In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
Around 435 km from Montélimar past the belvederes of the Ardèche gorge, along the Corniche des Cévennes and through the narrows of the Gorges du Tarn to beneath the Millau Viaduct and into the cheese cellars of Roquefort – a route for anyone who doesn’t mind narrow roads and likes to spend the evening beside a river.
The spirit of the route
This route follows the water that has cut through the limestone. First the Ardèche, green beneath the rock arch of the Pont d’Arc, then the Chassezac among the eroded rock figures of Païolive. Beyond that the land climbs into the Cévennes: schist, sweet chestnuts, dry-stone walls, villages with lauze roofs and a ridge road where you look down into blue valleys on both sides. At Florac the Tarn begins, and with it the deepest gorge on the route – overhanging cliffs so close that you will want to fold in the wing mirror. In the evening the air smells of thyme and warm limestone, griffon vultures circle over the Jonte, and through the sliding door all you hear is the river rushing over the gravel bars. Up on the Causses it suddenly turns quiet and wide, like a steppe. Anyone travelling here drives slowly, starts early, lets the buses pass – and plans fixed pitches, because the national park and protected areas leave hardly any room for wild camping.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Montélimar to Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- From Montélimar cross the Rhône to Le Teil and take the D86 (formerly the N86) south along the right bank of the Rhône to Viviers and Bourg-Saint-Andéol, then the D86/D290 to Saint-Just-d’Ardèche and Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche at the mouth of the gorges. A wide, flat valley road with lorry traffic from the quarries and cement works near Le Teil; quieter from Bourg-Saint-Andéol onwards. Just under an hour of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Viviers: a small cathedral town with the Cathédrale Saint-Vincent on its rock spur and views over the Rhône – on foot from the car parks at the edge of town.
- Aiguèze on the Gard side opposite Saint-Martin: castle ruins and lanes right above the Ardèche, one of the first views into the canyon.
- The gravel bars below Saint-Martin, where canoeists land after their trip through the gorge – quiet for a swim in the evening.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche has several campsites on the river, such as Camping des Gorges and Le Castelas, plus a motorhome car park at the edge of the village; check facilities and fees on site. If you want to stop earlier in Viviers: there is a Camping-Car Park pitch area there with an access card and service point. In July and August the riverside sites fill up early – book ahead.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): From Saint-Martin upstream the Gorges de l’Ardèche are a national nature reserve (Réserve naturelle) and a classified landscape; sleeping in a vehicle outside the sites and camping on the riverbank are prohibited there. In Saint-Martin and Aiguèze many car parks have signs banning motorhomes at night or height barriers – use the pitch area.
- Insider tip for campers
- Fill up on fuel and supplies before the gorge road: the supermarkets near Montélimar and Bourg-Saint-Andéol are cheaper than the shops in the gorge, and there is no petrol station on the D290 until Vallon. Montélimar has a municipal motorhome aire with service facilities – handy for topping up your tank before the route.
2Stage 2: Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche to Vallon-Pont-d’Arc (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- The Route des Gorges de l’Ardèche (D290) runs for about 30 km along the edge of the plateau, with turn-offs to a good dozen belvederes. Two lanes, but winding, with plenty of cyclists and slow tailbacks in summer; a few hairpins on the descent to Vallon. About 45 minutes without stops, half a day with the viewpoints. Side trip to the Grotte Chauvet 2 above Vallon.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Belvédères de la Madeleine and Grand Belvédère: sheer views into the meanders; their car parks are the roomiest for motorhomes – at the Balcon d’Autridge and the Templiers balconies it gets tight.
- Pont d’Arc: the natural rock arch over the Ardèche, with a swimming spot beneath it; almost empty early in the morning.
- Grotte Chauvet 2: a faithful replica of the roughly 36,000-year-old cave paintings on the plateau above Vallon; in summer book a time slot in advance.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Vallon-Pont-d’Arc has a municipal aire de camping-car at the edge of the village with service facilities, plus dozens of campsites on the Ardèche between the village and the Pont d’Arc, e.g. Camping de l’Ardèche, Camping l’Île or Camping le Clapas – with electricity, sanitary facilities and usually river access, season roughly April to September. Many sites cater to canoeists and are fully booked in August.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Parking is allowed by day at the belvederes on the D290, but not overnight: the road runs along the edge of the nature reserve, and the communes carry out checks. The Gaud and Gournier bivouac sites in the canyon are reserved exclusively for canoeists and hikers with a reservation and cannot be reached by vehicle. When the risk of forest fire is high, the prefect may ban access to the forests and stopping outside paved areas.
