Believe it or not, Paris has always been a great place to camp. There has been a centrally located campsite here for years. Well connected to the rest of the city centre, yet, located in the midst of Paris' largest park, the Bois de Boulogne, it has always been a surprisingly bucolic alternative, not forcing you to forgo the pleasures of camping at all.
Recently revamped, and now part of the nationwide and excellent Indigo group, 'Camping Indigo Paris' is open all year round and has a large number of flat and shady pitches for both caravans and campervans and campers with their own tents, including 30 'pedestrian' pitched for those travelling on foot, and also several glamping alternatives.
There are three fully renovated, light and airy washrooms – heated so they are comfortable at any time of year – with shower cubicles and family bathrooms, baby-changing areas and children's toilets, as well as an area reserved for people with reduced mobility. There's also a central lodge with a café that opens onto a lovely terrace and a TV room plus a new children's playground.
It's a large and lovely site, no question, with a great riverside location and the whole of the Bois de Boulogne to explore – you can stroll along the river, take a boat trips on the lakes, visit the Jardin d'Acclimatation theme park or the Bagatelle landscaped gardens, among many other things. But for all the location's appeal, you'd have to be mad to spend too much time here, with Paris waiting just beyond. Get out there and enjoy it – this campsite is a fabulous base for seeing the city!