Campsites in Yvelines
12 campsites in the Yvelines welcome you to explore all the treasures of this department less than an hour from Paris. Here are a few to help you choose. The Paris Maisons Laffitte campsite **** in Maisons-Lafitte offers fully equipped cabins on stilts or cottages to relax in, a heated swimming pool with a whirlpool to unwind and free entertainment for all. The Huttopia Rambouillet *** campsite is located in the heart of the Rambouillet national forest and welcomes you on the banks of the Etang d'Or. It has Toile & Bois tents, trailers and cabins, as well as a natural swimming pool without chlorine and a paddling pool. The Huttopia Versailles *** campsite with heated swimming pool offers a large number of spacious pitches as well as caravans and canvas bungalows for added comfort. An outdoor and indoor swimming pool and a paddling pool, all heated, are also available.
To discover during your camping holidays in the Yvelines
The park of the Château de Versailles, an open-air museum
The very image of splendour and excess, the Château de Versailles and its park are the emblem of the town of the same name. With its 700 rooms, its furniture and its works of art, the immense castle is a must-see in the Yvelines. Like the castle, the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Designed by Le Nôtre in the 17th century for the Sun King, who wanted to live away from Paris, it is now famous throughout the world for its magnificent formal gardens. During a walk, you will admire the grandiose architecture of the small and large Trianon, the Queen's adorable hamlet, a rural place that she described as a little paradise and which allowed her to forget her condition as queen. You will stroll through a charming setting of twelve thatched cottages around a fishing pond. A vegetable garden, an orchard, a flower garden and a farm to produce milk and eggs for the queen were all requested by the queen. During the walk, you will discover the Neptune and Apollo basins as well as the water beds and the Orangery surrounded by exotic trees. A real open-air museum located on either side of the Grand Canal.
Saint-Germain-en-Laye, a green and royal town
Known for its castle which houses the National Archaeology Museum, its vast 3500 hectare forest and its Terrace which dominates the whole of western Paris, St Germain en Laye was the birthplace of Louis XIV but also the favourite residence of many kings of France. Its old town, its mansions, old houses and cobbled pedestrian streets are of great interest. Restored in 1862 by Eugène Millet, its castle now houses the National Archaeology Museum, one of the largest museums in Europe with an impressive collection of prehistoric objects, the largest in the world! The famous Terrace, which continues the castle, is immense and offers an impressive panorama of the Seine and western Paris.
The Château de Breteuil, a majestic building
Classified as a Historic Monument for 50 years, its park has only been listed since 2022. Its 17th century architecture consists of a square courtyard surrounded by walls and buildings, the structure of which is made of brick and stone. Located in the heart of the Regional Natural Park of the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse in the commune of Choisel. It was extended in the 18th and 19th centuries. Open to the public but inhabited since 1712 by the de Breteuil family, it houses a jewel of goldsmithery, the table of Europe, covered with precious stones. In the outbuildings, you will discover the famous heroes of Perrault's tales made of wax, who enchant children and their parents. The park's magnificent formal gardens provide for lovely strolls over 75 hectares, where one can also admire the romantic boxwood labyrinth, the pretty ponds, the Princes' flower garden and the hundred-year-old trees.
France Miniature, the largest miniature park in Europe!
Located in Elancourt, 35 kilometres from Paris, the France Miniature Park is a 5-hectare leisure park that invites you to explore models representing the famous sites and monuments of France. Reproduced on a scale of 1/130, 117 of the most beautiful buildings in France are represented and 130 landscapes are reconstructed. Thus, you can discover the Basilica of Vézeley, the Eiffel Tower, the Mont-Saint-Michel or the port of Saint-Tropez at your feet and in a minimum of time. All along the route, France Miniature offers activities that invite you to become an actor and not just a spectator. You can become an archaeologist to discover remains on a real excavation site, or take part in the Fort Boyard tests as in the famous TV show. There are also eight attractions for everyone to try out, so that you can admire the buildings and their regions in a different way and often with your head in the air! For children from 4 to 10 years old, a circuit allows them to criss-cross the French regions on board small electric cars. An activity in the heart of the Yvelines which gives the opportunity to discover France in a fun and unique way.
The Thoiry estate: a wildlife park, a castle and gardens
The Thoiry zoological park and its African reserve is home to around 1000 different animals that live in semi-liberty in a preserved natural area. Labelled a Remarkable Garden by the Ministry of Culture, it offers 126 hectares of captivating walks amidst century-old trees and the intoxicating scent of flowers. Here, each season offers a different landscape and transports you to 300 years of garden history, with different landscapes, romantic, wild, bucolic... from the 16th century to today. There are French and English gardens, a rose garden and a labyrinth. The Renaissance-style château of Thoiry was built in the 16th century by the architect Philibert Delorme. Although not everything is open to the public, it is still possible to admire, among other things, the beautiful main staircase with its Gobelin tapestries, the Salon du Matin, and an archive museum with letters from Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Rodin and Châteaubriand.