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

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Original poster

People who drive through France - help needed please

27 replies

yoyo · 07/05/2006 19:56

We are driving to the Loire this summer and are breaking up the journey with a stopover. The gite is not too far from Angers and Nantes but don't know the exact location. We were thinking that Rouen would be a mid-way stop - any recommendations? Also what are the best travel guides you have found? (Amazon order pending!)

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Marina · 07/05/2006 20:22

If you read French, cannot recommend the Guides du Routard (there is a national one for hotels and restaurants, an edited translation of which is now the Rough Guide to French Hotels and Restaurants by the way) regional editions.
Also the Cadogan Guide to Short Breaks in Northern France might cover near to Rouen, can't remember...it certainly does Dieppe and a few other bits of Normandy...accommodation recommendations always trustworthy.
Also, have never been let down by anything in the Logis de France chain of independent 2 and 3 star hotels, yoyo. (They have a website).
Rouen is a super place but it is quite a large city with the usual slightly baffling urban sprawl as you head in, and my other recollection is that parking is a mare unless you like French multistoreys :)
The regional Routards are excellent for picking out less touristy attractions and I think they are decipherable to A Level French - hardly Proust :)

Original poster

yoyo · 07/05/2006 20:49

I suspected that you might come to my rescue Marina! O level only unfortunately so may be beyond my understanding but I will look out the Cadogan one (the Cadogan guide to Corsica is in my Amazon basket).
Perhaps we should stay on the outskirts of Rouen as we will be pretty tired by that point and have had one too many parking arguments over the years. I will check out Logis de France tomorrow as I would like to have everything booked up by the end of the week.
Thanks.

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Marina · 08/05/2006 09:08

And I will check my guidebooks this evening yoyo and see what is recommended to the S/E/W of Rouen proper. My overall hunch would be to steer clear of the city and maybe find somewhere smaller on the Seine. You are quite close to Monet's garden at Giverny en route, for example.
If Cadogan do a Loire one, well worth buying. :)

Piccalilli · 08/05/2006 09:33

Rouen has an Ibis which has parking and is on a tram route into the city so you can go out to eat/explore without taking the car. Bit basic/soulless but convenient and also opposite a shopping centre so you can stock up on essentials before arriving at the gite.

lapsedrunner · 08/05/2006 10:15

Also look at Chambre D'hotes on www.gites-de-france.fr (in english).

Original poster

yoyo · 08/05/2006 11:26

Thanks all am having problems accessing sites as my laptop keeps freezing but will keep trying.
I have a 2005 road map in front of me which shows a road from Rouen to Alencon as under construction. Any idea how I would find out if it has been completed?

Marina - thanks. All help is greatly appreciated as this is our first foray into France.

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Marina · 08/05/2006 11:29

Check maporama.fr yoyo - this is a route-finder online (in English as well as in French, and will find you either the fastest (motorway) route between two places in France, or the "most direct", which is sometimes N roads. It will definitely know how much of the Rouen-Alencon Mway is finished.
NB drive-times are our dear cross-channel loony drivers' times so don't be alarmed if Maporama alleges you can get from Calais to Nantes in something risible like 4 hours...

supakids · 08/05/2006 11:32

Got a place in S France and drive twice a year. I dont like the quality of most of the hotels [haughty sniff] so we always use IBIS, they are a bit like travel lodge, you always get the same standard and good enough for a night over. Not a lover of Rouen myself. Travel a bit further down to Chartre. Smashing town and you have a choice of two Ibis, one on periphery of the town or one in centre. Both have parking. We try to get the family room with three single beds.

Marina · 08/05/2006 11:34

Hi yoyo, spotted you were having laptop angst so did a quick Mapo for you. It says between Rouen and Angers you follow the A28 for 175km so I think that means the Rouen Alencon link is now complete!

Original poster

yoyo · 08/05/2006 11:36

Supakids - how long does it take you to drive there? I'm sure the Ibis would do for us as we really are just looking for a bed for the night on the way over and back.

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Marina · 08/05/2006 11:42

There is also a 3 star Logis de France, the Auberge de Brionne, in Brionne, just off the A28 south-west of Rouen yoyo. Not stayed there, looks really nice, does children's menus.
Ibis are always reliable if you prefer chain hotels - as supakids says, they are consistently good.

