Southern France and Spain with the camper: ‘As if we were suddenly in the Grand Canyon’

“’We’re not going to France, I’ve been there so many times as a child.’ Erik and I were talking about our first big trip with our motorhome Freddy when he suggested the south of Europe. No, it had to be a fatter trip. Erik dreamed of Mongolia, Scandinavia seemed like something to me. We would go for the latter, until we discovered on the day before departure that Bruno would not be allowed to come, as an unvaccinated Dutchman.

Sunflowers and vineyards

‘France is also very fat’, Erik tried again. And so I went to see if there might be something else to be found there than the raked campsites where I used to stay with my parents. I found a site, France Passion, with addresses where you could stand in the yard of French farmers. See, that’s what I wanted to try. When we looked at the route, we quickly decided not to take the highways, but the smaller D-roads. We couldn’t go faster than 85 kilometers per hour with old animal Freddy, and in this way we could see much more of France and Spain.

“Bruno enjoyed our sleeping places in the yard of French farmers.”

We started along the coast in Brittany, where I always think it’s a bit Scotland-esque, with those cliffs, the gray weather and the rugged nature. Then slowly towards the south, where we soon drove between the sunflowers and vineyards. But I was only really happy when we visited a large French Lidl where I could let loose for a while, very civilly. Bruno enjoyed our sleeping places with the farmers; often he was allowed to look at the tractors or help with picking grapes.

So into the mountains

Once in Spain we were mainly in the mountains. Not only the Pyrenees, but also the Picos de Europa, a northern Spanish mountain range that is not far from the coast. There we stayed in a camper place at the foot of a mountain ridge; we walked into the mountains. The villages in Spain were so beautiful, especially in the wine region of La Rioja. The light was special and everything had that typical sand color, as if it had all been raised from the ground.

When we first arrived in Spain, we decided to adjust our pace a bit. Our goal was to reach northwestern Spain, but it felt too rushed; as if we had to tap that point quickly and then drive home very quickly. Rather, we really wanted to be at the places where we arrived. It was a bit of a search anyway, also because it was our first trip with Bruno and Freddy. How do you do that on the road with naps, how long do we drive in a row?

After a week or two I concluded that we were traveling, but we were actually doing the same as at home, just in a different place. Reading a book for hours, doing what you want: it just wasn’t in it. We also found that cities are not convenient. Parking with a camper is a hassle, Bruno always walked away when we sat on a terrace. We even skipped the Guggenheim in Bilbao, which Erik really wanted to see.

We didn’t do any tough walks either, luckily a lot was possible with the back carrier. Especially in Spain we have made quite long mountain walks; in the Pyrenees we went out once from eight o’clock in the morning to four o’clock in the afternoon. Bruno, of course, thought it was all fine. In that backpack he often slept for hours and in the bus he sat between us, on a somewhat higher spot. That way he could see everything clearly. ‘Little church little church!’ he shouted again.

packed

We also planned to go to the French surf town Biarritz, but all the motorhome spots there were either full or way too expensive. On the gamble we drove to Capbreton, a town slightly above Biarritz. We found a very strange camper place on a piece of asphalt next to the beach with fifty other campers that were packed. There was only one toilet, no shower, it was a bit of a struggle. But the atmosphere was perfect.

We had nice Swiss neighbors with whom we spent three days. Bake pancakes together for the children, have a drink in the evening. You were on the beach in one minute: ideal, so we could take a walk separately from each other. That gave me so much freedom. In terms of happiness, this place scored very high, precisely because it was so simple and basic.

Read also
In the footsteps of Van Gogh: tips for a great holiday in the South of France >

Rediscovery

This trip became a rediscovery of France and Spain for us. It really surprised me, that ruggedness of the mountainous regions or the dryness of the semi-desert Bardenas Reales, as if we were suddenly in the Grand Canyon. I never expected that in Europe I would have the feeling of being far from home. That is also a nice discovery: we don’t have to travel long at all to get that feeling.”

“I never expected to feel far from home in Europe.”

To do

beautiful
Jardin du Lauteret is a beautiful botanical garden in the French Alps, with snowy mountain peaks in the background. The road to it alone is breathtaking, with bizarre hairpin bends.
jardinalpindulautaret.fr

romance
See the castle that Dalí built for his wife, in Pubol, Spain. It is a feasible cultural outing with a child, you can get through it in an hour and it’s cool that the spirit of Dalí still seems to be around here.
salvador-dali.org/en

smuggling
If you don’t feel like hiking in the Alps, Téléphérique la Grave is a good alternative: you can take the cable car here to an altitude of 3200 meters. Very nice for children.
la-grave.com

To sleep

surf vibe
Capbreton Camper Area is a very simple motorhome site, but with good weather it provides the ultimate summer feeling. There are many surfers and you can walk straight onto the beach.
capbreton.fr

Grapes everywhere
Via the France Passion app we found a very nice address at winegrower Poncet et Fils in Boyeux-Saint-Jérôme. You are here high in the hills, between the vineyards. Bruno was allowed to help with grape picking and the wine tasting is great fun.
france-passion.com/en/motorhomers/mobile-app

Food

Typically Breton
Try the crêpes and apple cider at La Maison du Cidre in Brittany. It’s a fun museum where kids can squeeze their own cider.
museeducidre.com

Wine and more
During the wine tour Bodega Ysios in Laguardia you will taste great wines and delicious food. It takes place in a fantastic architectural masterpiece in a famous wine region of Spain, La Rioja.
bodegasysios.com

In the mountains
Camping Albergue de Maraña in the Picos de Europa is located next to a mountain hut where you can drink ice-cold Spanish beers and eat tapas. Also recommended as a place to stay.
alberguedemarana.com/en/

This article appears in Kek Mama 16-2021.

More travel stories? Follow us on facebook.