In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From the vineyards around Saint-Émilion via the Bassin d’Arcachon, the Dune du Pilat and the endless beaches of the Landes to the rocky Basque coast and the Pyrenean foothills: about 560 kilometres past oyster huts, surf spots and chilli-pepper villages, on which you learn where you can park in France – and where you can’t.
The spirit of the route
This coast is one long straight line, and that is exactly its appeal. Behind every dune crest lies the same Atlantic, yet it looks different every time: smooth and silvery in the morning, with long breakers and surfers in the afternoon, orange-red over the Dune du Pilat in the evening. In between, maritime pines stretch to the horizon, the air smells of resin, salt and warm sand, and you roll along narrow roads from one beach car park to the next. On the Bassin d’Arcachon the oyster farmers clatter with their baskets, and in the Landes canoes glide through the green tunnel of the Courant d’Huchet. From Bayonne everything changes: red-and-white half-timbered houses, pelota walls, chilli peppers on the façades, and suddenly mountains. From your sliding door you look out on pines, waves and finally the green slopes below La Rhune. A region for people who love early beach walks and would rather spend the evening on the aire than in a banned dune car park.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Bordeaux to Saint-Émilion (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- From the campsite at the Lac de Bordeaux in the north of the city, take the Rocade (A630, toll-free) and the Pont d’Aquitaine, or further east the A89 as far as Libourne, then the D670 and D243 through the vineyard slopes to Saint-Émilion. Bordeaux city centre stays off your route: the Rocade is wide, but congested at rush hour. Allow about an hour’s driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Bordeaux on foot and by tram: Place de la Bourse with the Miroir d’eau water mirror, the quays along the Garonne and the Saint-Pierre district.
- Saint-Émilion: the underground monolithic church, hewn out of the limestone, which can only be visited on a guided tour through the tourist office; the old town and the surrounding wine landscape are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The view from the Tour du Roy and from the square in front of the Collégiale over the roofs and vine rows of the Juridiction de Saint-Émilion.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Bordeaux: Camping Le Village du Lac (Bordeaux Lac, municipality of Bruges) with electric hook-ups, sanitary facilities and waste disposal, open all year, with a tram link into the centre – the easiest way to visit the city without the motorhome. In Saint-Émilion: Yelloh! Village Saint-Émilion on a small lake north of the town (seasonal, electricity, pool). For servicing, use the Camping-Car Park station in Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens south of the town; an overnight aire of the network with electricity is in Lussac north of Saint-Émilion, access with the network’s card.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Bordeaux itself is no place to overnight in your vehicle: inside the Rocade the ZFE applies (see Practicalities), motorhomes are not welcome at the roadside, and numerous multi-storey car parks have height limits. Use the park-and-ride sites (parcs relais) on the tram network only by day and only where there is no height barrier. In the vineyard country around Saint-Émilion, some wine estates offer motorhome pitches for one night, partly through membership networks such as France Passion; parking between the vine rows without an invitation is trespassing on private land.
- Insider tip for campers
- The lanes of Saint-Émilion are steep, cobbled and unsuitable for motorhomes. Park in the signposted car parks on the edge of town and walk the last stretch. During the grape harvest (usually September to early October) the narrow vineyard tracks are full of tractors and harvesters – do not use them as a shortcut.
2Stage 2: Saint-Émilion to Lège-Cap-Ferret (approx. 115 km)
- The drive
- Back via Libourne and the northern Rocade, then on the D106 dead straight through the pine forests on the edge of the Médoc to Lège and on along the D106 via Claouey and Le Canon to the tip of the peninsula. If you have time, make a detour to the coast from Le Porge or Lacanau (a good 30 km extra). About two hours; in summer the peninsula has slow, queuing traffic.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Optional Lacanau-Océan: surf beach, a large freshwater lake inland and cycle paths through the forest.
- The oyster villages of L’Herbe and Le Canon on the Bassin side: wooden huts, oyster tasting straight from the farmer with a view of the Île aux Oiseaux.
