Driving to alps - stops en-route

A snowHead

@AndAnotherThing.., Hotel de la Paix in Beaune. http://www.qualys-hotel.com/hotel/france/bourgogne/beaune/de-la-paix?gclid=CjwKEAjw8bO3BRDp0bP_vL-7_lASJACL_d6wKAiWwmiN_MFMwv5RBdEr-ohWe8bY83fTVPaVwsYXfhoCfJvw_wcB

A snowHead

@Hells Bells, cheers Smile

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A long time since the last post, but a new season coming up. We travelled down on Sunday this week, which is always awkward, as a lot of our favourites have a closed restaurant. We found a new addition to our list in the Hotel Relais de Fleurettes in Pontavert, just North of Reims on the Chemin des Dames. http://relais-de-fleurette.fr/. Nice room (it was in fact a family suite with separate room with folding sofa bed) overlooking the courtyard garden, and a pleasant meal in the restaurant, which was quite busy for a Sunday evening. They do these suites for up to 6 people if necessary, ideal for the larger family, and we had a great breakfast too. It also has a spa with pool.
The only downside to this hotel would be that you are North of the Reims toll booths if you are hoping for a quick exit on a peak weekend.

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http://www.aupredumoulin.fr/en/

Just south of Reims. 15 mins off the motorway. It's a farmhouse in a very quiet village. Very safe parking. Lovely rooms. Delightful host, plus she will cook you a superb dinner. I just hope it's not full of snowheads next time I try to book.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Based on the recommendation of @jbob last year, I have stayed at the above twice. It is our official half way to and from Chamonix stop off place. Back in early January. Valerie the boss is fantastic.

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Another vote for hotel ibis styles beaune here. Family room spot on for about £100

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How about the Maison Olivier LeFlaive in Puligny Montrachet ... have the 9 wine tasting menu in a boutique hotel in the heart of one of the most famous wine village, 5 minutes from the Beaune exit. We stayed there a few weeks ago thought it was great, and made note to self that it would make a great, if not stylish stop off on the way to the Alps. The receptionist said that the are closed in January, but when they reopen in February they have plenty of skiers stopping over.

After all it is free

We always stop by the Macon Nord payage - just north of Lyon - there's a F1 and an Ibis budget within sight of the motorway and a truckers restaurant opposite with a bar serving good value meals (although I may have read somewhere this has now closed). Within 5 mins drives there also a large shopping centre and restaurants where we always stock up on food when we're self catering before driving on to the Alps.

From there the following morning we can usually get to resort by lunch time the next day.

Drove down to the mountains last month and stopped in Troyes at the Hôtel du cirque Troyes centre historique - found it on Booking.com at £51, extra £7 for parking which is in their secure gated car park (they have some lock-up parking bays for extra security), and another £7 if you want breakfast - which is typical continental style fare but the croissants and pain-au-chocolat were good and plentiful and we stocked up with some for the road so great value in my opinion. We paid an extra £5 as we were taking the dog with us. Booked it both out and back. Rooms were absolutely fine, bathrooms maybe a bit pokey but perfectly functional with nice power showers for freshening up.
On the way out the room was a double, on the way back for the same price they put us in a "family room" with two decent bedrooms - one double and one twin room.
They don't speak much English but are friendly enough and obviously used to bumbling Brits like ourselves so no problems at all.
There's a really nice restaurant in the town centre about 10 mins walk away called L'Illustre which is also dog friendly - myself and my girlfriend ate there on both ends of our ski trip and enjoyed it both times. Two course meal with drinks will set you back between €20 to €35 a head. There's actually a comment on the Booking.com site saying you can reserve a table at the restaurant via the hotel when you book the room - I didn't spot it when I booked, just found it through Tripadvisor as it is one of the best reviewed in the town and close by. Often these "bundle" deals are a bit of a con maybe for a restaurant that is flagging but I'd say not in this case.
There are a few supermarkets in Troyes so you can stock up if you are self-catering.
Am looking for a last minute deal for this coming weekend and will definitely consider stopping here again if that pans out and they have availability.

