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Sat Jul 26, 2014 8:40 am

We just returned from a European vacation in which we rented a VW T5 Californian for 2 weeks. I thought I'd share our experience with renting one of these. For those new to the van, the T5 is the contemporary cousin to our beloved vanagons and Eurovans here in NA. The T5 is not available in our US market but I'm curious if it's available in Canada?

We booked the rental through Doug at IdeaMerge.com out of Bend, OR and picked up the vehicle at the McRent depot near Mannheim, Germany. Doug did a good job finding a depot with a T5 nearest our desired destination, as it is not available at all McRent locations. Picking up the van was a breeze because Peter at McRents-Mannheim spoke very good English. Just a note that although many Germans speak English, it's always polite to ask in your best traveler's German first and to thank them afterwards.

Driving on the autobahn in Germany is an experience but doable if you know not to spend anymore time than you have to in the passing lane. There are parts where the speed limit is 120 kph (75mph) but it's mostly limitless. It's routine to be passed by wagons and sedans going well over 110mph. However, the T5 had plenty of power with its 2.5L diesel and 6 speed standard transmission to punch around slower vehicles while cruising at 130kph or 80mph. It felt very safe and was very quiet on the road.

We spent most of our time camping in smaller cities in east central France, most notably Annecy and Beaune. The campgrounds are amazingly clean and quiet and the campers are considerate. It's obvious that Europeans are used to a higher population density and therefore know how to respect other people's space; we never had a problem in any of the campgrounds. Due to a miscalculation, we spent one night in a Swiss rest stop. This turned out better than in the US because the truckers turn off their rigs when they are sleeping.

The T5 amazed us every time we pushed the button to raise or lower the poptop. Yes, electric poptop assist! All controls for the poptop, fridge, cabin heater and level sensors for the fresh and gray water tanks are located in a panel mounted on the ceiling between the two front seats. The inside panel of the sliding door pops out to make a sturdy outside table and there are two folding chairs that zip out of a pouch in the rear hatch. You have to ask for more camp chairs at MRents if your more than a couple. The inside table is on a track and is so thin that it can fold down and slide out of the way between the rear bench seat and the gallery cabinets. Can't wait to see if I can mod my T3 with this feature! The rear bench seat is also on a track so that the passenger can easily slide it forward to be closer to the front seats while under way. Our daughter could decide to part of the action upfront or be in her own space. Another great idea for the T3, mmm?

I want to give a shout out to Samba member Yoconina who recommended the Maison Lafitte campground outside Paris. It was also clean and quiet and only 20 minutes by train into the center of the city (Ile de Cité). Paris was hot and a little humid but the campground is right on the Seine River and had a refreshing breeze. We reserved well in advance for a spot nearest the river but it it looked like they had spots available if you just showed up. Not saying what August is like however.

The rental cost about $1600 for two weeks. Campground fees were $80/nt near Paris and $30 with hookup everywhere else. Diesel was about $7.50/gal and the T5 got about 25 mpg with 50% windy scenic byways and the rest going 75-80mph on the highway.

Overall, a great experience and we'll do it again.

Pic #1- couldn't believe the electric poptop at first

Pic #2 - Beaune campground after watching the Tour de France earlier that day. All roads lead to the T5 and a good bottle of wine

Pic #3 - showing off the outside furniture (of course)

Pic #4 - rental included bike rack and awning
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Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:54 pm

Nice holidays ! But did you really pay 80€ per night in Maisons Laffite ? It seems expensive !! I didn't know the price but it's true that Paris isn't far from the campsite with the train...

Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:59 pm

Did you see any of the stages of the Tour de France?

Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:42 pm

yoconina wrote: Nice holidays ! But did you really pay 80€ per night in Maisons Laffite ? It seems expensive !! I didn't know the price but it's true that Paris isn't far from the campsite with the train...

With online booking and currency conversion fees, combined with the $ -> € conversion rate, the campground cost about $160 US for 3 nights. We could have saved quite a bit by showing up. There appeared to be a whole section of the campground that was empty, so maybe next time we'll chance it. We don't regret staying in Maisson Lafitte and will do it again if we decide to camp in the Paris area again.

Thu Aug 07, 2014 11:10 pm

rsxsr wrote: Did you see any of the stages of the Tour de France?

Yes, we did! We saw stage 3 in London and then accidently ran into stage 11 in eastern France in the van. Driving in the Jura area of Burgundy, we came into the village of Clairveaux looking for diesel. A sign on the road coming into town indicated it was barricaded ahead so I asked the station owner. She said the Tour was scheduled to show up tout de suite, so we parked, walked to the town square, waited with the locals, and cheered the caravan and riders as they passed through. It was a thrill to experience the Tour in a small village. I couldn't have planned it better if I had tried. The VW T5 brought us good luck repeatedly.

Fri Aug 08, 2014 6:21 am

That sounds great. I am a big fan and would like to be in France to see a few HC stages at some point. My understanding is anyone is lucky to find a caravan rental when the Tour is going on. Twice we have rented in Europe and it really is the way to see Europe on the cheap. The only downside is finding and understanding parking in the cities. Oh and figuring out how to buy train tickets.

Fri Aug 08, 2014 6:42 am

Oy!!

Thanks for the great post Singler. The post put me into "Walter Mitty" phase.

On the Bucket List is traveling in Europe and New Zealand in a camperbus.

Safe travels, all
Chuck

Sun Aug 31, 2014 6:06 pm

westyman71 wrote: Oy!!

Thanks for the great post Singler. The post put me into "Walter Mitty" phase.

On the Bucket List is traveling in Europe and New Zealand in a camperbus.

Safe travels, all
Chuck

Westyman, somehow I missed your post. I was definitely in Walter Mitty mode at times; it's a good thing I didn't have a skateboard on some of the decsents in the Jura Mtns. :oops:

Best of luck and travels with your bucket list.

Mon Sep 01, 2014 10:21 am

I hope you managed a stay in Vezelay in Burgundy, great little village. I recognized the campground in Beaune, that was a nice one for its location so close to town. We always stay at the Bois de Boulogne near Paris, 10 minutes to the Metro and, as I remember, closer to $50/night. Be sure to go to Champagne on your next trip.

While renting a T5 sounds great, the way to go if you have the time is to buy a Westy and then sell it when you leave. It will take you a week on each end to do the arrangements, but if you stay for 3 months or so, it's well worth it. We keep a T3 at a relative's house in the Netherlands and manage a visit every other year. Next year when retirement arrives we'll spend even more time and hit N Africa, etc.

Mon Sep 01, 2014 4:20 pm

Vezelay also came recommended but on this trip we did not make it there. Next time. And there will definitely be a next time! Besides cycling, traveling in France in a Westy is the way to go, IMO.