Our history

Augustin and Joseph, who have been friends for a very long time, discovered travelling in vans on the opposite side of the world from our beautiful country. There they discovered a way of life focused on what’s essential and a spirit of adventure which never left them.

In 2010, they decided to create WeVan and opened their first agency in the Paris region with one goal in mind: contribute to making road trips in campervans popular in France and throughout Europe.

Very quickly, the two founders expanded their offer to include minibus hire and, after 2 years in business, created the first franchise network in France. They developed their concept across the whole nation to meet the growing demands of the market. In parallel, a second branch opened in Nantes in 2015. It now accommodates the WeVan head office.

Today the network includes 34 agencies, opened in all four corners of France and has a fleet of over 700 vehicles.

To keep hold of its position as leader, WeVan is continuously innovating by offering new services, by expanding its campervan ranges and by creating digital strategies which are constantly in sync with market developments.

Investing in the vanlife culture

Vanlife feeds the desire for adventure and road trips in the long term. It offers a dream of freedom and unprecedented escape.

Behind the wheel of a campervan, everyone finds adventure where they want it: following their itinerary or letting themselves be carried away by the unexpected, stopping by the edge of a stream to make the most of a sunny day, going off on a hike and returning back to base at the end of the day. In short, the trip can take many shapes, it changes based on the weather, the people we meet and our desires.

For several years, travelling like a nomad has attracted more followers in Europe, and the French are increasingly hiring campervans to take to the open road and indulge in the joys of vanlife.

The market is growing. On Google, the number of times the key word “vanlife” has been searched for has multiplied 7 times globally in the last 5 years. We have stopped trying to count the number of blogs and sites relating experiences of campervan travels. On Instagram, the hashtag #vanlife has 9 billion posts and the hashtag #vanlifefrance has 38 million.

WeVan, the experienced campervan hire network in France, relies on its reputation and knowledge to fully take advantage of the huge growth in this market.

LES + WEVAN

Join a network with huge potential

Dix bonnes raisons de devenir franchisé WeVan

WeVan continues to develop in France
whilst still staying on course and holding on to is values.

100% independent

40 % annual growth

13 years in business

700 vehicles

34 agencies in France

40,000 customers

 

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Participate in a shared adventure

Like vanlife, being an entrepreneur is an adventure in its own right! According to a study by BPI Lab, more than half of managers of independent SMEs faced feelings of loneliness and isolation.

With WeVan, the business adventure is shared. You join a team of experienced professionals who you can share your daily problems with, contact when you want and collaborate on joint projects.

Dix bonnes raisons de devenir franchisé WeVan

Run a diverse fleet of vehicles

As we aim to be referred to as the campervan specialist, WeVan works with different partners in order to have an extensive range of campervans which are representative of the market.

WeVan works uniquely with new or very recent (under 2 years old) vehicles and that has several advantages:

  • comfort, peace, safety for customers;
  • low maintenance and ownership costs (TCO);
  • better resale of vehicles at the end of the season.

We-Van has exacting specifications: the vehicles must fulfil essential criteria, combining performance, reliability and comfort. As we are aware that these are the prerequisites to guaranteeing success in the rental and resale market, We-Van has developed business partnerships with the best manufacturers and developers in the sector.

And for reselling vehicles from franchisees, the new wevan-market.com site is a precious tool.

Relying on high performance IT management tools

The job of a WeVan manager is varied (managing their fleet, the rental and sale of campervans, customer service) and one of the challenges is making good decisions at the right time in order to develop their business.

For this purpose, the WeVan network has implemented powerful IT tools to help with management and decision-making to analyse, anticipate and improve their business.

Benefit from tailored support

From its creation, the franchisee benefits from the knowledge and expertise of the WeVan brand. You will be supported so that you can fully understand your mission and flourish under the best conditions during all the stages of your agency’s development (before/during the creation of the company and throughout the whole of the contract period).

In order to understand all the aspects of the job of being a WeVan manager, you will undertake initial training before opening your agency. Then, based on your expectations and needs, WeVan will provide you with personalised support.

Benefit from already established partnerships

The business of campervan rentals requires working with different, essential partners.

WeVan negotiates national framework-contracts with their key partners:

  • automobile manufacturers;
  • bodybuild fitters;
  • insurers;
  • banking institutions.

These negotiations are essential so that you, as a franchisee, can conduct your business under the best conditions.

Benefit from an innovative and ambitious marketing plan

The We-Van network can take advantage of tools for directly or indirectly growing its clientèle. From reputation to performance, WeVan is there throughout the whole of the customer journey through efficient digital means and business generation (rental and sales websites, social networks, publicity campaigns, newsletters, blogs, book collections).

Each franchisee agency has an effective online space on the national we.van.com reservations site which is visited frequently, including by people abroad.

We-Van has created a specific, relevant communication style to reach our target audience by encouraging them to live their own adventure, an adventure that’s accessible to everyone.

Dix bonnes raisons de devenir franchisé WeVan

Contact us

Let’s work together on your project

Would you like to start a franchise? Do you have a project?
Does the tourism and vanlife industry interest you? Don’t hesitate to contact us.