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Dijon is wonderful.

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Just over six hours driving from Calais will get you to Lons le Saunier. You could stop off there and then drive over the Jura and down to Oyonnax, before joining the motorway towards Geneva. This route cuts off a big loop of motorway, avoids motorway tolls, and has lovely scenery.

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Not sure it would be in the right direction, but we used to drive to a lot of MotoGP and WSBK races in the past. We used to get a B&B in Dover, then had no problem getting to Interlaken. We always went to this amazing restaurant. Only the front façade is build on the mountain, the rest overhangs - giving amazing vies. We used to stay in a cheap hotel, called Rugenpak I think. We then would pick a mountain pass, but most likely that wouldn't be an option in winter. I drive pretty fast, so we used to get to Interlaken about 4pm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=24&v=3x_Z42ztomM

https://www.luegibrueggli.ch/

We headed back into central Reims for the first time in a while. Easy to get to Place Drouet d'Erlon, underground parking if you're low enough, and outdoor parking opposite if you're not. Stayed this time in newly refurbed Best Western Hotel de Centre (used to be Hotel du Nord). Small glass doorway next to 3 Brasseurs restaurant opposite the Hotel Bristol. Rooms very small and very hot. So a good location, but I might have to book a different hotel next time (probably the Bristol) although I do have to say the breakfast was very good. Pastries, ham, cheese, scrambled eggs, bacon and an egg boiler. Fresh coffee, juice etc etc. We did intend a visit to the Christmas market, but they'd moved it from our last visit, and it was raining, so we dived into a bar instead.

You know it makes sense.

I quite fancy visiting Beaune. Questions for you helpful folk:

- a hotel with properly secure parking so that I do not have to unload the car. We are pack g for a full season so will have a lot of stuff!

- are there cabs/uber? Thinking of leaving car at hotel and going to eat out...

- so need an infant friendly restaurant, as we have a newish baby with us.

The obvious answer is a hotel with secure parking, a good restaurant near enough the room that a baby monitor will work! But booking a cheaper hotel option and taking a cab to a fine dinner seems like a good plan too.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@Harry Flashman, there are a couple of very central hotels in Beaune with parking. One had parking right outside the room and was a short walk to several good restaurants. Don't think they were close enough for a baby monitor though. All will be happy for a baby to accompany. I've no doubt there will be cabs if you choose one on the edge of town. Ones in town with parking include Hotel de la Paix, Hotel de la Cloche and there may be others.

A snowHead

There is also a Mercure in Beaune with decent fences round the car park - not central though.

A snowHead

Hotel de la paix has a locked gate to the courtyard parking.

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Thanks all!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Tend to go to Beaune as it’s a bit further on but had a nice overnight in Langres a few years back at Le Belevedere des Remparts, slightly quirky but lovely, really should go back and maybe try the Cheval Blanc.

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Welcome to snowHeads @Woodchucker,

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I normally stop in Dover going down, then get an early ferry, and do the whole trip. Normally there before 8pm.

The Travelodge in Dover is incredibly cheap. £53 for for a triple room.

On the way back, last 2 years stopped in Ypres. See the ceremony at Menin Gate(this year in the pouring rain, but still a huge turnout), visit Flanders Field museum if there early enough. Buzzing little town, with some great bars and restaurants. We stop at Hotel New Regina. Lovely place, and they'll even put a fabulous breakfast on early for you(7am for us). Then about an hour drive to Calais.

Been to Ypres twice. Plan 2 road trips next year. Maybe do Ypres again, and also try somewhere else close by.

