StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Yebbut, we'll save money that way.......
FNRttC The Fridays tour 2014
- Thread starter mmmmartin
- Start date
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StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
None of which stops us buying group fares on a train.
redfalo
known as Olaf in real life
- Location
- Brexit Boomtown
Trains fares in France are ridiculously cheap anyway, especially compared to Old Blighty. Apart from legal restrictions, I'm sure mmmmartin is busy enough organising the really essential stuff. But I'm also sure he would not object if someone else (read: you) looked at potential group saves in France. Please take into account that the number of people travelling back from Bordeaux to Caen will be smaller, because some will carry on towards the Med while others - like me - will jump on the Eurostar.
srw
It's a bit more complicated than that...
http://www.sncf.com/fr/tarifs-reduits/groupe
You need a return ticket (aller-retour) and a weekend night away to take advantage of the "mini-groupe" reduction for 6 - 10. The "groupe" reduction requires 10 people. Each gives you up to 60% of the basic (full) fare. Our experience is that a decent reduction on the full fare is relatively easy to achieve by booking ahead.
You need a return ticket (aller-retour) and a weekend night away to take advantage of the "mini-groupe" reduction for 6 - 10. The "groupe" reduction requires 10 people. Each gives you up to 60% of the basic (full) fare. Our experience is that a decent reduction on the full fare is relatively easy to achieve by booking ahead.
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Merci beaucoup. Has to be done over the phone, will enquire further at some point.
Martin,
Just to let you know after our chat on Sunday that I have decided not to join you merry folk on this tour. Mostly as I have another European jolly arranged a couple of weeks before and another shortly after so had best be realistic.
FYI, There is a great little hotel called the Hotel Night Express in Cholet which we used in 2011 on our way to Spain with bikes, they were very helpful and bike friendly and cheap for a great standard. You sadly won't find a decent glass of white Loire behind the bar but that was the only fault.
Also we took the Gironde ferry which was fun but the road South to Andemos Le Bain was a bit like riding through Thetford to North Norfolk, straight, dull and full of traffic. So good luck whichever way you go, sounds like a lot of fun and Spain in 2015 sounds terrific especially with that new crossing from Poole now running.
Just to let you know after our chat on Sunday that I have decided not to join you merry folk on this tour. Mostly as I have another European jolly arranged a couple of weeks before and another shortly after so had best be realistic.
FYI, There is a great little hotel called the Hotel Night Express in Cholet which we used in 2011 on our way to Spain with bikes, they were very helpful and bike friendly and cheap for a great standard. You sadly won't find a decent glass of white Loire behind the bar but that was the only fault.
Also we took the Gironde ferry which was fun but the road South to Andemos Le Bain was a bit like riding through Thetford to North Norfolk, straight, dull and full of traffic. So good luck whichever way you go, sounds like a lot of fun and Spain in 2015 sounds terrific especially with that new crossing from Poole now running.
OP
OP
mmmmartin
Random geezer
http://www.hotel-night-express.fr/hotel.php
Looks good and is only 1.2k from the Ibis. It seems to be part of the Ibis group, as well. So it is a reasonable alternative.
Looks good and is only 1.2k from the Ibis. It seems to be part of the Ibis group, as well. So it is a reasonable alternative.
redfalo
known as Olaf in real life
- Location
- Brexit Boomtown
We're real trendsetters, by the way. Bordeaux is ranked No. 10 in the Guardian's list of 40 places to visit in 2014.
ianmac62
Guru
- Location
- Northampton
I give you one of the places they recommend: "The CAPC Musée D'Art Contemporain de Bordeaux is in an old wine warehouse on the harbour ..." It must have been between exhibitions when I went ... but the restaurant was good.
OP
OP
mmmmartin
Random geezer
Call me Mister Impetuous if you will, but I have booked Ian and myself rooms in these hotels: I thought it best to book early, so others can follow and we can have peace of mind knowing there will be a bed at the end of the day. The idea of having the entire trip sorted and someone not having a bed for a night in the middle of the trip would be awful.
As before, these towns have a selection of hotels, so you can book into other hotels if you wish: but, unlike Scotland, we'd be "better together" (other opinions on the referendum are available).
Just remember poor Ian has to find them and deliver bags: also remember the point made earlier about unmanned Formule 1 hotels.
Saturday, June 14 Domfront, no Ibis but various B&Bs listed on the tourist board website. EDIT JANUARY 7 - I have booked Ian and myself into this:http://www.hoteldefrance-fr.com - it looks OK and there seems to be a restaurant attached and also up the road: there should be another Logis style hotel in town - in fact, next door, called Le Relais but it seems to have no website and may have disappeared as a business. There appears to be quite a number of B&Bs (chambres d'hote).
