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Does it have to be a chain? We've had reasonable success using Chambre D'Hotes and they're pretty reasonable on the cost front.
french hotel chains
- Thread starter Paul_L
- Start date
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Bromptonaut
Rohan Man
- Location
- Bugbrooke UK
I love some of the more esoteric places in Logis etc but the OP is travelling with a 1yo and a 5 yo. In that circ there's a lot to be said for the certainty of an 'all estabs the same' layout as in F1, BB etc.
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
On one of our stops this year, our trikes got to overnight in the function room - including the Trice tandem. Getting it up flight of stairs round two corners was interesting!
I can only vouch for the generally excellent quality of Logis.
Bromptonaut
Rohan Man
- Location
- Bugbrooke UK
Paul,
If you can give some idea of where you're headed for and how/time of day you're crossing the Channel I might be able to make some suggestions.
With and early start from Calais I reckon I could just make the med with one stop either around Valence or S of Clermont Ferrand depending on whether I was routing East or West of Paris. However I travel with journey hardened teens (and a second driver). With kids as young as yours and first time driving in France 2 stops would probably be a good idea.
My other tip would be to plan your route carefully including scheduled stops and point to point timings.
It's very easy to forget how massive France is. Our first trip in 1999 breezily included Dieppe to the Vosges in one hop; I still remeber the rising panic te night before sitting inthe tent as I counted up the kilometres Dieppe/Soissons/Reims on a pocket calculator!. We pitched in darknes while the kids, then primary age, dozed in the car!!.
If you can give some idea of where you're headed for and how/time of day you're crossing the Channel I might be able to make some suggestions.
With and early start from Calais I reckon I could just make the med with one stop either around Valence or S of Clermont Ferrand depending on whether I was routing East or West of Paris. However I travel with journey hardened teens (and a second driver). With kids as young as yours and first time driving in France 2 stops would probably be a good idea.
My other tip would be to plan your route carefully including scheduled stops and point to point timings.
It's very easy to forget how massive France is. Our first trip in 1999 breezily included Dieppe to the Vosges in one hop; I still remeber the rising panic te night before sitting inthe tent as I counted up the kilometres Dieppe/Soissons/Reims on a pocket calculator!. We pitched in darknes while the kids, then primary age, dozed in the car!!.
Indeed! And the autoroutes don't always seem to be going the most direct route but, I can assure you, they are invariably quicker. Don't be tempted to go 'across country'; you'll be adding hours to your journey! I would agree/recommend sharing the driving too.
From personal experience, I'd say the F1 chain is perfectly adequate for the focused charge across France. Treat them only as a place to get your head down and then be up and away early again. That's what they are designed for and they are rarely far from autoroute exits/interchanges. Personally, I skip breakfast there and get on the road for an hour or so and then eat at a motorway services (a much more tolerable experience than in the UK, except during the holiday periods when they are packed!)
Of course, I don't have kids so my experiences are useless!
Brandane
Legendary Member
- Location
- Costa Clyde
Formule1, Etap, Ibis, Mercure and others are all owned by the Accor Hotel group.
Formule1 is the most basic. Double bed with a bunk above (I'm sure you could sleep 2 young children in them no problem), and a TV. Functional enough. Pay a little extra for an Etap and you get basically the same but with en suite bog and shower. Worth it IMHO. Step up to Ibis and Mercure and you'll get a sachet of shampoo thrown in for a significant jump in price.
I have done a lot of motorbike tours in France and as someone else said, there are a lot of quaint little "logis" (or is it "Gites") BnB style places that can be good value. Some can also be rather expensive. They are also very popular so unless booking ahead not recommended. Another advantage of the chains is that when leaving one place in the morning, you can look at the map and decide where to stay that night and book it through reception at wherever you happen to be. Most towns of any decent size have loads of these chain type hotels.
PS.. Accor Hotels; let's have more of your cheap n cheerful Hotels in the UK. Then Travelodge and Premier Inn might get real with their pricing!
Formule1 is the most basic. Double bed with a bunk above (I'm sure you could sleep 2 young children in them no problem), and a TV. Functional enough. Pay a little extra for an Etap and you get basically the same but with en suite bog and shower. Worth it IMHO. Step up to Ibis and Mercure and you'll get a sachet of shampoo thrown in for a significant jump in price.
I have done a lot of motorbike tours in France and as someone else said, there are a lot of quaint little "logis" (or is it "Gites") BnB style places that can be good value. Some can also be rather expensive. They are also very popular so unless booking ahead not recommended. Another advantage of the chains is that when leaving one place in the morning, you can look at the map and decide where to stay that night and book it through reception at wherever you happen to be. Most towns of any decent size have loads of these chain type hotels.
PS.. Accor Hotels; let's have more of your cheap n cheerful Hotels in the UK. Then Travelodge and Premier Inn might get real with their pricing!
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Calais to the Med IS possible in one go, but it's a pretty long stint at the wheel... it depends what driving distances you are used-too.
I have done it with 3 others in a 1300 Maestro! Made it with drinking-time to spare.
Friends of mine regularly do it in a people carrier at night with 2 kids, roll off the ferry at about 2200, kids doze- and sleep most of the waythey drive non-stop to the sun.
