help me plan/ book an OVERNIGHT HOTEL between CALAIS and SARLAT-dordogne!!

[noonar]

we're off to sarlat in august and would like to stop overnight about 3 hours south of calais.

can anyone suggest a suitable location for a stopover?

we are on a tight budget so a budget hotel room sleeping 4 would be ideal.

does any one know which hotel chains do family rooms, as most websites i've looked atdont seem to ave that option.

tia

ps
am i mad to think that we can drive from sarlat to dieppe in a day on the way back?? ferry at 6pm.

try this route planner for starters. There are links to hotels etc.

I don't think you are mad but you may suffer queues at the tools in August. I live in France and I don't think that there are many chains that have family rooms, we often have the same problem. Have you thought about getting two rooms and having one adult in each room not ideal I know. Look at Formula1 and premier class websites. Citadines have small apartments but they may be too far from the motorways. 3 hours south of Calais is nearing Paris, could you either stop before, say Compiegne/Chantilly area or go an hour more near Orleans?

It's completely doable. We used to do this journey every year when I was a child.

Alencon is about right distance wise (can't do the cedilla, sorry).

Return trip do-able in a long day - you need to leave by 8 am. Autoroutes are generally not too bad on west side of France - allow extra time for breaks and for hold ups on the non autoroute sections (e.g. round Rouen).

We stayed in a Novotel last year, though I think the Ibis chain do family rooms and are cheaper. Lilymaid, would you go via Rouen? We're driving to LE Bugue this summer, not far from Sarlat, and Via Michelin suggested a route round Paris (yikes) and down through the Loire/Limousin....

We're coming from Brussels (via Calais) so too would be interested in recommendations.

We use the Novotels if we can get a good price including breakfast,they usually have pools and play areas and are v. child friendly. BBHotel chain also have rooms sleeping 4 b.ut can be nearly as expensove as the Novotels

Sorry, forgot to say that the Orleans La Source Novotel is lovely, has secure barriered car park.

wow, lots of helpful hints, here. thanks guys.

portofino, i too am worried about the route via paris. but...we are travelling on a late sunday afternoon in august, so am hoping it might be quiter on the motorways am sure rosbif will tell me if i'm being optimistic!

i did try ibis website, but they dont seem to have the option to select a family room.

i might ask keycamp which ones they can offer, actually. i cant book through them, though, as if i do they will increase the whole cost of my holiday by £100s as my holiday start date would be one dasy earlier and therefore in a different price band. madness.

This lets you search for hotels along a predefined route

I'm sure at least one of the cheaper ones - Etap or Formule 1 did family rooms. Will check.

ok, had another look at the route, and think we'd be better to try to get through paris on the sunday- so stay over just south of paris- rather than do paris on monday morning. what dyou reckon?

orleans a posibility, but would rather a little further north- ie 3-4 hrs drive rather than 4hr+ (from calais).

the aa route planner seems to want us to go right through paris rather than round it. does that sound right??

No, just the Novotel and All seasons that do rooms for 4. Mind you it would be cheaper to have 2 rooms at the Formule 1 than 1 at the Novetel.

novotel are offering a family room incl breakfast for 89 euro. early break. non exchangeable. not bad, eh?

doesnt seem to be anywhere nearer paris...

No, you definitely go round it!

I've found the Novotel at Palaiseau, just the other side of Paris, for 69 euros advanced booking.

here

Just noticed that is 89 with breakfast included.

" might ask keycamp which ones they can offer, actually. i cant book through them, though, as if i do they will increase the whole cost of my holiday by £100s as my holiday start date would be one dasy earlier and therefore in a different price band."

Are you sure? I always thought the holiday price was based on your first night on a campsite?

yep, chippy. thats what i thought, but it isnt! unless i've been misinformed by one of their staff.

portofino, palaiseau sounds like a better bet, location wise, as i dont really want to drive to orlean on day 1. however, i do think it would be wise to get past paris on the sunday.

portofino, youre a star! am going to book novotel palasieau

I might too, though I have decide what we're doing. I booked our accom. for Sat 4th July, but don't actually have the Fri off. Getting out of Brussels on a Fri night is a nightmare. So if we start then, I probably wouldn't want to do more than 3 hours worth.

A bit late, but we have booked a Campanile online for 2+2. The website is available in English, and it as easy to use as the Travelodge website, and we got the room for about 55 euros.

Anyone know what the peripherique is like on a Friday evening?

just as a matter of interest where are you going camping in sarlat?

We did this last year and again we will be going back in august. We are staying in Saumur both ways at a small hotel. Sorry can't remember the name, all packed away with holiday info.

Must say don't worry about the journey, there are plenty of nice places to stop on route. We stop off for ice creams, stretching legs and picnics, all good fun

we did this last year and will be doing it again this yrear.

last yaer we travelled mid-week but we have done the periphique on a friday aftyernoon and it was a lot better than M25... we have SAT NAV but also print out roure from via michelin as it tells you which lane to get into.

last yaer we stayed at the campanile in Compiegne, and will do the same again. it is about 2 hours from calais so north of paris.

ferry friday afternoon so driving round paris on sat morning.

we found the campanile to be very good....family room 70 euros... restaurant did buffet style meals and the kids ate for a euro. bargain

we go the first 2 weeks in august

Portofino - peréphérique Sunday evening DO NOT DO IT!!! Unless it's late (ie 10pm)

ah... so, haventslept... are you saying that it'd be better stay north of paris on a sunday late afternoon, and travel south on the monday morning?

will check out campenile. thanks.

What day are you travelling? And what time does your ferry get in?

The bison futé site will tell you if the roads are likely to be full or not on that day/time of day here

arrive in calais at 3pm on a sunday in august.

tahnks for link!