Marne-la-Vallée Area

Marne-la-Vallée is a large planned new-town area east of Paris in the Île-de-France region that spans parts of several departments. It is best known internationally for hosting the Disneyland Paris resort and associated developments.

The area contains major tourist attractions, large shopping centers and leisure complexes centered around the Disneyland Paris resort and the Val d’Europe shopping district. There are also business parks, academic institutions and residential zones developed in successive planning sectors.

Conceived during postwar regional planning efforts, Marne-la-Vallée was built in phases from the late 1960s as a planned urban extension of Paris. The arrival of Disneyland Paris in 1992 accelerated commercial and transport development in the area.

The territory lies about 30 km east of central Paris and stretches across suburban communes to the east of the capital, with major transport links including the A4 motorway and RER A rail service.

• Location and planning: Located roughly 30 km east of central Paris, it was planned as one of the postwar ‘new towns’ to decentralize growth from Paris and now includes major leisure and commercial developments.

What to See#

• Disneyland Paris (Chessy): Opened in 1992, the **Disneyland Paris** resort sits in the eastern part of Marne-la-Vallée and includes multiple theme parks, hotels and entertainment venues serving millions of annual visitors.
• Val d’Europe shopping and services district: Val d’Europe is a major mixed-use development and shopping district built beside the RER A station; it includes a large outlet shopping center and urban amenities developed in the 1990s and 2000s.
• Cité Descartes / University and business cluster: Cité Descartes is an urban and academic cluster that hosts research institutions, business parks and educational establishments linked to the Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée and regional planning initiatives.

Marne-la-Vallée is served directly by RER A: take the RER A eastbound to Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy station (the stop for Disneyland Paris), which is also served by some TGV/long-distance services. By car it is reached from central Paris in roughly 30-40 minutes (about 30-35 km) via the A4 autoroute; follow A4 east and take the Marne-la-Vallée / Chessy exits. The Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy station is immediately adjacent to the main park/complex (about a 5-10 minute walk).

• Aim to arrive at Marne‑la‑Vallée early in the morning (park opening or first RER A trains) to get ahead of day‑trip crowds to Disneyland and Val d'Europe; Marne‑la‑Vallée-Chessy station is the central access point serving both the parks and the shopping area.
• Beyond the Disney parks, slot time to walk the Val d'Europe district and La Vallée Village outlet - many visitors skip these adjacent shopping and dining options even though they're a short walk from the station.
• If you're driving, use the large Chessy/Disney parking complex and approach from the A4/A104 to avoid smaller local roads; if using transit, take RER A direct to Marne‑la‑Vallée-Chessy to avoid bus transfers.