Buget Travel: Camping in Paris, France

For the budget traveler, even Paris hostels can be costly for backpacking couples, especially when compared to camping at Paris’ only campground.

Paris has one campground located at Bois de Boulogne park and it is called Le Camping du Bois de Boulogne.

Because there are limited spaces for pitching a tent, I highly recommend reserving a spot if you plan to go to Le Camping du Bois de Boulogne during the high season. There are, however, a lot more spots for RV’s; though, booking ahead, especially in the summer, is still a good idea.

Hot water, large showers and clean enough, just make sure to wear your flip-flops or shower shoes, are all hallmarks of the showers at Le Camping du Bois de Boulogne, which are free to use for campers at no extra charge.

Le Camping du Bois de Boulogne offers Internet, not WiFi, but I can’t recommend it. Other campers complained that the Internet, which consists of two computer in the campground office, was costly and unreliable.

A store and small restaurant are also located at Le Camping du Bois de Boulogne. And while the campground sells subway passes, we noticed that they overcharged for them in comparison to the Metro station.

Traveling to Le Camping du Bois de Boulogne from central Paris without a car:

The easiest and quickest way to get to the campground from downtown Paris use the yellow metro line to the Porte-Maillot station and then take a bus line 244 to the bus stop in the park. From there, it is about a quick walk to the campground. The last bus is at 10pm. You can also take a shuttle for about 3 euro that goes directly to the campground. The shuttle picks you up at the same 244 bus stop and it stops running at 12 am. One thing to consider is that the walk to the campground from the city bus is very dark. Personally, I would not walk it alone at night.

Need morebackpacking travel tips. Stop by Randy Kalp’s site where you can find out all about Iceland camping #2 and how it can extend your travels.

Budget Travel In Iceland: Reykjavik Campground

If you’ve got $8.50 in your bank account and a tent, then you have enough to travel to Iceland on a budget.

The Reykjavik Campsite offers up tenting on a grassy lawn for under $9 a person in Reykjavik. This is by far the cheapest way to see Iceland’s vibrant, historic capital city on a budget. Additionally, the campground also rents tents for an extra $10 per day. When you consider that a pint of beer can average $6 and a cup of coffee $3, it’s really hard to beat the quality budget accommodations that the Reykjavik Campground has to offer.

For the price of the pitch, the capital city’s only campground offers its guest clean bathrooms, showers and an abundance of hot and cold water. The Reykjavik Campground has a kitchen area with hot plates, numerous picnic tables and, my favorite, free WiFi. Because it is run in conjunction to the Reykjavik City Hostel, campers get access to the hostels common area, bathrooms and showers, the laundry and more free WiFi.

The Reykjavik Campground is open from May 15 to Sept. 15, and is located less than 2 miles from Reykjavik’s historic city center. With space for 650 people, the campground rarely fills up; therefore, reservations aren’t required and spaces can not be reserved.

With limited budget options in Reykjavik, as well as Iceland, the Reykjavik Campground is a great way to enjoy the city on a budget. Also another item worth noting is the fact that the campground is located right next door to one of the city’s thermal pools – Laugardalslaug . We visited the pools a couple of times and we loved it aside from the group showering! After a day walking around the city, relaxing in the pools is fantastic!

Learn more about budget backpacking travel. Stop by Randy Kalp’s site, BeersandBeans.com, where you can find out all about WWOOFing in Italy and other volunteering opportunities.