Motorhome Purchase Service
Buying a motorhome in France is more than finding the right vehicle. We run the entire purchase on your behalf, end to end, so you can focus on the trip ahead.
Buying a motorhome in France is more than just finding the right vehicle. It’s seller phone calls in French, registration and insurance built for residents, and pitfalls that can leave you stuck with a vehicle you can’t drive or sell. We’re native English speakers with over 20 years of experience in France, helping non-residents from all over the world find and buy motorhomes through our trusted network of dealers and partners across France and Europe. We run the entire purchase on your behalf, end to end, so you can focus on the trip ahead.
Pricing
Our service is 1,500 € for vehicles up to 50,000 €, and 3% of the vehicle price above that.
The first video call and your Top 10 shortlist cost nothing. Consider it our quote: a chance to see what’s possible within your budget and how we work before you commit to anything. When you give the green light to start the work, we invoice the 1,500 € base fee. If the vehicle you eventually buy is above 50,000 €, the balance is invoiced when you sign for it.
Worked examples
- 40,000 € motorhome: 1,500 € total
- 75,000 € motorhome: 1,500 € + 750 € at signing = 2,250 €
- 150,000 € motorhome: 1,500 € + 3,000 € at signing = 4,500 €
“I have made many purchases in my life through various intermediaries, and John stands above them all. It’s simply a different level of service. Anyone who wants peace of mind and a smooth, worry-free process should definitely go through John.”
How Our Service Works
From first call to keys in hand, here’s how the process runs.
Non-resident registration
Registering a vehicle in France as a non-resident isn’t just an address problem. Using a personal name (even at a friend’s address) raises questions about your residency, can pull you into French tax obligations, and may cause insurers to reject your non-French driving licence. The solution is a société civile, a French legal entity that owns the vehicle in its own name, separate from you personally. The SC comes with a domiciliation address we provide and manage. We set it up via our French accountant in parallel with the vehicle search, taking 3 to 5 weeks, for a fee of 1,950 EUR paid directly to the accountant.
Brief
A short video call to understand your budget, layout, size requirements, features, and travel plans.
Top 10 Shortlist
A personalised list of vehicles scored against your criteria from our trusted partners, dealers and if requested private sellers across France. EU imports are also possible.
Questions & Seller Contact
Once you have reviewed the shortlist and wish to proceed with the service, we send your Sourcing Agreement and invoice the 1,500 EUR base fee. Together we work through your questions on the shortlist: optional extras, layouts, payload, suitability for the way you plan to travel. We help you narrow down which to pursue. From there we approach the sellers for you: follow-ups, technical questions, viewings, all in French. For older vehicles, we can arrange an optional third-party inspection.
Reservation and Paperwork
You sign and pay the seller, either a deposit or the full balance. For vehicles above 50,000 EUR, we invoice the balance of our 3% fee at this point. In parallel, we arrange your insurance quote through the specific insurers who cover the unusual combination of non-resident status, a foreign driving licence, and société civile registration. We check and explain every piece of paperwork, and schedule the delivery date so you're ready to go.
Handover Day
The day has arrived. Ahead of time we send you a full handover guide so you know exactly what to expect. On the day, we join by video to translate the final paperwork and the seller's walkthrough of the vehicle. We stay on hand in the days after as you settle in and learn the vehicle.
Every contract, every conversation, and every form translated and explained as we go.
Typical timeline from brief to handover is four to twelve weeks, depending on the right vehicle appearing, the season, and the seller’s preparation timeline.
Our support doesn’t end with the keys. We have a retainer service for ongoing travel assistance, as well as a dedicated service to sell your vehicle at the end of your final trip.
Four Ways to Buy
1. View on arrival
No financial commitment up front. You fly in, pick up a hire car or hire motorhome, and view the shortlist before deciding.
2. Reserve with a deposit
A deposit of around 10% holds the vehicle for up to four weeks. You sign a sales document remotely, then pay the balance and inspect on arrival.
3. Pay in full in advance
The most common method for clients buying from abroad. Registration, paperwork, and vehicle preparation are all completed before you land, so the vehicle is ready to drive away on the day you arrive.
4. Custom order, brand new
If your schedule allows, place an order for a brand new motorhome built to your specification. Current waiting times are around six months, and French manufacturers don’t usually give a firm delivery date in advance, so some flexibility on trip planning is needed. We handle the order, the seller relationship, and the registration the same way as for a used purchase.
Ready to Get Started?
The best next step is a short video call. We can go over your plans, your budget, and the kind of vehicle you’re looking for, and we can answer any questions about the process before you commit to anything.
Related Services
Register a Motorhome in France
For non-residents who need the legal structure to register a vehicle in France.
Find out more
EU Import
For clients buying from a dealer outside France.
Find out more
Retainer Service
Ongoing French-speaking support for existing FMS clients.
Find out more
Sell Your Motorhome
When it's time to move it on.
Find out more