 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi guys
Right we're booked in for our chalet ski trip in the Alps at Xmas, and will be eurotunnel / driving out. Any recommendations out there for good hotels / B&Bs to stay in en route that will break up the journey, but ultimately are well suited for young children?
Our little one will be 10 months at time of travelling, and so looking for somewhere which has decent/safe parking, decent access to motorways (i.e. not too far off the beaten track), and is good for kids (i.e. they don't turn their nose up when you say you have an infant, and equally rooms are big enough for travel cot, and decent brekkie that the little one can also tuck into!).
Any recommendations greatly appreciated - we'd be looking at somewhere like Dijon / Troyes / Beaune
Thanks in advance
Olly
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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maidstone98, and most French hotels are family friendly.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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and lots of the French motorway aires have indoor play areas for little ones.
A jar of something he will reliably eat would probably be worth taking for breakfast.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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although most will have yogurt, fruit, bread etc, as well as cheese and ham.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks guys - pam w, - didn't realise the Aires had indoor play areas - will definitely check that out!
Olly
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maidstone98,
We have found Novotels the best option for family stopovers. They have on site restaurants and various facilities for older children - not so relevant for a 10 month old. We have usually used the Dijon one which has an onsite carpark which seems fairly secure. However we had a bad experience with our room there this summer so would not recommend that Novotel until they have refurbished it. We stayed once in Novotel Beaune which was fine. We usually stay in Novotel Reims Tinqueux on the return journey which is also good. I've noticed there is an Ibis Styles in Troyes that gets good reviews but it doesn't appear to have an onsite carpark.
In terms of French motorway service stations we use the larger ones with petrol stations as they have proper loos as opposed to hole in the ground. Again this is more relevant with an older child - particularly a girl and not an issue for people with babies. The basic aires have nicer picnic areas though.
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I have stayed at the Novotel Macon Nord which was fine and child friendly. +1 for the Novotel Reims Tinqueux as well.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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+ another for Novotel Reims Tinqueux , and they have free gifts for kids, the little one will get a teddy 
We've also used the Ibis in Troyes and I think the Novotel is next door, they have good safe secure underground parking.
Motorway basic aires, just used the disabled loo as it is a proper one.
French McDonalds often very close to the motorway and very good for play areas for little kids to have a good stretch and most of them have the decent McCafe bit now with good coffee, pastries etc.
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maidstone98, if you wish to stay away from the hotel chains, the Logis de France hotels are all family run, usually with decent restaurants and nice breakfasts. Many of them while not on the service areas are close to the exits. All I have stayed in will be family friendly too. They are usually a bit closer to the towns than the Novotels etc allowing you to see a bit of the area you are stopping in. I have to say Reims Tinqueux was one of the worst places we ever stopped.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hells Bells, interesting, why did you find Novotel Reims Tinqueux bad? We've probably stayed there 3 or 4 times Winter and Summer and find it really suits.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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sarah, food was poor value, and because we needed two rooms, it turned out more expensive than our normal hotel in the centre. We tried it after an even worse experience with the Campanile where food could only be described as roadkill.
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Hells Bells, thanks for the tip about Campanile We've often been able to get a good deal on the Novotel which helps. The rooms sleep 4 AFAIK, we've always had a double bed plus a double sofa bed, which I think makes a difference to some folks as Ibis generally only have rooms for 3 (single sofa bed). Also in the restau they often have a 'menu' as an addition but they don't always give it out, we always ask to see the menu in french as that will have it in.
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You know it makes sense.
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sarah, our kids are adult so too old to share with parents. As I recall we did share with 3 of us in the Campanile, but I had to sleep in the camp bed, as it was too small for son, and there was no room to get past it to go to the loo.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Hells Bells, ah yep no good then 
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Poster: A snowHead
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My memory of the Reims Tinqueux Novotel is that the food was ok on our visit. The thing I didn't like was that the windows have a lock to prevent them being opened more than a few cm. I assume this is because it is in a slightly rough area but it would not be good in an emergency. I also like to have the option of opening a window instead of using the air con.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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snowymum, the slightly rough area was another concern, as we do have to go out and walk dogs. I'm sure they give us protection but it is not a nice place to be wandering around.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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snowymum, no problems at the fuel stop as we use it regularly. The centre is fine, we stay there quite often.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Check out park and suites website. They are apart-hotels, which we found to be excellent value. There is a new one in Reims, and one in Bourg en Bresse. Both very comfortable and convenient. They have a very small but well equipped kitchen, and they have studio, one bedroom or two bedroom suites. The one in Reims isn't in the centre, but is less than 10 mins by car.
We stayed in the middle of August, 50 euros p.n which for a family of 2 adults and 2 kids wasn't bad. Having an extra room for the kids was ideal for us.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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+1 for Novotel Reims-Tinqueux............95 euros for a family of 4 inc breakfast.
Ok its not 5* but in all likelihood will be there less than 12 hours.
McD's next door for a quick bite and fill up with Petrol at the Carrefour.
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If you want a budget stop several of the chains have places at La Chapelle Saint Luc on the outskirts of Troyes. I usually use the Premiere Classe now and was a regular visitor last winter. There is a Boucherie restaurant and KFC next door and a large Geant Casino nearby for fuel, etc. Reasonably easy access to/from the motorway.
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We love the Val Moret, just after Troyes.
Family run, really good food, child friendly (albeit dinner starts at 7pm which is a bit late for kids), nice big rooms. 2mins from motorway exit, and 5mins from a super-u with cheap petrol. Motel-style so car right outside your room which is nice if you've got stuff strapped to the roof that you worry about.
Best of all it has a beautiful warm indoor pool and jacuzzi, complete with a few floats and pool toys.
I can (just) make it from Calais on a tank of fuel. Put 59L into my 60L tank... Then again, it doesn't take me very long to get there.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Yes we love Val Moret - but tend to use that if we're stopping on way home, as is a bit too close going.
Our usual stopover now is Les Charmilles just outside Chalon-sur-Saone, no more than 5 mins from motorway. Rooms are a little past best but clean and they have big family rooms and restaurant is child-friendly. Can't comment on brekkie as we never bother with it and pop to bakery down road and eat on the move - there is also a big service station just down the road which do a decent cooked brekkie for €5
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We stayed in a fab Logis de France just past Reims (Le Clos de Mutigny) which is just off the motorway. Very family friendly, good restaurant, massive gardens with swing and slides and a great breakfast in the morning.
Further south, we're staying in the Best Western in Chambery this year and we stayed last year too with our 2 kids (Hotel Alexander I think) which was very family friendly too, has a room next to the bar for the kids to play in, lots of chain style restaurants just across the road (not glam but functional), gated parking and not far to get to the slopes the following day
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Tue 7-10-14 10:13; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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bagginsmum, interesting, I have wondered about that place a couple of times when our usual options haven't been available.
Val Moret is just a bit too far from the tunnel for us (in both directions). I prefer the Auberge de Moissons.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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We struggle to get a family room for 4 anywhere probably because I've left it too late usually!
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bagginsmum, the Auberge de Moissons has some large family rooms with a mezzanine.
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You know it makes sense.
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bagginsmum, and inter-connecting rooms as well
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