- Insider tip for campers
- Drive the gorge road from south to north, as described here: the belvederes are then on the river side, and you reach Vallon in the early afternoon, when the canoe hirers’ boats are coming back. Between Vallon and the Pont d’Arc traffic backs up in summer from late morning – visit the Pont d’Arc before 9 am. When the river is in flood, canoe trips are banned and bridges closed; ask about the water level locally.
3Stage 3: Vallon-Pont-d’Arc to Les Vans via the Bois de Païolive (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- Via Salavas and the D579 to Ruoms, through the wine-growing areas on the edge of the Ardèche limestone plateaus to Grospierres and Berrias, then on the D252 right through the Bois de Païolive and down to the Chassezac and Les Vans. Small, partly narrow departmental roads with dry-stone walls at the edge, but no climbs. About an hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Bois de Païolive: a labyrinth of water-worn limestone rocks under holm oaks, with waymarked circular walks from the car parks on the D252, including the Chassezac gorge.
- Labeaume, a short detour from Ruoms: a village of grey limestone with an avenue of plane trees along the Beaume – park outside in a motorhome, the lanes are very narrow.
- Les Vans: an old town with arcades and plane trees on the edge of the Cévennes; market on Saturday mornings.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: There are several smaller campsites around Les Vans, e.g. Camping Le Pradal at the edge of town, Camping le Mas du Serre or Camping Castanhada towards Chambonas – with electricity and sanitary facilities; check facilities and season with the operator. Further up the Chassezac is Camping les Gorges du Chassezac.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Bois de Païolive is a protected natural area; the car parks are meant for day visitors, and overnight stays and fires are taboo there. In summer, communal parking rules apply on the Chassezac, with bans on motorhomes at the swimming spots – you’re better off on a campsite.
- Insider tip for campers
- In the Bois de Païolive some parking bays lie under low-hanging branches and are bordered by boulders: better to choose the larger car park and walk the last few metres. Wear sturdy shoes – the rock paths are sharp-edged. Ruoms has supermarkets and a petrol station; after that the choice gets thinner.
4Stage 4: Les Vans to Saint-Jean-du-Gard (approx. 75 km)
- The drive
- On the D901 over the foothills of the Cévennes to Saint-Ambroix, then across the Alès basin (use the bypass) to Anduze, the “gateway to the Cévennes”, and through the Gardon valley to Saint-Jean-du-Gard. Well-built roads, plenty of traffic and roundabouts around Alès; the last kilometres along the river are pleasant. Around 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Anduze: clock tower, plane trees and the pottery workshops making the “vases d’Anduze” at the mouth of the Gardon gorge.
- Bambouseraie near Générargues: a historic bamboo park close to Anduze with a large visitor car park.
- Maison Rouge in Saint-Jean-du-Gard: a museum of the Cévennes valleys in a former silk mill – silkworms, chestnut farming, Protestantism.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Saint-Jean-du-Gard a Camping-Car Park pitch area at the edge of town offers electricity and service facilities (access card), plus Camping des Sources north of the village with electricity, sanitary facilities and a pool. Around Anduze there are numerous campsites on the Gardon, heavily booked in high summer.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In summer the garrigue hills between Alès and Anduze regularly fall within the zones where the Gard prefecture, at very high fire risk, bans driving on forest tracks and stopping or parking in the woods; through roads generally stay open. So especially here: nothing on forest car parks – at the orange level camping and bivouacking are banned in the massifs, at red entering and driving in them is banned too; the daily map is at risque-prevention-incendie.fr/30.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Cévennes steam train runs seasonally between Anduze and Saint-Jean-du-Gard – a good day without driving. In autumn the Gardon valley is a hot spot for “épisodes cévenols”: the river can rise several metres within hours. When Météo-France has issued a Vigilance Orange or Red, avoid riverside pitches and don’t drive over flooded bridges or fords.
