RV Rental Cergy-Pontoise, IDF

About half an hour from Cergy-Pontoise is Saint-Germain-en-Laye Forest. This public forest used to be the hunting grounds of French royalty. Today, everyone can access its botanical trails, cycling paths, and horseback riding paths. Within the forest are the hunting cabins of French kings; some are now hotels and restaurants. In summer, the Fête des Loges, one of France’s largest and oldest fairs, operates here.

Also not far from Cergy-Pontoise is Montmorency Forest. This forest is mostly chestnut trees, parsed by walking, cycling, and riding trails. Within the park are mirror-like ponds, trees that are centuries old, and summits from which you can see Paris. A beautiful site is Chateau de la Chasse, an imposing white palace. There are also equestrian centers nearby if you’d like to explore the forest on horseback.

Both forests are parks surrounded by city. If you're looking for greater outdoors, head for Vexin français Natural Regional Park, just outside of Cergy-Pontoise. Spanning over 270 square miles (71,000 hectares), this vast park encompasses limestone plateaus, valleys, and farmlands. Vexin français offers endless opportunities for outdoor recreation. If you like walking and hiking, the park offers over 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) of trails, ranging from two to 14 miles (four to 24 kilometers) long. If you love a bird’s-eye view, you can find gliding, paramotoring, and hot air ballooning opportunities here. If horsemanship is your thing, you can borrow a horse from one of the many stables and navigate the riding trails. You can also canoe, cruise, and fish in the ponds and rivers that crisscross the park. And yes, there are campgrounds where you can bring your travel trailer rental from Cergy-Pontoise.

Cergy-Pontoise has a few campgrounds, most of which are outside the city. Paris Maisons Laffitte offers the opportunity to camp by the banks of the Seine River. Located between Cergy-Pontoise, Paris, and Saint-Denis, this campground lets you easily access all three from your camper rental from Cergy-Pontoise. In addition to amenities (washer, dryer, bathhouses), you’ll find a mini grocery store, restaurant, and solarium. For swimmers, there's an outdoor pool, a heated pool, and a jacuzzi. If you’re sporty, you’ll enjoy access to lots of outdoor activities, including some unusual ones like archery and pétanque. This campground is kid-friendly and includes a playground and a kids’ club.

Camping Le Grand Paris is a good option to consider if you're visiting Vexin français. This campground is inside the park and has 180 campsites. With its restaurant, grocery store, and sports facility, this campground is almost a resort. You’ll find washers, dryers, and accessible full-service bathhouses to make your stay more convenient when you rent an RV. There's also an RV service area. Camping Le Grand Paris offers biking, basketball, and tennis. For the more outdoorsy, this campground also offers easy access to fishing, horseback riding, and mountain biking.

You should have no problem finding service stations around Cergy-Pontoise. Most are outside the city center, along the major highways. You should also have no problem finding grocery stores if your campground doesn’t have one of its own.

Cergy-Pontoise is a good launchpad for your adventures in the surrounding parks, but there’s plenty of outdoor fun within the city. Between Pontoise and Les Mureaux is the Île de loisirs (Isle of Leisure), a vast outdoor activity center with 150 lakes to enjoy. On these lakes, you can rent equipment and sail, kayak, paddleboard, and more. To see the lakes from above, grab a harness and zip through the park’s ziplining course. There are so many opportunities to explore here, from whitewater rafting to white beaches. For children, there’s even an amusement park and an aerial play area.

If you want to explore art, culture, and history, Cergy-Pontoise has much to show you. Artists and tourists agree that the Axe Majeur is a key site to Cergy-Pontoise. This extensive sculpture garden was created by sculptor Dani Karavan in 1980 and took 30 years to complete. Today, it stretches more than a mile (three kilometers) in a straight path that connects 12 points of interest. These points include views of Paris and the spot where world-famous painters planted their easels to capture the surrounding beauty. Axe Majeur lets you experience multiple facets of Cergy-Pontoise in one place.

Cergy-Pontoise also boasts excellent art and culture museums. These include the Musée Tavet-Delacour, an elegant historic home full of art and history (ordinary and odd). The Musée Camille Pissarro houses much of the Impressionist artwork of Camille Pissarro and his sons.

If you're interested in French architecture, wander the streets. The modern city is built around a medieval center. Awe-inspiring churches, a monastery, and even farmhouses can be found buried in the cityscape. Cergy-Pontoise is truly where the historic and the modern, the natural and the urban, collide. So find the best RV rental in Cergy-Pontoise and experience the incredible collision.