Rental company category:Standard
Paris, Lyon and Marseille: three departure points along the north–south route
Autocaravan Express’s French network comes down to three cities linked by the Autoroute du Soleil: Paris, Lyon and Marseille. No address is published for any of them. Once your booking is registered, the rental company specifies where the vehicle will be handed over to you: its depot, a delivery or a meeting point.
Each city sets the tone for the trip. Paris puts Normandy, Champagne and the Loire châteaux a few hours away; Lyon opens up Beaujolais, Burgundy, the Ardèche and the Alps; Marseille leads to the Calanques, the Luberon, the Camargue and the French Riviera. Our price checks do not yet include any prices for these departures: the search shows the price for your dates, alongside offers from BlackSheep, Avis Explore or McRent.
Our view: a simple solution for a French traveller who knows the brand from Spain and would rather set off from home, or for a road trip in the east and south of the country. The West and South-West remain out of reach, and the lack of observed prices means comparing offers one by one.
The key facts to decide whether Autocaravan Express suits your trip.
Autocaravan Express has no physical branch in these cities: the company delivers the vehicle there, at a time and place agreed with you after booking. They are available as pick-up locations in the search form, which shows availability and the price, delivery included.
At French motorway toll barriers, the class depends on height: class 2 between 2 and 3 metres, class 3 above that or over 3.5 tonnes. To head down from Lyon to Provence, the roads on the right bank of the Rhône are a slower but more budget-friendly alternative.
France has a very large number of motorhome areas, municipal or private, with waste disposal and water, often free or inexpensive. Networks offering stays with winegrowers and farm producers add to the choice, especially in Burgundy and Provence.
The Boulevard Périphérique and the motorways of Île-de-France are jammed in the morning and late afternoon. If the handover location is in the Paris region, schedule the handover for the middle of the day and plan a first stop one or two hours’ drive away.
The rental company offers three departure cities, Paris, Lyon and Marseille, with no published address. The handover location, depot or otherwise, is given to you once your booking is made. Our experts can then help you organise your arrival from the station or airport.
Catalonia is a few hours from Marseille, and the brand is very well represented on the other side of the Pyrenees. The countries the vehicle may enter are, however, a matter for the contract. To end your trip in Barcelona, enter that city as your return location: the search only shows the offer if this journey is accepted.
CoolDrive has not yet observed any prices for this rental company in France. The price changes with the season, the length of hire and the model: a search with your dates gives you the amount, mandatory fees included, and lets you compare it with the rental companies based in France.
The two service providers made me pay for the insurance for the car. And when I request a refund for one of them, I no longer get a response. I will travel by motorhome again, but certainly not with CoolDrive, nor with my friends.
The two service providers charged me for insurance for the car. And when I request a refund for one, I no longer receive a response. I will travel again in a camper van but certainly not with CoolDrive, nor with my friends.
First rental of this type of vehicle in a professional context where the rental must take place from France to Canada. Many questions and Cooldrive (Marlène) has been a valuable support in guiding my choices. Efficiency and responsiveness beforehand, and on-site a vehicle and service that met our expectations. No complaints. Great!
Yes, as long as the motorhome’s gross vehicle weight does not exceed 3.5 tonnes, which covers most campervans and low-profiles. The weight is given in the offer, as are the minimum age and the number of years you must have held your licence, as required by the rental company.
After booking, the rental company sets the place and time. Allow a good half hour on site: an introduction to the equipment, a photographed check-in inspection and a check of water and gas levels. Keep the signed document until you return the vehicle.
Several cities, including Paris and Lyon, have introduced low-emission zones with rules that change over time. If your itinerary goes through a city centre, check the local rules before you leave and ask the rental company whether a sticker is displayed on the windscreen.
In France, Autocaravan Express sticks to Paris, Lyon and Marseille, three cities lined up along the route down to the Mediterranean; the handover location is given to you at booking. On CoolDrive Nomad, you compare its offers with those of the rental companies based in the country, then our experts help you prepare for departure. Everything about the brand and its vehicles can be found on its main page, for Spain.
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