The North French Route: Coast, Culture, and Champagne Splendor

Discover the breathtaking coastline of Northern France on this unforgettable camper road trip. Experience the historic beaches of Dunkirk and the iconic chalk cliffs of Étretat, while exploring the medieval charm of Saint-Malo and the lush Loire Valley. This journey combines culture, history, and natural beauty for the ultimate camper experience in France.

Enjoy at your own pace and discover the beautiful routes along the North Coast of France. This road trip through France takes you through Belgium and Northern France. Bring your own bike on the bike rack or rent our bikes, giving you even more freedom to explore everything.

Our tips always start and end at Beijs Roadtrips Camper Rental, but if you haven't rented a camper from us, you can start or end wherever you like.

This route is also very suitable for a shorter trip, perfect for a weekend getaway in France. You'll drive more hours per day, but you'll truly get a vacation feeling in just 3 days. See also the travel report by Marcel de Vries on our Instagram page.

Day 1-2 NL-BE-FR: Start your camper adventure towards Bruges

Since we're going to France and want to be primarily in France, we need to cover some kilometers on the first day, but it's still a holiday, so we won't go crazy!

We'll drive to the Bruges area, which is about a 2-hour drive. You can find an overnight stay nearby and visit on the second day. Bruges is a beautiful city with a historic center. The city has a unique atmosphere and medieval charm with cobbled streets, canals, and impressive architecture. It almost feels like you're walking through a museum.

The city has numerous cozy cafes and restaurants to try local specialties such as Belgian chocolate, waffles, fries, or a Belgian beer.

Mid-day, we'll continue our journey, as we were on our way to France. We'll stop about an hour further, near Dunkirk.

Day 3-4 Dunkirk and Côte d’Opale (the Opal Coast): Discover the French coastline

Dunkirk is a great stop during your camper trip. Dunkirk is known for "the Battle of Dunkirk" during World War II, when thousands of Allied soldiers were evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk, under heavy German bombardment. The 'Dunkirk 1940 Museum' offers an impressive and educational experience about this event.

In addition, it is one of France's largest ports. You can walk along the harbors, admire the ships and maritime history, or take a guided tour of one of the port facilities.

The next day, you'll continue along the Opal Coast. Visit Cap Blanc Nez near Escalles, Cap Griz Nez near Audighen, the beach of Hourdel in Cayeux-sur-Mer, or the medieval town of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. Here you'll find various places where you can enjoy wonderful beach walks, kite/windsurfing, or simply a lovely day at the beach.

Day 4-7 Étretat and Honfleur: The chalk cliffs of Normandy

Today you'll drive further along the coast. The coast of Normandy is characterized by high chalk cliffs, which are unique in Europe. The most famous cliffs can be found in Étretat, Aiguille, and Port d’Aval. Drive over the Pont de Normandie, towards Honfleur. This impressive structure spans the Seine. It's a spectacular bridge because it's very high, allowing even large ships to pass underneath with ease. In Honfleur, you can visit the old harbor or see the wooden Sainte Catherine Church.

Day 7 - 9 Mont Saint Michel and Saint Malo: Medieval cities and iconic abbeys

Explore the abbey of Mont Saint Michel, walk through the medieval streets, observe the tides, and enjoy the view over the bay. In Saint Malo, you can walk along the city walls, visit the old town (Intra-Muros), see the cathedral, or enjoy the beautiful beaches.

Day 9 – 12 Loire Valley – Blois – Tours – Orléans: Castles and vineyards

Beginning of the return journey, stop in the Loire Valley: Visit Château de Chambord and the city of Blois, with the Château Royal de Blois. Explore the vineyards of the Loire Valley and visit a local winery for a tasting. Visit the city of Tours, a town full of old half-timbered houses and the beautiful Saint-Gatien Cathedral. Also visit the city of Orléans, Place du Martroi is the heart of the city. Here you'll find the iconic equestrian statue of Joan of Arc. Cycle or walk along the banks of the Loire River.

Day 12- 13 Epernay & Reims: Champagne and culture

Épernay is the champagne city of the beautiful champagne region in France. On the world-famous Avenue de Champagne, you'll find the largest champagne houses. Stroll through the gardens of l’Hôtel de Ville. This city hall garden is freely accessible, or visit L’eglise Notre Dame. Or take a hot air balloon ride over the champagne fields. Enjoy a 360° view. The balloon is stationary on the ground and takes you 150m into the air for a magnificent view. Still haven't had enough of the beautiful champagne region? Then also visit Reims. This city is full of beautiful buildings, such as Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Basilique Saint Remi, the Grand Théâtre de Reims, or the palace on Place Royale. An ideal place to soak up some extra culture or taste one of the many champagnes.

Day 13 – 14 Dinant: Belgian Ardennes

Visit the Citadel of Dinant, which is located no less than 100m higher than the surface of the Meuse, the river on which the city lies. You can go up on foot or by cable car, but parking at the top is also an option. In addition, a visit to the Collégiale Notre-Dame is certainly worthwhile. Furthermore, in the city, you'll find many attributes and monuments referring to the life of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the Saxophone.

Day 14 - 15 Beijs Roadtrips Camper Rental Rijen: Back home

At the end of day 14, you'll drive back to the Netherlands. You can have one last overnight stay before returning the camper to Beijs Roadtrips. Tip: Have a final overnight stay at Luxury Minicamping Petit013 in Tilburg.

Book your RoadTIP!

The information above can be used free of charge as inspiration for your tour. It's also possible to request a quote for booking a complete Roadtrip including overnight stays. The Roadtrip will be completely tailored to your wishes. You can easily and flexibly choose your route along the sights, but we will have secured your overnight stays. Or we can fully plan the route for you and book the overnight stays in advance. You choose how many kilometers you want to drive per day, you choose whether you want to stay overnight at a campsite or at a camper place where you have to be completely self-sufficient, or we can create a combination of everything. Your vacation, your wishes. Feel free to contact us and inquire about the possibilities. Together, we'll create a wonderful camper route!