Camping Les Rives de Paris

Built in the late 1300s, the Château de Vincennes (half an hour’s drive) features Europe’s tallest keep, a stone structure that once housed the royal apartments as well as a fearsome dungeon (among its notorious inmates was the Marquis de Sade). The Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes, with its elegant Gothic spires, is also part of the complex. Visiting Paris? You’ll arrive from the east, so start your exploration at historic Place de la Bastille, then continue on to Place des Vosges, an elegant square fringed by arcades sheltering art galleries and restaurants. From there, cross the Marais (stopping at independent shops for one-off souvenirs) and reach the Centre Pompidou for contemporary art. The Museum of the Great War in Meaux (45 minutes), in a contemporary building on the site of the First Battle of the Marne, displays uniforms, weapons and documents related to World War I. And to reward the children for paying attention here, you can take them to Gulli Parc Meaux, an indoor amusement centre.