# Versailles



## hblewett (Jan 28, 2008)

Has anyone any tips/advice on the best plan for visiting Versailles in a motorhome, please? As far as I can see there are no aires or 'motorhome parkings' on the usual information sources.


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## moorapples (Oct 31, 2010)

We went to Versailles in September 2011 and all we could find was Versailles Association Camp. it was very close to the palace - about 700 metres - an easy bike ride. Site was OK , no EHU. It is on "Campsite Reviews" here is the link http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Campsites&op=display_results&csid=1602

Hope this helps.

Phil


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## mfa (Mar 13, 2008)

Hi, we stayed at Huttopia Versailles which is quite a basic campsite but with usual facilities. It is surrounded by trees and quite nice but pitches can be un-level. The site is a 20-30 minute walk from the palace and only 5 minutes from the train station for Paris. We stayed in the summer so booked. If we were going back to Versailes we would use this again.

Cheers


Mark


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## ThursdaysChild (Aug 2, 2008)

We tried in vain to find the aire in Versailles, but eventually found that it had been closed and turned into a council storage yard.
The Huttopia site near the stadium is basic and very " unlevel ".
So we ventured west until we found a nice little riverside site at Anet - still within reach of Versailles and Paris, but with a fabulous château to explore.


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## MrWez (Sep 25, 2011)

We used Camping Huttopia this summer, as has been mentioned, some of the pitches weren't very level (our Fiamma blocks just wern't enough to bring us level).

As Mark (MFA) has mentioned it's 5 minutes from the RER station (Versailles Porchefontaine) and 20-30 minutes to the palace if walking but, once you're on the main road leading to the palace (Avenue de Paris), another couple of minutes walk past the station, you can catch a bus to the palace.

There were motorhomes parked on the Avenue de Paris so you could take a chance with that, I guess it depends on how busy it is - we were there during Fete Nationale (around 14th July - Bastille Day to you and me).

One thing I would recommend if going to the Palace or any of the Paris museums is to pre-book your tickets.

On the Sunday before Fete Nationale, the Palace had a brilliant firework display which we watched with the crowds in the Avenue de Paris. 

We stayed at Huttopia because we were staying for 3 days and we wanted to go into Paris too, on Fete Nationale itself there's a big military parade in Paris, all the museums are open for free (we went to the Louvre), and, there's a massive firework display which uses the Eiffel Tower as one of the centre pieces. Huttopia was a good base for getting on the RER and doing just that.


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## TeamRienza (Sep 21, 2010)

Stayed at Huttopia a couple of years back.

Some of the site is a bit tight to drive around, I was also very cautious about overhanging branches.

The pitches at that time were of bark chippings or similar and made keeping the van floor clean and dry problematic as we don't normally remove footwear in our van.

On the up side they do sell the tickets for Versailles thus avoiding the huge queues. 

If I remember correctly bags and excess luggage have to be left at the entrance to the palace.

Davy


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## adonisito (Nov 6, 2009)

We used Huttopia, you can bike to the palace. As others have said it's not particularly level and it's a bit pricey. Not somewhere we would go back to, I detest driving in cities anyway, but Mrs Adonisito had to visit !

Get your tickets in advance and be prepared to shuffle around in a huge scrum of tourists, I was glad to get out into the gardens even though it was raining.


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## teljoy (Jul 4, 2005)

ThursdaysChild said:


> We tried in vain to find the aire in Versailles, but eventually found that it had been closed and turned into a council storage yard.
> The Huttopia site near the stadium is basic and very " unlevel ".
> So we ventured west until we found a nice little riverside site at Anet - still within reach of Versailles and Paris, but with a fabulous château to explore.


There is a review of the Versailles aire on Google dated 2013. I am surprised it is closed. There was a council storage facility at the end of the road just past the camp PAJ entrance (which was just a small building, almost a small bungalow). The entrance led into a large field.

If you look at the review on here at MHF you will see it is used I believe for schools etc.. Shame if it is closed. Google street view still shows it??

Terry


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

ThursdaysChild said:


> We tried in vain to find the aire in Versailles, but eventually found that it had been closed and turned into a council storage yard.


ThursdaysChild,

If you are sure the site is closed perhaps you would add to the database.

Are you saying the council yard on the right has now expanded to cover the grassy campsite as well?
http://goo.gl/4qrGXP

http://www.versaillesassociations.fr/

Dave


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## ThursdaysChild (Aug 2, 2008)

Sorry, Tel, but I still have the grounding scars under the van from trying to access what we believed to be the aire. The council workmen confirmed that the aire had been closed, but even before that, we sought directions from the Fire Station in vain, so it must have been closed for some time.
Incidentally, Google Earth is still showing trees in my garden which were cut down six years ago. 
Glad to see that others found Huttopia a bit difficult. It's a lovely wooded site, and it must be possible to level up the pitches without too much effort.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

When were you there?

Dave


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## ThursdaysChild (Aug 2, 2008)

Morning, DAB

Just trawled through the files.
We were there in March 2012.

We took the co-ords from one or other of the Aires POI sets. The van is away at the moment, so I cannot back-check the satnav.

B


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## ThursdaysChild (Aug 2, 2008)

Tried to check on the MHF database, but getting a 404 from the Versailles PAJ link.

I note that it is ascribed to you in July 2013. Could it be that the Versailles Association PAJ site took the place of the one closed in 2012 ?


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

That's when it was last reviewed. I added it in August 2006.

It is only open from mid-June to mid-September, as stated on MHF.

