VAN-COMPARATOR Guide
The Cévennes by campervan: the Corniche, Mont Aigoual and the Tarn gorges
From Montpellier, a 3-4 day campervan route through the Cévennes: the Corniche des Cévennes, the Aigoual observatory, the Tarn gorges — stages and budget.
North of Montpellier, the Cévennes are the opposite of the coast: chestnut forests, hidden valleys, balcony roads and some of the purest night skies in Europe. A perfect playground for 3 or 4 days in a campervan.
The itinerary
Climb via Ganges to the Cirque de Navacelles, then up to the observatory on Mont Aigoual (1,567 m — on a clear day the view runs from the sea to the Alps). Next comes the Corniche des Cévennes, the old royal ridge road between Saint-Jean-du-Gard and Florac — the finest stretch of the trip. Finish with the Tarn gorges: Sainte-Enimie, the Détroits narrows, the Cirque des Baumes. Total loop: about 350 kilometres. Along the way, the Aven Armand cave and its giant stalagmites make the perfect cool-down stop on a heatwave day (about a 1-hour visit).
Sleeping in a national park
Wild camping is banned in the core of the Cévennes national park; bivouacking is tolerated only near certain trails and under conditions. In a van, the simple answer: the municipal stopovers of Florac, Meyrueis or Sainte-Enimie (€8-15 a night) and welcoming farms. Our guide to wild camping rules in Europe covers the details.
Which vehicle, what budget
Narrow roads, hairpins, low tunnels in the gorges: a campervan under 6 metres (€75-150/day) is far more pleasant than a big semi-integrated. Four days from Montpellier: €320-540 rental, €70 of diesel, €30-50 of overnight fees. Compare Yescapa, Goboony, Roadsurfer and Indie Campers in one Van-Comparator search.
Insider tip
September brings chestnuts, the transhumance festivals and Tarn gorges emptied of summer canoes. And on a clear night, sleep near Mont Aigoual: the area is an international dark-sky reserve, and the Milky Way delivers.