somewhere to stay as a stopover in France?

[themsthebreaks]

Hello. We are off to the dordognes for 2 weeks in August. on the way over we are getting the overnight ferry from to st malo, then driving to la rochelle for a night there, then onto our gite the following day.
Not yet booked our journey home - last year we burned through to Rouen on the first day, overnight there then Dover to Calais the next day. Think we will still to Calais to Dover, but we are thinking maybe we will spread it out over two nights this time (as we are coming home on the bank holiday weekend) - but not really sure where to start for finding somehwre interesting in terms of location, and nice as well as fmaily friendly (we have two DC ages 4 and 3)to stay? Thinking maybe we would go more east - maybe even stay stay somewhere so that we could spend the day round champagne?

Does anyone have any thoughts/experience/recommendations - basically for a 48 hour journey from the Dordogne to Calais, with family friendly accomodation?
Thank you!

Loire Valley. Also a trip to Givernay in Normandy.

We stayed here last year on way from Calais to Charente Maritime.....www.lalunelake.co.uk.

It was fab. Its a small b and b. The family room had a double and 2 single beds. Dinner and wine optional.. but was great after the long drive.

They had a small splash pool and gardens.

Owners were so friendly, and the kids loved it. We also stayed on the way back.

That looks nice Ruthie - I need to book somewhere for the way back from Cognac to Brussels this summer....

We stayed at a small hotel between Le Mans and Tours, when en route from Calais to southern Charente. We really were just after a place to rest for the night, close enough to the motorway but with reasonably priced family rooms. The hotel we chose was pleasant - slightly tatty but comfortable enough for a brief stop. The village had a few restaurants, and we enjoyed a lovely patisserie breakfast the next morning before heading off.

this was the one

thank you all - shall have a look

We are off to the Dordogne in a couple of weeks. We are staying near Pont L'Eveque on the way down as being a convenient mid way stop for us (crossing via the tunnel). On the way back we will do the journey in a single day (we live in the midlands) the benefit being that we will then get to sleep in our own beds.

For travelling efficiency I would look at www.hotelbb.com (excellent family rooms).

For local colour I would look at www.logisdefrance.com (Many, many hotels. Standards vary from restaurants with rooms to country house spas). All are graded and vetted.

My top tip is always go for a hotel with a website. The French invented the internet as we know it with a system called Prestel. IMO if a French hotel doesnt have a website then they have something to hide.

Book early.