- Phare du Cap Ferret: lighthouse with a viewing platform over the Bassin, the Banc d’Arguin and the Dune du Pilat.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping du Truc Vert in the middle of the forest near the beach of the same name on the ocean (seasonal), or Camping Les Viviers near Claouey right on the Bassin. Lacanau-Océan has a large municipal aire, the Aire du Huga, with service facilities on the edge of town.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Lège-Cap-Ferret does not allow motorhomes to park freely overnight, but it does offer so-called “haltes nocturnes” – designated overnight pitches such as those in L’Herbe, at La Vigne or in Claouey, which you must drive to in the evening and vacate in the morning; they are chargeable and limited in number. Check the season, times and tariff on the municipality’s website. The ONF forest tracks and the car parks on the ocean beaches are off limits at night, and many have height barriers.
- Insider tip for campers
- To get to Arcachon, do not drive around the Bassin but take the passenger boat from Bélisaire at Cap Ferret: the motorhome stays on the site, and in half an hour you are in the Ville d’Hiver with its villas. The service station in Claouey (aire de services) is the most practical service point on the peninsula.
3Stage 3: Lège-Cap-Ferret to Dune du Pilat (Pyla) (approx. 75 km)
- The drive
- Back up the peninsula and clockwise around the Bassin: Arès, Andernos-les-Bains, Lanton, Audenge, then via Biganos into the Leyre delta and on the A660 or the coast road to La Teste-de-Buch and Pyla. A flat route, but with many roundabouts and drives through towns; just under two hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Parc ornithologique du Teich in the Leyre delta: boardwalks and observation hides between salt meadows and reed beds, good for a morning.
- The harbour of Gujan-Mestras with seven small oyster harbours and tasting huts.
- Dune du Pilat: the tallest shifting dune in Europe, around 100 metres high; climb it by the staircase (in season) or through the sand, with a view from the top over the Banc d’Arguin, Cap Ferret and the forest landscape of the Landes.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Below the dune there are several campsites in the forest, including Camping de la Dune and Yelloh! Village Panorama du Pyla – both were badly hit by the forest fire of July 2022, and the rebuilding dragged on over several seasons. Check directly with the operator before you travel whether and to what extent a site is open; in summer, book well in advance. The aire de services in Arcachon is for servicing only.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): At the visitors’ car park of the Grand Site de la Dune du Pilat, parking is forbidden between 2 and 5 a.m., and anyone who stays overnight pays a fixed penalty; by day it is chargeable according to duration and season. Wild parking around the dune is penalised. The road at Pyla and the forest car parks in the La Teste state forest are fire-protection zones – overnighting in your vehicle outside the campsites is not an option here.
- Insider tip for campers
- Come up onto the dune early or at sunset; at midday in summer the sand is scorching and the car park is full. The dune moves inland into the forest every year; the staircase is only put in place in season. Descending on the sea side is allowed, but swimming at the foot of the dune is not advisable because of currents and the lack of supervision.
4Stage 4: Dune du Pilat to Mimizan via Biscarrosse (approx. 75 km)
- The drive
- South on the D218 through pine forest, past the military area of Cazaux, to Biscarrosse-Plage, then via Biscarrosse-Bourg and Parentis on the D652 through the lake country to Mimizan. Long straight forest roads without gradients, with many cyclists on the parallel cycle paths; about 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Lac de Cazaux-Sanguinet and Lac de Biscarrosse-Parentis: large freshwater lakes behind the dunes, calm swimming without surf.
- Musée de l’Hydraviation in Biscarrosse: the history of seaplanes on the Lac de Biscarrosse.
- Prieuré de Mimizan: bell tower with a Romanesque portal, part of the UNESCO World Heritage of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Aire Camping-Car Park in Mimizan-Plage with around 70 pitches, service facilities and electricity, access with the network’s card; in Biscarrosse there is also a Camping-Car Park aire. If you want more comfort: Camping de la Plage in Mimizan-Plage or the campsites on the Lac de Biscarrosse such as Camping de Navarrosse.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The beach car parks of the Landes coast are in many places closed with height barriers or restricted for motorhomes by municipal arrêté; the dunes and coastal forest are strictly protected by the ONF and the Conservatoire du littoral. Driving and parking on forest tracks away from public roads is forbidden in any case. The numerous municipal aires are the legal solution here.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Vélodyssée cycle route (EuroVelo 1) runs parallel to the coast along almost the whole route. With bikes on board, park the motorhome on the aire and cycle car-free to the beaches. Check the fire-risk levels for Gironde and Landes every day on the prefectures’ websites.
