cemetery. Even marked with RV signs.

Good stopover or for a day stay in Aigues-Mortes.

Bike tour along the canal with (not a very good view) of the saltworks with their mountains of salt and a tour of the city, including on the little tourist train - it was fun 😉. There is a leaflet with German descriptions of the various stops, so you can easily follow everything.

I really liked the town, the shops were so pretty, everything was clean and well-kept and the place was so small and easy to navigate that it was impossible to get lost. There are still quite a lot of tourists around, but if you take your time, you can really spend a lovely day here.

Visit to the large church. Otherwise a leisurely day.

Overnight stay in the community's free RV parking space. All water and electricity options available. Very quiet night here, even though the parking spaces are tight. I got the outermost spot, which was of course great ☺️.

Drive from Saint-Gilles through the Camargue National Park with many photo stops.

The highlight was the salt flats in Giraud, where there was a viewing hill from which you could get a really wonderful view of the salt flats. Huge parking lot and access to the viewing point is free. If you were to hike/cycle through the area there would be an entrance fee.

Free parking directly at the marina. Garbage cans available. Quiet in the evenings and at night, but the surrounding area is very industrial.

Stopover to visit the old church of Saint-Sauveur and the Château de l'Hauture in Fos-sur-Mer. The whole complex looks very impressive from the outside, but unfortunately there is hardly anything to see inside the church as the ceiling is currently removed, probably because of renovation work.

I drove to a small car park directly below the church, but I can't recommend it: the access was incredibly narrow and turning around at the top is also a challenge when all the parking spaces are taken. So it's better to park down in the village and walk the few meters up the hill.

Visit the ancient church of St. Blaise and the ruins of the ancient village next to it. Wonderful views of the bright pink lake "Étang de Lavalduc", but a very strong wind. But it is definitely worth a stop if you are in the area!

Free parking for a stroll through the old town of Martigues.

Small, pretty village with very cute little houses along the canals. However, most of the shops were closed - I don't know if that was because it was a Saturday afternoon or because it was autumn and there were fewer tourists.

It was a nice stroll, but I wouldn't drive here just for that.

Nice parking spot, unfortunately only for one night, under olive and almond trees on a farm. No water/electricity, but ideal for self-sufficient people like me and quiet at night.

After not liking the area around Marseille (lots of industry and oil refineries), I decided to drive a good 90 km back to the Camargue and go to the campsite in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. I'm going on holiday for a week right by the sea and enjoying the warmth (around 20 degrees) and the salty air. I also want to relax and not be on the move every day. Saintes Maries with its beaches is perfect for that!

Excursions from the campsite:

- City stroll and climb to the church roof (entrance fee 4.-)

- Cycling tour through the Camargue National Park to the Gacholle lighthouse

- Horse riding (Promenade de la Valette, 2 hours 45.-)

- Bullfight in the arena (bloodless! Entrance fee 3.-)

- Bike tour to the ornithological park at Pont du Gau, entrance fee 8.-)

- Visit to the weekly market

Visit the market in Saintes-Maries, which takes place twice a week. Then stroll through the small town and climb up to the roof of the church, from where you have a wonderful panoramic view of the town and the sea.

The tour was wonderful! If you set off early enough and have enough stamina and energy, you can go on a long bike tour around the Camargue National Park, which starts shortly after the campsite.

The only downside: the Mistral was so strong that it almost blew me over with my bike at times. It was still warm, but if you're sensitive to wind and drafts like me, you should definitely pull something over your ears - luckily I had my hooded jacket with me.

The landscape was simply magnificent, the route practically runs directly along the sea. You can see lots of flamingos, dunes and admire the lighthouse, which is apparently open for a snack in the summer months. Otherwise, bring your own food and enjoy the view!

Very nice trip, only about 5 km from the campsite. Now in October there were not so many bird species there, but still enough for great impressions and observations. Nowhere else can you get as close to the flamingos as here.

The only thing I found a little steep was the entrance fee of €8, but on the other hand, there are well-maintained hiking trails through the large protected area. There is a leaflet at the ticket office showing two tours, a short and a long one. The short tour was quite well attended, but there were significantly fewer people on the longer route. There are good signs in French and English. All in all, I thought the trip was a great success!

