Springtime in Paris

My New Year’s resolution is to pack in as many holidays into the next year as possible, so my thoughts turned to a family break for the Easter holidays.

My eye was caught by a magazine article in on family camping near Paris, taking in both Disneyland Paris and the sites of the French capital. It sounded like a promising blend of fun and culture so I decided to investigate the possibilities and what they might cost.

We have stayed many times in the larger European campsites of France and Spain and found them ideal for families, with swimming and entertainments on site and a feeling of freedom for the children. However, following a stormy camping weekend in Cornwall last year, I had vowed my camping days were over. I could still remember the holiday near Barcelona when a cyclone in August forced nearby campers to shelter in our wooden cabin. No – it would have to be a mobile home or gite for me.

I checked out the campsite mentioned in the article – La Croix du Vieux Pont situated to the north-east of Paris by the River Aisne. With a quick scan of the website the campsite looked ideal for an Easter visit. It was described as a “sumptuous 4 star resort set in 84 acres of landscaped gardens and local architecture” although sumptuous is a relative term when applied to campsites. There was a covered pool, two outdoor ones, numerous sporting activities and even a beauty centre for a bit of personal pampering. A gite for up to 6 people at Easter would set us back £380.

For my chosen week in April I checked out the equivalent prices for Keycamp and Canvas Holidays who use this campsite. Keycamp was offering a 4 night break in a mobile home including ferry crossing for under £200 for 4 night stay. Canvas Holidays had 7 night mobile home breaks from £390.

Next I looked at ways to get there. Flying from Bristol to Paris (Easyjet or Air France) and then hiring a car would be most convenient. Flights were around £110 per person plus £145 for 4 days car hire. This option would mean we could set off from Bristol in the early morning and be munching our baguettes at the campsite by lunchtime.

Alternatively, we could take the Eurostar which would mean a good day’s travelling from Bristol but be much cheaper at around £300. The total bill for our family of five for transport and accomodation would be around £900 for the fly/drive option or £500 via Eurostar. I used the via Michelin website to work out driving times and it even gave me the the cost of fuel and tolls for each route.

I envisaged a 4 night break with 3 full days in France, which would include day trips to Disneyland Paris and sightseeing in Paris, with a day in between for relaxing at the campsite to avoid teenage rebellion.

Our visit to Paris might include a trip up the Eiffel Tower, a sightseeing boat trip on the Seine, taking lunch in the Tuileries garden by the Louvre glass pyramid (a forray in to see the Mona Lisa perhaps) and then up the funicular in Montmartre for a view of the city as night fell. I reckoned that might give even the most culture-shy teenager something to brag to their friends about.

If it sounds tempting then check out these Sunday Times articles for some more Paris inspiration. The ones I’ve listed below are most relevant to value-seekers with picky children like me;

Paris: Five classic weekends
Disneyland Paris celebrates its birthday
Stylish stays in the heart of Paris for £70
Frighteningly good trip to Disneyland Paris
Is Disneyland for Girls?

And from the Telegraph;
Travel Guide to Paris
Eurostar: One day in Paris
Dream Cities: Paris

Thanks to skasuga, Amen-Ra, Grufnik on Flickr.com for the use of their photos.

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