When it comes to finding somewhere to park in Paris, the campground nestled within the 850-hectare grounds of Bois de Boulogne in central Paris is an old and reliable friend. We got to know it well during the days in 1997 when we picked up a right-hand-drive Kombi from London and embarked on our honeymoon across the channel.
We drove from Calais to Paris, arriving in the heart of Paris at peak hour – if you can believe it! We had done some research on where to stay overnight, but in those days of paper maps, my navigation chores got a little left behind as the bright shiny lights of Paris took me to a world I’d never seen. Alas, we missed a turn or two, hence the fun and games of whizzing Parisian traffic.
Finding somewhere safe to park your vehicle in Paris, most likely when you are planning to be away from it for lengthy periods of time, is an important decision when coming to Paris.
This guide gives you two clear options that are located in Paris itself; one is a campground, the other a parking lot. We have included several other campgrounds, as even though they aren’t in Paris itself, they are common destinations for visitors to France that have public transport access into Paris.
Note – the city of Paris is a permanent low emission zone, meaning that certain vehicles are not permitted to enter at all, while others are not able to enter during certain days or times. Currently this applies to Crit Air 4 and 5 on work days 8am-8pm (private cars, light commercial and motorised two-wheelers). For those classified as heavy vehicles the restriction applies every day of the week. It also means that all vehicles entering the zone are required to have a crit air sticker. Before you plan to drive into or through Paris, we recommend you read our comprehensive guide on crit air stickers in France. It is believed that enforcement of this rule will commence in 2024, so don’t get caught.
Where to park or stay overnight in Paris
Bois de Boulogne
These days, the campground here is called Camping de Paris, but to be honest, we always refer to it as the Bois de Boulogne campground. It’s changed its name a few times over the years, but anyone who has been here recognises the area enough just to keep it simple. I’ve seen others also call it CityKamp but this is not technically correct. CityKamp is an aggregated campground website for French city campgrounds.
Location: 2 Allée du Bord de l’Eau 75016 Paris. Look for Porte Maillot / Bois de Boulogne or Bois de Boulogne exits wherever you are coming from and use your GPS to avoid our 1997 issue!
A free shuttle bus is provided by the campground that ferries to and from Porte Maillot metro station, making access into the city very easy.
ParkMyTruck parking area
This is a new addition to the motorhome parking options in Paris. Located in Paris Bercy, just inside the Boulevard Périphérique, ParkMyTruck (business name) now allows motorhomes to park onsite for a fee. For all the peace and ambience that Bois de Boulogne provides, this location carries no illusions about what it is. It’s a large carpark, with large trucks and vehicles in a large industrial area.
But, it offers more services than you might imagine for what is effectively a carpark. Once only for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, the owners have now opened the space up for motorhomes. For a minimum of €54 per day, there is access to showers and a toilet. It also has non-stop CCTV surveillance and onsite security personnel, making it a secure location to leave and stay in your vehicle.
The carpark also operates like an aire, allowing you to stay securely overnight. It is also possible to leave and re-enter the carpark during your booking times as many times as you like. There are also no height restrictions – yay!
The longer you stay, the cheaper the daily rate becomes. All bookings must be made online. There is no option at all to just turn up, pay and stay. Your reservation is checked at the security gate upon entry.
Location: 5 rue Escoffier Paris – opposite the Bercy 2 Shopping Centre. As it is just inside the ring road, there is access from either direction.
How to get into Paris: The easiest way would be via the Metro. Catch either line 6 or 14 from Paris Bercy. The journey will be 15-30 minutes, depending on where you are going. The metro station is about one kilometre’s walking distance from the car park. If you have bikes with you, it’s a 40-50 minute ride into the Eiffel Tower.
You can book online here.
Parking options outside Paris
These locations won’t suit everyone’s needs, and this isn’t an exhaustive list. We have included these options for parking to facilitate a trip to Paris simply because they are common destinations for travellers visiting France, and it is possible to leave a vehicle onsite while you travel into the city. They are also well connected to public transport that won’t take you all day to get to Paris and back. Remember, if you are wanting to stay at a campground in peak summer time, you’ll need to book well in advance to avoid disappointment.
Disneyland Paris
For those visiting Disneyland, there is a dedicated covered motorhome parking area. It’s about a 15-20 minute walk from Disneyland itself. Travelators do run from the area; however, they always seem to be working intermittently.
Note: The legal terms for Disneyland Paris clearly states the following: “Access to Guest Parking is authorised only for users of this service (hereinafter the “users”). Users are persons accessing, by vehicle, Guest Parking in order to visit the Disneyland Paris site (Disneyland Park, Walt Disney Studios Park, Disney Village and the Disney Hotels). There are some parts of the precinct – like Disney Village – that don’t require tickets. Therefore it is quite feasible that someone would want to park here (and stay overnight) without going into the actual Disneyland paid site itself. We note this here though just for reference and transparency and to be prepared for this to change at any time and entry to the carpark refused.
Motorhomes and campervans are the only vehicles that are permitted to stay in the carpark overnight. Caravans are not allowed to park in this carpark at all, even during the day.
Travel to and from Paris is easiest via the RER A train. The Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy station is nearby and goes into Paris Châtelet in about 40 minutes.
Parking costs €40 per night and is valid until 10am the next day. Once 10am ticks over, you are charged another full day.
Camping in Versailles
The Palace of Versailles is a popular choice for visitors to France. There is a large campground – Huttopia Versailles – that promotes using it as a base for travelling into Paris. It’s also obviously a good base for exploring Versailles. It’s a pleasant site with plenty of shady trees and full facilities. The pitches are laid out over a forest area, so they aren’t perfectly flat.
Travel to and from Paris is via the RER C train. Porchefontaine station is about a 700 metre walk (approximately 10 minutes) from the campground and trains take around 20 minutes to get to the Eiffel Tower. If you don’t want to walk, the bus stop is also just outside.
Location: 31 rue Berthelot, 78000, Versailles
Other campsites with easy access to Paris
Note these are untested by us, so we are just noting down some basic details.
- Huttopia in Rambouille – the train takes around 20 minutes but the station is about three kilometres from the campground.
- Camping Sandaya Paris Maisons-Laffitte: The RER A train takes around 40 minutes and is a ten-minute walk from the campground to the station.
More motorhome resources
We’ve got plenty of motorhome travel guides and itineraries here.
Join our Facebook community “Planning for motorhome travel in France” Click HERE
Click on the links below for more guides and tips to make travelling in a motorhome easier.
- Must-ask questions before hiring a motorhome in France
- How to get a long term visa to travel in France
- Do I need to buy a crit air sticker for driving in France?
- Tips for planning a European motorhome itinerary
- What’s inside a campervan?
- Things to pack to make your motorhome life a breeze
- Tips for picking up a hired motorhome
- Tips for motorhome safety
- Comprehensive packing guide for motorhome road trips
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