La Paillote

View prices & book 7.2 132 reviews
Spacious pitches
Spacious pitches
Barbecue area
Shaded picnic tables
Inside the restaurant
Entrance to the site
Outdoor seating
View of calais, 25 minutes' drive away
A nearby beach
1/13
Barbecue area
Shaded picnic tables
Inside the restaurant

  • Family-friendly site with grass pitches a 25-minute drive from Calais
  • Cap Blanc-Nez half an hour’s drive; Boulogne-sur-Mer 35 minutes
  • Brasserie/bar with live music and beer garden; pétanque on site
An excellent base for exploring the northern French department of Pas-de-Calais, La Paillote is in the village of Balinghem, about five minutes by car from the medieval market town of Ardres. And if that doesn't help you place exactly where this small well-maintained site is, it might help to know that Calais and the beaches of the Opal Coast are a 25-minute drive to the north. As well as level grass pitches and a ‘dogs are welcome’ policy, La Paillote also has an on-site brasserie/bar that serves simple meals (think croque monsieur sandwiches, that sort of thing) and local beers. The bar often comes alive with live music, and the entertainment might also spill outside into the beer garden, where there’s no shortage of picnic tables for alfresco dining and drinking. A pétanque court is available for those who want a bit of traditional outdoor competition. Keen anglers might be grateful for the proximity to the Etang d’Ardres lake (five minutes’ drive), with its stocks of carp, while hikers and birdwatchers should make a beeline to the Marais de Guînes (10 minutes), a wetland area inhabited by marsh harriers and cuckoos. If you prefer your walks with a dash of sea salt, you can head to the cliffs at Cap Blanc-Nez (half an hour) and walk the coastal trail while taking in views across the Channel to the White Cliffs of Dover (weather permitting). In addition to the toilets in the brasserie, there is an on-site toilet block, showers and a washing-up area, plus a launderette.

Campground type

RV sites 15
Tent sites 15
Camper sites 15
Open now
Opens April 15

Tourist board rating

Please note

Admission

  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.

Dogs

  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro) and/or any of the following: Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, any Mastiff or Tosa.

Languages spoken

English

French

Open from Wed, Apr 15 to

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

7.2

Overall rating from 132 Pitchup.com customers

  • 28%
    10
  • 6%
    9
  • 24%
    8
  • 6%
    7
  • 9%
    6
  • 3%
    5
  • 6%
    4
  • 2%
    3
  • 5%
    2
  • 6%
    1
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 7
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 5
Budget/backpacker

69% would recommend this campground to a friend

70% would stay here again

What customers say

Great spot for the Calais ferry! Spacious, private sites & friendly vibe. Owners are welcoming, bar & food get good marks. Downsides: facilities are dated/unclean, some noise from the bar.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 8/11/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 14
Arrival date (latest first)

Accueil conviviale Emplacement assez grand Sanitaires…

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 7
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 6
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Armelle P. 10 reviews

Power optional grass campsite

Liked Accueil conviviale
Emplacement assez grand
Sanitaires un peu vieux mais propre et grands

Disliked Proximité de la route

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nous avons séjourné 3 jour au…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 Marjorie G. 1 review

Power optional grass campsite

Liked Nous avons séjourné 3 jour au camping très bien accueilli par la maman le propriétaire pareil très gentil camping familial très bien entretenu emplacement propre bcp espace douche et roulette très propre vraiment rien as redir de ce camping

Recommend to friends Visit again

Seperated pitches. Basuc but warm showers Nice bar…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Power optional grass campsite

Liked Seperated pitches.
Basuc but warm showers
Nice bar

Disliked Barking dogs

Recommend to friends Visit again

Gepflegt. Netter Betreiber…

Overall

3 out of 10
Location
 5
Value for money
 6
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 No rating
Toni 1 review

