Meet FEFI at the CARAVAN SALON 2022!

From 27 August to 4 September 2022 CARAVAN SALON Düsseldorf will become the most important meeting point for all caravanning enthusiasts for ten days. At the world’s biggest trade fair for motorhomes, caravans and equipment over 650 exhibitors will be showcasing recreational vehicles for just about every taste and budget in 16 halls and in the outdoor spaces.

Under the motto "Campers welcome - discover farm sites all over Europe", the various European members that make up FEFI are live on site! Trade fair visitors can have an insight to the FEFI network and enjoy a unique personal and culinary taste of individual camping trips to 21,000 spots at 6,100 farm sites throughout Europe.

This is a great opportunity to get to know the initiators of the "Formule Invitations", make an appointment for an interview or just drop by spontaneously. You can find our timetable below. See you in Düsseldorf!

© Messe Düsseldorf

Finally! Our FEFI reunion in France

After two years of pandemic, the FEFI network finally had the opportunity to meet in person again. Also France Passion, the founder of the hospitality concept, is celebrating it´s 30th anniversary this year.

Unfortunately most of us did not travel in a motorhome to the meeting in Carpentras, but stayed at the charming boutique hotel Le Blason de Provence. There we held our meetings in a separate seminar room. There was a lot to talk about, after all, FEFI has grown considerably in recent years. Whether it's Bauernleben in Austria or Nortrip in Norway - and will continue to grow. The present members voted for the admission of Agricamper from Italy as the 10th member. Congratulations!

We set short and long-term goals for working together at FEFI, discussed challenges and lessons learned. The meeting day ended with a wonderful three-course French meal in the hotel's tranquil garden.

Of course we didn't leave without some sightseeing. Marc, Didier and Jean-Charles from France Passion showed us Avignon, the city of the popes, on a small city tour. The imposing papal palaces, the historic old town and of course the majestic Rhône with the famous Pont Saint-Bénézet impressed us very much. In the evening we strolled through medieval streets to a French restaurant, where we ended the day by enjoying lots of wine and delicious food.

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Norway joined FEFI

Welcome to Norway!

In the last decade ecotourism has has gained increased popularity in Norway. The Norwegians show more and more interest in local food and approach local producers to buy food right from the ones who make it. In addition, the travel restrictions the two past summers forced Norwegians to take their vacations within Norway, and the motorhome sales sky-rocketed. The time was thus more than ripe to bring the invitations formula concept to Norway, and Nortrip was established and had its first season in 2021.

When Nortrip first launched in July 2021, we had 30 hosts. The network has since increased steadily, and the time of writing, 95 hosts have joined the network. As people are more and more conscious of environment, we decided to offer a digital Nortrip guide in addition to the physical Nortrip guide. The digital Nortrip guide is essentially an app with an overview of the hosts. Additionally, it is possible to filter hosts based on facilities (food serving, toilet, dogs allowed, long/heavy motorhomes allowed, etc), and it also includes a digital membership proof that can be shown to the hosts. Access to the digital Nortrip-guide is of course included to those who buy the book, but it is also possible to buy just the digital app.

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In 2022 we have farms and farm shops, mountain shielings, dairies, museums, micro breweries and cideries among our hosts. To learn more about Nortrip, visit www.nortrip.no.

Bjørnar Valbø, Patrik Alesand, Eivind Briseid (Founders Nortrip)

Discover Austria with BAUERNLEBEN

The “formule invitations” concept has also been available for Austria since the beginning of September 2020. There it is called Bauernleben. FEFI spoke to founder Franz Roitner.

How did you come up with the idea of ​​founding BAUERNLEBEN?

I grew up as a child with my parents, my grandmother and four siblings on a farm in Upper Austria. The rural life was something very everyday for me. Even as a child, I developed a great passion for travelling and I have toured many countries around the world. In the past few years I've been touring more and more with the motorhome. I experienced that there is a lot to discover in my immediate vicinity. In 2018 I was out and about in Germany with “Landvergnügen”. I have fond memories of the exciting encounters on the farms in our neighbouring country. I usually cooked the self-made products that I bought in the farm shops in my motorhome the same evening. Austrian farmers and winegrowers also produce unique products. So why not bring the grandiose idea of ​​the “formule invitations” , which began 28 years ago in France with France Passion, to Austria?

What can travellers discover with “BAUERNLEBEN”?

The guide is a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable insight into the production of our food and to get to know beekeepers, vintners, pig farmers, seed oil pressers and many other farmers personally. Our hosts will be happy to tell you how they produces their food.

Which regional specialties should you definitely try?

You should definitely plan to stay at a farm with a wine tavern. The “Buschenschank” is an authorization for wine or fruit growers. The right to do so is based on a law of Emperor Josef II from 1784. Only cold dishes and homemade pastries may be served. A typical dish is the “Brettljause”. It consists of charcuterie, cheese, spreads and black bread served on a wooden board.

Find out more here!

How it started...

The France Passion concept was invented when the editor of a wine magazine noticed that more and more motorhomes were exploring the winegrowing regions of France. He realised that it was not easy for them to find a safe place to park overnight in these rural areas. His idea was to organise a network of winegrowers who could provide free private parking space on their land, and were happy to welcome motorhomes all year round for an overnight stopover or a 24 hour stay.

Several dozen vineyard owners decided to join, convinced that the France Passion system would make visiting their area an easier and more rewarding experience for motorhomes. That was in 1992…Since those pioneering days, the network has taken off, now including more than 2.060 host properties. From 1994 the network was extended with the help of the National Confederation of Independent Winegrowers, encompassing Alsace, Bordeaux, Champagne, Burgundy, Jura and the Loire valley. In 1997, fruit, cheese, and honey producers joined the network as a result of a partnership with the Chambers of Agriculture and the "Bienvenue à la Ferme" network. France Passion now covers the whole of France, expanding to accommodate the ever increasing numbers of motorhomes visiting from all over Europe. Since it was created, the friendly and safe Invitations Formula, with its lack of any commercial obligations, has brought pleasure to more of 300.000 motorhomers.

In 2021, the Invitations Formula offers 2.060 stopovers in properties of winegrowers, farmers, tradesmen/women, farmhouse inns and … motorhomers!