the “En van Simone” festival attracts thousands of visitors to Puy-de-Dôme

Vacations or retirement in a van are a trend that the 2nd “En van Simone” festival is riding on, which opened on Friday May 24 and lasts until Sunday evening at the Mas campsite in Issoire in Puy-de. -Dome. The organizers hope to exceed the 4,000 visitors welcomed during the first edition last year.

The most recent trend in the world of recreational vehicles is minimalism. We are far from the 510 horsepower off-road truck, with integrated dishwasher and washing machine.

For holidays in the great outdoors, the smallest accommodation presented this year in Issoire (Puy-de-Dôme), during the “En van Simone” festival from May 24 to 26, fits on the back of any car, according to Jean-Louis Goy, who came to present the device at the festival : “We have a roof tent that is installed on a customer trailer, which we refurbish. Above, we sleep and below, we have storage, everything you need for the kitchen, for suitcases and for water and electricity if necessary.”

The van is freedom, close to home or on the other side of the world, for a few days or for years, explains David Montanari, the organizer of “En van Simone” : “Many people live in cities and need nature, the outdoors and freedom. I think that’s what triggered all these stays and this van-life movement.”

Nine months in Asia, two years in Australia… Since 2021 in France and perhaps soon on the Silk Road, Audrey and her companion define themselves as nomads : “We don’t really have a fixed home, we are constantly moving with our vehicle adapted according to the seasons but also according to our projects. This is a really marked trend since Covid, many people dream of space and travel. More and more of us are nomads, finally !”

Nearly 14,000 new vans and vans were registered last year in France, including more than 3,000 in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.