Formule 1 hotels

[Frog253]

Thinking of using these on our way to the Dordogne. We will be travelling with a trailer tent, so what's the parking like at F1 hotels? Is there likely to be plenty of space or does it vary from hotel to hotel?

Personally I'd use a different chain such as Etap, because the rooms have their own bathroom, and the prices aren't much different.
Usually the individual hotel listing will give an explanation of the car park arrangements. Those on the edge of towns or next to the motorways will have bigger car parks.

If they are Nything like the outer London based one I wouldn't stay there with children. The shared toilets are interesting to say the least!

Thanks for your thoughts. Will look into Etap. Wasn't planning on going into a town, probably a motorway one. Ideally one with a family room big enough for 5 people.

Rooms for five are almost impossible to find. Etap sleep 3 to a room. There's a chain called B&B that do rooms for 4. Mind you we normally sneak fiive into family rooms

Dh used to stay st Thurrock

Agree family room difficult for 5. We always use premier inn but there are 4 of us.

Etap are re-branding as Ibis budget. Most hotels in France specify a child as under 11 years and older children need their own room (unlike UK chains such as Premier inn or travelodge when dcs can share with parents until 16 years old).

So would need two rooms then...cost are adding up. Just chasing the sun really. Will stick to the UK, surely net summer can't be as bad as this one can it?

How about buying a cheap pop-up tent or two from decathlon to use as an overnighter on a municipal site? They don't take up much room and you can be set up for the night in a few minutes.

we stayed in formular 1s in july, one in Rouen was great, shared loos perfectly clean etc..... one in Dunkirk was less so, loos and showers smelt worse than the hole in the ground service station ones...... ds slept on a SIM on the floor (as he's 2 and despite his enthusiam for it I didn't fancy him sleeping in the high bunk) and you would prob get 2 SIMs on the floor so you prob could get 5 in a room..... depsite the questionable facilities i would def stay in one again if it mean we could get another 'sun' holiday in this year!..... i'd got for it if i were you!! :)

www.hotel-bb.com/

sorry, sent too soon.

They do family rooms for 4 which are big enough for 5 (we are 5 so know this!). Make sure that they dont see you all together!

Oh God... don't stay in the one in Bethune. I did. I turned out to be the local knocking shop with prostitutes smoking outside my room on the hour, every hour through the night, as they waiting for the next client to arrive... then the revving of cars every hour as clients left and came (literally).

Grim.

I have used Etap quite a bit - from searching they aren't really much more ££ than Formule 1 - and you get your own bathrooms.

We generally get two rooms - and put one adult in each with a kid/kids - or more recently just put the kids in together.

Most have quite good car parks - but it is worth checking on that first- and that the car parks are secure.

We stay in Formule 1 and have never had a problem - bathrooms always seemed clean. We fit 4 in a room (bit of a squash but ok) in Formule 1 whereas other chains have refused to do this.

Just realised I haven't at all answered a question - no, we've never had a problem with parking.

I lived in France for a while and used them quite a lot - but I think they were 100 francs a night back then so you can see how long ago I'm talking about ;-). They were originally built for truck drivers so that is the standard you can expect - some have been overhauled to be more family friendly I expect though.

Car parking wise - they were usually on large retail parks / close to out of town supermarkets so I think car parking wasn't an issue but I'd check the security at the ones you're considering. There are no ensuite facilities (at least there didn't used to be) but the facilities had automatic cleaning systems so the shower / toilet self-cleaned once you left. Not ideal and not sure it would be great with children, but do-able if its literally somewhere to sleep. If you expect anything else, then there might be other chains that are more suitable.

We have used Formule 1 hotels, but prefer Premiere Classe which are the same price but have own bathrooms, or Etap as others have suggested (slightly pricier)