Good stop-off point between Calais and Bordeaux?

[lacarte]

Any ideas? Travelling with 1 and 3 yo and thinking of breaking up the journey with some sort of entertainment. We are travelling in one day, leaving UK early on the ferry, driving a good way then stopping for lunch and doing something nice for the afternoon, before ending the journey after teatime (in the hope they'll snooze). Maybe a little zoo or just somewhere nice, a chateau or something, with space to run around? Any ideas welcome!

You could try Chantilly, just before Paris. It is a lovely village with a huge Chateau and lots of space to run around for little people.

I'd second Chantilly, used to stop off around there a fair amount as a kid, did the Bordeaux trip a LOT! Shall be tackling it myself with ds for the first time this summer. Chantilly has a living horse museum. Tis very cool.

I'd third Chantilly The waffles with chantilly cream are worth a trip if nothing else

Alternatively, if you want to get a bit further south, Tours is nice. Cathedral to look round and lots of parks and square with restaurants etc

Yes true, we also stopped at Tours sometimes or Orleans. If you are planning on spending the afternoon somewhere though and then driving on I'd say trying to get to Tours is probably a good idea as you'll still have a way to go.

We used to go to Bordeaux in a day from Hull (usually stop overnight on the way home). We would cross at around midday then drive to Bordeaux, just stopping for quick breaks and for evening meal and get to Bordeaux around 10.30/11pm

fab - this sounds a lot more promising than I thought. any ideas how long it takes from Chantilly?

I reckon around 5.5-6 hours - depending what time you leave - getting round Paris is a pain but the roads are pretty good from then on (A10 I think ?)

just wanted to say thanks for tips - chantilly was a great stop