Today I'm going to get on my bike again. I'm just going to ride a long way out of Saintes-Maries on country roads, enjoy the scenery and cycle back through the town.

Along the way you will often see the reed-covered houses that are typical of the Camargue.

As I say goodbye to Saintes-Maries, I take a long walk along the sea and enjoy the salty air and the great views.

Spontaneous stopover between Arles and Fontveille. An old abbey worth seeing - no ecclesiastical furnishings inside, but the architecture is incredibly impressive. Entrance fee € 7.-

Arrive in the late afternoon, spend the night in a small parking lot above the official cemetery parking lot. There are so many cars and a camper van there that I don't really fit in there, despite the overhangs. A few meters above, however, there are a few parking spaces along a small canal, where two other vans are already parked. It might be a bit tight for large camper vans.

Stroll through the really pretty old town. "Vincent van Gogh" hiking trail to the monastery with psychiatric clinic where he lived for a year. Sightseeing tour there, then on to Glanum. The area has unfortunately been closed on Mondays since the beginning of October, but there was a triumphal arch to see outside.

Pretty medieval village nestled on a hillside. Above it is an old defensive tower and a clock tower. Explanations are given in French and English. The place was a chance discovery, but I would go back anytime - so cute!

Overnight stay in a large free car park at the entrance to the town next to the sports ground. The night was very restless though! Cars, buses, trucks arriving and departing...😏

I really liked the place itself. If you take your time, you can discover lots of pretty little things. The climb up the hill with the ruins and the clock tower was very worthwhile with wonderful views of the landscape and the many olive groves.

At the end of my stroll, a heavy thunderstorm came up - I just got back to my camper in time with the first big drops of rain.

The castle ruins are closed due to the danger of collapse; you can only view the ruins from the outside. Further up the mountain there is a small observation tower with views of the Luberon and as far as the coast.

It's not worth driving there especially, but if you're travelling with a small RV/campervan, you'll find a large and very quiet car park just below the ruins (but no water/electricity!).

Nice little temple, but there is nothing to see except this small ruin. The castle (winery) looks very nice from the outside, but unfortunately the boutique was closed.

Conclusion: Nice stop for a short walk if it's on the way.

Overnight stay in a free parking lot on the outskirts of town. This is actually a car park, but the overhangs mean you can park a camper van here, as long as it's not a huge liner.

Here I met a nice couple from Fürth (Hello Gerdi & Eddy, if you're reading this 🤗!). Incredibly, I met them again a week later on the way home to Germany in a supermarket parking lot. We were very surprised and all three of us were really happy - the world is so small ☺️!

A pretty little place, but unfortunately quite overpriced. I thought the castle was great and it was easy to visit: at the ticket office you get a leaflet with German descriptions of everything worth seeing. The individual points within the castle are clearly marked so that you can find your way around easily.

Lourmarin itself is a nice place, but there are definitely nicer villages in Provence (in my opinion). The plane tree avenues in the area are great, by the way!

A great place! Also "only" a small village, but I liked it much better than Lourmarin. Here the streets are more rustic and steeper, there is more to discover and overall I found the atmosphere much more pleasant.

I only visited the outside of the château above the town, as I had just toured the castle this morning. It is also much smaller than the castle in Lourmarin. You can get in for €5. The castle once belonged to the Marquis de Sade, but according to the reviews on Google Maps there is not much explanation. From the castle hill there are wonderful views of the surrounding countryside and the town of Bonnieux opposite (1st photo).

Overnight stay in a free car park below the town. Up at the castle would have been possible, but unfortunately a few young people came with loud music, so I didn't want to spend the evening and night there alone. Caution is the mother of all safety 😉...

Very quiet night with a great view of the surrounding area and Bonnieux when you wake up!

Photo stop at a beautiful ancient, very well preserved bridge

Hiking trail with great views of interesting ochre formations. When the sun shines, the rock formations literally glow - a great sight and a great short hike! Highly recommended!

Entrance fee € 3.50.

Pretty place, especially when the sun is shining, as it was when I visited. The houses are painted in different shades of ochre, creating a very warm atmosphere.

