2025年春のフランス・キャンピングカー・アドベンチャー
Hi and welcome to travels in camp. In this video we travel to Sum Airvault Partin Vou Leon Sumere and Hermanville. You join us as we are leaving the camping at Chanel. The weather’s not great. 13° and spotting rain. But our first stop is going to be the superu. alline. After having stocked up with life’s necessities, wine, cheese, coffee, and milk, we were heading to our next stop, which was to be Samir. [Music] Nancy the satnav wants to take us through Kandde San Martan, but we came to this sign. A couple of camping cars did go through, but we decided against it. So, we took the D7 and the D947. It took an extra 10 minutes, but it was legal. I spend them with you. Let’s go somewhere. Cuz if all I have is you at the roundabout, take the second exit. [Music] This is camping de offer. is on an island right in the middle of the Lwa. It’s a nice site with good toilet, showers, swimming pool, but the weather was just a little bit too cold for us on this trip. A snack bar, laundry, and good size pitches. With heavy rain forecast, we decided to put the awning out. [Music] After a bit of lunch, we walk down to the There’s always a Riverside bar. It’s pretty wet as expected. It’s uh going to rain most of the night, I think. It’s all going to be gone in the morning. And it was Are we headed for the chatau area? During the time of the plantaginus, the chatau was a fortified stronghold. It was destroyed in 1067 and rebuilt by Henry II. Later it became a royal residence of Philip II of France. It was Louis II of Anju who during the 15th century turned the shadow into how it looks today. In later years it was an army barracks, a state prison and it was bombed and badly damaged during the Second World War. It now belongs to the city of Samir and houses the Museum of the Horse and the Museum of Decorative Art. So, what do you think of this chatau? It’s beautiful. Yeah. After a glass of wine at Plier, we headed back to camp for a late lunch. Basically, a copy of the meal we had in Chino. And uh it doesn’t look too bad, don’t you? There you are. Had a lovely day. It’s been really, really nice. The weather has been glorious. Bit ify this morning, but what a lovely evening. We had intended to stay for the Sumeir market the following day, but we had a phone call from a couple of camping buddies, Pat and Nick, who were on their way back from Italy, and we arranged a meet up at a municipal campsite in a town called Fou. So, we left Samir to move closer to the meet up. So, our next stop was air vault. somewhere far away. Cuz if all I just fine, I’ll be just fine. This is the camping car park and air vault. Very well-maintained grounds. Usual motor home service point with gray waste cassette empty and fresh water. Three pin euro plug for the electric and spotless toilets and showers available during the summer months. It’s a 15-minute walk into avault crossing over the Pont Verete which gets its name from a nearby Chatau Vene. And it was from there in 1170 that four knights traveled to Canterbury with orders from Henry II of England to kill Thomas Beckett, the then Archbishop of Canterbury. Airvault is a small city of character in the Dur Se Department of France known for its wellpreserved medieval center including the Sierre Abbey Church, the historic half-timbered houses and the old castle. There was a small local producers market being held in the market hall. We bought lettuce and some tomatoes. The abbey church of S Pierre was first founded as a collegiate church in the late 10th century by Aldar of the Vikantess of Tua. Church that we see today was built in the late 11th century and it was a popular stop on the way of St. James, we couldn’t go in as it was being prepared for a wedding. After we followed a well-marked out heritage trail with many of the buildings having plaques explaining the building’s history and their construction. The Chateau, now privately owned, is considered to be one of the few remaining examples of 11th century military architecture and was classed as a historical monument in 2007. After a stop at the very busy Bulinger, we headed back to camp and it was warm enough to get the chairs out and have a beer. And that evening it was a Theo Randall recipe. Noki with spinach, creme fresh, chili, and panetta. And it’s lovely. Followed by right. What have we got? So, what have we got then? I don’t know. Here we go. That is really naughty, Rod. Well, you know, you’ve got to buy it. You see it in there, you’ve got to buy it. Seems rude not to. I’m going to have to clear, I think. Okay. [Music] We’re just packing up and we’re heading south about about 30 km to a small town called Partin. Should take us about 30 minutes, but that’s Google and they usually are a little bit on the optimistic side. Parson that way. Okay, we’re on the uh D938 heading for Parson. [Music] arriving at camping lever on the right. So 20 m and 35 minutes later we are at camping there. [Music] All clear. Yeah. Okay. Brilliant. This is yet another really nice site with large pitches, first class showers and toilets, a laundry, and a snack bar and a pool that was unfortunately a couple of weeks away from opening. It’s roughly a 30inut walk from the campsite to the medieval quarter of part. We think we’re going the right way. The