Les Étangs de Marsalin

Les Étangs de Marsalin is in Vert-en-Drouais, a commune in Eure-et-Loir near Dreux, about a kilometre from the RN 12. The site is in the heart of a village, on the route of the Camino de Santiago and the GR 22 linking Paris to Mont-Saint-Michel. Paris is about fifty minutes away by road and Deauville about an hour and a half.

The campsite remains modest in size. It offers unequipped pitches of 80 to 150 m², with 10-amp electric hook-ups, mobile homes with two or three bedrooms for four to six people, two-bedroom chalets set on their own plot, and a residential area where you can install your caravan or mobile home for long periods. Partly shaded plots, an esplanade beside a stream, the atmosphere of a small village: the place aims for calm rather than entertainment.

On opening, the campsite announces a welcome all year round for motorhomes, caravans and tents, with heated washrooms and hot water at all hours. The insulated chalets, with reversible air conditioning, are rented throughout the year, by the night or by the month. Monthly rates exist for pitches and accommodation, and an on-request package is planned for business trips, such as building sites. The campsite also hosts sports weekends or conventions during the year.

Reception is open from 9am to 9pm. As the website does not publish closing dates, it is best to call 02 37 82 92 23 before travelling in the depths of winter.

Châteaux and museums in Dreux, Anet, Maintenon, Chartres and Versailles, walks on the greenway and the GR 22, indoor pool 4 km away.

The facilities remain simple and practical. The washrooms are heated, hot water is available at all hours, and a baby bath completes the area for little ones. A washroom for disabled visitors is provided. A laundry has a washing machine and dryer, and wifi is free, including for stays on a pitch. A motorhome service area allows emptying and filling with water.

A lounge serves as a gathering place: it has a library, table football, a dining corner with microwave and a relaxation area. A small grocery section and gas sales are offered on site, along with a tourist information point. A barbecue is available, and payment by bank card is accepted.

For food, on Wednesday evenings a pizza van sets up in front of the entrance. Bread and pastries can be bought at the bar-tobacconist, 50 metres away, and a shopping centre with a pharmacy and supermarkets is about 4 km away. Pets are accepted free of charge. There is no pool on site: the nearest aquatic centre, with an indoor pool and a heated outdoor pool, is about 4 km away. No service is presented as reserved for summer.

On site, children have a play area, a table tennis table and a pétanque ground, while fishing is possible in the ponds and the neighbouring river. A riding club is within about a quarter of an hour’s walk. The greenway, built for pedestrians and cyclists, leads to Anet without meeting any traffic, and the passage of the GR 22 and the Camino de Santiago appeals to walkers.

Water lovers head to the Mézières-Écluzelles site for canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing, catamaran sailing, sailing trips or river descents by canoe. A hot-air balloon flight over the châteaux of the area is also mentioned.

There is no shortage of cultural outings: royal chapel, Rétromobil museum and vineyard museum in Dreux, Château d’Anet, Château de Maintenon, Château de Nogent-le-Roi, Chartres cathedral, the saffron farm, the Thymerais maze, the Damville chocolatrium, the Claude Monet foundation and garden in Giverny, Thoiry zoo and château, the Palace of Versailles, the Rambouillet forest and château, or Paris itself. Many of these visits can be made in any season, which suits weekend stays as well as longer ones.