Cycle touring in France - store bikes in hotel rooms - always acceptable?

[ontodva]

Four of us are going to France for a bike tour later this year and we are at the hotel booking stage of preparation. Hotels haven't responded to our emails so far asking if each of us can store our bicycle in our room.

Should we expect this to be an issue when we arrive?

 

[ianrauk]

Some hotels will let you store in a room, others will have a separate room, a garage, an outhouse or suchlike to store in.
I've never found it to be a problem. It's a case of ask when you get there. There's always a solution and most hotels are usually very helpful.

 

[Dogtrousers]

My experience to be honest isn't very extensive - just a few hotels on a short tour (in Normandy) about 10 years ago.

But anyway, in the hotels we stayed in they always gave us a store room somewhere or a garage for the bikes. We never took them into our rooms. That's not to say bikes in rooms weren't allowed, because on arrival we just asked for somewhere secure to store the bikes and they provided somewhere.

The hotel I was in on holiday last week (in Savoie) allowed me to store my hired bike in a bike-specific garage in the hotel parking. You had to get a remote-control key from reception to open the doors.

 

[abcd efg]

Four of us are going to France for a bike tour later this year and we are at the hotel booking stage of preparation. Hotels haven't responded to our emails so far asking if each of us can store our bicycle in our room.

Should we expect this to be an issue when we arrive?

Why don't you simply telephone each hotel you are considering? Life is very much simpler when you actually discuss a question you have rather than an email exchange which might takes days to solve. On every tour I have done in the last twenty years, in France or elsewhere, I have called each hotel and got the answer to any questions I might have epecially regarding a safe place to keep my bike safe overnight.

Incidently, I have also found that making my bookings orver the phone has almost always resulted in a cheaper price than I would have got using a booking service as well.

 

[Emanresu]

Incidentally, I have also found that making my bookings over the phone has almost always resulted in a cheaper price than I would have got using a booking service as well.

As above. Hotels usually have a store when you can leave the bikes. And have rarely needed to book ahead apart from touring a known tourist area.

Normally we'd check B******.com to see which properties offered parking as a good indicator but phoning to confirm. You might also download AirBnB app and check the options there though often these places appear on B.com too. Using AirBnB, check if it has a kitchen.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Depends on your spoken French skills. I speak good enough French to deal with most situations face to face but I can't manage on the phone at all.

 

[Moodyman]

Chain hotels like Kyriad, Campanile and Ibis usually allow you to take the bikes into your room.

Independents usually have a safe space (garage, locked yard, etc).

 

[alicat]

France is a bike-friendly country. Personally, I'd be happy with storing the bike wherever the hotel suggests.

 

[ontodva]

Why don't you simply telephone each hotel you are considering? Life is very much simpler when you actually discuss a question you have rather than an email exchange which might takes days to solve. On every tour I have done in the last twenty years, in France or elsewhere, I have called each hotel and got the answer to any questions I might have epecially regarding a safe place to keep my bike safe overnight.

Incidently, I have also found that making my bookings orver the phone has almost always resulted in a cheaper price than I would have got using a booking service as well.

None of us speak French.

 

[ontodva]

Chain hotels like Kyriad, Campanile and Ibis usually allow you to take the bikes into your room.

Independents usually have a safe space (garage, locked yard, etc).

None of us consider anywhere but in the room with us overnight to be a safe space.

Some hotels will let you store in a room, others will have a separate room, a garage, an outhouse or suchlike to store in.
I've never found it to be a problem. It's a case of ask when you get there. There's always a solution and most hotels are usually very helpful.

France is a bike-friendly country. Personally, I'd be happy with storing the bike wherever the hotel suggests.

None us would be happy to store our bikes anywhere but in the room with us overnight.

 

[ontodva]

Some hotels will let you store in a room, others will have a separate room, a garage, an outhouse or suchlike to store in.
I've never found it to be a problem. It's a case of ask when you get there. There's always a solution and most hotels are usually very helpful.

None of us are interested in leaving our bikes in a garage or outhouse, locked or not.

 

[abcd efg]

None of us speak French.

But most French hotel staff speak English.

 

[alicat]

I would say it will be an issue except at the chains listed above, especially if you don't speak French. Imho, "Non" is the French people's favourite word and they use it frequently and with enthusiasm.

 

[ontodva]

My experience to be honest isn't very extensive - just a few hotels on a short tour (in Normandy) about 10 years ago.

But anyway, in the hotels we stayed in they always gave us a store room somewhere or a garage for the bikes. We never took them into our rooms. That's not to say bikes in rooms weren't allowed, because on arrival we just asked for somewhere secure to store the bikes and they provided somewhere.

The hotel I was in on holiday last week (in Savoie) allowed me to store my hired bike in a bike-specific garage in the hotel parking. You had to get a remote-control key from reception to open the doors.

I asked about putting our bikes in our rooms because we are not happy to leave them anywhere else. We will not be persuaded otherwise.

 

[abcd efg]

I would say it will be an issue except at the chains listed above, especially if you don't speak French. Imho, "Non" is the French people's favourite word and they use it frequently and with enthusiasm.

You must tour in a different France than I do.