Original poster

yoyo · 08/05/2006 11:42

Marina - thank you. It is only MN that isn't crashing at the moment. That road will certainly simplify our journey no end. We always get lost so ignore approximate timings as a rule. I will email DH and suggest that he has a go at accessing sites (as usual all the planning is being left to me as will the packing, money, etc.).

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supakids · 08/05/2006 11:43

We do the Dover-Calais takes about 4.5 hrs. We swap drivers every hour and stop once for a bite or coffee and sometimes an extra stop for a pee pee for ds 4. The Motorway services are brilliant in everyway.

Marina · 08/05/2006 11:44

I am also the holiday supremo chez nous yoyo. I just get him in the car and tell him to head for Dover!
Auberge says English spoken. Tell your dh the website is also in English for all of both Logis and Maporama!

Tinker · 08/05/2006 13:22

We stayed in a gite near Angers and few years ago and stopped off in Rouen en route. Can recommend where NOT to stay in Rouen. Agree that Chartres is lovely but would always book in advance for overnight stops. Nothing worse than getting there later than you thought with nowhere to stay planned.

triplets · 08/05/2006 14:04

Hi, We have just booked Mister Bed just outside of Rouen, south, we are heading toward Toulouse. Had a job to find anything nicer as we need two rooms and for that Sat night, 27th they were all booked up. There are Fast Hotel in that area, we stayed with them last year and they were very basic, spotless and cheap, 31 euros a room, 5 for b/fast which was good. The Fast Hotel web site is very easy to use, good luck!

Original poster

yoyo · 08/05/2006 14:15

Triplets - yes we will need two rooms too as there are 5 of us. Still having problems with laptop though. We have booked gite through Allez France and may contact them to see what they've got on offer.

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Marina · 08/05/2006 14:27

First trip en famille? Get yourselves a proper hotel with home-made terrine for starters and a garden, yoyo...you know you want to

Original poster

yoyo · 08/05/2006 15:02

Yes Marina I really do want to! Will I be able to persuade DH though?! I cannot find the Auberge de Brionne in the fleeting moments before my screen freezes. AAargh. School run beckons. Will try again later. Like the idea of a garden and a chilled glass of wine (DH and I will not be chilled at that point I suspect).

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Marina · 08/05/2006 15:12

I just hate it when your internet connection starts larking around at critical moments.

Direct \link{http://www.lelogisdebrionne.com/hotel.htm\link} might help you a little?
Just four miles from your motorway, whispers Marina...

calpopscalum · 08/05/2006 18:50

Oh you MUST stop at the Novotel Rouen sud! It's fantastic! Really geared up for kids and we loved it! It's on the outskirts - dead easy to find and it's by the big conference centre so well sign posted. It's a typical Novotel so had a restaurant, bar etc. It also has an outdoor swimming pool, kids play area (with lego, playstations etc ) next to the bar - dh was happy!! What kept our kids happiest was that they had a wee woodland walk set up next to the swings etc which was fab! We ate in the restaurant just for convenience and the food was lovely - they fussed over the kids so much it was great and couldn't do enough for them. menu was accomodating enough for fussy eaters so you should be OK. Just outside the hotel is a small forest - we ent for a lovely walk (near the uni) the next morning before setting off. there are loads of other hotels and restaurants next the hotel, a Mcdonalds round the corner and a garage and supermakeket near MCds. It was only about £50 and I know of someone who stayed there with 3 kids so you should be OK. Enjoy your hols.

Original poster

yoyo · 09/05/2006 11:42

Marina - just got an email from the owner of the hotel you posted a link to and they are CLOSED when we will be there. I am now going to contact a BestWestern and the Novotel as this is all taking rather a lot of time.

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Marina · 09/05/2006 12:42

Oh, I am sorry yoyo :(
Novotel Sud looked promising, do hope you get something sorted.

triplets · 09/05/2006 14:35

Hi, I have just mailed the novotel you recommend to ask for a room for 5 inc b/fast to compare it with mister bed, which is approx 87 euros, I`ll let you know!

Original poster

yoyo · 11/05/2006 14:42

Calpopscalum - just booked the Novotel. Had to book two rooms so cost £200 for 2 nights (outward and return)! We'll make sure we get a swim and a walk in the forest.

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