# Ochre, lavender and limestone gorges – by motorhome through the Luberon, Valensole and the Gorges du Verdon

> From Avignon via the springs of the Sorgue, the ochre villages of the Luberon and the Valensole lavender plateau to the Grand Canyon du Verdon, then back…

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/rf-221-provence-luberon-verdon/

**At a glance:** 8-day round trip of about 347 km (216 mi) with 14 stops, starting and ending in Avignon. About 4 h 47 min of driving in total. From Avignon via the springs of the Sorgue, the ochre villages of the Luberon and the Valensole lavender plateau to the Grand Canyon du Verdon, then back over Mont Ventoux: around 565 km of Provence, where you take the fire-risk level, water levels and vehicle width as seriously as the evening light.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 347 km (216 mi) |
| Driving | 4 h 47 min |
| Suggested days | 8 |
| Stops | 14 |
| Route | Avignon → Avignon |
| Countries | France |
| Updated | September 1, 2026 |

*From Avignon via the springs of the Sorgue, the ochre villages of the Luberon and the Valensole lavender plateau to the Grand Canyon du Verdon, then back over Mont Ventoux: around 565 km of Provence, where you take the fire-risk level, water levels and vehicle width as seriously as the evening light.*

## The spirit of the route

Provence smells of thyme, warm pine resin and – in July – lavender, which runs in endless rows across the Valensole plateau to the horizon. In the morning green water pours out of the rock at Fontaine-de-Vaucluse; at midday the air shimmers over the ochre quarries of Roussillon, glowing red, orange and yellow. Then the landscape breaks open: beyond Moustiers the Verdon drops into a gorge whose limestone walls fall away up to 700 metres, griffon vultures circle above the belvederes, and the river gleams turquoise far below. From your sliding door you see hill villages on rocky spurs, cypresses against stone walls and, in the evening, the bare summit of Ventoux. This route demands planning: in high summer wildfire levels decide which trails you can walk, water is scarce, and the roads along the canyon are narrow. Start early and stay on official sites, and you will experience one of the most densely packed landscapes in France.

## Stage-by-stage plan

### Stage 1: Avignon to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse (approx. 35 km)

- **The drive:** From Avignon take the D900 east through the vegetable plain of the Comtat, past Le Thor to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, then follow the D25 along the Sorgue into the narrow valley of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. Flat and easy; only the town centres are slow on market days. A good 45 minutes of pure driving time.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Palais des Papes and Pont Saint-Bénézet in Avignon – the best view of the bridge and the city walls is from the bank of the Île de la Barthelasse.
  - L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue: water wheels on the arms of the Sorgue, a weekly market on Thursday and the big Sunday market with antiques and flea-market stalls.
  - Source of the Sorgue in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse: a short walk to the rock basin where one of Europe’s most powerful karst springs emerges – in late summer the water level sits deep in the abyss, while after spring rain the basin overflows.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** In Avignon: Camping du Pont d’Avignon on the Île de la Barthelasse, a walk across the bridge from the centre, with electric hook-up, sanitary facilities and service point; Camping Bagatelle is next door. In Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Camping-Car Park runs an aire on the edge of the village (a good 20 pitches) with electricity, water and waste disposal, access by card. For a conventional campsite, try Camping La Coutelière on the D24 between Lagnes and Fontaine; check the season in advance.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** In the Sorgue valley and at the car parks in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, signs usually show a night-time ban on campers; the communes deliberately steer motorhomes to the paid aires. Overnight parking in France is only permitted where parking is not restricted by an arrêté – and even then without any camping behaviour.
- **Insider tip for campers:** In Avignon, leave the motorhome at the campsite on the Barthelasse: the car parks inside and along the city walls have height barriers, and the old-town lanes are narrow. During the festival in July pitches are scarce – book ahead. On Sundays, drive through L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue only before 9 a.m., or walk to the market from Camping La Sorguette on the eastern edge of town.

