Alex leaves the train and wants to rent a car and is told to try in Dijon. This implies he somewhere in proximity to Dijon in Côte-d'Or. He hitches a ride and buys the old van. But the van has an '11' on the license plate implying it is registered in Aude department. Much further south than Dijon. Note: Cars don't stay in one place in any country; people frequently travel around the country.