walk follows the river TWE and underneath the town’s fortifications that were built in the early 13th century. This is Port St. Jacqu, which was built in the early 13th century on the route to Santiago de Compostella, the way of St. James at the northern entrance to the town. Wow. [Music] This is the medieval quarter of Partin. A really wellpreserved area of half-tippered houses, narrow alleys, etc. which stretch up the hill to the gateway to the Cicadel. Oh, it’s beautiful. Oh yeah. This is the church of San Lauron, one of the oldest in Partin and built during the 11th century. Its two side aisles were added in the 15th century and the tower was rebuilt during the 19th and is the highest spire in the D seo department. After the church, we headed back to the campsite. We were going out that evening to the campsite resto fish and chips. And Sue finally got around to wearing the dress that she’d been carting around for I don’t know how long. And the fish and chips were out. After a quick stop at the superu part, we were heading to Buittine. This is a nice municipal campsite. Good size pitches, toilet, showers, and in the summer months, swimming pool. We did have to use our reverse polarity adapter, and some of the pictures would have required a long lead. There was no one at the reception. It was a case of pitch up and pay in the morning. Fouay is a nice enough town. water everywhere, a hotel, couple of bars, and a pizza outlet. But what it is famous for is the battle here in 507 when the Frankish King Clo killed and defeated Allaric II, King of the Visigos, driving the Visigoths, into Spain. And it was after this battle that Gaul became Francia, and France as a nation began. That evening, we ate out at the Chevolong Hotel restaurant. Sue and Pat had what they described as the best burger they’d ever had. While me and Nick had the meat and veg dish, which later translates into calves brain, but it was very nice. And followed by the dessert and with wine, soft drinks, the bill came to €114. No s in this. It was Wednesday, June the 11th, and we decided to head for Partin after I had mentioned that not only was it a very nice town with a very nice campsite, but there was also going to be live music on the Friday night at C Gorge, a beastro bar and music venue. It was cutting it a bit fine as we were booked into the camping car park at Leon Se on the Saturday night. take time today. We’re on the end of four night road. Arriving at camping lever on the right. [Music] Temperatures have by now shot up to 30° plus during the day. Sue got some washing done. Pat cooked some fabulous food. We played lots of balls. Not bad. Not bad. And we walked into part and viewed the old town again. Blue Pat and Nick’s dog spent as much time as he could on the river. We had lunch at the Garant, a bar restaurant on the route of St. Jac. pot of lentils. We all went for a tartine and it turned out to be a very good choice. [Music] This is why I still wear my glasses. I can see better. That was a bit of a storm last night, wasn’t it? We did have a storm, but it weren’t too bad. It’s all very clear the air. It’s cleared the air, isn’t it? Much better. 33° yesterday. Yeah. 19 this morning, I think it is at the moment. Yeah. So that evening we walked into part for the blues. We got to the coupe gorge just in time to watch Lelli and the blues riders do a sound check. And then we watched Ismo Havista do a really entertaining sound. And if you ever get the chance to see him live, go for it. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Unfortunately, Loeni and the Blues Riders were playing way too late for us as we had a long drive back to Normandy the following day. Little boy see him where he’s dipped his toe in the paint. Over a cup of coffee, we decided on the no toll route back to Leon. So after doing the L, wrapping up the lead and saying bye to Pat Nick and Blue the dog, we were driving north and our first stop was the superu and to stock up with essentials and fill it with gas oil. Then my cakes. We have stopped up with a bit of wine. And we’re on the uh D960 heading for Well, we made it back to K. Uh just concentrate while the sun is slow. If all I have is you This is the camping car park at Leon Sam. It’s right in the middle of town, 50 m from the high street and 200 m from the seafront. Some reviews say it’s a noisy stop, but we’ve never found it to be. The next day it was the freedom marathon with the runners passing right by the camping car park. We watched the main group go past before we walked 5 km into Histahan. We were heading to the Lacost restaurant where we had an apparat mayonnaise as a starter. Sue had fish and chips. I had the risotto. And with a piche of wine, the bill came to 76.60. Now, I had got the ferry date wrong, and we couldn’t get another night at Leonair, so we were heading just up the road to Hermanville for our last night in France on this trip. So, what are we doing now? We’re going to our next park up. should only take about uh 4 minutes. Well, we hope so. So, you know what we’re like. And sure enough, 15 minutes later, after Nancy the Satnav tried to send us up a road that didn’t exist, we arrived at the camping car park at Hermanville Sur. This is a new well-laidout camping car park with 24 pitches, all with electric