### Stage 2: Fontaine-de-Vaucluse to Roussillon (via Gordes and Sénanque) (approx. 35 km)

- **The drive:** Via Cabrières-d’Avignon onto the plateau at the foot of the Monts de Vaucluse to Gordes, then north on the D177 down into the valley of Sénanque Abbey and back, then along the D2 and D102 to Roussillon. The approach to Sénanque is narrow and winding, with passing places only in spots; in season coaches come the other way. Pure driving time about an hour.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Gordes: the village on its rocky spur seen from the viewpoint on the D15 just before you enter the village, plus the Village des Bories with its dry-stone huts south-west of the village.
  - Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque: a Cistercian abbey in a cleft of the valley, with a lavender field in front that usually blooms from late June to mid-July; visits only at the stated times, and modest dress is expected.
  - Sentier des Ocres in Roussillon: about 30 to 50 minutes through the former ochre quarries – wear shoes that can turn red.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Camping L’Arc en Ciel lies in pine woods between Roussillon and Goult, with sanitary facilities and electric hook-ups, open seasonally. Alternatives: Camping des Sources in Gordes, or the Camping-Car Park aire on the edge of Apt (stage 3) with electricity and service point. Gordes has a paid municipal aire on the D15 behind the police post, about 500 m from the village: a mixed, sloping car park that cars use too, with water for a fee and waste disposal, no electricity; the fee applies per 24 hours, even for short visits.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Gordes and Roussillon are among the most visited villages in Provence; motorhomes are directed to specially signed, paid parking areas, and overnighting anywhere else is frowned upon and checked. On forest and fire-protection tracks (DFCI) in the Luberon and Monts de Vaucluse, driving and stopping with motor vehicles is also banned in summer.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Reach Sénanque in the morning before 9 a.m. or in the late afternoon, once the coaches have gone; leave larger vehicles in the abbey car park only if there is still room, otherwise park in Gordes and walk the good four kilometres. When the fire risk is “très sévère”, the forest massifs in the Vaucluse are closed all day, and only places with a special exemption stay open – whether the Sentier des Ocres is one of them is shown on the prefecture’s access map, published the evening before for the next day.

### Stage 3: Roussillon to Forcalquier (via Apt and Rustrel) (approx. 70 km)

- **The drive:** A short hop along the D104 and D900 to Apt, a detour on the D22 to Rustrel for the Colorado provençal and back, then east on the well-built D900 through the Calavon valley, via Céreste into the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and up to Forcalquier. Wide roads, few bends, about 1.5 hours.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Saturday market in Apt, one of the big weekly markets of the Luberon, with candied fruit from the local confectioners.
  - Colorado provençal near Rustrel: circular trails between ochre pillars and sandstone coves; when the fire risk is high it is accessible only if the prefecture’s access map shows it as open.
  - Forcalquier: climb to the citadel with the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Provence and a view across the Lure to Ventoux; weekly market on Monday.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Camping Les Routes de Provence on the edge of Forcalquier, close to the centre, or Camping Les Lauzons north-west of town. The commune also has a municipal aire at the Espace culturel Bonne Fontaine with water and waste disposal. In Apt, the Camping-Car Park aire “Apt Lumière Luberon” (around 20 pitches) is available with electricity and service point.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Wild camping in the Luberon is not permitted in woods or on private land without permission, and during the fire season bivouacking is ruled out in the forest massifs of the Vaucluse. Overnighting is not intended at the Colorado provençal car park. If you want to stay off-site, networks of wine growers and farms that host members for a night (such as France Passion) are a legal alternative.
- **Insider tip for campers:** The D943 through the Combe de Lourmarin and the tracks over the Grand Luberon are tempting for a detour, but in summer, at a high fire level, they are partly closed to walkers; the Vidauque – Trou du Rat track in the Petit Luberon is closed to motor vehicles in summer by prefectural order. Fill up at the large supermarket on the edge of Apt – on the plateau and in the Verdon fuel gets pricier and scarcer.

### Stage 4: Forcalquier to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie (via Valensole) (approx. 80 km)

- **The drive:** Via Mane and the D4100 down to Manosque, across the Durance and up onto the Valensole plateau on the D6. From Valensole continue on the D6 to Riez, then along the D952 to Moustiers – or through the lavender fields on the D8 via Puimoisson. Wide, straight plateau roads with farm tracks left and right, climbing towards the end to the foot of the rock face of Moustiers. Just under 2 hours without photo stops.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Prieuré de Salagon near Mane: a Romanesque priory with ethnobotanical gardens of medicinal and aromatic plants from Haute-Provence.
  - Lavender and lavandin fields between Valensole, Riez and Puimoisson: bloom usually from mid/late June to mid-July, harvest from around mid-July – after that only mown rows remain; cereals and sunflowers in between.
  - Riez, with the four ancient columns of a Roman temple on the edge of town.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** In Moustiers, the Camping-Car Park aire below the village (a good 20 pitches, water, waste disposal) and several campsites within walking distance, such as Camping Saint-Jean and Camping Manaysse, both with sanitary facilities and electricity, season roughly spring to autumn. In the middle of the lavender lies the large Camping-Car Park aire at Puimoisson with electricity and service point – a good base for photos in the morning light.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** The fields are private property and a working area: do not step between the rows, do not pick, and do not park motorhomes on farm tracks. Many field entrances and lay-bys on the plateau carry stopping bans during the flowering season. Overnight only at the aires in Puimoisson, Riez (small aire on the edge of town) or Moustiers.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Photograph lavender best before 9 a.m., when the coaches have not yet arrived and the bees are sluggish – in the midday heat the fields are full. For the rock face of Moustiers use the car parks on the edge of the village; the village is not drivable for motorhomes and in season the car parks charge a fee. Fill up with water in Valensole or Riez before heading into the Verdon.

