We bought our van, Frank, at the start of 2022 – before we even knew Little Rick would be joining us. What started off as a pipe dream very quickly turned into real life when we sold everything we owned and set off on a maternity leave adventure… with a baby in tow.
(Curious how and why we quit it all to travel? [Read that story here.])
So, where did we start this sensible, well-researched, thoroughly prepared journey? Somewhere local to test things out? Oh no. We decided to dive right in at the deep end and booked a ferry to France.
At the time, Frank had no water system, no heater, and barely any decoration unless you count optimism and chaos as design choices. But what we lacked in practicality, we made up for in blind faith (and a ticking countdown clock until I had to return to work).
With the ferry booked for a Monday morning, we tearfully said our goodbyes – most of them directed at the baby, let’s be honest – and waved farewell to England for a few months of first-time van life.
So without further ado, here’s our first van life trip through France – what we did, what we learned, and exactly how much it all cost.
The real cost of van life in France: our 45-day campervan budget
Let’s be real: van life isn’t free. There are fuel tanks to fill, croissants to buy, and laundrettes that become your second home when you’re travelling with a baby. Before we left, we had no clue what this trip would cost. Were we going to be ultra-budget backpackers in a van? Glam campers on an extended holiday? Or somewhere in between?
Turns out, we were somewhere between “we’ll cook every meal!” and “oops, we ate out three times today.”
Here’s exactly where the money went – and what we learned along the way.
Groceries – £532.93
French supermarkets are a whole experience. Walking into a Super U or an E.Leclerc felt like entering a maze of cheese, pastries, and so much wine. We cooked a fair bit in the van (pastas, sandwiches, anything with rice), and while we tried to keep it simple, we were easily tempted by fancy pâté and endless baguettes.
Lesson learned: Always check for local markets! We got some of our best (and cheapest) fresh fruit from tiny town markets. Little Rick took a liking to raspberries on this trip and for some reason, we couldn’t find them in the big supermarkets. Not such a big fan of blackberries though!
Fuel – £670.43
Frank is a thirsty beast. We knew fuel would be our biggest cost – and yep, it was. We covered a lot of France, from the coast to the mountains to the wine regions. Diesel prices fluctuated, and we got better at spotting cheap stations (tip: avoid the ones right off the motorways!).
Fun fact: At first, we tried to avoid all the toll roads before realising that driving an hour out of the way to save €5 would cost us double that in fuel. Maths… clearly not our strong point. Which leads us nicely on to…
Tolls – £141.19
This was a tricky one for us. French toll roads (péages) are slick, fast, and undeniably convenient – but they’re also a little pricey. When you’re driving a long-wheelbase van with a baby who’s not a fan of stop-start traffic, they often feel like the better option. Over the course of the trip, we racked up £141.19 in tolls, mostly on longer stretches between regions.
Would we skip them next time? Maybe. Or at least plan our routes a bit more strategically. One thing to note: we used an Emovis toll tag, which makes driving through toll booths a breeze – but it also makes it dangerously easy to rack up charges without realising. You just zip through… and then the bill lands later. Oops.
Parking – £30.94
Honestly, I’m not sure there is anywhere better than France for campervan living. Its network of free and cheap aires (designated motorhome stopovers) meant we could usually find places to park day and night. Most evenings we parked up for free – by lakes, in villages, and even next to vineyards.
We only paid for parking a few times – usually when visiting towns or cities or at some of the more touristy attractions.
Best find: A free spot by a beach where we watched the sunset, drank beers at a pop-up, and watched locals play boules. Très français.
Entertainment – £112.53
Carousels. Wine tours. The one time we went full boujee-babes and visited a thermal spa in the mountains (with a 9-month-old… who are we??). This was our “fun” budget, and while we didn’t go wild with big-ticket attractions, we treated ourselves to a few bits – especially on rainy days.
Tip: Loads of attractions in France offer reduced prices for families, and babies under two are almost always free. Perks of travelling with a tiny human.
Meals & Treats Out – £554.71
Yes, this is a lot. No, we don’t regret a single flaky, buttery croissant.
France is the land of café culture, and between the daily boulangerie runs, impromptu crêpe stops, and the occasional “oh look, it’s noon… better have a beer” moments, this was the category that quietly crept up on us – and then sprinted ahead with a baguette in each hand.
