VAN-COMPARATOR Guide
The campervan weekend: 2 days around a big city, the working formula
Friday 5 pm to Sunday 6 pm: the template itinerary for a van weekend from a major city, with the real budget and the timing mistakes to avoid.
You do not need three weeks to taste van life: 48 hours are enough, provided you respect one golden rule — stay within 200 km of the pickup city. Here is the formula that works, tested around every major European city.
The template
Friday 4-6 pm: vehicle handover (allow 30-45 minutes of walkthrough — do not rush it, especially for a first time), a quick shop, then 1-2 hours of driving maximum to the first stopover. Saturday: the real day — hike, market, swim, second stopover in the evening. Sunday: a slow morning on site, an easy drive back, fuel top-up, waste-water dump and return before 6 pm.
Three examples that work
- From Lyon: the Vercors plateau or the Beaujolais hills — superb roads, plenty of stopovers, 90 minutes away.
- From Bordeaux: Arcachon bay off season or the Gironde estuary, under an hour out.
- From Munich: the Bavarian lakes and the first alpine passes — Germany's great Wochenende classic.
The real 48-hour budget
Campervan for 2 nights: 160-300 € depending on season. Fuel for 300 km: 35-50 €. Two nights at stopovers or a campsite: 15-50 €. Total: 210-400 €, split between two or four travellers — and outside summer the same weekend often lands under 250 € all in. Many operators apply a 2- or 3-night minimum on high-season weekends — booking Friday to Sunday evening is precisely the most available format.
The two timing mistakes
Picking up on Saturday morning (half the weekend evaporates in logistics) and aiming too far (an extra 200 km is two hours less on site). A successful van weekend is a lazy one on the map. Van-Comparator compares weekend prices from Yescapa, Goboony, Roadsurfer and Indie Campers around your city — campervan hire often starts under 100 € a night outside summer.