### Stage 5: Moustiers-Sainte-Marie to La Palud-sur-Verdon (Route des Crêtes) (approx. 45 km)

- **The drive:** Take the D952 over the Col d’Ayen to La Palud-sur-Verdon, a winding, in places narrow road with rock overhangs and few lay-bys. From La Palud, drive the Route des Crêtes (D23) as a loop of 22 to 24 km clockwise: between Jas d’Aire and La Maline it is one-way, and the direction is signposted from La Palud. With stops at the belvederes, allow half a day.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Notre-Dame-de-Beauvoir in Moustiers: stepped path up to the chapel beneath the star that hangs on a chain between the rocks.
  - Belvederes of the Route des Crêtes such as Trescaïre, Escalès and Dent d’Aire, with views into the canyon up to 700 m deep; griffon vultures often circle at eye level.
  - Point Sublime and Couloir Samson east of La Palud, the start of the Sentier Blanc-Martel.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Camping municipal Le Grand Canyon on the edge of La Palud, with electricity, sanitary facilities and waste disposal, season roughly spring to autumn. Smaller farms and nature sites around La Palud offer simple pitches, often without service points. From October many sites close – check beforehand.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** The Verdon lies in the Parc naturel régional du Verdon, and the gorge is a Site classé: wild camping is forbidden, and overnighting is not intended at the belvederes of the Route des Crêtes. Fires, barbecues and smoking in and near the forest are taboo in summer.
- **Insider tip for campers:** On the Route des Crêtes a clearance of 3.60 m applies at the sides and 4.30 m in the middle (vaulted tunnels); for the canyon roads, around 4.30 m in height and 12 m in length are generally quoted as the upper limit. The middle section from the Belvédère du Pas de Baou to the Chalet de la Maline is closed in winter – according to the tourist office from the fourth Friday in November to the fourth Friday in March, with 22 November sometimes already quoted as the start for 2026/27; the other belvederes stay accessible all year. Take high roofs slowly through the tunnels in the middle of the carriageway, and stop at the belvederes only in the designated lay-bys.

### Stage 6: La Palud-sur-Verdon to Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon (Corniche Sublime) (approx. 75 km)

- **The drive:** Take the D952 east past Point Sublime to the Pont de Soleils, south on the D955 and via the D90 onto the Corniche Sublime (D71) on the southern rim of the gorge: Balcons de la Mescla, Pont de l’Artuby, Cirque de Vaumale, then down to Aiguines and along the Lac de Sainte-Croix via Les Salles-sur-Verdon to Sainte-Croix. The D71 is the most demanding road on the route: narrow, many blind bends, rock overhangs on the mountain side, hardly any passing places. At least 2.5 hours without breaks.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Balcons de la Mescla: a view of the confluence of the Verdon and the Artuby far below.
  - Pont de l’Artuby: an arched bridge over the Artuby gorge, with car parks at both ends.
  - Aiguines, with the château with its glazed-tile turrets and a view over the Lac de Sainte-Croix.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** In Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, Camping municipal Les Roches right on the lake below the village, with electricity, sanitary facilities and waste disposal, and above it the Camping-Car Park aire “Panoramique” (around 35 pitches) with electricity and waste disposal. On the south shore near Aiguines there are several campsites, such as Camping de l’Aigle. The large site Le Galetas at the bridge, including its motorhome area, is currently closed.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** At the Lac de Sainte-Croix, commune arrêtés prohibit parking motorhomes overnight at almost all lakeside car parks and bathing spots; the gendarmerie carries out checks in summer. Not an option: the lay-bys on the Corniche Sublime.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Drive the Corniche Sublime if possible before 10 a.m., before excursion traffic and cycling groups are out, and wait in passing places early at narrow spots. Weight, width or length limits signposted on site take precedence over any map app; with large vehicles over about 7 m or with caravans the road is advisable only with experience and patience. The D71 has no fixed winter closure, but it is closed in snow, ice or after rockfalls (most recently in summer 2026) – check the current situation with the Département du Var. Fresh water and waste disposal are also available at the aire de services by the supermarket in Les Salles-sur-Verdon.