The only possible place for motorhomes in Bonnieux. All other parking spaces are now closed to campers, what a pity.

The place itself is flat, gravelled, with water/emissions.

Visit the market in Bonnieux. There are regional products (olive oil, olive wood products, soaps, sausage, cheese, linen clothing, etc.) and handicrafts - small but nice market.

Afterwards we took a tour of the town. Well... The location on the hill is very picturesque, but the town itself didn't really blow me away. The church above the town is currently closed for renovation work.

From up there you have a great view of the town of Lacoste opposite.

Overnight stay in a free community car park with a view of the Luberon. Camper parking time limited to a maximum of 48 hours. Very quiet night. Not suitable for large motorhomes - it is a car park, which means that even I, with my length of just over 6 meters, have 1.5 spaces (probably not a problem in the off-season). The access is also quite narrow.

Visit to the large market in Apt. Definitely worth seeing - the market stalls are spread out over the entire old town. I didn't find the place itself very impressive, or rather, I didn't like it at all! But I met a couple who have been coming here on holiday for years. This just goes to show that beauty is in the eye of the beholder 🤭.

Overnight stay in Rustrel with a visit to the hiking area “Colorado Provençale” planned for tomorrow.

There is a relatively small, free parking lot right in the town. There are trash cans, slightly slanted. There was surprisingly a lot of traffic there at the weekend. There were 3-4 other RVs there besides me. There is also a view towards the “Ockerberge”.

A fantastic natural experience, especially when the sun comes out and the rocks literally glow in the various ochre tones. If you're a good walker, you'll definitely want to take the longer route, which offers wonderful views of the various rock formations. But here you really have to go over hill and dale!

For information on entrance fees etc. see: http://www.coloradoprovencal.fr/

Visit to the castle ruins, which are impressively built on a rocky outcrop. I found it very fascinating! The fortress walls in particular are incredibly cleverly built. From the top you have a wonderful panoramic view of the Luberon.

Afterwards, we took a tour of the charming town in absolute peace and quiet - there was hardly anyone around. There is also an old windmill in which flour was ground. Apparently it can be visited in the summer months and there are demonstrations from time to time. The walk there was still worth it, though, because you get another wonderful view of the fortress from there. It's just a shame that it was overcast and later rained.

Small hamlet near Gordes, where I actually wanted to go today. But since it's raining, I'm spending a leisurely afternoon here and will continue on tomorrow.

The parking here (free) is located directly below the road, but is very quiet as there are only a few cars driving by. Beautiful view of a "cliff" opposite ("La Falaise de la Madeleine").

On the outskirts of the village there is a beautifully renovated castle (unfortunately the inside cannot be visited) and countless orchards and vineyards.

It is almost impossible to find a parking space in Gordes. The only parking space designated for motorhomes was hopelessly overcrowded. There are many critical voices on the Internet that advise against visiting the place altogether. I found a small parking space about 2 km above the town opposite the entrance to a hotel. There were no prohibition signs there and I walked comfortably into the town. Of course, it would also be easy to do by bike from here.

Overall, I found the search for a parking space very annoying, but the place, although very touristy, was still very worth it!

It was market day in Gordes, so it's no surprise that there was a lot going on and the parking lots were full.

The prices here are quite high due to the popularity of the place and the large number of tourists. I could easily do without a scoop of ice cream for 3 euros. However, I can only recommend the bakery "Le Fournil de Mamie Jeanne": They have homemade bread, incredibly tasty, and at reasonable prices. I treated myself to a focaccia with chicken and onions and a croissant and would have loved to take a whole box of them home with me, it tasted so good!

The monastery is very famous for the great view during the lavender blossom in summer. But since it is only a few kilometers from Gordes, I drove there in the late afternoon. The access road is very narrow and only one-way, which means you have to drive out of the valley on the other side and then make a big loop back towards Gordes or into the next valley. In hindsight, I probably would have cycled or hiked instead, so I could have cycled/walked straight back to Gordes.

The monastery itself is really pretty in a narrow valley and has a huge monastery shop. It would also be possible to visit the inside, but it is not supposed to be particularly worth seeing, so I decided not to. I had also promised a friend that I would help her with documents in the evening, and since there was no reception at the monastery at all, I had to drive on anyway.

