Vanlife Expo: A must-see event for adventure and freedom enthusiasts
At the heart of the passion for freedom on wheels is an unmissable event in France: the Vanlife Expo.
The roof tent (or roof top tent) allows you to modulate your everyday vehicle into a leisure vehicle, and easily set off on an adventure. It is increasingly popular with roadtrip and camping enthusiasts for its practicality. It adapts to any vehicle, whether you own a city car, a 4×4 or a van. The phenomenon around the roof top tent is such that Jeff Bloyet, firefighter in Quimper and adventurer at heart, had the great idea of launching an original festival, dedicated to this great travel accessory.
This French festival is particularly aimed at rooftop tent fans, but also for vanlife and RV travel lovers in general. This is a multi-day event that brings together members of a community that love traveling in vehicles equipped with rooftop tents.
France hosted the first edition of the RTT Festival in September 2022 so it’s really quite recent !
On the Instagram account of the event, Jean-François Bloyet (known as Jeff), tells a little about the birth story of this original project. In 2021, he was traveling and sharing his adventures on his social networks. He then realizes by communicating with people following his journey, that there is a real community of rooftop tent enthusiasts, very eager for an opportunity to be able to gather. He then thought more and more about the idea of a festival to bring together all the fans of roof tent travel. Finally, in 2022, when he returns from his Europe tour, Jeff develops the idea and makes the project a reality in just 3 months. The Roof Top Tent festival was born !
The next edition of the Roof Top Tent Festival will take place from Thursday 14 to Sunday 17 September 2023. Like last year, it will take place at the eco-camping l’Alternatif, located rue du Moulin de Lyon in Huriel, in Auvergne -Rhône-Alpes. This campsite, managed by Maïté and Sébastien, offers unusual accommodation and donkey hire throughout the year.
To take part in this annual event, you have the option to opt for the 3-day Pass/car at the price of 20 euros, or for the 4-day Pass/car at the price of 30 euros. During the festival, a team will be positioned at the reception of the site to place the conveyed festival-goers.
The ticket office has been open since May 4, 2023 at 5 p.m., for those who are equipped with a rooftop tent. Moreover, if you wish to participate in this joyful event, hurry up ! Places are limited and activities must be reserved ! About 5,000 visitors are expected for this occasion.
In order to make the event even more lively than during the first edition in 2022, the organizer and his team wanted to emphasize the artistic program as well as the activities offered. For 2023, it will be offered :
The details of the program and the artists have not yet been fully presented, but you can follow the Festival’s Instagram account RTT to keep you informed !
This festival is also an opportunity for fans of road trips and rooftop tent camping to discover new roof tent models. An exhibitor village will be set up and visitors will even be able to attend events on the theme of the bivouac. SwapTheRoad will also be there ! The opportunity to be able to present the temporary exchange of leisure and adventure vehicles to vanlife enthusiasts. About thirty exhibitors are planned, including Pampa Cruz, GLOBE-WHEELERS and DACIA, which is the official partner of this event for 2023. In 2022, it was the French roof tent manufacturer NaïtUp (for the record , Jeff had made his trip with a NaïtUp rooftop tent so, it made sense). Other brands will also be present on the Festival site, such as Lexagones, Vickywood and Gordigear. Finally, a space for renting rooftop tents will also be made available to the public.
On site, everything is provided for catering. Indeed, access is provided to the kitchen for sustenance, as well as to the bar and the food truck. There are also shops nearby if needed.
The festival will also organize giant meals during these 4 days. The aim is to bring together exhibitors and festival-goers for more conviviality.
The site has everything you need to experience the occasion in a comfortable way : sanitary facilities, electricity, WiFi access… And pets are allowed!
In short, the second edition of this event around the Roof Top Tent looks very promising !
By owning a rooftop tent, you are not only welcome to the RTT Festival, it is also possible for you to join the community of SwapTheRoad ! By registering on the platform with any vehicle equipped with a roof tent, you can (like other motorhome, camper van or van owners) exchange your vehicle with that of another owner , around the world ! By borrowing a vehicle with SwapTheRoad, you avoid accommodation costs during your stay as well as on-site transport rental costs. Find more information on SwapTheRoad ‘s website !
At the heart of the passion for freedom on wheels is an unmissable event in France: the Vanlife Expo.
More than 1.8 million viewers tuned in to M6’s Capital to discover a new and fast-growing phenomenon: the exchange of leisure vehicles, a good deal that’s becoming increasingly popular!
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