### Stage 7: Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon to Sault (approx. 130 km)

- **The drive:** Via Riez and Valensole back to the Durance at Manosque, along the D4100 to Forcalquier and on the D950 via Banon onto the Plateau d’Albion to Sault. First plateau, then low mountains, with quiet, well-built country roads and little traffic. Around 2.5 hours; if you are in a hurry, take a shortcut via the A51.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Morning light over the Valensole plateau – a second chance for lavender photos.
  - Banon: an old village above the plain, known for its goat’s cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves.
  - Sault: lavender fields on the plateau around the village, a view of the north-east flank of Ventoux, nougat from the local confectioners.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Camping-Car Park aire in Sault on the edge of the village (just under 20 pitches, water, waste disposal) or Camping Provence Ventoux a little outside, with sanitary facilities and electricity. Check the season and opening times of both in advance.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** On the Plateau d’Albion the lavender fields are under private use, just as in Valensole; farm tracks are not places to overnight. Ventoux is a biosphere reserve and a forest massif within the meaning of the fire-protection rules.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Fill up with fuel and water once more near Valensole or Manosque – between Banon and Sault petrol stations are rare. The A51 has a closed toll system with a ticket; pay at the station by card or with a toll tag.

### Stage 8: Sault to Avignon (via Mont Ventoux) (approx. 95 km)

- **The drive:** Take the D164 through forest and lavender up to Chalet Reynard, then the D974 through the scree desert to the summit (1,910 m) and down the south side to Bédoin; back to Avignon via Carpentras. From Chalet Reynard it is steep, narrow and full of cyclists; the descent to Bédoin is long and steady. About 2.5 hours. Without Ventoux, go direct to Avignon via Venasque and Carpentras.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Summit of Mont Ventoux with a panorama over the Alps, the Rhône valley and, on clear days, as far as the Mediterranean.
  - Memorial stone to the professional cyclist Tom Simpson just below the summit.
  - Market in Carpentras on Friday morning.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** In Bédoin, the Camping-Car Park aire “Mont Ventoux” with electricity and service point, and Camping municipal La Pinède; in Malaucène, on the north side, another Camping-Car Park aire and Camping Le Bosquet. Back in Avignon, stay on the Barthelasse again.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Overnighting is not intended at the summit or at Chalet Reynard, and the wind can reach storm force at night. Ventoux has so far been exempt from the daily massif closures in the Vaucluse, but the smoking and fire ban applies here too.
- **Insider tip for campers:** The summit road D974 is closed in the winter half-year above Chalet Reynard and Mont Serein (usually from mid-November, the south side until about April, the north side often until May, depending on snow); the two stations remain accessible. During cycling events it is also closed to traffic for periods. Descend in second or third gear, and overtake cyclists only with 1.5 m clearance (mandatory outside built-up areas in France). Even in July it is often 10 to 15 degrees colder at the top than in the valley.

## Camping practice & local rules

### Wild camping & overnight parking

- France distinguishes between “stationnement” and “camping”: under the Code de la route a motorhome counts as a vehicle and may park – overnight too – wherever parking is allowed. Camping begins when you extend stabilisers, put out an awning, table or chairs, place wedges under the wheels or drain waste water; outside campsites that is not permitted.
- Mayors may regulate parking by municipal arrêté; in Provence night-time camper bans at shores, village edges and viewpoints are widespread, as are height barriers. Wild camping is forbidden in Sites classés such as the Verdon gorge and around drinking-water abstraction points; in the Luberon and Verdon nature parks it is likewise not permitted in woods or on private land without permission.
- Wildfire: in the summer season, prefectural orders in each département regulate access to the forest massifs, and the level for the next day is published the evening before. In the Vaucluse, when the danger is “très sévère”, all massifs are closed all day, and only places with a special exemption stay open (Ventoux is exempt from the rule). In the Var (south bank of the Verdon) a colour scale applies: at “orange” access is discouraged, at “rouge” it is forbidden outside designated zones, and at “noir” it is forbidden in all massifs; the map is updated at 6 p.m. The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence have their own scale. Current maps for all three départements are at risque-prevention-incendie.fr. Smoking and fires in and near the forest are banned in summer, as is driving and even brief stopping on fire-protection tracks (DFCI).
- You can overnight legally at campsites, at the “aires de camping-car” run by communes and private chains, and at wine estates and farms through membership networks such as France Passion. Useful apps: park4night, Campercontact, CamperStop, plus the app of the relevant aire operator for access cards.

