Arriving in Paris

This section assumes that you are arriving by air and landing at the main airport, Charles de Gaulle, which is north-east of the city.

Walking in France: Outside our hotel in Paris
Outside our hotel in Paris

If you are going to stay in a hotel, you can get into Paris in various ways. There is an Air France bus to the Arc de Triomphe (also known as Charles de Gaulle Étoile) and Porte Maillot, another to the Gare de Lyon and Montparnasse, and a Roissybus which goes to Opéra.

Then there is the RER, the local railway system which connects with the Métro. If all else fails there are taxis, but it is quite a long ride.

The camping ground of Paris is on the banks of the Seine in the Bois de Boulogne, west of the city. It is the size of a small town, with a supermarket and a restaurant on the premises, which is convenient as there are no other shops nearby.

If you intend to camp in Paris, the easiest way is to catch the Air France bus to Porte Maillot (cost about €20 each).

Walking in France: The camping shuttle bus at Porte Maillot
The camping shuttle bus at Porte Maillot

From Porte Maillot there is a bus operated by the camping ground (white in colour) that runs directly to the camping ground. 

It is a bit tricky to find the camping bus stop, as it on the opposite side of the roundabout from the Air France stop. Any local will direct you, if you can find a local in that part of Paris.

There is also a local bus (number 244), from which you alight at Moulins-Camping, the stop after Précatalan, and walk a short way down a track to the entrance of the camping ground. The reception operates continuously from 7 am till 11 pm.

Walking in France: Camping on the grassy knoll next to the Seine
Camping on the grassy knoll next to the Seine

They never turn away people who arrive without a car, but the ground is like concrete, so it is not the most salubrious camping spot in the world. However, if you have a self-supporting tent and a good thick mattress, you can do very well in Paris.

The grassy knoll next to the Seine is a lot quieter than the flat area near the road.

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