Power optional grass campsite

Liked Gepflegt. Netter Betreiber

Disliked Keine Toilettenpapier und Seife in den Facilities

Recommend to friends Visit again

Je n'ai rien aimé…

Overall

1 out of 10
Location
 1
Value for money
 1
Facilities / Activities
 1
Customer service
 1
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 1
Wifi
 1
Anonymous

Power optional grass campsite

Liked Je n'ai rien aimé

Disliked Tout et a l'abandon j'étais a porté réclamation mais je n'y étais que une nuit douche 1 pour tout le camping ac des câble électrique a nue les sanitaires dans un état déplorable tout est a l'abandon dans ce camping je déconseille fortement et je suis énormément décu même sur des air gratuite c'est mieux

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great stop off

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 6
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 No rating
Tracy E. 5 reviews

Power optional grass campsite

Liked Great little stop off after crossing the tunnel
Nice chap !

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really good location for Calais, nice…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Vicki C. 3 reviews

Power optional grass campsite

Liked Really good location for Calais, nice bar and a very friendly welcome from the owner. Nice big hedged pitches.

Disliked Toilet and shower block are a bit dated.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Friendly welcome. Nice flat pitch. Adequate…

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
 6
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 No rating
Phill A. 4 reviews

Power optional grass campsite

Liked Friendly welcome. Nice flat pitch. Adequate for a night before our ferry. Easy to exit at whatever time you need to leave.

Disliked No toilet roll! We weren’t prepared for that! Very basic facilities.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely friendly people Very close to…

Overall

3 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 7
Facilities / Activities
 2
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 4
Cleanliness
 5
Wifi
 5
Anonymous

Power optional grass campsite

Liked Lovely friendly people
Very close to Calais
Amazing water pressure in shower

Disliked A lot of dog mess around that had not been cleaned up.
Very rundown basic facilities

Recommend to friends Visit again

Just stayed one night, stopover for…

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 No rating
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Power optional grass campsite

Liked Just stayed one night, stopover for Calais. The host Sebastián was lovely and very helpful. We had a very pleasant stay. The site has your basic essentials, shower, toilets, kitchenette. There was hedge row between the pitches to offer privacy.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Portable toilet

Dogs allowed

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Pétanque Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Gastronomic delight Peaceful

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Small (11-25 sites)

Location

La Paillote

2219

Rue du Camp du Drap d’Or

Balinghem

Pas-de-Calais

France

62610

Directions

Timezone

Europe/Paris +0200 (GMT+02:00)

GPS

50.86254°N
1.94783°E

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Saint Joseph Village (10 minutes’ drive) is an open-air museum/theme park where you can learn what life was like in this region at the start of the 20th century. Reconstructed buildings include a school and old-fashioned stores such a haberdasher’s and a vintage bakery. At Calais you can relax on the sandy beach while watching the ferries shuttle across the Channel; climb to the top of the lighthouse to see if you can make out the English coast; or visit the Musée des Beaux-Arts, with its collection of works by the sculptor Auguste Rodin. One of Rodin’s famed sculptures, The Burghers of Calais, sits in front of the town hall. Boulogne-sur-Mer (35 minutes) is known for Nausicaá - Centre national de la Mer, a vast aquarium housing sharks, manta rays and tropical fish, plus penguins and turtles. The aquarium sits at the western end of the sandy beach, which is flanked by a long jetty and the Phare Rouge lighthouse.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Calais Centre Plage 8.5 mi Sea GoodGoodGoodN/A
Marck La Huchette 8.6 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentGoodExcellent
Sangatte Bleriot Plage 8.8 mi Sea GoodGoodGoodGood
Oye-Plage Les Hemmes 9.4 mi Sea GoodExcellentExcellentExcellent
Sangatte Centre Plage 10.1 mi Sea GoodGoodGoodGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Frequently asked questions

  • Does La Paillote have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is La Paillote dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near La Paillote? Saint Joseph Village (10 minutes’ drive) is an open-air museum/theme park where you can learn what life was like in this region at the start of the 20th century. Reconstructed buildings include … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of La Paillote?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  4 p.m. –  10 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at La Paillote? From $24.11 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.