La Paillote

View prices & book 7 140 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.

Site type

Motorhome pitches 15
Tent pitches 15
Touring caravan pitches 15
Open now
Opens 15 April

Tourist board rating

Please note

Admission

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

Dogs

  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. XL Bully, 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, 15 Apr to

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

7

Overall rating from 140 Pitchup.com customers

  • 27%
    10
  • 7%
    9
  • 23%
    8
  • 7%
    7
  • 9%
    6
  • 2%
    5
  • 6%
    4
  • 3%
    3
  • 5%
    2
  • 7%
    1
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 7
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 5
Budget/backpacker

68% would recommend this site to a friend

69% would stay here again

What customers say

Handy overnight near Calais, with friendly staff, big pitches & good bar food. But loos and showers are old & grubby. Some found it quiet, others heard bar/outside noise. Basic but works for a short stop.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 2026/08/25

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 14
Arrival date (latest first)

Rough and ready but it's clean, cheap and functional for a stopover

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Steve C. 1 review

Electric optional grass pitch

Liked Space and welcome. Lovely sized pitch with hookup. Great little bar with local beers. The showers are amazing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A friendly and convenient site with dated facilities.

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 4
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Electric optional grass pitch

Liked This is a small site conveniently placed for Calais and the Channel Tunnel, which is about 25 minutes away. The host was very friendly and the site allowed late check-ins which was helpful for us after a long day’s drive. The facilities are functional if dated. The showers were hot.

Disliked The toilets could have been cleaned and there was no toilet paper.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Hot shower…

Overall

3 out of 10
Location
 5
Value for money
 5
Facilities / Activities
 3
Customer service
 3
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 2
Wifi
 1
 Darren G. 4 reviews

Electric optional grass pitch

Liked Hot shower

Disliked Shower block very dated and rundown ….. location near canal got eaten by mosquitoes

Recommend to friends Visit again

Won’t be staying here again! Ever!

Overall

1 out of 10
Location
 2
Value for money
 2
Facilities / Activities
 1
Customer service
 2
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 1
Wifi
 1
 Susan Y. 1 review

Electric optional grass pitch

Liked Nice to have a cold beer at the bar. Private pitches.

Disliked Everything else! The toilets were quite vile, the site was in very poor condition and unkempt.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Sebastian was the ideal host.…

Overall

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

Electric optional grass pitch

Liked Sebastian was the ideal host.

Disliked Nothing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Accueil…

Overall

3 out of 10
Location
 6
Value for money
 1
Facilities / Activities
 1
Customer service
 1
Child friendliness
 1
Cleanliness
 3
Wifi
 1
Anonymous

Electric optional grass pitch

Liked Accueil

Disliked Sanitaires et le prix trop cher pour lz qualité proposée

Recommend to friends Visit again

La possibilité qu'on nous livre notre…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 No rating
Value for money
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Christopher W. 2 reviews

Electric optional grass pitch

Liked La possibilité qu'on nous livre notre petit déjeuner sur l'emplacement directement.

Disliked Le terrain légèrement en pente.

Recommend to friends Visit again

will not stay again

Overall

1 out of 10
Location
 6
Value for money
 1
Facilities / Activities
 1
Customer service
 3
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 1
Wifi
 1
 gaz p. 2 reviews

Electric optional grass pitch

Liked close to calaise

Disliked showers and toilets dirty and outdated

Recommend to friends Visit again

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. 14 reviews

Electric optional grass pitch

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

Electric optional grass pitch

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

Features

Portable toilet

Dogs allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area Pétanque TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

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

Rules

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

Themes

Gastronomic delight Peaceful

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Small (11-25 pitches)

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.

Food and drink

  • La Frégate 1,9 km
  • Le François 1er 2,3 km
  • Le François 1er 2,3 km
  • La Maison du Chef 2,3 km
  • Chez Fanny 2,4 km
  • La Taverne de Kate 2,4 km
  • O'Tavernier 2,4 km
  • Friterie Ch'ti Mario 5,3 km
  • L'Auberge des Trois Pays 5,5 km
  • Bela Pausa 5,5 km

Groceries

  • Vival Ardres Supermarket 1,9 km
  • Auchan Supermarché Supermarket 3 km
  • Aldi Supermarket 3 km
  • Charlemagne boissons Drinks shop 3,1 km
  • Lidl Supermarket 4,4 km
  • Carrefour Market Supermarket 4,4 km
  • Point Frais Supermarket 5,5 km
  • Aldi Supermarket 5,7 km
  • Carrefour Contact Supermarket 8,1 km
  • Charlemagne boissons Drinks shop 8,2 km

Parks and play

  • Multisports des Saules 8,7 km
  • Square du Souvenir 8,7 km
  • La Mare aux Enfants 9,1 km
  • Parc urbain Simone-Veil 9,8 km
  • Parc Guillaume Apollinaire 10 km

Family days out

  • Passion aventure Visitor attraction 4,8 km
  • Château de Cocove Castle 8,8 km
  • Grotte Saint-Martin Visitor attraction 9,1 km

Public transport

  • Place du Marché 2,3 km
  • Avenue de Calais 2,3 km
  • Maréchal Leclerc 2,4 km
  • Bois-en-Ardres 2,4 km
  • Rossignol 2,5 km
  • Chemin du Contre Halage 3,8 km
  • Pont d'Ardres 3,9 km
  • ZAC de Guînes 4,5 km
  • Camp du Drap d'Or 4,9 km
  • Rue d'Andres 5 km

Local services

  • Pharmacie Tressens Pharmacy 2,3 km
  • Pharmacie Dannel Pharmacy 2,3 km
  • Pharmacie du Lac Pharmacy 2,5 km
  • Carrefour Fuel station 2,7 km
  • Auchan Fuel station 3 km
  • Total Fuel station 3,8 km
  • Carrefour Fuel station 4,5 km
  • Pharmacie Les Attaques Pharmacy 5,1 km
  • Pharmacie de Guines Pharmacy 5,2 km
  • Pharmacie de la Fontaine Pharmacy 5,4 km

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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?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  4 p.m. –  10 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at La Paillote? From R388,66 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.