With the Sprinter through the Pyrenees

Our camper trip through the Pyrenees via Switzerland, France and Spain

Hello everyone, my name is Hubert and I am the developer of VanEssa mobilcamping and VanEssa Camper. My regular destination is Sardinia as I love water sports and the beach to relax.

This year, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and so, together with my partner Uschi and a couple of friends, I decided to embark on a trip across the Pyrenees. Our travel report gives you an insight into our route from Germany through France to the Spanish Pyrenees and the Atlantic coast of Spain. Enjoy reading it. And even more when „retraveling“ 😊

Switzerland

We started in mid-June 2023 in Schaffenhausen, where we met up with our friends. We spent the first night directly at the Schloss Laufen parking lot. This offers the opportunity to spend the night from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. and free access to the Rhine Falls. If you are traveling in this area, you should definitely not miss this impressive waterfall, one of the three largest in Europe.

The next day, we set off over the Grimsel Pass in Switzerland. One of our highlights on the way was the Gelmerbahn, one of the steepest cogwheel railroads, which took us to a beautiful mountain lake. It's worth being early here, as we were told that tickets could run out in the afternoon.

We continued over the Furka Pass, up to the Rhone Glacier. This is the closest you can get to a glacier in Europe (note: the ice grotto closes at 5 p.m.).Back over the Simplon Pass with a detour to visit friends.

France

Our next stop was the plateau in Valensole. The lavender fields there are simply beautiful when they are in bloom. On your travels, always remember to let nature work its magic on you and take enough time for such sights. There is also a cute little lavender museum here, which also serves delicious food.

Then it was off to Hyères. If you have enough time on your trip, you should definitely not miss out on this small town and the peninsula. There is a small hiking trail around the peninsula that takes you to beautiful bays with turquoise water. If you are out and about on the lagoon, you might even be lucky enough to see flamingos.

France Atlantic coast

We visited the towns of Biarritz and Bayonne, which are a little too touristy for my taste. We made our way up the Atlantic coast step by step to Soulac sur Mer, a small, picturesque town that we really liked. Anyone who loves beach walks will definitely get their money's worth on the Atlantic coast.

From Biarritz to Bordeaux, there are sandy beaches and the sea as far as the eye can see (less suitable for swimming). In between there was another wonderful destination, the Dune de Pilat. It is the largest shifting sand dune in Europe and anyone who masters the climb will be rewarded with a breathtaking view.

The city of Bordeaux, a university city in the southwest of France, is also not to be missed. It is a very beautiful, historic and yet lively city. The day ticket for the streetcar, which costs 5 euros, is definitely worth it as it covers all the sights. It is better to park your car outside the city center.

Our way home took us over the volcanic mountains near Lyon. Unfortunately, it was raining, so we continued without stopping.

Our last stop was Lake Geneva near Lausanne. Here we spent the night at a nice hippie campsite right on the lake. Then, after a short stop in Zurich, we headed home.

Our conclusion

Once again, we were surprised at how much beauty Europe has to offer. The variety we were offered on our trip was also simply fantastic.

Travel is definitely not a relaxing vacation. Before your vacation, think about how much relaxation and how much „input“ you expect from your trip. We deliberately opted for a lot of program this time and arrived home very happy but tired. A few days off after a trip like this never hurts.

Often use small roads instead of the highway. This way, we often discovered the small, fine and yet worth seeing spots and got to know the culture and the country better.
Don't expect to travel too far either. The most beautiful spots are often overlooked.

And a little tip: if you want less hustle and bustle, you should travel through France before July 14, as the vacations start after the national holiday.

I hope I was able to give you a little insight into our exciting road trip and perhaps inspire some of you to travel to this beautiful region yourself. 

Have fun, Hubert and Uschi.

Curious about the north?
If you enjoyed our tour through the Pyrenees, you'll love our trip through the endless forests and lakes of Sweden. 👉 Click here for the Sweden travel blog