Stops en route from Calais to Samoens?

[zimzam]

Hi.
Any recommendations for good places to stop between Calais and Samoens? I understand it will take about 8 hours and we have 2 children aged 6 and 4 so stopping,at least twice, will be required! The best route seems to be via Reims and Dijon. We don't want to linger anywhere but somewhere nice for lunch would be good.

Also, any recommendations on DVD players for the car?

Thanks.

[fedupwithdeployment]

Hi Zimzam

We stopped en route from soutern Alps to Calais recently with our 2 (6 and 4) at a fab b&b with delicious food. Lovely family - very friendly and spoke English well if that is an issue for you.
www.lacimentelle.com/

Ah - re-reading your OP, looks like you don't want to stop for the night....well in that case, I revert to our trip down (Dieppe to S Alps in one go). We stopped at a series of motorway stations - can never remember which, but quite a lot have play areas - as and when we need to. We also stopped in Grenoble for a session in Decathlon. I am not a Mc D fan, but we did go there for lunch so that the boys could play in the play area. And the coffees were seriously strong!

We don't have a DVD player. An awful lot of eye spy!

[zimzam]

Thanks fedup..
That place looks lovely. Rethinking the trip, we're wondering if it will better for us to make an overnight stop after all. However, it would be much closer to Calais. Any ideas for this area?

[Lilymaid]

My usual recommendation - Le Val Moret - which we have stayed at/stopped at for lunch every time we've been to Samoens. Its about 4 hours from Calais and a similar time to Samoens. It is really just off the motorway south east of Troyes. Very good menu, including a children's menu.

[zimzam]

Thanks Lilymaid but was thinking much closer to Calais. If we leave home on Friday evening (earliest will be 7pm as we're working)it'll be a two hour trip to the Eurotunnel and then i'm adding another hour to get to Calais (give or take) so we would only want to drive for another hour or so. We don't mind doing the longer leg to Samoens on the Saturday.

[CaurnieBred]

It wasn't posh or pretty but we stayed at the Ibis at Reims which, at the time was just off the motorway (but now there is the new bypass I'm not sure) <a class="break-all" href="//(www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-0811-ibis-reims-tinqueux/index.shtml" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">here. It was your basic travel lodge type of place but it had a restaurant attached.

The last time we drove we actually overnighted at the tunnel and got an early train the next morning, but we were only going as far as Grenoble so didn't need to worry about a mountain drive in the night.

[mummyinbeds]

When we drive to Samoens we drive overnight - get the 10pm ferry, take turns to drive on empty roads through the night and arrive in Samoens for breakfast. The kids sleep most of the way and although we are fairly tired when we get there it is what works best for us. We ususally do the return journey over two days and take the scenic route although as the kids get older this plan is less attractive! We usually stay in a Formula 1 - cheap and cheerful.
Enjoy Samoens - it's a lovely town.

[zimzam]

I've looked at the Novotel pretty much right next to the tunnel in Calais and although there's no hearty brekkie included it looks good value for money. May just book that.
Thanks everyone.

[sunnylabsmum]

either etap at Laon or formula 1 at reims on our trip earlier in the season. We preferred Laon and left mid afternoon from the UK and at Laon around mid evening