5Stage 5: Mimizan to Hossegor/Capbreton via Léon (approx. 95 km)
- The drive
- On the D652 behind the dunes via Saint-Julien-en-Born, Lit-et-Mixe and Vielle-Saint-Girons to Léon, then via Messanges, Soustons and Seignosse to Hossegor and Capbreton. Flat and quick throughout; the drives through towns are narrow but easy to negotiate. About two hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Courant d’Huchet near Léon: nature reserve at the outflow of the Lac de Léon into the sea; in traditional boats (bateliers) or on foot along the bank through a tunnel of cypresses, alders and hibiscus.
- Lac d’Hossegor: saltwater lake with oyster beds and villas in the Basque-Landes style.
- La Gravière in Hossegor: world-class surf spot with powerful beach breaks – watch from the promenade.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Léon, the municipal aire on the Route du Puntaou near the lake, with service facilities. In Hossegor/Capbreton: the Aire de Soorts-Hossegor on the lake, the large aire in Capbreton (over 100 pitches) or the large aire in Seignosse; all with service facilities, so arrive early in summer. The aire in Moliets-et-Maâ is a good stopover near the beach.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The coastal municipalities of the southern Landes severely restrict motorhome parking in beach car parks and town centres by arrêté and height barriers; checks are made in summer and fines are possible. There is no pitch in the Courant d’Huchet nature reserve, and parking on the tracks in the forest is forbidden.
- Insider tip for campers
- Boat trips on the Courant d’Huchet start at the Lac de Léon and are often fully booked in summer – reserve the day before. In Capbreton the fish market at the harbour is worth a visit. For shopping and cheap fuel, use the supermarkets on the bypasses rather than the motorway service stations.
6Stage 6: Capbreton to Saint-Jean-de-Luz via Bayonne and Biarritz (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- Via Labenne and Tarnos on the D810 to Bayonne, from there via Anglet along the coast to Biarritz and on the D810 via Bidart and Guéthary to Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Short, but urban: lots of traffic, one-way streets, roundabouts and multi-storey car parks with height restrictions. A full day with stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Bayonne: Sainte-Marie cathedral, the quays on the Nive with their colourful half-timbered houses, the Musée Basque and the chocolatiers in the Rue du Port-Neuf.
- Biarritz: Rocher de la Vierge, Phare de Biarritz and the Grande Plage below the Hôtel du Palais.
- Guéthary: small fishing village on the cliff, with the Parlementia surf wave off the harbour.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Biarritz two Camping-Car Park aires (Milady at the south end and Gabrielle Dorziat), with service facilities, within walking distance of the beaches or by bus into the centre; in Anglet the aires des Corsaires and La Barre on the beach. In Saint-Jean-de-Luz a small aire de services near the centre as well as numerous campsites in Acotz and Erromardie north of the town, such as Inter Plages or Les Tamaris Plage; to the south-west are Camping Juantcho on the Corniche near Socoa and Larrouleta in Urrugne.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Biarritz bans motorhome parking by arrêté on numerous streets and squares all year round, and on others from May to September; awnings, tables, wedges and servicing are prohibited outside the two aires. Anglet, Bidart and Saint-Jean-de-Luz also restrict motorhome parking near beaches and centres – the signs on the spot apply, and checks are the rule in summer. The aires themselves are often full as early as the early afternoon – arrive in good time or go elsewhere.
- Insider tip for campers
- Do not drive a motorhome through Bayonne: on the outskirts there are car parks with a shuttle bus or Tram’bus connection into the centre. During the Fêtes de Bayonne at the end of July the town is packed and partly closed off. In Biarritz, avoid the town centre – narrow streets and multi-storey car parks with low entrances.
7Stage 7: Saint-Jean-de-Luz to Sare (La Rhune) via the Corniche and Hendaye (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- Via Ciboure and Socoa on the coast road D912, the Corniche Basque, above the cliffs to Hendaye; then inland via Urrugne and Ascain up to the Col de Saint-Ignace and down to Sare. The Corniche is winding, in places without passing places; the road to the col is well made but hilly. About 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Corniche Basque: flysch cliffs with tilted rock strata, viewpoints on the D912 between Socoa and Hendaye.
- Domaine d’Abbadia in Hendaye: coastal estate of the Conservatoire du littoral with walking trails and the neo-Gothic Château d’Abbadie.