### Waste disposal & supplies

- Water supply and waste disposal are called “borne” or “aire de services”; machines from Euro-Relais, Flot Bleu and Urbaflux are common, often with tokens, coins or card. Many aires at supermarkets have free or inexpensive stations.
- Water shortage: in summer 2026 the Vaucluse was at times on “alerte renforcée”, and in the neighbouring départements too, drought orders restricted water use. Drinking water for vehicle tanks is mostly still available, but hoses may be switched off or quantities limited. Shower sparingly, fill the tank at every opportunity, and never wash vehicles at fountains.
- Empty grey water and the cassette only at stations; anyone who disposes of waste on car parks or in ditches risks a fine and contributes to new camper bans.
- Gas: German exchange cylinders are not swapped, and French cylinders (Butagaz, Antargaz, Primagaz) have their own connections. Refillable cylinders and gas tanks are filled at GPL filling stations; in France the Dish adapter is usually needed – take a complete adapter set.

### Vehicle size & traffic rules

- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t as for cars – motorway 130 km/h (110 in rain), expressway 110 (100), country roads 80 km/h, on selected sections in some départements 90 km/h again (signposted), built-up areas 50. Motorhomes over 3.5 t: motorway 110, expressways with separate carriageways 100, other country roads 80 km/h. Combinations with a permissible gross combination mass over 3.5 t (towing vehicle plus trailer): motorway and expressways with separate carriageways 90, other country roads 80 km/h; combinations up to 3.5 t drive as cars.
- Vehicles over 3.5 t, motorhomes included, have had to display “Angles morts” blind-spot stickers on the sides and rear since 2021; without them a fine of €135 (4th-class offence) applies.
- Low-emission zones (ZFE): on 21 May 2026 the Conseil constitutionnel struck down the planned abolition of the ZFE, so the zones remain in place. The route had no driving-ban zones at last check; Marseille, Toulon or Nice have their own rules – check the current status in advance. The Crit’Air sticker (order only via certificat-air.gouv.fr) is compulsory for foreign vehicles too, in ZFE and during smog alerts with “circulation différenciée”.
- Tolls: the A7 and A51 have closed toll systems with a ticket. Motorhomes with two axles, over 2 and under 3 m in height and no more than 3.5 t are in class 2; from 3 m in height class 3 applies – even at no more than 3.5 t – and likewise over 3.5 t. On free-flow stretches without barriers (such as the A13/A14 in Normandy, the A79 in the Allier) you pay online via number-plate recognition, within the set deadline, or automatically with a toll tag.
- Alcohol limit 0.5 (novice drivers 0.2); phones held to the ear and headphones at the wheel are forbidden. A warning triangle and high-visibility vest are compulsory. Bicycles on a rear carrier must not cover the number plate or lights; otherwise repeat the plate and light board.
- At the canyon, around 4.30 m in height and 12 m in length are generally quoted as the upper limit; on the Route des Crêtes 3.60 m in height applies at the sides and 4.30 m in the middle; limits signposted on site take precedence.

## CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist

- Levelling ramps, step 2–3 – the aires at Gordes, Moustiers and Sainte-Croix slope; use wedges only at aires and campsites.
- Large water container (10–20 l) with fill hose and adapters for different tap threads – in summer the bornes are switched off or overrun.
- “Angles morts” stickers for vehicles over 3.5 t and a Crit’Air sticker, ordered in good time before the trip.
- Gas adapter set with Dish connection and two full cylinders on entering the country.
- Binoculars for the griffon vultures at the Verdon and a windproof jacket for the Ventoux summit.
- Sturdy hiking boots and a headlamp for Blanc-Martel and the ochre trails; clothes that can take red ochre stains.

