11 September 2026 | 15:16

READING: 1 minute

A retiring couple decides to move… to Spain. Chantal and Didier Gautherey, originally from the Hérault region in France, chose to travel by camper after retiring, and during a long period away from home they found a new place to stay.

For four years now, the couple have spent their winters in Spain. “We come here for the warmth and the cost of living,” Chantal told TF1, while Didier added: “For groceries, for everything, really. At restaurants, for example, we allow ourselves things we couldn’t afford in France.” It’s largely about money, but not only that. Spain is much more camper-friendly than France, a factor that has convinced them to spend increasing amounts of time there.

Seafront parking, and above all free parking, often with potable water: “Water is available everywhere. In any case, we have an app to find available drinking fountains,” Didier explained. Another retired camper couple, Philippe and Michelle Bardoux, said they have not paid a single cent for parking since leaving Normandy for a three-month trip: “Valencia, Denia, Benidorm… All with zero euro parking. There are more parking spots in Spain than in France.”