Calais to Stuttgart. Where to stop over night?

[Fordian]

Taking DS to Uni in Stuttgart in a fortnight. Assuming we drive due east, where would you suggest we stop for an overnight stop?

I would stop in Luxembourg . Really nice.
There is an AMAZING Park in the very centre of the city with a real size pirate ship www.vdl.lu/en/visiting/leisure-and-nature-activities/parks It has swings, slides, water play.....
You can visit the old city, look at the guards marching in from of the Palace, ....

All public transport is free for all in Luxembourg. ALL. Buses, trains, trams, ....

Mons is small but has a lovely square.

Thanks! All suggestions welcome.

I hope he has a fantastic time there! We lived there, off and on, for 12 years. Both my kids would go back like a shot.

Chalons en Champagne

Where are you starting out (assuming you are on ferry/tunnel)? Strasbourg is nice, Luxembourg is nice, Aachen I can recommend or avoid france to avoid tolls - liege perhaps

I’d take a more northerly route and stop in Maastricht. Lovely city.

Thanks for this! I'm not sure OPs uni age DS will be interested in the pirate ship, but my kids will be!

Or if you do the French route, then Reims.

Strasbourg to Stuttgart isn't much more than an hour's drive so hardly suitable for an overnight. Saarbrücken might be nice. Or if taking the more easterly route there is plenty of good value rural-ish accommodation just off the autobahn in the stretch between Cologne and Frankfurt.

Cologne. Beautiful city.

@GrumpyPanda

Depends what time they need to be in Stuttgart - we got drop off times and needed to drop at 11am when dd started;different university). I've done midlands to Strasbourg in a day

I wouldn’t go through Belgium - I’d go via Metz and Nancy. Reims is lovely for an overnight.

Cologne, Reims or Luxembourg would be my favourite options. Or if you have an early morning slot and want to be ‘almost there’ then Strasbourg or Heidelberg.

Luxembourg.
We just did that - stayed just outside Bastogne.

Beautiful villages and interesting lampposts.

Parked in Luxembourg city - lovely to walk around.

@Fordian Covid brain made me miss the "Uni" bit in your post. Well Uni Aged DS might enjoy the Grund nightlife then!!

Thanks every one!

we've stayed in Metz overnight. We liked it for a quick look around