- La Rhune: take the cog railway from the Col de Saint-Ignace to the 905-metre summit on the border with Spain; in clear weather you can see over the Basque coast and far north over the Landes.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Aire de camping-cars in Sare on the edge of the village, with service facilities, a good 20 pitches. In Hendaye a municipal aire near the beach; campsites in Hendaye and Urrugne, such as Camping Alturan or Camping Ametza. In Sare there is also Camping La Petite Rhune.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Overnighting is not provided for at the cog railway car park at the Col de Saint-Ignace; municipal bans also apply on the mountain roads into the hinterland (Col d’Ibardin, Col de Lizarrieta), and many lay-bys are by the border shops on the Spanish side. The aire in Sare is the quieter choice.
- Insider tip for campers
- The cog railway up La Rhune runs seasonally (in 2026 daily from the end of March to early November), and on fine days it is quickly booked up – book online and take the first train before the cloud rolls in. If you climb on foot, allow a good two hours. Do not feed the Basque semi-wild ponies (pottoks) on the mountain.
8Stage 8: Sare to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port via Ainhoa and Espelette (approx. 65 km)
- The drive
- Along narrow country roads to Ainhoa and Espelette, on to Cambo-les-Bains and Itxassou, then up the Nive valley on the D918 via Bidarray and Saint-Martin-d’Arrossa to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The minor road through the Pas de Roland near Itxassou is narrow and unsuitable for large motorhomes – stay on the D918. About 1.5 hours without stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Ainhoa: street village with white-and-red Labourd houses, listed among the “Plus beaux villages de France”.
- Espelette: façades full of drying chilli peppers (AOP Piment d’Espelette); the chilli festival takes place at the end of October.
- Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port: citadel, Porte Saint-Jacques and the Rue de la Citadelle, for pilgrims the starting point of the Camino Francés over the Pyrenees; all around are the vineyard slopes of the Irouléguy appellation.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port has two municipal aires (Jaï Alaï and Fronton) near the centre, both with service facilities, as well as the Camping Municipal Plaza Berri right on the Nive. In Espelette there is a small parking area for motorhomes, in Cambo-les-Bains an aire with service facilities; farms in the area sometimes offer pitches.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the hinterland the situation is more relaxed than on the coast, but village squares, frontons and church car parks are not places to overnight; many villages have banned motorhomes from their squares overnight by arrêté. Pasture tracks in the mountains are the shepherds’ private tracks.
- Insider tip for campers
- In Espelette the lanes are narrow and overcrowded at weekends; park on the edge of the village. If you are going on to Spain: the pass to Roncesvalles is well made, but long and steep – fill up and empty your tanks beforehand. Monday is market day in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- France distinguishes between “stationnement” (parking) and “camping”: legally, a motorhome is a vehicle and may park – including overnight – wherever parking is allowed for cars. Camping behaviour (levelling legs, wedges, awning, tables and chairs, grey water on the ground) turns parking into camping, and that is forbidden in many places outside campsites.
- Mayors can restrict motorhome parking in time or place by municipal order (arrêté municipal). On the Atlantic coast between Arcachon and Hendaye, many coastal municipalities have restricted motorhome parking in beach car parks, on waterfront roads and in the centres, or banned it at night; height barriers at beach car parks are the rule, and so are checks in summer. Blanket bans for an entire municipal area are open to legal challenge; what counts is the signage on the spot. Fines and towing are possible.
- Wild camping is basically prohibited on beaches, in dunes, in protected sites (sites classés) and in the coastal forest. ONF forest tracks and private forestry tracks in the Landes de Gascogne are closed to motor vehicles; driving on dunes and beaches is forbidden.
- You can legally overnight on campsites, on municipal or private “aires de camping-car” (often chargeable, with a limited number of pitches and length of stay), on the sites of networks such as Camping-Car Park (access with a card) and with winegrowers or farmers through membership networks such as France Passion. Apps: park4night, Campercontact or the Camping-Car Park aire guide.
