We're members, and for us it's a must-have guide for parking easily during all our trips in France to spend the night in complete safety: in the Dordogne, in the Perche, in Alsace-Vosges, in Provence, in Brittany, in the Jura...
It's even the perfect solution for motorhomers and travellers in converted vans for a getaway close to home and to support French producers, farmers, winegrowers and craftsmen. Why do we love and recommend France Passion (most recently the 2024 guide)? Here's our 7-point opinion!
What is the France Passion network for motorhomes and vans?
While we're always delighted to find a friendly service area or a welcoming campsite, being able to enjoy a bivouac in the countryside from time to time is one of the charms of travelling.
But it's not always easy to find places to park!
With the popularity of recreational vehicles, some people even think that this freedom has become impossible. We've never had any problems.
Time and experience have enabled us to develop our flair, and to find tips and good ideas for our trips, including this one.
An must-have guide (and app) for French motorhome travellers
One of these is France Passion, and in the opinion of other itinerant travellers who travel in motorhomes or vans, it is by definition ‘the guide to natural, gourmet and warm farmhouse motorhome stops with farmers, winegrowers, producers, craftsmen...’.
A France Passion welcome since 1993
France Passion has been around since 1993! It was founded by Pierre Ginoux, a wine journalist and motorhome enthusiast himself. Seeing more and more motorhomes criss-crossing the vineyards of the south of France, he had the idea of developing a network of motivated winegrowers to welcome them to their estates. Brilliant, wasn't it? The founder of the network passed away in autumn 2020. Camping-Car Magazine paid him a last tribute.
Buy the Guide France Passion 2024
The 32nd edition of the 2024 Milestones guide (March 2024 -> Easter 2025) costs 33 euros this year, but with our promotional code, save 2 euros on your first subscription (delivery and postage included).
1) Nature stops in the French countryside
When you're struggling to find a nice spot, you can always rely on your favourite guide to find a quiet, bucolic nature spot where there's no risk of bothering anyone! And that's pretty good! Especially if you want to discover the rural world.
Typical French Hosts: winegrowers, producers, craftspeople...
Today, France Passion is a network of 2,200 hosts, including 1,000 farmers, 800 winegrowers, 400 craftsmen, inns and even a few campervan drivers... who host other campervan drivers!
They are present in every region of France and in all 91 départements, so they welcome motor caravans, vans and campervans for the night on their land. It's a great way to meet new people!
A quiet, stable area for a safe night's sleep in a motorhome on a farm
This is the only commitment made by France Passion hosts! The stages are not intended to become service areas. We sleep in the homes of local people and signal our arrival with a courtesy visit! This goes without saying, but it's always worth remembering a few golden rules.
However, some hosts offer water, and others have equipped themselves with facilities to make us even more welcome (electricity, grey water and toilet cassette emptying, bins, showers, picnic tables, etc.).
Does France Passion accept caravans and roof tents?
This is an additional service, which is sometimes free and sometimes subject to a charge, but it is not compulsory for hosts, as the condition for joining the France Passion network is to have a vehicle that is self-sufficient in services (water, electricity, WC or dry toilets).
Caravans are therefore only accepted if they are 100% self-sufficient (shower, WC inside). The France Passion website also states that ‘cars equipped with a roof tent are not allowed’.
If, like us, you don't have an electrical and solar installation on your motorhome, we advise you to equip your vehicle with a portable, rechargeable nomad battery like those from EcoFlow.
2) Visit the best addresses in the French regions
What we love most of all about exploring a French region in a motorhome is getting to know its attractions, specialities - in short, what makes it so rich.
France Passion has always given us this opportunity, because we're parked up with producers, winegrowers and craftsmen, right in the heart of the terroir!
The France Passion network extends throughout France
In the guide and on the map of France provided, you'll find all the hosts, listed by department.
You'll also find all the information you need: the host's activity, the number of pitches available, whether the host has any preferences about arrival times, etc.
France Passion stops in Brittany?
Of course there are! Whether in Côtes-d'Armor, Finistère, Ile-et-Vilaine or Morbihan, France Passion offers over 80 stopovers in the Brittany region. This is your chance to discover cider, seaweed and Breton biscuit production, as well as market gardens and pig farms. If you haven't yet travelled to this part of France, read our 15-day tour of Brittany in a motorhome.