5Stage 5: Saint-Jean-du-Gard to Florac (Corniche des Cévennes) (approx. 55 km)
- The drive
- The D9, the Corniche des Cévennes, climbs in hairpins to the Col Saint-Pierre and then runs along the ridge between the valleys via Le Pompidou and the Col du Rey, before dropping via Saint-Laurent-de-Trèves into the Tarnon valley and on to Florac. Narrow but easy enough to drive, with many blind bends and hardly any passing places for oncoming buses. Around 1.5 hours without breaks.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Col Saint-Pierre: views over the staggered schist ridges of the Cévennes, from the small car park at the pass.
- Saint-Laurent-de-Trèves: dinosaur footprints on a limestone rock above the village, a short detour from the Col du Rey.
- Florac: the castle with the Maison du Parc national des Cévennes (exhibition and information on the rules) and the spring of the Pêcher in the middle of the town.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping municipal Le Pont du Tarn at the northern edge of Florac, right on the Tarn, with electricity, sanitary facilities and service point, season roughly spring to autumn. More sites downstream, such as Camping Chantemerle or Camping Chon du Tarn near Bédouès; Ispagnac has a municipal aire for motorhomes.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Parts of the Corniche and the uplands north and west of Florac belong to the core area (cœur) of the Cévennes National Park, signed “Zone de protection” along the roads. There any camping in a vehicle – motorhome, panel van, converted van – is prohibited by the national park’s regulation (Arrêté of 12 December 2016); by day you may park in permitted car parks, and you may stay overnight only in specially designated areas (the park’s folding map lists areas outside the core). Rangers and gendarmes carry out checks and issue warnings or fines.
- Insider tip for campers
- Stock up in Florac – the supermarket and petrol station at the edge of town are the last big ones before Millau. At the Maison du Parc or the tourist office, pick up the national park’s “Camping-car” folding map and the list of permitted overnight areas. Avoid the narrow lanes of the old town and park at the edge or at the campsite.
6Stage 6: Florac to Le Rozier (Gorges du Tarn) (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- Via Ispagnac and Quézac into the Gorges du Tarn: the D907bis follows the river via Castelbouc, Sainte-Énimie, Saint-Chély-du-Tarn, La Malène and Les Vignes to Le Rozier. Fairly comfortable as far as Sainte-Énimie, narrower after that, with overhanging rock and several short tunnels and galleries blasted into the cliff between Sainte-Énimie and Les Vignes; in places two motorhomes cannot pass each other, and passing bays are rare. Around 2 hours of pure driving time, better to allow a whole day.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Sainte-Énimie: a stone village in a river loop with monastery remains and the Burle spring – car parks at the edge of the village, the centre is traffic-free or too narrow.
- Cirque des Baumes and Pas de Souci between La Malène and Les Vignes: the narrowest walls of the gorge and a chaos of rockfall in the river, small car park at the Pas de Souci.
- Point Sublime above Saint-Georges-de-Lévéjac on the Causse de Sauveterre: a view into the Cirque des Baumes – a detour on a steep hairpin road from Les Vignes, only with brakes in good condition.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In and around Le Rozier at the confluence of the Tarn and the Jonte: Camping municipal du Brouillet, Camping Les Bords du Tarn or Camping de l’Aubigue, all with electricity and sanitary facilities, with swimming spots at the site in summer. Along the way are Camping Couderc near Sainte-Énimie and the municipal Camping Le Pradet in La Malène; service points are rare in the gorge – best to do this beforehand in Florac or Ispagnac.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Gorges du Tarn are a classified landscape (site classé) and part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Causses and Cévennes”; in such areas camping outside approved sites is generally prohibited under French planning law. The few parking bays on the D907bis are not a place to stay overnight, and riverside meadows are private or closed by the commune. The Causse plateaus above partly lie within the core area of the national park.
- Insider tip for campers
- Drive the gorge before 10 am or after 5 pm: at midday you share the narrow sections with coaches, canoe shuttles with trailers and motorbikes. In the tunnels keep to the middle of your lane and watch your wing mirror – on the right the rock is often closer than it looks. Wide vehicles should stop at the next bay and let the bus through. The road is closed in the event of rockfall or flooding; follow the radio and the website of the Lozère department.
