France - how to stopver with 2 adults 3 kids?

[marjean]

I'm travelling to the Loire in July with dh and 3 dcs (4,2,1 yo). I'm after a one-night stopover in hotel or b and b around Abbeville. (Failing that, Picardie or anywhere off major roads).

All the hotel and bandb options don't seem to allow for more than 2 children per room. Does anyone have any information, advice or recommendations? Please don't tell me I have to book two rooms! Thanks

www.logisdefrance.com - go to the hotel's own website and check tarifs to see if they do a room for 5 or even a room for 4 into which a cot could be squashed. Logis do expect you to use the restaurant.

We are 5 and have similar problems. I'm afraid that now the DCs are bigger we do book 2 rooms. Sometimes I take the girls and DH takes DS. Other times we just raid the second room for bedding and sleep together in a 4 person family room. This works if staying in one of the chain hotels such as www.hotelbb.com.

An alternative is to take a family room in something like hotelbb and smuggle smallest child in.

The chain hotels are great if you are looking to just get your head down and arent looking for a cultural experience. Hotels like BB normally have some sort of restaurant nearby eg Courte Paille or Buffalo Grill

Thanks SuzieHM - that's really helpful.

I think if your youngest is still in a cot it is slightly easier (esp if you have your own travelcot). I think there are regulations in France about occupancy which is why it is so hard to get rooms for 5. But you should be able to get a room for 4 and then sneak in the baby.

Are you sure you will need to stopover? The Loire Valley is doable from Calais in one day. If you have a long journey in the UK first it might be easier to stay overnight on the UK side and get an early crossing.

I know of a hotel in Rouen which turns a blind eye to an extra child if you want the details....

Thanks DecorH - I was hoping to avoid going into any major urban areas but I'd like the hotel details please, if you can recommend. The littlest one is in a cot and the other two in ordinary beds though we've usually just laid blankets on the floor when we've stayed in hotels before in case they fall out.

We'll be arriving in Calais around 10am, having set off for Dover around 3am. And we're camping so although we could get to the Loire by 3-ish (without any stops! so would be more like 5pm) we then have to set up camp. Sounds a little stressful to me - I'm already a little apprehensive so I would be positively dreading it. If they're not screaming and the weather's fine, it might just be OK. But I'd rather not risk it.

So, when booking, are you upfront about the extra baby or is it best to smuggle them in under cover of night? And what about breakfasts - my one year old can eat her weight in croissants, I'm sure. Do we pass her food under the table?

My experience is that it is better to be honest. You dont want to get a 'non' at the last minute. Hotels are often generous around children if given the chance.

While I can understand the desire to stop, have you planned what you will do for the day if you are near the campsite early, many campsites have an arrival time of around 3pm. Would you be better to arive at the campsite around 5pm? This gives plenty of time to get a tent up.

When we camped with three children I would take the children off (and locate a cold beer for DH). In the mean time DH would put the tent up.

Marj, the hotel we stay in is

here

I think you can make a booking from their website or I have booked through booking.com before.

It is not in the centre of Rouen - it's to the south just off the motorway. Fairly basic but there is a big shopping area nearby. There is a McDonalds at the shopping centre with a soft play area - the first time we went my dcs said that was the best bit of the whole holiday!

We generally only use it on the way back so don't hang about for breakfast as we are keen to get going but we have had breakfast there before (it's extra) and it was good. I can't imagine them making a fuss about the extra child. It's privately owned so they are a bit more relaxed...

If you want any more info let me know.

Hi DecorHate, good point about breakfast they are almost always charged for separately. Many chain hotels offer discounts on children's breakfasts so this can make them worthwhile. However you can only book breakfasts for the numbers of people 'officially' reserved. It was at this point that we started booking two rooms.