Anyone stayed in Novotel, France?

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We're planning using Novotel for stop-overs. Just wondering what the breakfasts are like as they add £25-£30 to the room cost. Breakfast is one of the joys of staying in a hotel, but if it's just coffee and croissants, I could get a week's worth at the local boulangerie.

Don't know because although we have stayed in Novotels in France, we have never eaten breakfast there. Agree they are very expensive and I wouldn't care what we got to eat, it still couldn't represent good value. We usually have a cooler with us and a travel kettle so in the morning we make some tea/coffee and set off with fruit and cereal bars brought from home. We buy orange juice and maybe yoghurt the night before from a local supermarket and after we have travelled for a bit we pull off to a village to buy croissants (or even better if you can find a bakery before you go on the motorway) and have breakfast at an aire. The boys think it is one of the highlights of our holidays to France!

Not stayed at a Novotel in France, but have done similar basic motels there - would imagine it would be the standard French buffet breakfast and probably include cheese/ham/eggs, different sorts of bread/rolls and pastries (Pain Chocolat).

Having stayed at a Novotel in Belgium the breakfast for 20 odd euros per person consisted of a basic continental breakfast (cereals, pastries, ham, boiled eggs and croissants). It is not worth it for that amount of money per person and you'd be better off eating out.

Stayed in one in Belgium perforce (no other room in the town available) and we chose to have breakfast in a little café down the road - much cheaper and probably much nicer.

Depending on where you are staying (and I would imagine the Novotels are only really in the bigger towns) you would be better off scoping out small cafés for breakfast, imo.

Whereabouts in France? We've stayed in Amiens, Rouen, Le Mans, I'le D'Oleron and Lens. Breakfast is usually as follows:

Drinks:
Coffee, Tea, Hot and cold chocolate, Smoothies, Juice, bottled water.

Food: Cereals, croisants, pain au raisan, bread, fruit salad, fruit purees, ham, cheese, yoghurts, fruit, bacon, sausages, eggs, sometimes mushrooms and tomoatoes.

Hope that helps.

Thanks all. Sounds quite nice actually Claire, but think I shall pack our own breakfast in the overnight bag and save our Euros for lunch!

Children's breakfasts are free in Novotels. I always find they have a good selection - hot and cold.

Agree with Portfino, they are good. Good tip in France is to pop into a Boulangerie to grab your croisants and pain au chocolats for breakfast. Quite often they will still be warm and only cost you a euro each (if that) yummy!!