Visiting Provence, one of the most beautiful parts of the South of France? Why not take a motorhome tour of the Luberon?
Would you like to visit the Luberon by motorhome? Take to the roads of Provence under the song of the cicadas, admiring the sublime landscapes of the Provencal hinterland! The Luberon is a massif 60 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide, straddling the Vaucluse and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence departments.
The last southern foothill of the Pre-Alps, the Luberon is one of the most popular destinations in the South of France. The natural park also boasts some of the most beautiful scenery in Provence. In 2018, 4 million people visited Vaucluse. In 2017, the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence recorded almost 14 million overnight stays.
An itinerary in the Luberon allows you to explore picturesque villages, some of which are ranked among the most beautiful in France. You’ll also discover exceptional views over the massifs of Provence. As you can see, you’re invited to discover a rich heritage and a land full of authenticity, far removed from the mass tourism that plagues the coast.
Route ideas in the Luberon by motorhome
Photo credit: shutterstock – Romrodphoto
From Cavaillon to Forcalquier, from Manosque to Apt, the Luberon Regional Nature Park is home to exceptional flora and fauna and a remarkable natural heritage. This must-see destination in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region is sure to arouse your curiosity.
The Luberon extends over three low mountain ranges: the Luberon Oriental, the Grand Luberon and the Petit Luberon. Its surface area is 1,747.26 km², equivalent to that of Essonne or Guadeloupe. It’s a small territory, but it’s home to a number of must-see sites and monuments.
Here are a few ideas for visiting the Luberon in a motorhome or converted van:
- A week in the Luberon: from Avignon, Cavaillon, Gordes, Roussillon, Apt, Rustrel (the Colorado Provençal), Forcalquier, Manosque ;
- Visit the Luberon in a motorhome over 15 days: same stages, plus villages (Ansouis, Lourmarin, Ménerbes, Roussillon, Gordes), La Tour d’Aigues, Fonjoyeuse, Notre-Dame de Sénanque abbey, the village of Les Bories (Gordes), the Cèdres du Luberon forest, Mérindol, Cucuron ;
- Visit the Luberon in a month: same stages plus Cadenet (troglodyte houses), Bonnieux, Régalon gorges (Mérindol), Gargas (ochre mines), Oppède-le-Vieux, Provence mills (Goult, Apt, Rustrel).
If you have any time left over during your stay in Luberon, take advantage of it to visit the other must-sees of Provence. To the west, the Alpilles massif, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Les Baux-de-Provence or the Camargue as far as Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.
To the south, Aix-en-Provence and the Sainte-Victoire and Marseille Calanques. It would also be a shame to visit the Luberon by motorhome without exploring the Gorges du Verdon nature park.
Driving a motorhome in the Luberon: traffic rules you need to know
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Boris Stroujko
The landscapes of the Luberon are dotted with small mountain roads, crossing vineyards and garrigues. Vaucluse has a road network of 8,444 kilometers, including almost 6,000 kilometers of communal roads and 2,342 kilometers of departmental roads. To the east, 62.6% of the road network in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is made up of small communal roads.
So, even though the Luberon is a small mountain range, be very careful on the roads. First of all, it can be difficult to cross with other vehicles. On the other hand, some motorists in the south like to think of the road as a racetrack, as if they were all alone on the network.
It’s worth noting that the locals are very familiar with the roads, which they use on a daily basis. So let other vehicles overtake you, to keep traffic flowing smoothly. Civilized, courteous driving is also less accident-prone. In the Luberon, the villages are often perched on high ground: visit them in the morning or evening, when tourist numbers are lowest.
If you’re visiting the Luberon by motorhome during the summer months, the roads will also be very busy. This region is home to so many popular tourist nuggets that you’re bound to experience traffic jams on the outskirts of the most famous villages. So try to visit the Luberon after or before the summer tourist rush.
Incidentally, the rules governing motorhome traffic are the same as those that apply everywhere else in France.
Freeway tolls in the Luberon: what price for your category of motorhome?
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Boris Stroujko
The Luberon nature park region is not crossed by any freeway and therefore has no toll roads. Only the A7 andA51 freeways encircle the park to the west and east respectively. The A7 is the freeway of the sun, linking Lyon to Marseille. It crosses the Alpilles and Luberon massifs at Cavaillon. It is therefore one of the gateways to the Petit Luberon.