- Forest fires: Gironde and Landes regulate the protection of the forests of the Landes de Gascogne through an inter-departmental regulation with daily risk levels. At a high level, fires, smoking and barbecuing are forbidden in and within 200 metres of the forest, access to forests may be closed, and exceptions apply for example to laid-out leisure sites, beach access points and the EuroVelo 1 and 3 cycle routes. Check the current status daily with the prefectures.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Servicing is called “aire de services” or “borne”; the pillars (Euro-Relais, Flot Bleu, Raclet and others) work with coins, tokens, credit card or network card. On the coast almost all aires have service facilities, in the hinterland not always.
- Empty grey water and the cassette only at the station; in the Landes water drains quickly into the sand, and violations are heavily penalised. Some old pillars lack special grey-water drains – bring a short hose.
- Tap water in France is drinkable; not at pillars marked “eau non potable”. In summer, do not use the tap on aires for showering or washing the vehicle.
- Gas: German bottles are not exchanged; French bottles (Butagaz, Antargaz, Primagaz) are available in supermarkets with a deposit, but with a different connection. Refillable bottles and gas tanks can be filled at LPG pumps (mostly at large supermarkets and motorway service areas); arrive with an adapter set (Dish, bayonet).
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t as for cars – 130 km/h on motorways (110 in rain), 110 km/h on expressways, 80 km/h on country roads (on some roads in individual départements 90 again; follow the signs). Motorhomes over 3.5 t: 110 km/h on motorways, 100 km/h on expressways, 80 km/h on country roads. Lower limits apply to combinations with a permissible gross train weight over 3.5 t.
- Vehicles over 3.5 t have had to carry “Angles morts” (blind spot) stickers on the sides and rear since 2021, motorhomes included; there is a fine if they are missing. Drives through towns and town centres, especially in Saint-Émilion, Espelette and Ainhoa, are narrow for heavy vehicles; observe the bans on through traffic over 3.5 t.
- Crit’Air and ZFE: Bordeaux Métropole has a low-emission zone (ZFE) inside the Rocade; the Rocade itself and the access roads to the parcs relais are exempt. The Conseil constitutionnel struck down the national abolition of the ZFEs on 21 May 2026, so the zone remains in force. Since January 2025 the Crit’Air sticker has been compulsory there, and vehicles without a classification are excluded (cars registered before 1997, vans before October 1997, lorries and buses before October 2001); check the Métropole’s website before you travel for whether further classes will be added. Order the Crit’Air sticker only through the official site certificat-air.gouv.fr; in a smog alert, “circulation différenciée” may also apply.
- Tolls: the A63 between Bordeaux and the Spanish border is largely toll-paying (Landes section and the Basque Country), the Rocade A630 is not. The class depends on height, weight and axles: motorhomes up to 3.5 t with a height over 2 metres usually go in class 2, two-axle motorhomes over 3.5 t or from 3 metres in height in class 3, vehicles with three or more axles over 3.5 t or from 3 metres in height in class 4. Pay by card or télépéage tag; if you are misclassified, press the help button at the pillar.
- Swimming: on the beaches of the Gironde and the Landes, “baïnes” form – hollows in the sand from which strong currents run out to sea at low tide. Swim only in the supervised zones between the flags, which are mostly staffed only in high summer; green means swimming allowed, yellow caution, red swimming banned, purple pollution.
- Alcohol limit 0.5 per mille (0.2 for novice drivers); phoning at the wheel is forbidden even with a headset or earphones. Carry a high-visibility vest within reach and a warning triangle. Bike rack at the rear: the number plate and lights must not be covered, otherwise an additional plate is needed. For the Pyrenean municipalities, winter tyres or snow chains on board are compulsory in the winter half-year (1 November to 31 March) where signposted.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Bicycles or e-bikes with a sturdy rear carrier: the Vélodyssée cycle route links almost all stages, and on the coast a bike is often the only way to reach the beach without meeting a height barrier.
- “Angles morts” stickers for vehicles over 3.5 t and the Crit’Air sticker – get both before you leave.
- An adapter set for LPG pumps and a refillable bottle: you cannot get German exchange bottles filled in France.
- Fly screens and mosquito repellent: in the pine forests and by the lakes of the Landes, summer evenings are rich in mosquitoes.
- Sand ladders or traction aids for soft aire pitches in the sand, plus a fire extinguisher on board – a matter of course in a forest-fire area.
- Online bookings for the cog railway on La Rhune and the boats on the Courant d’Huchet, and in season reservations for the campsites at the Dune du Pilat as well.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