We usually went to Santander N. Spain and purely for ease we'd split the journey half-way (as I'd be the only driver), 5 of us in an Octavia. We'd take a 20 min break at an 'Aire' every few hours for a stretch and so the quick crash and dash at the F1. Kids seemed to cope with that schedule OK. Stopping arpond the latitude of Orlean allowed-us tpo split the journey and get to N.Spain by early afternoon.
If the autoroutes are clear (and we found they mostly were very good) very good progress can be made.
I have done it with 3 others in a 1300 Maestro! Made it with drinking-time to spare.
Friends of mine regularly do it in a people carrier at night with 2 kids, roll off the ferry at about 2200, kids doze- and sleep most of the waythey drive non-stop to the sun.
We usually went to Santander N. Spain and purely for ease we'd split the journey half-way (as I'd be the only driver), 5 of us in an Octavia. We'd take a 20 min break at an 'Aire' every few hours for a stretch and so the quick crash and dash at the F1. Kids seemed to cope with that schedule OK. Stopping arpond the latitude of Orlean allowed-us tpo split the journey and get to N.Spain by early afternoon.
If the autoroutes are clear (and we found they mostly were very good) very good progress can be made.
OP
OP
Paul_L
Über Member
- Location
- Shipley, West Yorks
Wow, thanks for all the replies. Some awesome bits of advice there.
We'll definately want to book ahead before we travel, and pre plan our journey accordingley. Don't fancy scouting around with two small kids looking for lodgings.
We're booked on the ferry on the saturday and then are booked in a holiday camp on the Tuesday at a place called Serignan near Beziers so we have 3 nights to wind our way down there.
Rough plan was head to Reims on the saturday as we'll not land in Calais until mid afternoon. Then planning to give it a full day driving to somewhere like Saint Etienne and spend a couple of nights around that neck of the woods to break the journey up a bit and then that leaves 4 hrs or so of driving to get to the campsite on the Tuesday. The thing we need to bear in mind as i'm sure most of you will know travelling with young kids means lots of stops of an hour or so, which can make for a very long day.
I've had a look at BB hotels and they seem to have big family rooms which suits us but if we have to go for 2 rooms at F1 at that price it's not a major problem. Might have a look at something a bit more upmarket for Saint Ettienne (or wherever we chose for a 2 night stop). Whatever place we stay in needs to be able to fit a travel cot in as well as the beds in the room.
Once again, many thanks for all the advice, and i'd be interested to hear whether this is the making of a sensible plan.
We'll definately want to book ahead before we travel, and pre plan our journey accordingley. Don't fancy scouting around with two small kids looking for lodgings.
We're booked on the ferry on the saturday and then are booked in a holiday camp on the Tuesday at a place called Serignan near Beziers so we have 3 nights to wind our way down there.
Rough plan was head to Reims on the saturday as we'll not land in Calais until mid afternoon. Then planning to give it a full day driving to somewhere like Saint Etienne and spend a couple of nights around that neck of the woods to break the journey up a bit and then that leaves 4 hrs or so of driving to get to the campsite on the Tuesday. The thing we need to bear in mind as i'm sure most of you will know travelling with young kids means lots of stops of an hour or so, which can make for a very long day.
I've had a look at BB hotels and they seem to have big family rooms which suits us but if we have to go for 2 rooms at F1 at that price it's not a major problem. Might have a look at something a bit more upmarket for Saint Ettienne (or wherever we chose for a 2 night stop). Whatever place we stay in needs to be able to fit a travel cot in as well as the beds in the room.
Once again, many thanks for all the advice, and i'd be interested to hear whether this is the making of a sensible plan.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
How old are the children Paul?
Brandane
Legendary Member
- Location
- Costa Clyde
OP
OP
Paul_L
Über Member
- Location
- Shipley, West Yorks
Eldest will have just turned 5 when we go. Youngest will be 20 months. Plus i also have a wife with a bladder the size of a pea!
I know from driving around the UK (i live in Yorkshire and family are in Cornwall) it takes us about 8 hours to do that, mainly as we stop for an hour probably twice for meals / nappy changes etc. plus the inevitable splash and dash "i need a wee" stops.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
I can understand your need for more stops then!
You're obviously familiar with long journeys and what you need for family contentment, so have confidence in your plan!
Are you 'Keycamping' at the other end or taking your own kit?
OP
OP
Paul_L
Über Member
- Location
- Shipley, West Yorks
yep, keycamping at one of the Yelloh Villages.
We're travelling back to Calais in a day and a half, but wanted to start the holiday stress free so i'm quite happy about taking 3 days to travel down. TBH i can be quite stressed when driving with a "got to get there" mindset, almost resenting the need to stop to allow the kids to use the toilet!!! So breaking it down into 5 hour chunks i think makes sense for us.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Keycamping is great, we did it for several years before buying a big family tent. We still use the Keycamp books as a guide for where to go as a kind of 'quality mark'. Kids are well catered for too.
Brave trip with a 20 mth old, chapeau!
Bromptonaut
Rohan Man
- Location
- Bugbrooke UK
More than I can stand. Even with two drivers I was pretty well all after 10 hours to Valence. Got far too near for comfort to an accident while hunting down dinner; fatigue was definitely a factor.