and the usual services arrangement. Close to the town center and just over a mile to the seafront. On June the 6th, 1944, Hermanville was part of Sword Beach, one of the D-Day landing areas, and Hermville was liberated by the British Third Infantry Division later that day. The town’s Marie became the field hospital and headquarters for the British Army in the area. This is the Church of Sierre at Hermanville. It dates from the 11th century. And it was from here on June the 18th, 1944 that the first mass in liberated France was held and broadcast to the world by the BBC, giving hope and encouragement to the world. And this well is recorded to have supplied the British army with 1 and a half million gallons of water between the 6th of June and the 1st of July, 1944. Sue’s on cooking duty tonight. Churitzo Pasta the 17th of June and it’s a beautiful day as we leave the camping car park at Herville Samare from the seafront at Hermanville. You can watch the Britney Fairies come in and out and today it’s our turn. We’re sailing on the Mont Samisha, which is probably our favorite Britney ferry. It’s a 6-hour crossing, a shower, several games of Skipbo, and a meal in the self-service restaurant. It’s always good to see the idle white come into view. [Music] What’s the car then? She’s here. We were almost last off the ferry due to a technical issue with the car deck above. But on the plus side, we didn’t have to queue up at passport control. Let’s go somewhere far away. It’s been a long day. Thank you. And our very last stop on this trip was Port Solo Marina. A huge thanks to the management of the marina for allowing campers to park there overnight. This has been a fantastic trip. Hi to everyone we met. A huge thanks for watching. It’s been great having you along for the ride and we’ll see you in the next one. [Music] are fool. I spend them with you. So, let’s go somewhere far away. Cuz if all I have is you, I’ll be just fine. [Music]
Welcome to our French motorhome adventure. On this trip, we’re travelling from the Loire Valley to the Normandy coast, taking in Saumur, Airvault, Parthenay, Vouillé, and finishing
“From Loire Valley vineyards and medieval towns, to tranquil countryside and Normandy’s coast, this tour offers a little bit of everything. A perfect road trip for motorhome travellers looking to explore the heart of France at their own pace. Thanks for joining us on this adventure — and don’t forget to subscribe for more motorhome journeys across Europe.”
First stop is Saumur, a stunning town on the banks of the Loire. Famous for its elegant château, perched high above the river.
From Saumur, we head south into the Deux-Sèvres region to the medieval town of Airvault. Here, we find narrow lanes, stone houses, and an impressive Romanesque abbey. It’s one of those hidden gems where time seems to slow down.
“Next, it’s a short drive to Parthenay – a fortified town that looks like it’s stepped straight out of the Middle Ages. Cobbled streets wind past half-timbered houses, and the old ramparts still guard the town.
“Heading northwest, we meet up with camping buddies Pat and Nick at Vouillé – a small but historic town, best known for the Battle of Vouillé in 507 AD. Today, it’s a peaceful riverside spot.
Next, it’s the short drive back to Parthenay – there is a music festival taking place at the Coupe Gorge in the medieval quarter of Parthenay, we take a look
Our final destination is Lion-sur-Mer and Hermanville sur Mer on the Normandy coast. Wide sandy beaches, elegant seaside villas, and echoes of history make this the perfect place to end the journey.
We hope you enjoy this video, it is best viewed with a bottle of wine and some really good French bread & cheese
Music licensed from Uppbeat “Music for creators”
Just fine – Justin Lee
Fly – All Good Folks
The Blue Marble – Oliver Massa
The Leaving Memory – Justin Marshall Elias
Cameras used – Insta 360 X5, Osmo Pocket 3, Osmo Action (original)
Edited using Final Cut on a MacBook M2
We can be contacted email Travelsincampi@gmail.com
42 Comments
2:10 wow 🤩
Great to see you again 😀
You’ve tweaked your editing and filming style. I really like it, always liked listening to your calm voice overs. It’s a delight to join you on your travels.
We bought a small VW Campervan this year and for the first time travelled for 10 weeks around France from Newhaven to Dieppe and had a great time, such adventures. You both inspired us 👍😊👏
Nice to see you back, we stayed at the Hermanville site this year ,nice park up ,great video
Just wanted to say how much we appreciate the time you must have taken to produce this video (camera in fridge, cupboards and much more). Could I ask what equipment you use? Think we saw an iPad at one point.
We’ve really enjoyed this series and are already looking forward to your next. Many thanks. Mike and Sally.
Wonderful vlog as always ❤ we have been over to France many times but always struggle to choose locations and it gets really overwhelming with choice 🙈 how do you plan a trip? Do you decide it's going to be a "chateau trip"? ..or a "medieval town" trip? Any pointers please? Also we stayed at Lion sur Mer last week and must admit it was noisy and the service point was vile as it's used by anyone passing by..but its location for the ferry is of course a plus.
