Oh I do like to thieve beside the seaside!

Motorhome thefts are unfortunately on the increase especially at some of the more popular French seaside resorts. What could be more infuriating than seeing your holiday ruined by a thief who may have broken a window of your motorhome to steal money and valuables. In France thefts from vehicles of all types have an average of 675 reports recorded each day, and, of these thefts motorhomes can sometimes be seen as an easy target.

480,800 criminal acts, in total, on vehicles were declared in France in 2022. Although detailed numbers are not available as to the type of vehicle involved, the figures break down as follows:

133,800 were vehicles stolen

100,600 were items of equipment stolen off the vehicle such as wheels or catalytic converters for example

246,410 were thefts of goods from inside the vehicles.

If you intend to visit one of the French seaside resorts then it is useful to know which ones have the highest number of vehicle crimes. The Ministerial Statistical Service for Internal Security (SSMSI) has produced a map detailing the number of vehicle thefts per 1,000 inhabitants for each of the French coastal resorts.

As far as regions are concerned, unsurprisingly, the denser the population, the more the thefts. The Bouches-du-Rhône recorded the most thefts from vehicles (18,357 in 2022), ahead of the Rhône Alpes (17,273), Paris (17,050), the North (14,335) and the Seine-Saint-Denis (10,817), but if this is adjustedin relation to the amount of population, the Rhône Alpes takes the lead (9.2 acts per 1,000 inhabitants).

The number of thefts in seaside resorts varies widely, but of the 480 seaside resorts in France, the map does show that those along the Med do tend to have the worst vehicle crime problems. Above is the map showing green for those resorts with the least problems down to the worst resorts in black,

Whereas it is good to be informed of potential risks, wherever you choose to stay, as long as you take reasonable precautions then hopefully your holiday should pass without incident. Have a good trip.