Going off the beaten path in France by camper van
What is a Traveler to do During a Pandemic?
We did what many others decided to do… stay within our own country and explore on wheels! We found a used minivan online with low miles, tricked out the back (meaning we took out the back seats and constructed a basic platform to put a mattress with room for storage underneath), brought along a folding table and chairs, some camping supplies, a map of France and we were off! It was honestly one of the best decisions we’ve made and we loved every minute. It was incredible to be so free and spontaneous without any real plan. There was no hassle of making reservations or annoyance of meeting airbnb hosts or trying to cram in all the sites from hot spots. We kept it simple by exploring little known regions that were unfamiliar to us and to most travelers. We truly did get off the beaten path and found the coolest little spots in areas that your typical tourists would likely never find.
In 3 weeks we visited the Dordogne region, made our way down through the Lot valley over and down to the Cevennes, through the Ardeche, then up into the Drôme region and into the mountains of Vercors. We finished off hiking old volcanos in the Auvergne. Each area was so breathtakingly beautiful. We hiked, we swam, we explored, we picnicked, we napped and we slept so peacefully each night in a new location surrounded by wild nature.
Our style was basically glorified camping. As much as we love the outdoors, it’s still really nice to have a comfy mattress to rest our old bones. We were super lucky with the weather so we were able to picnic and cook outdoors on our camping stove every day. One of the most incredible discoveries to me was that in most of Europe, you can do “wild camping.” This means you can park your van or pitch a tent anywhere that’s not designated private. On top of that, I found the coolest app called Park4Night that helps you locate these wild spots all over Europe. It works with Google Maps and suggests locations with photos and reviews from other travelers. They give you the option to choose between wild spots, parking lots, and actual paid camp grounds with amenities (you know, when it’s time to finally have a shower).
Each day was a new adventure. We had stops in the most quaint little villages and tested which boulangeries had the best croissants and pastries, toured ancient castles and ruins we happened upon (it happened often!), bought our picnic lunch ingredients from local farmers markets and farms (hello fresh tomatoes, cheeses and honey!), followed packs of free-roaming horses in the most lush green hills, took many dips under waterfalls in wild swimming spots and slept under the stars with not one other person around us. It renewed my spirit in an otherwise weird and challenging time. I was surprised to find these virtually untouched areas and can’t wait to get back out on the road to discover more (and share them with you).