But I would really like to come back here at some point, when the lavender is still in bloom. The lavender fields are now fenced off (unlike before), but it must still be amazing.

After I drove out of the valley of the monastery and in the only direction away from Gordes, it took a while until I found a suitable place to stay for the night. As a stopgap solution, I parked in a small industrial estate in Venasque, where I finally had good internet again. It was absolutely quiet here and I would use this place for a stopover at any time.

Free parking for visiting the town of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, about 10 minutes walk from the old town. Specially signposted for motorhomes.

There was also an interesting self-converted RV to admire. As impressive as I find something like that, I prefer my small, relatively maneuverable van 😉.

On the way home I stop off in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. The town is known above all for its many antique dealers. There are a number of shops that sell what I would call art and junk. For lovers of unusual art objects and old collector's items, the place is sure to be a treasure trove.

There are a few small canals where you can sit, especially in summer. There are also many sculptures spread throughout the old town.

This is such a charming little place, just after my own heart! Similar to Lacoste, but even smaller and more winding and almost without shops. I practically had the place to myself on a rather dull day.

There are beautifully renovated houses and alleys that end in a dead end or a dirt track. The town is located on a hill, surrounded by vineyards and ancient olive trees.

I was able to park and spend the night in the visitor parking lot below the village. But be careful: the narrow and winding access road is definitely not suitable for large RVs. It is better to park at the foot of the hill and walk or cycle up.

The next morning, when the sun came out, I was able to enjoy the beautiful view of the surrounding hills.

Parking in a car park on the side of the road - I'm 6.40m tall and I'm hanging over onto the very wide sidewalk. NOT suitable for large RVs - my campervan just about fits in width-wise.

There is a "new town" on the river, which is also nice to stroll around. Unfortunately, the Gallic-Roman archaeological museum was closed, but from the outside you could see many of the uncovered ruins and also some statues.

The two districts are connected by an ancient Roman bridge.

The medieval old town nestles on a slope above the town. The walk up is worth it and you will be rewarded with beautiful old streets and wonderful views. Time well spent on a leisurely stroll around the area is well spent!

Since this afternoon I have been on my way home. This is a stopover next to the cemetery in a small town near Valence, not far from the motorway.

Almost unbelievable: I just wanted to go shopping for a bit and in the parking lot in front of the supermarket I actually met the couple from Fürth that I had met in Lourmarin exactly a week ago. None of us can believe that we are seeing each other again here so far away - the world really does seem small!

I have enough time for the return journey, so I drive comfortably north on country roads. I spend the night in this small town, where there is a large parking lot right next to the cemetery. It is slightly sloping, but that's OK for one night.

It's a full moon, which you can still see quite well in the evening. During the night there's a heavy thunderstorm that shakes the whole campervan. Luckily I'm sitting in the dry!

The journey since my stop in La Biolle was very winding in places, but with enough time and a camper van that isn't that wide, it was easily doable. I deliberately decided against the route through Switzerland and found the journey very varied through many different landscapes.

At the beginning, the road was still clear of many olive trees, but towards Grenoble, walnut tree plantations dominate. I have actually never seen so many walnut trees as here - the climate seems to be perfect for them!

On the way back home, I had a lunch break at the parking spot in Belfort where I had spent the night on the way there. Up to this point, I had only been on country roads, some of which had been converted into dual carriageways. The journey was problem-free and there were no traffic jams.

I have time, so I didn't drive any further today ☺️.

Overnight stay near Freiburg im Breisgau. Small parking lot next to a playground and right by the stream - only for self-sufficient RVs, not suitable for larger vehicles and not possible due to the narrow access road!

A lovely last experience on my tour were the alpacas that came past with a hiking group. I'm always totally fascinated by these mini camels, they're just so cuddly!

Drive through the southern Black Forest past Lake Titisee and stop for shopping at the bakery in Donaueschingen. Unfortunately, the Black Forest is full of high fog, so I hardly have any great views.

Back home after five and a half weeks on tour full of impressions and wonderful memories! The time was very good for me, I was able to leave the stress of everyday life behind me and once again met lots of great people.