Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

overnight stop needed around Orleans in France

37 replies

triplets · 29/04/2006 12:31

Hi,
We are going to France to stay with friends in the next school holidays and need an overnight stop between Calais and Toulouse. Can anyone recommend a good value stop not far from the autoroute around Orleans or a little furhter south? Nr a supermarket would be great, needs to sleep 5, thanks.

OP posts:
thirtysomething · 29/04/2006 12:59

try the new budget chain www.quickpalace.com - we're going to try them (also near Orleans!) as they're very cheap, look pretty cheerful and have good family room arrangements!

supplyteacher · 29/04/2006 13:08

Do you want something more than the basic, eg with a restaurant? If so, the IBIS in Blois is very good and near a hypermarket/mall. There are lots of hotels in Blois, and it is a nice place to spend a few hours, if you have time.

(I used to work there, many moons ago).

Nightynight · 29/04/2006 13:23

Hotels are often signposted by stars, we have had success in the past just driving into a town and finding a one star hotel.

TravelFiend · 29/04/2006 18:17

Hi Triplets, I agree with supply teacher, Blois is the best (I also used to work there more years ago than I care to remember...) I´m also a big fan of IBIS, but think the likes of Hotel Premiere Classe are great value for money. Just follow the signs (hotels are advertised everywhere along the main roads) and check out a few hotels. For security you can always book an IBIS, which you can cancel till 7pm; chances are you´ll find something cheaper..

supplyteacher · 29/04/2006 18:36

Small world, travelfiend

Original poster
triplets · 29/04/2006 19:03

Hi all,
Thanks for the info, do you think we would be wise to book up rather than go on chance as there as 5 of us? Are any of the chains better than others?

OP posts:
Tinker · 29/04/2006 19:06

Would book. We've never managed to get into an Ibis hotel when just turned up. Holiday Inn ones ok as well.

supplyteacher · 29/04/2006 20:09

Formule 1 not good - no private facilities. But there are several places that are one up from them (ie have a bathroom). There are places where the 'reception' is automated - use your debit card to unlock doors etc., but these are really only suitable for arriving late at night and leaving early as there is nothing to do in these places, and not much of a breakfast (if any at all).

Campanile is very good - same standard as IBIS, but very good homely restaurant.

I think what you have to decide is what time are you are going to arrive, and if this means lots of waking hours, then you probably want to get something with extra facilities (ie restaurant/bar and perhaps a playground), or somewhere to go out in the evening.

As I've already said, if you are looking for something after Orleans, I'd recommend Blois - it's easier off the motorway than both Orleans and the next place down, Tours. There is every standard of hotel, and it is a very pleasant place to have a wander in the evening.

If you are fairly certain of your timings, you should book. The summer is very busy in the Loire valley.

crunchie · 29/04/2006 21:11

5 will be tricky, most IBIS etc sleep 3 to a room as do Formule 1. We stayed in a B&B last year and was quite impressed, again, not sure if they do 5 to a room, you might need 2 rooms. \link{http://www.hotel-bb.com\bb} they do have one in Oreleans.

Blois is nice, but a few miles off route.

Marina · 29/04/2006 21:22

Wow, we must be the only Mn family to have had a bad experience in Blois. I wish I could remember the name of the seemingly respectable but actually Barton-Fink wallpaper-peeling 20 watt bulb creepo establishment we ended up in...at least 2 stars, may even have been Logis de France, terrifying ambiance...
Hm, stick with Ibis/Formule 1 I think.
Not even its status as Poulain Chocolat HQ would ever entice me back to Blois again Wink

Nightynight · 29/04/2006 21:32

Look, France has got some of the cheapest and best quality independent family run hotels in Europe! (barring the odd bad experience, Marina!)
It is honestly a shame to go to a chain hotel like Ibis - will you be seeking out MacDonalds for your dinner?????!

Original poster
triplets · 30/04/2006 07:49

Hi,
Well we will arriving around 5/6pm, if its to early and its one of thoise souless chains then the kids just get bored dont they? Would love to stay somewhere with abit of character, but its got to be cheap, well by that Id love to think no more then 100 euros inc b/fast, always hard to find room for 5. Harry hates deviating off the route, whereas I like the adventure of finding something different! So somewhere around Orlean or just south still I think.