_As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go._

## Sources

- [Agence de Développement Touristique Alpes-de-Haute-Provence – La Palud-sur-Verdon: The Ridge Route (Route des Crêtes)](https://en.tourisme-alpes-haute-provence.com/practice-activities/555260_tourist-routes-la-palud-sur-verdon-the-ridge-route/)
- [Comité Régional de Tourisme Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur – La Route des Crêtes (La Palud-sur-Verdon)](https://provence-alpes-cotedazur.com/que-faire/itineraires-randonnee/la-route-des-cretes-la-palud-sur-verdon-fr-4002237/)
- [Live Verdon – Verdon by car (Route des Crêtes, Corniche Sublime)](https://www.liveverdon.com/en/verdon-by-car/)
- [Préfecture du Var / ONF – Risque incendie et accès aux massifs forestiers (Var)](https://www.risque-prevention-incendie.fr/83/)
- [Mairie de Roussillon – Communiqué préfectoral feux de forêt, risque très sévère (18.08.2026)](https://roussillon-en-provence.fr/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260818-CP-FDF-risque-tres-severe.pdf)
- [L'Echo du Mardi – Risque incendie : quasiment tous les massifs de Vaucluse interdits d'accès](https://www.echodumardi.com/actualite/risque-incendie-quasiment-tous-les-massifs-de-vaucluse-interdits-dacces/?print=pdf)
- [L'Echo du Mardi – La route vers le sommet du Ventoux ferme à partir du 18 novembre](https://www.echodumardi.com/actualite/la-route-vers-le-sommet-du-ventoux-ferme-a-partir-du-18-novembre)
- [ASFA / Sanef – Classes de véhicules au péage](https://www.autoroutes.sanef.com/sites/default/files/2023-02/ASFA_classes_vehicules_2022.pdf)
- [Sécurité routière – Plafonnement des vitesses maximales autorisées des poids lourds de moins de 12 tonnes](https://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/actualites/plafonnement-des-vitesses-maximales-autorisees-des-poids-lourds-de-moins-de-12-tonnes-90)
- [Camping-Car Magazine – Signalisation des angles morts obligatoire pour les camping-cars de plus de 3,5 tonnes](https://www.camping-car.com/actualites/reglementation/26341-piqure-de-rappel-la-signalisation-des-angles-morts-est-obligatoire-pour-les-camping-cars-de-plus-de-35-tonnes/)
- [Campercontact – Aire municipale Gordes](https://www.campercontact.com/fr/france/provence-alpes-cote-dazur/gordes/7210/aire-municipale.md)

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Avignon** (France)
2. **L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue** (France)
3. **Fontaine-de-Vaucluse** (France)
4. **Gordes** (France)
5. **Roussillon** (France)
6. **Apt** (France)
7. **Forcalquier** (France)
8. **Valensole** (France)
9. **Moustiers-Sainte-Marie** (France)
10. **La Palud-sur-Verdon** (France)
11. **Aiguines** (France)
12. **Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon** (France)
13. **Mont Ventoux** (Bédoin, France): The bare limestone summit of Provence at 1,910 m. The top road is closed in winter.
14. **Avignon** (France)

## Best time to go

The most pleasant months are usually April–June and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in July–August and November. July and August are the busiest months: book campsites early. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)

## Practical notes for the road

- **France: Motorway tolls.** Tolls on most autoroutes; the limit drops to 110 km/h in rain. Motorway limit for cars: 130 km/h.

## FAQs

**How long is Ochre, lavender and limestone gorges – by motorhome through the Luberon, Valensole and the Gorges du Verdon?**
8-day round trip of about 347 km (216 mi) with 14 stops, starting and ending in Avignon. About 4 h 47 min of driving in total.

**How many days do you need for Ochre, lavender and limestone gorges – by motorhome through the Luberon, Valensole and the Gorges du Verdon?**
We suggest 8 days: about 4 h 47 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.

**Where does Ochre, lavender and limestone gorges – by motorhome through the Luberon, Valensole and the Gorges du Verdon start and end?**
It is a round trip that starts and ends in Avignon.

**Which countries does Ochre, lavender and limestone gorges – by motorhome through the Luberon, Valensole and the Gorges du Verdon pass through?**
France.

**Where can you camp along Ochre, lavender and limestone gorges – by motorhome through the Luberon, Valensole and the Gorges du Verdon?**
OpenStreetMap lists 277 campsites and motorhome stopovers within 20 km of the stops on this route. For example: Camping Bagatelle, Camping Les Avignon and Camping Avignon Parc.

**When is the best time for Ochre, lavender and limestone gorges – by motorhome through the Luberon, Valensole and the Gorges du Verdon?**
The most pleasant months are usually April–June and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in July–August and November. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)