“We want to be able to get off the beaten track”: at the motorhome show at the Montpellier exhibition center, people dream of escape

Yoann and Cassandra love to travel. And why not in a campervan ? MIDI LIBRE – Y. PO.

Un choix de plus de 250 v̩hicules de toutes marques. MIDI LIBRE РY. PO.

Le van am̩nag̩ a la cote. MIDI LIBRE РY. PO.

Jusqu’à dimanche 8 septembre, le salon du camping-car, van et fourgon aménagé expose plus de 250 véhicules pour rêver d’ailleurs et de prolonger l’été.

It has become more than just a trend: motorhome tourism. Or rather, a van or a converted van. This is what the Pérols exhibition center is offering until Sunday, where 250 new and used vehicles are concentrated. Many models, of all sizes, with different layouts…

On this back-to-school Friday, the aisles of the show are very quiet. It is more of a day dedicated to retirees. Solange and Serge came from Grau-du-Roi to replace their aging motorhome: “But we still have a little time, we're looking for information. And I think we're going to switch to a camper van to go everywhere”, Serge, 74, mischievously slips in.

Yoann and Cassandra plan to invest…

Getting away in a camper van is also the wish of Cassandra and Yoann, 30 and 39. The couple from Saint-Clément-de-Rivière came looking for information but will soon be buying: “My parents already lent us a camper van for our holidays with our three children and we got a taste for it”, assures Yoann. Three little ones aged 4, 6 and 8. Suffice to say that the vehicle must be able to sleep 5 people.

Itinerant tourism breaks all records

Itinerant tourism is very trendy and the summer of 2024 has broken all records. According to the Camping-Car Park barometer, this summer, there were more than 2.8 million recreational vehicles that crisscrossed the roads of France. Hérault (412,000 overnight stays representing €23 million in economic benefits) is the second most popular department in the region, behind the Pyrénées-Orientales. In France, the three most popular regions are: New Aquitaine, ahead of Brittany and then Auvergne Rhone Alpes. But it is not over because the favorite months of itinerant tourists are June and September.

For the family, “we are looking more towards the van side. It is more manageable, more versatile and more aesthetic”. The vehicle is intended for vacations but the budget, for the couple who work in real estate, is substantial: in the order of 60 to 70,000 euros! “We are looking at a four-seater, to go to France, Portugal, Spain, Italy”… “Where it's warm”, Cassandra cuts in with a smile and adds: “We can also go to the mountains, but there has to be all the comforts inside: shower and toilet. We want to be able to get off the beaten track”.

A world tour in a catamaran

But this dream of elsewhere will not come true for some time. In November, the couple leaves by boat to cross the Atlantic to Cape Verde. And in June 2025, they take the whole family on board. Still with their catamaran which is rented the rest of the year. This time with their three children to go around the world for a year: “With classes for children on board”. On the work side, the business will be handled by the partner, Rémy who, as soon as Yoann and Cassandra return, will also go on a sabbatical year with his family. It will then be time for the young couple to come back to earth, and treat themselves to the campervan of their dreams…

Ideal for a holiday with a change of scenery, the motorhome, van and campervan show continues until Sunday 8 September at the Pérols exhibition centre. Purchase, rental, accessories… Information on the internet by clicking here. I subscribe to read the rest