I reviewed our bank statement for this blog and… wow. The sheer number of croissants, crêpes, and cheeky beers is both impressive and slightly alarming. But when in France, you follow the pastry. It’s basically the law.
Most extravagant meal? A spontaneous three-course birthday dinner in the Chablis region – complete with wine tasting. It was the kind of indulgent, slightly chaotic van life moment we’ll always remember. Little Rick decided he wasn’t getting enough attention and made his voice known (loudly), and we were seated precariously close to a wall of wine bottles. But we did get to toast not only my birthday, but to surviving our first proper international adventure in Frank. So, 100% worth it.
Launderette – £34.33
Ahhh, travel with a tiny human. Triple the laundry immediately. Bibs, blankets, banana-covered vests… and that’s just Monday. Most towns had easy-access launderettes (the best ones were in the supermarket car parks so we could kill two birds with one stone), and we got into a rhythm of washing about once a week.
Hack: Bring your own detergent! The ones provided are often coarse and gave Little Rick a bit of bother with his sensitive skin. Also – colour catchers. Lifesavers when you’re stuffing everyone’s laundry into one big load.
Campsites/Accommodation – £406.18
We only booked campsites when we needed a proper shower, to empty the toilet, or to recharge all our gear and have a space to sit and drink our beers in peace. Otherwise, we were big fans of wild camping and aires.
As it was our first trip, we weren’t as au fait with free park-ups yet, so we booked a campsite in advance for our first night. Honestly, we stayed in way more campsites than we even contemplate now. It was part of the “playing it safe” phase – figuring things out, and wanting the comfort of knowing there’d be a toilet and shower nearby.
Top tip: We used the Pitch Up website for last-minute campsite bookings, and Park4Night for free park ups and aires.
Shopping Extras – £53.44
These were the things we forgot or didn’t think we’d need (read: a LOT of antihistamines because apparently I’m a five-star mozzie buffet). A special mention goes to the Speedos Mr Rick had to buy because apparently they’re a requirement in French swimming pools?! His very British modesty took a hit, and let’s just say they haven’t seen much daylight since 🤭
Miscellaneous – £62.13
A rather annoying little category for us, mainly dealing with admin back home. Specifically, needing to courier last-minute house sale documents back to the UK. A forgettable but very real cost of trying to do “life stuff” while on the road.
Utilities (Gas, Water, Electric) – £21.48
Super cheap! We refilled our gas tank once, bought some AdBlue, and pumped up the tyres a couple of times. We plugged into electricity on a few paid campsite stops (mostly for my electric toothbrush), but our solar setup handled the rest.
Public Transport/Taxis/Ferries – £187.98
When visiting big cities (like Bordeaux) or attractions (like Mont-Saint-Michel), we left Frank behind and took trains or buses. Way easier than trying to squeeze into a historic city centre with a long wheelbase van. This category also includes our ferry crossings to and from France.
One to remember (for better or worse): Little Rick managed to throw (thankfully only slightly warm) coffee all over himself and Mr Rick, and spent the afternoon in Bordeaux wearing just a nappy and a blanket. Yep. Our fault for only packing one outfit… but when your house has wheels, things like “a spare set of clothes” sometimes fall off the radar.
Car Hire & Airfare – £0.00
No planes, no rental cars. Just us, Frank, and a whole lot of French motorways.
TOTAL SPENT: £2,808.27
That’s about £62.40 per day, or just under £21 per person per day (if you count the baby… which we did, mostly because of his milk habit).
Why just 45 days in France?
Well, life (and love!) intervened. We had a family wedding to get back to in the UK. So after six and a half weeks of croissants, countryside roads, and baby bottle rinses without a sink, we packed up Frank and hopped back across the Channel.
It wasn’t the end though. Just a quick breather before we carried on adventuring through Germany and Belgium. But that’s a story (and a spreadsheet) for another post.
Final thoughts: was van life in France worth it?
Absolutely. We may have overspent in the food category, but this trip was unforgettable. From market raspberries to beachside beers, it was the adventure that kicked off everything (and led to the life we now lead… [read more here]).
Would we do it differently now? Sure. Fewer campsites, smarter fuel routes, maybe a better toll calculator, and definitely more spare clothes for Little Rick. But for a first-time van life with a baby trip, we wouldn’t change a single second.
Thanks for coming along for the ride! If you’ve done a van life trip (or are planning one), I’d love to hear about your budget wins and fails in the comments below.
Leave a comment