After all it is free

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Last time we went to Tignes, the season just before the pandemonium, we hoofed it down to Dover around lunchtime for a late ferry (about 2000) and then an hour or so drive to Arras to the Hotel B&B opposite the Carrefour on the West side of the town; that's a good 8 hours travelling then for the first day. It has a secure car park, which is handy if you're partial to a roof box. Most of the ball ache for us is getting out of Wales and past the M25, so putting a bit of distance down on the other side is a good stress relief knowing it's an hour less to do the next day. I usually wait until I get to Arras to fill up (it's just under 2/3 of a tank of fuel from Dover to Arras for me) as it was a bit cheaper than Dover, generally better quality diesel and less of a maze to get back down to the ferry port. We stopped in the Carrefour in the morning to buy some sandwich-making paraphernalia which we made in the hotel just before we left.

Second day was then an 8 hour slog to Albertville to the Hotel Le Savoie (absolute amazing views if you get one of the corner rooms, we always ask for one!). There's also a McD's just round the corner if you get there and everything's shut or just can't be bothered. There's a Carrefour Market over the bridge as well which has everything you need if you're self-catering. I find the journey cross country terminally boring until you get past Lyon; somewhere around here you get your first glimpse of an Alp - anywhere between Troyes and Dijon is handy for a lunch time pit stop and a leg stretch.

The final travel day / first ski day was an early start (0630) to beat the rush up the valley so as to be there with enough time to get changed into ski gear and be in the queue for the first lift. There' a really good Total fuel station on your way out of Albertville which saves having to pay Autoroute prices further along.

Will be the same stops this year as the timings and distances worked out quite nicely. Tolls-wise, Calais to Albertville (the last toll you have to go through) is about 90eur one way.

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This is an old thread, and things change. Last time I was in Troyes, don't remember when, it was mostly being dug up. But now it's maybe been restored to lovely old medieval place.....

You know it makes sense.

It's a long drag to get from the Autoroute to actual civilisation - a few years back, I thought I'd be smart and try and find a petrol station which wasn't ridiculously expensive. Unfortunately for me, it added about two hours onto the journey and a few prevailing hours of earache from the passenger seat Sad

nothing a fully funded glass of wine and a steak couldn't fix though!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Call me bone idle, but if necessary I just fill up on the autoroute. In the context of an expensive holiday, driving hours to find something cheaper makes very little sense.

A snowHead

It was honestly one of those situations which started off with good intentions, closely followed by a badly thought through plan and topped off with having to commit to said plan due to being unable to take a hit to personal pride. Unfortunately for me, MrsF always brings up the aforementioned badly thought through plan and resulting dumpster fire at every opportunity. Whenever I hear "do you remember that time..." whenever holidays come up in conversation, I know exactly what's coming.

A snowHead

@Fionelo,

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There are some supermarket petrol stops that are very close the motorway.

For example one that we use regularly is the Leclerc Champfleury next to J23 of the A4 SW of Reims.

You do have to toll booth out and in again but it's the middle of the night when we stop and we have a doofer.

We also always fill up when we do a supermarket stop in Albertville before driving up into resort.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Layne, The other big E.Leclerc in Reims at Saint-Brice-Courcelles (A26 J16) is between the tolls.

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@rjs, ah, cheers - will give that a bash

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With a lack of faff as a result of a doofer, I don't fear going out and in of the toll booths as, if anything, the tolls tend to be reduced by doing so.
I don't remember where I saw the info but there are some quite notorious spots where exiting and re-entering the autoroute reduces the cost considerably.

After all it is free

Fuel stations just off the Motorway at Tournos between Beaune and Macon if we dont fill up at Leclerc Champfleury next to J23 of the A4 SW of Reims. As Layne, mentions above.

I've always used the E.Leclerc SAINT PARRES AUX TERTRES near Troyes. Can get there from Bristol with out the need of a stop for fuel. Junction 23 of the A26.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/nxWkg2xCPuzMoqPr9

There's also a McDonald's and Burger King there if needed and Buffalo grill and some others too. Only 5 minutes off the motorway.

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Dijon centre is a Fantastic place for an overnight. It’s absolutely charming. It doesn’t usually suit my plans on the journey to the Alps but makes a good stop on the way back if you do some Skiing in the day before you leave. Worth visiting just to see all the flags on the inside of the old walls.

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Driving to alps - stops en-route

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