To the east, the Grand Luberon is crossed by the A51, which links Marseille to Gap from Aix-en-Provence, Manosque and Sisteron. Both these freeways are under concession to Vinci Autoroutes, and are therefore subject to tolls. Campervans pay class 2 tolls, while vans pay class 1.
Here are some prices for visiting the Luberon by freeway:
- Gap-Marseille: €18.80,
- Gap-Manosque: €12.50,
- Sisteron-Pertuis: €12.10,
- Avignon-Cavaillon: €3.30,
- Aix-en-Provence-Pertuis: €2,
- Aix-en-Provence-Cavaillon: €7,
- Montpellier-Cavaillon: €12.90,
- Nice-Pertuis: €29.60,
- Valence-Cavaillon: €19.60.
Visiting the Luberon by freeway in a converted van will be less expensive. Here are some class 1 rates for the same destinations:
- Gap-Marseille: €13.20,
- Gap-Manosque: €8.70,
- Sisteron-Pertuis: €8.40,
- Avignon-Cavaillon: €2.10,
- Aix-en-Provence-Pertuis: €1.30,
- Aix-en-Provence-Cavaillon: €4.30,
- Montpellier-Cavaillon: €12.20,
- Nice-Pertuis: €19.60,
- Valence-Cavaillon: €12.70.
How and where to rent a motorhome in France?
But how do you rent a motorhome to visit the Luberon? Nowadays, it’s very easy to rent these vehicles between private individuals, especially in France. 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. You’ll need to sign it as soon as you return from the lavender fields, and once you’ve done that, that’s it!
RV parks in the Luberon: where to park?
Photo credit: Caramaps
Parking in the Luberon
You’ll find plenty of parking spaces in the Luberon’s communes and natural sites. These sites are often equipped with parking lots (often paying in summer) where you can park your motorhome. If the parking spaces are overcrowded, opt for parking lots on the outskirts of towns and villages.
Finding a place to park such a vehicle can indeed be complicated in summer. That’s why we recommend you look for spaces dedicated to motorhomes.
Sleeping in the Luberon
Would you like to find a « spot » to sleep in the wilderness during your motorhome trip? French legislation prohibits wild camping in all the forested areas of the Luberon Regional Nature Park. During the summer months, checks by the authorities may be more frequent than in the low season. Bivouacs, on the other hand, are tolerated outside the summer season. And you need the owner’s approval to set up camp in a nature area.
The Luberon massif and forest are also a preferred habitat for wild boar, and a predator feared by shepherds: the wolf. If you don’t want to defy camping bans, be discreet and don’t leave any garbage outside your tent or vehicle. Food attracts animals at night. So it’s best to avoid waking up in front of a wild boar or a wolf!
Finally, when looking for a place to sleep, keep as far away from dwellings as possible, to respect the peace and quiet of the locals. Always leave a spot untouched, even more so than usual: the Luberon is a protected natural park. The Park4night app will help you visualize where you can sleep in your motorhome (parking lots, service areas, campsites, isolated spots, etc.).
Sleeping in your vehicle is authorized in France. However, setting up camp in public spaces is considered illegal camping. To camp legally, there are a number of open-air accommodation solutions: motorhome service areas and campsites. The Camping Car magazine website lists 63 such sites in the Luberon and Vaucluse regions.
When is the best time to travel by motorhome in the Luberon?
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Celli07
What’s the best month to visit the Luberon by motorhome? You thought that in the South of France, it was warm all year round and the weather was always sunny? Think again: Vaucluse and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence can experience harsh winters and heavy rainfall.
The best time to visit the Luberon by motorhome is from spring to early autumn, from early May to late October. Unsurprisingly, Luberon’s climate is Mediterranean, but its inland location means it is subject to continental influences. Winters are cold, with average maximum temperatures ranging from 6°C to 8°C between November and February. Frosty days are frequent in winter, and the snow stays on the ground in the higher elevations.
In contrast, summers are hot and dry. Summer temperatures exceed 30°C almost every day between June and August. Values often exceed 35°C. And during heatwaves, peaks of over 40°C are increasingly common.
In autumn, the average maximum temperature drops from 25°C in September to 20°C in October, then 13°C in November. It’s also the wettest season of the year, with thunderstorms and sometimes violent Mediterranean episodes. These bring torrential rain to the Languedoc and Provence regions. Average annual rainfall in Vaucluse is 700 mm, and the wind blows almost 110 days a year.
Finally, the Luberon is subject to the mistral wind, mainly in spring and winter. So be sure to bring a windbreaker.