Thanks for letting me watch your journey. Last autumn (2024) we cycled for a week in parts of the area you visited. We use our motorhome mostly in Norway and take the occasional trip to Sweden and Denmark but go to France a lot by plane. We love the French cultute, daily life and gastronomy. Looking for ward to your next trip. Greetings from Norway
You did right to avoid Candes-Saint-Martin. We cycled through it a few days after you were there and it’s very narrow. Ps. Hope you enjoyed the Northern Soul!
Love your vlog and this time near our part of France. We have friends that play in La Coupe Gorge – a great music venue. Keep travelling and filming l
So glad you went to the site in Saumur. We had been looking at this one for next year 😊
Lovely video, thank you. We love La Belle France 🇫🇷
Great video. Met you at the last camping car park and have to say it was very pleasant to speak to you. Thank you.
If that's the same super u in Chinnon, it used to have a great bar/cafe attached with great food
Another enjoyable video to watch on a dark and windy night! The time, effort and information you put into these is much appreciated.
I do enjoy your videos, very informative 😊, hope it’s not too long before your next adventure 👍🙂😊
Great Vlog love your travels, thanks for your advice before we went on our 1st trip over to France in Sept. Had a great time & parked in the same place as you at Port Solent on our return, thanks Chris and Sue.
So nice to meet you both at Saumur, we so enjoyed chatting to you.
Andrew and Margaret with the pups, Roxie and Bailey-Rae
Thanks for the video. Just been following in your footsteps up the Douro River in glorious sunshine. Thank you for the tips.
Smashing!!
Thanks for another great video !! we really look forward to your adventures……….
Another excellent adventure 👍
Most enjoyable, a calm and informative vlog, keep them coming.
Love watching your travels ❤
As others have said that’s another great video. You’re getting fancy with the creative camera placing, and your edits and overall production is easy to watch and very enjoyable. We were really looking forward to your update, and it didn’t disappoint. More of your recommendations noted. We’re going over in a couple of weeks. Thanks again Rod and Sue
Another great informative video. Your production quality is really very good, it is time consuming but the finished result is worth it – thank you. Signature tune lives on 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
A great video, loved the hidden camera work too.
We really do enjoy watching and adding places to our list to visit. I read you're currently on your next trip – have a fabulous time👍
Andy & Sue
Can you explain the electrics ! Reverse polarity etc will be our first time in France and want to be prepared 👍
Always a lovely vlog. Thank you!
Fantastic, many thanks and can't wait for your next adventure. 😄👍
Thanks for sharing, we always enjoy your vlogs.
Thanks again to you both for a really nice, informative and entertaining video. Rod your video set-up are going to become legendary, keep it up. I also saw Sue was features on Warners YouTube video of The Motorhome & Campervan Show Season Finale – shaking her thing on the dance floor!
Lovely video, thanks for sharing. Love the 360 edit skills!
Q: Do you have a link for your velvety door fly screen? It looks great.
Your videos are always so relaxing to watch with pleasant narration, informative and without crazy music. 😅👍🏻
Always enjoy your videos 😀 Thankyou for sharing 🙏🙏
Yer nice job!
Hi Rod and Sue, it was lovely to meet you today at the motorhome and caravan show as we said earlier we are now watching another one of your videos and yes we're having a whisky 😂 hope you had a lovely day
Great to meet you both at the NEC on Saturday hopefully not too expensive for you. Please don’t let our comments on Morocco put you off it was back in 1992. We also met some very kind Moroccans although one wanted to charge us for taking photos of his camels.
Lovely Video again Rod & Sue ..great to see you both again ..Heidi my wife and myself love your vlogs..
Such a great way to see France 🇫🇷 as you know we both love our historical sites in France I'm sure one day we will see you at the port on our travels too.
Keep up the great videos ..see you next time your doing your shopping 😁😁😁Simon …your helpful server 😅
A Good Year is our favourite film but it wasn’t filmed in La Canourgue. It was filmed at Chateau La Canorgue which is near Lourmarin in Provence. There was also filming in Gordes, Cucuron and Bonnieux. We have visited there many times.
Hi rod and sue was good seeing you in france at the kite festival on the beach me and my chihuahua xhico and husband joe ❤
we absolutely love your content … you've inspired us to travel France 😀
So glad we discovered your channel… you are an inspiration to us newly retired 57 year olds! We don’t have a camper but we travel a lot. We are hoping to ferry to the continent next year. Great to see your itineraries! Keep it up 😊