Île-de-France

Rail Campsites:

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2 Allée du Bord de l’Eau, 75016 Paris, France

https://www.campingparis.fr

Campsite

It would be hard to find a campsite closer to the centre of the French capital than Camping de Paris. Situated on the banks of the River Seine, the campsite offers a green space for relaxing away from the busyness of the city. On the site, there are plenty of food options – a restaurant and café all situated in a new main building. Bread can be collected daily from the reception, and there is a Monoprix supermarket within walking distance on the other side of the Seine.

A view of the shady campsite with some of the wooden huts that can be hired.

Accommodation Options

There are plenty of self-catering options on the campsite. Wooden chalets that blend beautifully into the wooded surroundings can sleep 4-6 people, and come fully equipped. There are also a number of ready pitched tents on the site, each with two bedrooms. All accommodation can be booked directly through the campsite’s website.

Transport Links

The nearest station – within walking distance of the campsite – is Suresnes Mont Valérien on the city’s suburban rail network. Trains run between Versailles and Gare Saint-Lazare, from where mainline services depart for the Channel ports of Le Havre and Cherbourg. For the other railway termini in Paris, it’s worth changing at La Défense for RER Line E that connects the eastern and western sides of the city.

SNCF / Transilien train station information: https://www.transilien.com/fr/gare/suresnes-mont-valerien-8738237

Directions to Campsite

The main entrance from Suresnes Mont Valérien station on Rue Worth comes out opposite the imposing Hospital Foch. Turn left to reach a T-Junction with the wide Avenue Franklin Roosevelt and then turn right following the road gently down to another large T-Junction. At this junction bear right onto Avenue du General Charles de Gaulle. After 250 metres, you’ll need to bear left onto the busy Boulevard Henri Sellier that will take you over the Seine. Once across the bridge, there is a path on the lefthand side that drops you down to the level of the campsite. You need to follow the road along at this point to reach the entrance on the left.

If all of this sounds a bit complicated and you don’t want to negotiate the streets of Paris with your luggage, there is also the option of taking Line 1 of the metro or RER C or RER E to Porte Maillot. Leave the station from exit 3 (Boulevard André Maurois) from where you can take bus 244 to ‘Moulins Camping’ bus stop.

The main entrance to Suresnes Mont Valérien station. Attribution: Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0

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1 Rue Johnson, 78600 Maisons-Laffitte, France

https://www.sandaya.co.uk/our-campsites/paris-maisons-laffitte

Campsite

Camping Maisons-Laffitte lies on the very western edge of Paris in the commune of Maisons-Laffitte, roughly 17 kilometres from the city centre. The campsite is in a lovely setting, with pitches backing onto the River Seine and the large Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye little more than 1.5 kilometres away. The site itself contains a heated outdoor swimming pool, a small shop, restaurant and bar. A Carrefour Express supermarket is ten minutes away in the centre of Maisons-Laffitte, where there are also bakeries and further restaurants.

A view across the Seine to the campsite. Attribution: Moonik, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Accommodation Options

There is a real mixture of self-catering options on the campsite. There are a number of mobile homes available for rent, ranging from small caravans for 2 people up to much larger options sleeping 10 guests. Less familiar will surely be the campsite’s raised wooden cabins. These are chalet style houses built high up on wooden stilts, allowing guests to enjoy expansive views across the Seine and suburban Paris. All accommodation can be booked directly through the campsite website.

Transport Links

Maisons-Laffitte railway station on the RER A line is little more than a 10 minute walk from the campsite. Regular suburban trains depart for the centre of Paris handily stopping at Gare de Lyon for mainline services to the south of France, northern Italy and Switzerland. Transilien trains on the Lines J and L also serve Maisons-Laffitte station, taking passengers direct to the Gare Saint-Lazare, where mainline services depart for the Channel ports of Le Havre and Cherbourg. For Gare du Nord and the Eurostar also change at Gare Saint-Lazare for the RER Line E.

RATP train station information: https://www.bonjour-ratp.fr/gares/maisons-laffitte/

The surburban Maisons-Laffitte station. Attribution: Clicsouris, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Directions to Campsite

Walking from the Maisons-Laffitte railway station to the campsite is fairly simple. Leave the station on south side passing by the various bus stops and taxi ranks to the main road. Use the zebra crossings to cross over two sets of roads taking the final road – Avenue de Saint-Germain – as it bears off to the right. Walk down the road for 500 metres until reaching Rue Johnson marked by two no-entry signs (for car drivers) and turn left onto this road. You should also see a sign at this point for ‘Camping Municipal’. At the very end of Rue Johnson, you’ll find the entrance to the campsite.

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