Rent Easy Rental company category:Premium
-
Rent Easy Valenciennes c/o Multi Loisirs Distribution EURLAvenue de Denain 168, 59300 ValenciennesView map
Hiring a campervan in Valenciennes puts your starting point at the heart of French Hainaut, between the headframes of the World Heritage-listed mining basin, the great Raismes-Saint-Amand-Wallers forest and the hedged farmland of the Avesnois. Belgium begins about fifteen minutes away: Mons, Tournai and the boat lifts of the Canal du Centre are less than an hour's drive. Our partner company, Rent Easy, hands over its vehicles on Avenue de Denain, west of the town centre.
The birthplace of Watteau and Carpeaux, Valenciennes offers a departure free of big-city traffic jams, with Lille 45 km away as the crow flies and Cambrai just under half an hour to the south.
1 rental partner
Where to pick up your vehicle à Valenciennes?
Road trip ideas
Road trips from Valenciennes
1 The mining basin, from the Arenberg pit to the Louvre-Lens
- Valenciennes
- Wallers-Arenberg
- Saint-Amand-les-Eaux
- Lewarde
- Douai
- Loos-en-Gohelle
- Lens
- Valenciennes
A quarter of an hour north-west, the former Arenberg pit in Wallers has become Arenberg Creative Mine, beside the cobbled forest track made famous by Paris-Roubaix. Saint-Amand-les-Eaux and its baroque abbey tower lead to the Centre Historique Minier in Lewarde, set on the yard of a former pit. After the belfry of Douai, the road reaches the twin slag heaps of Loos-en-Gohelle, among the highest in Europe, then the Louvre-Lens.
- Distance
- about 150 km
- Recommended vehicle
- All types of motorhomes
2 The Avesnois, Mormal forest and Val Joly lake
- Valenciennes
- Le Quesnoy
- Mormal Forest
- Maroilles
- Avesnes-sur-Helpe
- Val Joly Lake
- Sars-Poteries
- Bavay
- Valenciennes
To the south-east, Le Quesnoy keeps its bastioned ramparts and the memorial to the New Zealand soldiers who freed the town in 1918. The road crosses the Mormal forest to Maroilles, village of the abbey and the cheese, then Avesnes-sur-Helpe and the hedgerows of the Avesnois regional nature park. Val Joly lake, dammed on the Helpe Majeure, hosts a water sports centre, before the glass museum of Sars-Poteries and the Roman forum of Bavay.
- Distance
- about 170 km
- Recommended vehicle
- Campervan or camper van
3 Belgian Hainaut: Tournai, Mons and the Canal du Centre
- Valenciennes
- Tournai
- Mons
- Strépy-Thieu
- Houdeng-Goegnies
- Binche
- Grand-Hornu
- Valenciennes
Across the border, Tournai unfolds its five-towered cathedral and the oldest belfry in Belgium, both World Heritage sites. Mons, capital of Hainaut, brings together its Grand-Place and its baroque belfry; further east, the Strépy-Thieu funicular lift and the historic hydraulic lifts of the Canal du Centre still raise boats. Return via Binche, town of the Gilles carnival, and the Grand-Hornu mining site, whose neoclassical workshops house a contemporary art museum.
- Distance
- about 180 km
- Recommended vehicle
- All types of motorhomes
Weather and seasons
When to go à Valenciennes?
Best time
May to September
May to September
highs 19 to 24 °C, lows 9 to 15 °C
The best time to leave from Valenciennes: eleven to twelve hours of sunshine a day in midsummer, highs that are rarely stifling and dry paths for hiking on the slag heaps or cycling along the Scheldt. Still expect a few showers each week, and book early for July and August.
March, April and October
March to April, October
highs 12 to 16 °C, lows 4 to 10 °C
An in-between season with cool days, pleasant for towns and mining sites. April is the driest month of the year, when the Mormal and Raismes forests turn green again; October colours the woods but brings rain back. A heated vehicle makes the nights comfortable.
Winter
November to February
November to February
highs 7 to 11 °C, lows 1 to 5 °C
A grey, damp winter, with three to five hours of sunshine a day and nights close to freezing. It is museum season, from the Louvre-Lens to the MACS at Grand-Hornu, and the time of the Valenciennes Christmas market. Choose a well-insulated vehicle and a campsite open all year round.
Climate à Valenciennes, month by month
Most pleasant months: May to September.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 °C | 1 °C | 85 mm | 4 h/day |
| Feb | 9 °C | 3 °C | 68 mm | 5 h/day |
| Mar | 12 °C | 4 °C | 67 mm | 7 h/day |
| Apr | 15 °C | 5 °C | 45 mm | 10 h/day |
| May | 19 °C | 9 °C | 63 mm | 11 h/day |
| Jun | 23 °C | 13 °C | 69 mm | 11 h/day |
| Jul | 24 °C | 14 °C | 57 mm | 12 h/day |
| Aug | 24 °C | 15 °C | 63 mm | 11 h/day |
| Sep | 21 °C | 12 °C | 66 mm | 9 h/day |
| Oct | 16 °C | 10 °C | 74 mm | 6 h/day |
| Nov | 11 °C | 5 °C | 70 mm | 4 h/day |
| Dec | 8 °C | 3 °C | 74 mm | 3 h/day |
Averages 2016–2025 computed from Open-Meteo data (ERA5 reanalysis).
Practical tips
Everything to know before hitting the road
Pick-up near the motorways
The Rent Easy depot is hosted by Multi Loisirs Distribution, on Avenue de Denain, on the western exit of the town towards Anzin. The A23 and A2 are a few minutes away: you hit the road without crossing the centre at the wheel of a vehicle you are just discovering. Fill up and shop in the retail parks on the outskirts.