7Stage 7: Le Rozier to Millau via the Gorges de la Jonte and Aven Armand (approx. 85 km)
- The drive
- On the D996 through the Gorges de la Jonte to Meyrueis, there on the D986 in hairpins up onto the Causse Méjean to the Aven Armand and back the same way; then from Le Rozier on the D907 through the lower Tarn valley to Millau. The Jonte road is wider than the Tarn road, but with overhanging rock and a risk of falling stones; the ascent to the Causse is steep, with a wide plateau at the top. About 2 hours’ driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Belvédère des Vautours near Le Truel: an observation point and exhibition on the reintroduced griffon and black vultures that circle above the walls of the Jonte.
- Aven Armand: a huge stalactite cavern beneath the Causse Méjean, reached by a funicular through a tunnel; open seasonally, usually spring to autumn.
- Rocher de Capluc above Le Rozier: a steep climb (partly with ladders) to the rock pinnacle with a view of both gorges – go early in the morning.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Millau the campsites on the Tarn lie close together, e.g. Camping Les Erables, Camping Huttopia Millau or Camping Millau Plage – electricity, sanitary facilities, service point, within walking distance of the old town. There is also a Camping-Car Park pitch area on the Tarn bank with electricity and service point. As an intermediate stop in Meyrueis: several small campsites such as Le Capelan at the edge of the village.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the Causse Méjean the camping ban in the core area of the national park applies to vehicles too; the large car park at the Aven Armand is not an overnight site. At the vulture observation points and along the D996, too, standing overnight and camping are not permitted.
- Insider tip for campers
- At the Aven Armand in summer arrive early: the car park fills from late morning, and inside the cave it is around 10 °C all year – bring a jacket. Buy water and food in Meyrueis; on the Causse there are only isolated farms. In thunderstorms with heavy rain, stones quickly fall onto the road in the Jonte gorge – drive slowly.
8Stage 8: Millau to Roquefort-sur-Soulzon (approx. 35 km)
- The drive
- Out of Millau on the D992 downstream, with a detour to the information point beneath the Millau Viaduct, then via Saint-Georges-de-Luzençon and the D23 up to the Combalou rock and Roquefort. A short, easy stage; the village itself clings to the slope, and the main street is narrow and steep. About an hour with photo stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Millau Viaduct: seen from below from the information centre on the valley floor and from the viewpoint on the road above Millau – the pylons in evening light are the classic shot.
- Millau: an old town with a belfry and covered market square, a glove-making tradition and the old bridge pier on the Tarn.
- Roquefort cellars: guided tours through the “caves” of the cheese dairies in the Combalou rock, where the loaves mature in the naturally ventilated fissures.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Roquefort-sur-Soulzon has a municipal aire de camping-car at the edge of the village with water and waste disposal; check the fee and facilities on site. If you would rather end the day on a campsite, stay another night in Millau and visit Roquefort as a day trip.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Around Roquefort and on the Larzac many tracks and field entrances are private or used for farming; no overnight stays without the owner’s permission. On public car parks the French principle applies: parking with sleeping is possible where it is not banned by a municipal order – but never camping behaviour.
- Insider tip for campers
- The viaduct is part of the A75 and the only toll section of this otherwise free motorway; motorhomes up to 3.5 t and 2–3 m high usually pay class 2, taller or heavier ones class 3, and from 15 June to 15 September a higher summer tariff applies. If you want to drive the viaduct, take it on the way back north. In Roquefort leave the motorhome on the aire or at the entrance to the village and walk to the cellars. Extension: in just under an hour and a half you can reach the Cirque de Navacelles over the Larzac.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- France distinguishes between “stationnement” and “camping”: a motorhome counts as a vehicle and may stand – overnight too – wherever a car may park. As soon as an awning, chairs, table, levelling legs or wedges are out, windows are propped open or grey water is released, it counts as camping and is allowed only on campsites.
- Mayors may restrict motorhome parking by “arrêté municipal” – along rivers, at swimming spots and in the gorge villages of the Ardèche and the Tarn this is the rule, often with height barriers as well. Under French planning law, camping outside approved sites is also generally prohibited in classified landscapes (Gorges du Tarn, Pont d’Arc), in the vicinity of protected historic monuments and on the coast.
- Cévennes National Park: in the core area (“cœur”, signed “Zone de protection” along the roads) camping in a tent or in a vehicle is prohibited; motorhomes and vans may park by day only in permitted car parks and at night only in specially designated areas (list at the Maisons du Parc and tourist offices). The Réserve naturelle of the Gorges de l’Ardèche prohibits all camping except at the two bivouac sites for canoeists and hikers, which must be reserved.