OP posts:
Original poster
triplets · 30/04/2006 07:53

just noticed the exclamation marks ar the end of the messages, why?

OP posts:
supplyteacher · 30/04/2006 08:19

Blois is ticking all the boxes. It right off the motorway, has a vibrant atmosphere at night and has lots of independent and chain hotels, around the 50E price.

It is a good point about independent hotels. There are tons of websites that do hotel bookings - we did that last year for a stop-over in St Malo and ended up with a fab place right in the centre of the old town. Independent hotels are more likely to have family rooms, but you would have far more choice if you decided to take two rooms.

If you did want to stay in a Formule1 type place, you'd honestly be better driving for another 3 or 4 hours. There's an excellent motorway service area between Orleans and Blois where you could have supper.

Tinker · 30/04/2006 09:12

Tours is lovely, old town at night is fabbo. Agree, local hotels etc are nicer but turning uo with 3 kids means your chances of getting a room/rooms can be more limited.

Original poster
triplets · 30/04/2006 17:29

Hi
A quickie as I am supposed to be cooking! We are now looking at going via Poitiers as we are in no hurry and it may be a quieter route. So perhaps Tours would be a good place?

OP posts:
TravelFiend · 30/04/2006 18:55

Tours has a nice old centre definitely but I´m not sure it´s worth your while driving into town with 3 kids quite frankly. It´s quite a big town. Maybe Supplyteacher has a view on Tours?

Original poster
triplets · 01/05/2006 12:31

We would look for something off the A10 south, perhaps Chambray?

OP posts:
OldieMum · 01/05/2006 12:56

We had a night \link{http://www.tonelri.com/anglais/pres.htm\here} last summer. It's pricier than the amount you mentioned, but they do have some family rooms. It was one of the friendliest, best run hotels I have ever stayed in and I would recommend it highly.

Original poster
triplets · 01/05/2006 17:29

Yes it looks lovely but the family room sleeps 4 and is over 200 euros!

OP posts:
MrsMuddle · 01/05/2006 17:49

supplyteacher, can you remember the name of the place you stayed at St Malo? We're looking for a night near here this summer. Thanks.

supplyteacher · 01/05/2006 18:04

MrsMuddle,

We stayed at the Hotel L'Univers in Place Chateaubriand, which is the main square inside the walls. We had a 2 bedded room, and the 5 bedded room next door.

Outside the hotel were restaurants on the terraces of the hotels, and then a market with lots of entertainment. We were happy to let our older two wander off for 20minutes with 10E while we had a glass of wine on the terrace. It was the first time we had done that and was very liberating for both them and us. We also had a drink outside after the children had gone to bed (in mobile phone contact with DS1).

The worst thing about St Malo is the traffic and parking. We couldn't use the big carparks outside the walls because our MPV was too tall. Inside the walls, we had to persevere but finally found a place remarkably near the hotel.

That's probably more than you wanted to know Smile

supplyteacher · 01/05/2006 18:07

Travelfiend,

I've only been to Tours once, and didn't make the best of it. We arrived on a Sunday evening and everything was closed. It is a beautiful city, though, and I got the impression that it was fairly big. We didn't come in from the A10, so I don't know how far the centre is from there.

Apart from Sunday, I think all these fairly touristy places are going to have a range of decent hotels and a bit of nightlife to keep adults and kids entertained.

Milliways · 01/05/2006 19:29

We have stayed at the Novotel ( \link{http://www.novotel.com/novotel/fichehotel/gb/nov/0419/fiche_hotel.shtml\Orleans La Source} ) just outside of Orleans and it was very good. 4 of us in 1 room, used the pool, great breakfast. Only downside is this one is a bit isolated (easy to get to off main road though) but you are forced to eat in their restaurant at night. We had a good meal but normally like to walk around a bit & find somewhere cheap & cheerful for a meal.

lapsedrunner · 01/05/2006 19:39

Have a look at the Chambres D'Hotes (B&B) on www.gites-de-france.fr (in English).