Toll-free motorways to Lille and Belgium
Around Valenciennes, the A23 to Lille, the A21 to Douai and Lens and the A2 to Mons and Brussels are toll-free; tolls only begin further south, on the road to Paris. In Belgium, motorways are free for vehicles under 3.5 tonnes, but some cities have low emission zones: check the rules before entering them.
The Arenberg Trench and Paris-Roubaix
The cobbled Arenberg Trench, in the Wallers forest, is closed to motor traffic: you explore it on foot or by bike from the former pit site. On Paris-Roubaix Sunday, in April, the roads on the route are closed for much of the day and car parks are full: plan detours that day.
Trams and town-centre streets
The tram runs through several streets in central Valenciennes, with reserved lanes and rails that narrow the carriageway. A motorhome squeezes through with difficulty and struggles to find a space near the Place d'Armes: park on the outskirts and finish on foot or by tram.
What travellers ask
Your questions about a road trip à Valenciennes
Where can I pick up a campervan in Valenciennes?
Rent Easy, our partner company, is the only one offering departures from Valenciennes: its depot is at 168 Avenue de Denain, west of the town centre. The vehicle handover appointment is set when you book, and both the address and the time are in your confirmation. Allow time for the check-in inspection and to get to grips with the vehicle.
How much does it cost to hire a campervan in Valenciennes?
The price depends on the season, the length of the rental, the vehicle and the options chosen. Run a search with your departure and return dates in Valenciennes: you get Rent Easy's real rates, mandatory fees included, bookable immediately. Comparing several rental lengths or moving your departure by a few days often helps adjust the budget.
Can I return the vehicle in another city?
Lille, Cuinchy near Béthune, Calais, Dunkirk, Amiens and Dieppe are other departure cities of our partner companies. A one-way trip is only possible if the company accepts it: enter the return city when searching to see the available offers and any fees, included in the displayed price. A trip from the mining basin to the Opal Coast lends itself well to it.
Can I drive into Belgium with a campervan hired in Valenciennes?
The border is about fifteen minutes away on the A2, near Quiévrain, and Belgian Hainaut can be explored without formalities inside the Schengen area. Still check in the offer conditions that Belgium is covered by the insurance and breakdown assistance, and keep your driving licence, the vehicle registration certificate and the accident report form on board.
What is there to see in Valenciennes before setting off?
The Museum of Fine Arts holds a rich Flemish collection, including works by Rubens, and sculptures by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, a native of the town like the painter Antoine Watteau. The Place d'Armes, the town hall façade and the Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Saint-Cordon can be explored on foot in half a day, before heading to the banks of the Scheldt.
Verified customer reviews
They rented à Valenciennes with CoolDrive Nomad
4.3
818 reviews
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.
(anonymous)
France · Sep 2019
Avis Vérifiés
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.
(anonymous)
France · Sep 2019
Avis Vérifiés
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!
Alain L.
Canada · Oct 2025
Avis Vérifiés
Frequently asked questions
FAQ — Campervan and motorhome hire in Valenciennes
What licence do I need to drive a motorhome hired in Valenciennes?
A category B licence is enough for motorhomes, campervans and converted vans under 3.5 tonnes, in France as in neighbouring Belgium. With a licence issued outside the European Union, an international driving permit may also be required. The company may also set a minimum age and a minimum number of years of driving, shown in the offer conditions.
Where can I stay overnight in a motorhome around Valenciennes?
Campsites and motorhome areas are plentiful around Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, in the Scarpe-Escaut regional nature park, and in the villages of the Avesnois. Wild camping is forbidden in the Raismes-Saint-Amand-Wallers state forest, whose car parks are not meant for overnight stays. In Belgium, only sleep on authorised pitches.
How do I get to Valenciennes by train or plane?
Valenciennes station has direct TGV trains from Paris and regional TER trains from Lille. The nearest airport is Lille-Lesquin, about three quarters of an hour's drive away; Brussels South Charleroi and Brussels Airport are one to one and a half hours away. From the station, a taxi reaches the Avenue de Denain depot in a few minutes.
How many days should I plan when leaving from Valenciennes?
A long weekend is enough for the mining basin loop or for Tournai and Mons. Allow a week to combine the Avesnois, Belgian Hainaut and the Cambrésis without long stages, and ten days or more to push on to the Opal Coast or the Ardennes. The short distances leave time for sightseeing and hiking.
What is there to see in the Cambrésis?
Cambrai, about 35 km to the south-west, keeps its belfry, its cathedral and the tradition of the bêtises de Cambrai mint sweets. In Flesquières, the Cambrai Tank 1917 museum displays the tank Deborah, excavated from the battlefield; in Le Cateau-Cambrésis, the Matisse museum honours the painter born in the town. A one- or two-day loop on open plateau roads.
When should I book a campervan in Valenciennes?
With only one company on site, the choice is more limited than in a big city: book several months ahead for July, August and the May bank holidays. The rest of the year, a few weeks is often enough. If your dates are taken, look at the nearby departures from Lille or Cuinchy, less than an hour's drive away.
About us
Why start a motorhome trip from Valenciennes
Within an hour's drive, Valenciennes gathers landscapes rarely associated with northern France: the wooded slag heaps and headframes of the mining basin, the great Raismes-Saint-Amand-Wallers forest, the hedgerows and valleys of the Avesnois, the plateaus of the Cambrésis. Wallonia is so close that a single trip moves effortlessly from French belfries to the boat lifts of the Canal du Centre.
Setting off is stress-free: uncongested roads, quick access to the motorways and a Rent Easy depot away from the centre. Lille, Cuinchy, Calais or Dunkirk, other departure cities of our partner companies, open the way to a one-way trip towards the North Sea. Aim for May to September for hiking and cycling; the mining heritage and the region's museums, however, can be visited in any season.