Camping Rambouillet

Local town Rambouillet within 15 minutes' walk is best known for its spectacular medieval castle, originally a fortified 14th-century manor and later the summer residence of the Presidents of the French Republic from 1896 until 2009. Other townie options are the Musée Rambolitrain miniature train museum; the Palais du Roi de Rome, named as home to Napoleon's son way back when, and the Chaumière aux coquillages or shell cottage with its ornate décor. Surrounding Rambouillet is the vast Rambouillet forest, spanning 70,000 hectares, and the two nature and activities areas of the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse Regional Natural Park and the Vexin Français Natural Regional Park. All three have walking paths to explore, wildlife (including those wallabies) to watch, and bike trails galore: the forest is home to 60 kilometres of bike and horse riding trails including the Véloscénie linking Paris to Mont Saint-Michel in Brittany. Disneyland Paris and Parc Astérix are each about an hour and 20 minutes away.