ROUEN or CHARTRES for over night stop?

[schmu]

we have 2 hr drive to folkestone. then eurotunnel. then either 2 hr or 4 hr drive to rouen or chartres for an over night stop.

dds are 5 and 7. which would you choose? is chartres too far, dyou think?

we have to go on to sarlat ( 5/ 7 hours, depending on stopover) the next day.

tia

We have stayed in Novotels in both rouen and chartres. The one in rouen is nicer, but harder to find. We got lost and it added an hour to out journey.

I always like to have a hellish day driving the first day, then a more leisurely time the next, so would probably go all out to get to the further one before stopping.

ooh interesting, Mate doins teh same run, they do it that they get a late crossing then stay in Calais and do it in one swoop

Depends what time of day you are travelling and what day too (for traffic jams etc.).

Are you actually planning to do a proper stopover (ie visit the town) or just sleep overnight?

You could get a nice chambre d'hotes (b&b) anywhere you want along the way (good if you have a car full of stuff and want safe parking).

I would always choose to go further the first day too.

7 hrs is too long for second day travelling imo.

We had slightly longer drive than that to Tunnel, chose to stay just outside Calais. Was not far enough IYSWIM. TBH on the way back with the satnav we just drove through Paris. MUCH quicker.

But anyway to actually answer your question, I would go for Chartres if only 2 hours on UK side: tunnel is v quick and no bother at all. Leave early. If you do have a satnav and you get tired, you can always ask it for advice on where to stay locally?

ooh, we had the same dilemma as you in reverse! We are on holiday in August and coming back will be heading for Calais, staring from Carlux, which I think is near Sarlat. My 2 DC are 6.

I plumped for Chartres - it looks big enough to have a good range of facilities, but not too big so we'll have to spend hours finding the acccomm. It also had some hotels which were small but had private parking so our stuff will be secure (used venere.com). Also seems to have a few parks in the town centre which will kill a few hours!

Didn't look at Rouen in detail, but in terms of driving distances Chartres ticked the boxes for me. I would go for the one that's further away, always worth it when you wake up on Day 2!

IIRC, there are 8 million roundabouts hotels/motels on the ring road round Chartres also.

We used to be veterans of the Dordonge run in the 90s when we (then it was my parents and I) had a house down there near Brantome. Now I live in Germany it is reverse with my family.

You'be got these fantastic autmoatic gotel chains in France ideal for a single overnight stop, one room with bunk bed and double bed and a breakfast in the morning. As I am aware there are two choices, Formule 1 and Les Villages. Both are bookable over the web, and you turn up any time of day or night and put in your credit card and they give you a code to inout. Ideal for the unsociable boat sailing times and those delays - I once got stuck in a queue near Cologne and took 35 hours solo to Wales from Bavaria in deep winter, in an old Fiesta.

Here is the Forunla One link www.hotelformule1.com/formule1/index.html

I looked for Villages but couldnt find it. Maybe it has changed its name.

F1 have these auto hotels with shared bathroom but Villages are a Euro more or so but you get your own small en suite. They are ideal for the overnight stops.

thanks all. well, have made my decision....

i liked the look of chartres novotel, but ...the dds wouldve been on a sofabed, and i was worried it might be too far (not reaching calais till 3pm).

couldnt get a 4 bed room in rouen, so plumped for proper quad room at kyriad hotel in evreux, which is between rouen and chartes. 75 euros for the night.

dh wanted to do more driving on day 1, but i was worried that we'd have to stop for supper and arrive late in chartres.

will note Villages tip for another time. thanks.

interesting point re getting lost in chartres. lucky escape, perhaps.

am sure we'll be staying on an industrial estate, lol, but it is just a stopover we want.

F1 is about 15 Euros.....

are you sure, i think its more like 25 E for my dates, and i'd need 2 rooms.

...and i have to have own bathroom! i just have to.

Kyriad is good- very similar to what Manin was saying depending on what time you arrive. Rooms always clean and comfy. F1 is very basic, Kyriad is a step up. The other one worth checking out for future visits is B&B Hotels.

phew, thanks claire. any idea if you need to book breakfast and what it costs?

coalman,sorry, it was getting lost in rouen, not chartres. just re read post.

Hello, can't help with your drive time dillema, but can recomend a hotel chain called B&B. They are a bit like a Travelodge, but they have family rooms where downstairs is a King size bed and on a (safe) mezzanine level above there are 2 single beds. (for about ?50) Some of the hotels are a bit more stylish that others, the newer ones. There are 2 in Rouen and 2 in Chartres. B&B Hotels

Oh Claire2301, i didn't see that you'd just recommended them too, sorry!

Sorry for hijack but I thought that Kyriad did not do 4 bed rooms? When I go on website it only seems to allow for 1 dc in the room with 2 adults - am I doing something wrong? We always end up at Novotels for that reason, they are variable but are always easy to find, not too far off motorway and v child friendly.

It depends on your start time in the Uk. If early I would keep driving (with breaks) till tea/dinner time - so probably Chartres if a before lunch crossing. The motorway ( A71, A20)south from Orleans is usually quiet although we have had trouble around Vierzon.
We too drive through outer Paris (A26, A1 to just beyond CDG airport, A3,A86, A10), but it is essential to avoid the evening rush hour on the A86 - also the transfer to the A3 south is easily missed as lots of choices all at once and is counter intuitive. Orleans fits in better with this route. It is quicker through Paris but stops are thin on the ground. There is a Playmobil funland (warehouse shop with 1e entrance fee indoor play area and small cafe) just off the southern A86 Fresnes, but it is not easy to find without Satnav.

Sorry Schmu I stand corrected. Havent been through for ages. Haven't been back to Blighty for about 3 years. Yes I miss it....

I would have recommended Rouen wholeheartedly - it's a great place for an evening meal and a slow meander but I see you've already made your arrangements !

I LOVE Sarlat though - the whole area is beautiful and we're heading there in August for our 2 week holiday and can't wait to get back there !

Agree there Cant believe. The whold Dordogne region is fantastic. We owned a house for 8 years in Brantome area, a ruined barn we renovated.

bigus, have cancelled my booking with kyriad and changed to B&B hotel Evreux instead. room cost 59E so quite a saving. great tip. thanks! i think i have the cheapest en suite quad room in august in the area. am happy

re quad rooms at kryriad. i think not all hotels have them.

Schmu! So glad you got a quad room with B&B. I just looked and its at the newer "concept" type hotel as well.

We are staying in the same kind of room at one in St Malo in July. Haven't actualy stayed in one before, but it was recmmended to me by someone i trust....

I hope now you've changed your booking it doesn't turn out to be a dirty old cess pit of a place.... I would feel terrible!