Camping in Paris
 

So this is very very short notice. I leave for Paris, France tomorrow on the Eurostar, and it's beginning to look like we might be a bit homeless for the night because silly me never thought to book ahead....why? Don't ask....anyways, we have a tent and I was just wondering if anybody knew of places to camp in or near Paris that is easilly accessible?

There are several camps in Paris suburbs - i;ve often stayed at the TCF (Touring Club Francaise) camp at Joinville-le-Pont, right on the Marne River - a very well equipped camp with always room for tents - a sprawling camp in a neat residential area.

RER A to Joinville-le-Pont then bus to camp about 3/4 miles away. Also have chalets to rent out.

There was a campground for foreigners in the bois de boulogne but I don't know if it still exists.

There are huge groups of homeless people with tents by the canal st martin if you are up to mingling

There should be a lot of options at the usual last-minute sites:
www.wotif.com
www.lastminute.com
www.laterooms.com
www.ratestogo.com

Good luck.

TCF also ran (or runs) a camp in the Bois de Boulogne but the Joinville camp is much more well equipped - i stayed once in Bois de Boulogne and this was a rather hip younger folk camping - Bohemian but a bit too much with poor facilities. Not sure if it's there but Joinville one is.

I don't know if you are serious, but I'm sure the tourist office can find you a hotel room, if you go there. They have a office in the Gare du Nord, open daily from 8 am to 6 pm. It may not be the best hotel or what you would have chosen if you'd spent hours researching, and planning, but I would certainly think they can get you one somewhere. Lots of people go to Paris without booking hotel rooms months in advance, actually.

"There are huge groups of homeless people with tents by the canal st martin if you are up to mingling"

That just made me laugh out loud.

You might try a hotel search at www.accorhotels.com. They have 150 hotels in Paris (from 0-star to 4-star) and you can get instant reservation confirmation on line.

just curious - why are you carrying a tent if not camping?

Anyway joinville camp is a neat place for a camping - an international crowd - Ile de France residents i don't think can even camp there unless a TCF member - if young lots of Contiki-type bus tours liven up the pub. Contiki has a Contiki Village right in the camp - or at least did - i haven't stayed there in a while.

But if camping this camp is very viable - 25 mins by RER from heart of paris and you'd save probably $100 or so a night!

The contiki villages are pretty cool. I think they call it 'camping' because it is not as nice as a hotel but it definitely is not camping! you stay in hotel-esque buildings, with a few people to a room. They do have electricity, showers and toilets and there may or may not be blankets on the matresses but thats why it's 'camping' because you want to bring a sleeping bag. All in all though, it's a lot better and SAFER than a hostel and it is better than your typical camping. True, it is not as nice as a hotel but why would you want to spend time in a hotel when there are so many cool places you could be visiting??

Why would you say it's safer than a hostel? I haven't seen any particular evidence that Paris hostels are unsafe. You can also get a very centrally located hostel, not one way out of town.

Hostels have lockers - camps do not but perhaps Contiki camps do.

that said after camping in Joinville Paris-Est TCF for years i never heard of a theft from tents

hostels due to their nature are more rife for pilfering IME