Dave


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## teljoy (Jul 4, 2005)

ThursdaysChild said:


> Sorry, Tel, but I still have the grounding scars under the van from trying to access what we believed to be the aire. The council workmen confirmed that the aire had been closed, but even before that, we sought directions from the Fire Station in vain, so it must have been closed for some time.
> Incidentally, Google Earth is still showing trees in my garden which were cut down six years ago.
> Glad to see that others found Huttopia a bit difficult. It's a lovely wooded site, and it must be possible to level up the pitches without too much effort.


I am surprised as we were there in June 2011 and I reviewed it then.
It was a very difficult place to find and an awkward entrance. The shower block was new then. On our previous visit we did not have the shower block. Just seems strange to close a site after all that expenditure? And so convenient for cycling around Versailles.

Terry


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## ThursdaysChild (Aug 2, 2008)

I cannot get into the MHF review ( 404 on three machines ) so I cannot read or review.

Have just checked latest CC-Infos and I-Campingcar apps, and neither is listing an Aire at Versailles. ( Yvelines dept of Ile de France region ).

If anyone has the chance to investigate, I would be happy to read an update.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

It's not an aire, it's a manned campsite, with brick accommodation for Matelots.

Dave


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## ThursdaysChild (Aug 2, 2008)

From my first post on this thread I have been talking about an Aire . It was on a POI list and when we eventually found the location, it was no longer functioning.
Two current POI lists no longer list any Aires in Versailles.

The MHF entry would seem to be a Campsite and is not the location to which I was referring.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

What were the aire's coordinates?

Dave


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## stevegos (Jun 23, 2013)

We visited in Sept 2013. We stopped at Nugent le Roy the night before (excellent free small aire with free water, free ehu and wifi but only 4 spaces) which was about 1 hour drive away. 

We planned to stop at an aire at Versailles but the one we had details of was closed and it too looked like a council or bus yard. When we drove down the chap on the gate was clearly used to motorhomes turning up.

When driving back to the main road there was what looked like a make-shift camp site in a field with the entrance cut into a bank of earth at the side of the road. It was about €12 per night and had a toilet block.

We ended up parked on a side road for the day close to one of the park side entrances, then drove back to Nugent for the night

There is a large car park out the front of the palace but they did not appear to let motorhomes on.


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## rebbyvid (Apr 10, 2006)

[quote I am surprised as we were there in June 2011 and I reviewed it then.
It was a very difficult place to find and an awkward entrance. The shower block was new then. On our previous visit we did not have the shower block. Just seems strange to close a site after all that expenditure? And so convenient for cycling around Versailles.

Terry[/quote]
I was there in 2010 but have tried to get info recently and not been able to .Heres a google maps link and a link to the only site i can find but dont know if it is up to date
http://tinyurl.com/q66qfup
http://www.versaillesassociations.fr/rubrique.php?catId=86


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## elansprint (Aug 9, 2014)

In answer to the original poster (this thread has spun off into a heated debate about a particular place to* stay*, rather than *visit*.
If you are looking to do a day visit to the Palais, it rather depends upon what time of year; the main roads around Versailles are mad at the best of times for most of the day but the residential side roads to the North, beyond the dual-carriageway, are relatively tranquil out of the July/August period and, if you arrive after residents have left for work, say up to 09:30, you should be able to find a spot to park. 
The car parks near the Palais have rather small spaces (we struggled to get a VW T5 in) so you might have to pay the extra for a coach space.
I would (will, as we are going again) stay, in civilsed fashion, slightly further out and have an early start, rather than look for a grotty Council yard.


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## rebbyvid (Apr 10, 2006)

if going for the day it is possible to park on allee de matelots 3..5 tonne limit and the park gates are opposite and a nice stroll thro the park to the palace.
http://tinyurl.com/mbujn2r


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## ThursdaysChild (Aug 2, 2008)

DAB

Try as I might, I cannot find co-ords for the closed aire. All my POI lists have long been updated and the old aire no longer features. They only offer a couple of car parks with a few MH spaces.

Stevegos sounds as if he had a similar experience to mine.

Actually I am quite pleased that we had to move on to Anet - otherwise we would never have discovered the Chateau d'Anet. But that's one of the things we love about wandering around in France - always something interesting around every corner.


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## wp1234 (Sep 29, 2009)

We visited a couple of years ago and just parked all day in one of the car parks near by . No problems at all but didn't stay the night


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## hblewett (Jan 28, 2008)

rebbyvid said:


> if going for the day it is possible to park on allee de matelots 3..5 tonne limit and the park gates are opposite and a nice stroll thro the park to the palace.
> http://tinyurl.com/mbujn2r


Thanks to everyone for all the helpful comments. It is much appreciated and will arm us well for next time we go. "Echo".... 'what a great site this is'

We found the parking on Allee de Matelots, but we are over 3,5 tonnes and look it, so even though we doubt whether it is aimed at motorhomes - more likely at HGVs - we decided not to use it - we didn't fancy risking getting towed away!. But for anyone under 3.5 it would be an excellent option for a day visit, as far as we could see - so long as you're OK for a bit of walking.


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## hblewett (Jan 28, 2008)

wp1234 said:


> We visited a couple of years ago and just parked all day in one of the car parks near by . No problems at all but didn't stay the night


We'd have no prob;em with that, but we're 7.8 metres and found nothing like that. The car park at the front has a height barrier - about 2.4 IIRC, and the only other option we saw was the coach park or carparks with no room for us. Maybe we should have tried going into the coach park and paying whatever they charge for that - but we didn't see a motorhome of any kind anywhere near there.


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