- Forest fire: in the Ardèche, Gard, Lozère and Aveyron the prefectures set daily risk levels in summer; at a high level forest tracks, stopping and parking in the woods and any open fire are banned, and barbecues are often banned on campsites too. Violations are punished with heavy fines.
- You can stay overnight legally on campsites, municipal “aires de camping-car”, privately run pitch areas with an access card and at farms and wine estates from networks such as France Passion (annual membership, short stays, purchase welcome but not obligatory). Apps: park4night, Campercontact, Caramaps; user comments on checks and new bans are often more up to date than signs in guidebooks.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Service stations are called “aire de services” or “borne”; many work with tokens (from the town hall, bakery or tourist office), coins or card. At some bornes water is available only for a fee, while waste disposal is usually free.
- Empty grey water and the cassette only at service stations, never into drains or rivers – the Ardèche and the Tarn are bathing rivers, and checks are carried out on this point too.
- Tap water is drinkable if it is labelled “eau potable”; at cemetery taps and cattle troughs on the Causses it often says “eau non potable”. There are hardly any fountains on the Causses – drive up with a full tank.
- Gas: German exchange cylinders are not swapped, and French cylinders (Butagaz, Antargaz, Primagaz) have their own connections and need an adapter. Refillable bottles and gas tanks are filled at LPG stations using the dish adapter customary in France; in the Lozère LPG pumps are rare – fill up before Florac or in Millau.
- Petrol stations are rare in the gorges and on the Causses and on Sundays often usable only by card (automatic pump). Supermarket petrol stations in Montélimar, Alès and Millau are cheapest; some machines do not accept foreign cards – allow a reserve.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t outside built-up areas 80 km/h on roads without a central divider (some departments have signed 90 km/h again on selected sections), 110 km/h on expressways, 130 km/h on the motorway, in rain 80/100/110. Motorhomes over 3.5 t (up to 12 t): 80 km/h outside built-up areas, 100 km/h on expressways with a central divider, 110 km/h on the motorway. Combinations with a permissible gross train weight over 3.5 t: 80 km/h outside built-up areas, 90 km/h on expressways with a central divider and on the motorway.
- Vehicles over 3.5 t must carry “Angles morts” stickers (a warning about the blind spot) on the sides and rear, foreign motorhomes included; their absence means a fine. Loads projecting beyond the rear must be marked – bicycle carriers need their own light bar if lights or number plate are obscured.
- Tolls: the A7 as far as Montélimar is a toll road (class 2 for motorhomes up to 3.5 t and 2–3 m high, class 3 above that); the A75 is free apart from the Millau Viaduct, with a summer tariff (15 June to 15 September) and an off-season tariff. Pay at the toll station by card or with a télépéage tag.
- Low-emission zones (ZFE) exist in Lyon, Grenoble and Montpellier, among others, but not on the route itself; you need the Crit’Air sticker for these cities and for smog-related driving bans. The abolition of the ZFE passed by parliament was struck down by the Conseil constitutionnel on 21 May 2026 – the zones remain in place. Which sticker classes may enter is decided by each city: check before you travel, and order the sticker only from the official site.
- Alcohol limit 0.5, for novice drivers 0.2; mobile phones and headphones or headsets are banned at the wheel, even when stationary at the roadside. Keep a hi-vis vest within reach in the driver’s area and carry a warning triangle. Speed-camera detectors are banned; satnav apps show only “danger zones”.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Two handheld radios for guiding – in the tunnels and under the overhanging rock of the Gorges du Tarn, when reversing into passing bays and on narrow riverside sites, there is little room at the sides.
- A set of “Angles morts” stickers if your motorhome weighs over 3.5 t, and one hi-vis vest per person.
- Dish adapter for French LPG pumps and two full bottles – in the Lozère and on the Causses there is hardly any resupply.
- Water shoes and a waterproof dry bag for swimming spots and canoeing on the Ardèche and the Tarn – the gravel bars are sharp-edged.
- Offline maps and an app with the Vigilance warnings from Météo-France: in the Tarn canyon and on the Causses there are dead spots, and heavy autumn rain announces itself only through the warning levels.
- Binoculars for the vulture colonies on the Jonte and the rock walls above the Tarn.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