Sunday June 15 Lavalhttp://ibishotel.ibis.com/gb/hotel-0613-ibis-laval-le-relais-d-armor/index.shtml# NOT THAT ONE - I HAVE BOOKED IAN AND MYSELF INTO THIS ONE http://www.campanile.com/en/hotels/campanile-laval-ouest (because the Ibis seems to have closed or gone out of business, either way the website is refusing to show it now - the Campanile hotel chain is very similar. this one claims to be 15 minutes walk from the centre) €74 including breakfast for the two of us.
Monday June 16 Angers http://ibishotel.ibis.com/gb/hotel-0848-ibis-angers-centre/index.shtml
Tuesday June 17 Cholet.http://ibishotel.ibis.com/gb/hotel-3357-ibis-cholet/index.shtml The Ibis website seems to only allow the booking of double rooms, so I have booked Ian and myself into this one http://www.campanile-cholet.fr/en/index.aspx which seems OK.
Wednesday June 18 La Rochelle http://ibishotel.ibis.com/gb/hotel-0638-ibis-la-rochelle-vieux-port/index.shtml (there are three Ibis hotels in La Rochelle but this looks prettiest, it is a bit pricier than other Ibis hotels but La Rochelle is one of the most beautiful towns in France).
Thursday June 19 Royan I have booked into http://www.bellevue-pontaillac.com/ and so has StuAff and Andy & Jo.
Friday June 20 Bordeaux, http://www.ibis.com/gb/hotel-1561-ibis-bordeaux-centre-gare-saint-jean/index.shtml which is close to the railway station - remember the 5.30am train on the Saturday morning and go for this hotel.
any queries, just ask.
Finally, the Campanile booking system allows you to cancel up to three days before arrival, and Ibis offers an option to pay a few quid more and cancel up to 7pm on the day of arrival, and the Domfront (Logis de France) booking allows cancellation up to the day or arrival (I think). So if there is a family disaster, you won't go bankrupt.
And Finally Finally, although nothing would give me greater pleasure than to arrange the sleeping arrangements for all of you
I will leave it to you to sort it out between you. You might want to arrange that on the "conversation".
Finally3 Gordon and I are meeting up soon to go through the multifarious route options and plan picnics, coffee stops, and find bars that sell enough Calvados to keep him happy. All that remains is for me to get fast enough to keep up with him on the recce.
As before, these towns have a selection of hotels, so you can book into other hotels if you wish: but, unlike Scotland, we'd be "better together" (other opinions on the referendum are available).
Just remember poor Ian has to find them and deliver bags: also remember the point made earlier about unmanned Formule 1 hotels.
Saturday, June 14 Domfront, no Ibis but various B&Bs listed on the tourist board website. EDIT JANUARY 7 - I have booked Ian and myself into this:http://www.hoteldefrance-fr.com - it looks OK and there seems to be a restaurant attached and also up the road: there should be another Logis style hotel in town - in fact, next door, called Le Relais but it seems to have no website and may have disappeared as a business. There appears to be quite a number of B&Bs (chambres d'hote).
Sunday June 15 Laval
Monday June 16 Angers http://ibishotel.ibis.com/gb/hotel-0848-ibis-angers-centre/index.shtml
Tuesday June 17 Cholet.
Wednesday June 18 La Rochelle http://ibishotel.ibis.com/gb/hotel-0638-ibis-la-rochelle-vieux-port/index.shtml (there are three Ibis hotels in La Rochelle but this looks prettiest, it is a bit pricier than other Ibis hotels but La Rochelle is one of the most beautiful towns in France).
Thursday June 19 Royan I have booked into http://www.bellevue-pontaillac.com/ and so has StuAff and Andy & Jo.
Friday June 20 Bordeaux, http://www.ibis.com/gb/hotel-1561-ibis-bordeaux-centre-gare-saint-jean/index.shtml which is close to the railway station - remember the 5.30am train on the Saturday morning and go for this hotel.
any queries, just ask.
Finally, the Campanile booking system allows you to cancel up to three days before arrival, and Ibis offers an option to pay a few quid more and cancel up to 7pm on the day of arrival, and the Domfront (Logis de France) booking allows cancellation up to the day or arrival (I think). So if there is a family disaster, you won't go bankrupt.
And Finally Finally, although nothing would give me greater pleasure than to arrange the sleeping arrangements for all of you
I will leave it to you to sort it out between you. You might want to arrange that on the "conversation".Finally3 Gordon and I are meeting up soon to go through the multifarious route options and plan picnics, coffee stop
Last edited:
lilolee
Guru
- Location
- Maidenhead
PM'd
Sorted 
Thats hotels booked for Jo and I - not all the same but not a million miles away!
We went for this one in Royan http://www.bellevue-pontaillac.com/
Thats hotels booked for Jo and I - not all the same but not a million miles away!We went for this one in Royan http://www.bellevue-pontaillac.com/
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