Those who wish to avoid Paris during the Olympic Games, or, on the contrary, those looking for nearby accommodation to attend the sporting events, can look a little further afield from the capital and discover the region’s best open-air getaways. On the menu are little-known nooks of the Paris region that are well worth a visit, from peaceful havens surrounded by nature to camping establishments designed to bring joy to children.

The Les Rives de Paris campsite: the ‘tiny house’ lifestyle

Set in a 3-hectare site, this municipal campsite is surprisingly quiet, despite being just a 20-minute walk from the Neuilly-Plaisance RER A station, located halfway between the center of the capital city and Disneyland Paris. Its strengths? Its infrastructure is recent, constructed in 2021, and it is in a superb location, between the local marina and the Haute-Ile park, in Neuilly-sur-Marne, in the northern Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis. The simple tent pitches are surrounded by abundant, colorful vegetation – in spring, at least – for added privacy. At the very end of the path, 20 “tiny houses” are available to rent.

In terms of facilities, there is plenty to do, with several bowling alleys, an open-air theater, a playground for children and a beach volleyball court. One special highlight is the henhouse and vegetable garden, which together provide fresh food for tourists (on request). The campsite’s plancha griddles are connected to an app, which will delight lovers of meat and technology. What’s new in 2024? Electric boats for rent to cruise down the Marne river and find swimming spots near Chelles, in the Seine-et-Marne department.

The Sandaya Maisons-Laffitte campsite: the coquette charm of an island

While large outdoor accommodation chains can be impersonal, this 6-hectare campsite is everything but. All the more so as the site is just a 10-minute walk from the Maisons-Laffitte RER A station, which means Paris’ famous Champs-Elysées is about half an hour away. The icing on the cake is that the site is surrounded by water, as it is on an island, just a stone’s throw away from the center of Maisons-Laffitte, a delightful town in the Yvelines department, to the west of Paris.

In terms of facilities, it has everything you could need: A swimming pool, bubble pool, bouncy castle, sporting area, pétanque (French bowls) and ping-pong tables. There are 170 simple tent pitches, some with a view of the Seine, on which to camp in your tent, van or camper van. For those who want a bit more comfort, there are 112 bungalows, dubbed the “cottages,” with fairly spartan interiors and varying levels of comfort (ranging from “deux seashells” to “prestige”). The campsite has also provided for groups of friends, with “Cottage Friends,” which combine two large bungalows with a shared terrace. Several recent cabins also offer literally higher comfort levels, perched at an altitude of 4 meters. Although it is discreet, a vegetable garden is also available for guests, who can help themselves to fresh fruit and vegetables.

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