Pauline & Simon
3) Tasting local produce in a motorhome direct sales shop
This encounter with the land gives you the chance to sample local produce. Sometimes, the hosts even have a small direct sales shop.
We had the opportunity to have a local breakfast in Northern Alsace (after our itinerary along the Alsace wine route) thanks to bread and farm produce and a good home-made coffee (it's a change from instant coffee!).
Or sample some excellent olive oil at a mill on our tour of the Alpilles region of Provence.
Pauline & Simon
4) Contact with nature and animals
If there's one nice thing about France Passion, it's that you often wake up to farm animals.
Goats, horses, cows, roosters, even pigs or llamas - it's often something quite unusual, as here in Lorraine!
Those travelling with children generally appreciate this, especially as some hosts have developed educational farm activities and offer guided tours of their farms.
5) Great encounters with passionate hosts
What we particularly like is the opportunity to discover the reality of jobs that we sometimes know little about, to get to know the day-to-day reality of producers and craftsmen: jobs that are passionate and not always easy...
Even if they don't always have the time, because of their work, there's still plenty to talk about.
You meet people who are as passionate as they are exciting. People with atypical backgrounds. And for some, it can be a real ‘coup de coeur’... as in our video above, made when we visited the Perche region in a motorhome, where we discovered the work of Frédérique from the Atelier Pure Laine in Orne (Perche).
Pauline & Simon
6) How can I get a free France Passion guide?
You can't, except when we run competitions on our Instagram account to win free France Passion guides 😊
Is France Passion free?
The France Passion stages are free. But to open the doors to the France Passion network, you have to pay a membership fee, which includes the paper guide published in March of the current year and the mobile app.
Unlimited parking and motorhome reception in France
They are updated every year with new France Passion hosts. You won't have to pay anything at each stage except to treat yourself by buying local produce and supporting your producer hosts. So you can park unlimited for a year.
Where can I find and buy the France Passion 2024 guide?
You can order it online from the France Passion website. It will be delivered from mid-February and will be valid from 1 March 2024 until March 2025. It is also sold in a number of dealerships and via specialist magazines and motorhome federations.
7) How does the France Passion smartphone application work?
France Passion also offers a smartphone application. You can use it to find out where you are, check your travel log, read comments from other members, take photos, enjoy festive events at hosts' homes...
Launched in the summer of 2020, everything is now available to members on their mobile phones! It's not perfect yet, but the spirit is still there, allowing us to get even more out of the network, thanks in particular to my geolocation of stages.
Geolocation of stages on a map of France
A new update is planned for this year to provide real-time access to information via a search engine.
In the medium term, the team plans to update this first version to provide even more features. We'll keep you updated via our newsletter.
How do I create a France Passion account and receive my 2024 guide?
Once you've bought the guide, you automatically join France Passion and become a guest member with a membership card (which you'll receive by post) with your membership number and a sticker to affix to the windscreen of your motorhome.
In advance, you will receive an e-mail with your login details to access your France Passion members' area. This is usually sent within 2 working days of your order, so you can take full advantage of the application before the paper guide arrives by post.
Buy the Guide France Passion 2024
The 32nd edition of the 2024 Milestones guide (March 2024 -> Easter 2025) costs 33 euros this year, but with our promotional code, save 2 euros on your first subscription (delivery and postage included).
A problem with your order? How can I contact France Passion in Carpentras?
You can contact the France Passion team using the online contact form on their website, but before you do you may find the answer to your question in the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). France Passion is based in Carpentras.
France Passion in Italy or Spain? Partner networks all over Europe!
France Passion has inspired the creation of networks abroad. These networks are not nearly as well-developed as those in France, but they do exist and offer travel alternatives. During our tour of Europe, we tested the Agricamper Italia network in Italy, Britstop in the UK and Landvergnügen in Germany. There's also WinzerAtlas, also in Germany, España Discovery in Spain, Swiss Terroir in Switzerland, In Camper con Gusto , Swede Stops in Sweden, Pintrip in Denmark, Martinique Camping-Car in Martinique, Harvest Hosts in the United States and Canada, Terego in Canada, Farmgate Mate in Australia, Okay2stay in New Zealand.
Pauline & Simon
