Having battled through to Reims before my daughter moved from hysterical to asleep, this year I am looking for good places to stop for a bite to eat and a splash of fuel within an hour of calais (alps bound - A26). The somewhat specific brief is something more than a mcdonalds, relatively decent capacity at 6.00pm on a sat, circa an hour sitting down so fine dining is out! The sort of thing I have in mind is a buffalo grill, any other mid tier chains people use?
Is there an award for dullest post of the year......?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Vodka in her drinking bottle?
There, that should liven it up again…
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?
Bit more than an hour but there is a Buffalo Grill fairly near the autoroute in St Quentin. There is also a Flunch at the Auchan hypermarket at the same junction.
Total advocate of Flunch/supermarket restaurant (not great food but fills the tum and great for young UN's)....plus filling up the car.
Not been for ages but used to do buffalo Grill and kids loved it when they were young (talking 5 years ago). For dessert they could have barba papa - literally a massive stick of candyfloss!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@kettonskimum, we have to stop at Buffalo Grills specifically for the barbe a papa, small had one just the other week aged 11! Although the service in Macon this time round was shocking.
After all it is free
After all it is free
kettonskimum wrote:
Total advocate of Flunch/supermarket restaurant (not great food but fills the tum and great for young UN's)....plus filling up the car.
Not been for ages but used to do buffalo Grill and kids loved it when they were young (talking 5 years ago). For dessert they could have barba papa - literally a massive stick of candyfloss!
I used to live babapapa cartoon in my younger days
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@Skiyeah, Saint-Omer is very well placed for this.
Essentially parallel to A26 so you don't miss time/ mileage by diverting off autoroute, good town centre with variety of places to eat, also with various more roadside establishment you'll pass by going through there. Fuel at various hypermarket too , there's a whole suite of business open evenings to fulfill your need.
It's a pretty town square to and usually good Christmas light display if you're near that season.
All pretty conveniently located, we've been there a few times while travelling to and from various destinations.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Second vote for St Omer
And as an anecdote, my approach with my four year old was cross channel at 10pm French, have big sheepskin in child seat to prevent any circulatory issues, and D R I V E …. (Now known to be medically bad for me to drive all night…) but young one slept all the way to Jougne - then wake up at 8am and into the bar there for a milk and croissant..alongside all the muscle-bound pisteurs drinking pastis….which was hilarious…
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Me and the 3 kids drove to Switzerland a few years ago (wife flew to GVA - grrr). We had DVD players strapped to the seats. They watched the entire box set of Fawlty Towers on the journey - they'd never seen it. They had headphones on and all I heard was laughter all the way, apart for when they paused it for the 2 older ones to explain to their younger sister some of the more 'mature' jokes. A breeze.
St Omer is a great place to stop, I agree.
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.
Quote:
Vodka in her drinking bottle?
There, that should liven it up again…
Why stop there, maybe the rest of the car needs vodka to cope....
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Loving the underground Buffalo Grill movement. Good shout on Flunch, St Quentin sounds like a good call giving a couple of options.
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Saint-Omer is very well placed for this.
Also a great option which had seen on the map but was unsure if worth comming off for.
Quote:
And as an anecdote, my approach with my four year old was cross channel at 10pm French, have big sheepskin in child seat to prevent any circulatory issues
I didn't know sheep skin was a thing! Problem we have is she nods off in the couple of hours it takes to get to chunnel, then gets woken up at chunnel and needs a bit of a gap to go to sleep again, then once down will sleep through until morning. Last time I just drove through but did make the next day a bit of a task! Stopping bit north of Lyon this time to get a few hours sleep.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Skiyeah wrote:
Quote:
Vodka in her drinking bottle?
There, that should liven it up again…
Why stop there, maybe the rest of the car needs vodka to cope....
No, that would be irresponsible.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Orange200 wrote:
No, that would be irresponsible.
Don’t be daft. Last time I drove through France I had a bottle of red to go with the mobile fondue we had on the go. Helped the drive pass a treat. Highlight was probably the cognac and in-car flambé crepes Suzette for desert though.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I tried flipping crepes Suzette on the motorway, they didn't come out well.
Next time maybe I should put the roof back up first.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Dashed,
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?
@Skiyeah, ...in fact sheepskin very important. The padding in most child car seats is very firm/poor and the science is important. The poor padding can induce circulation loss in limbs, which is a big deal in small children. Although the link below is to a commercial text, it highlights the problem. We made sure that we had boxes or plastic stools under their feet, to raise their feet to a comfortable position. Sheepskin is important in further reducing pressure points:
we particularly made sure that the seat had sheepskin so that pressure on their legs was moderated. It's cheap and important to get the stools (we just used cheap ones from hardware stores) and the sheepskin.
@valais2, my quick Google did not show up much, seemed to be mostly to prevent skin sores etc, and even in my most nightmare alpine journey that shouldn't be a problem! I was under the impression it was more about heart rate and breathing when it came to child seat risks.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Skiyeah, ...indeed sheepskin used to prevent pressure sores in the elderly and immobile but that's exactly the point - it distributes pressure. B52 pilot's seats and many current long haul pilot's seats have sheepskin, which gives a large number of benefits including cool in hot conditions and warm in cold conditions; is flame retardant; and also reduces pressure spots. My kids loved having it in their seats and complained of numbness in their legs when it was sometimes not installed in the seat.
Lens Lievin just off A26 Buffalo Grill and around 1 hour from Calais. Stopped there a few times.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
valais2 wrote:
@Skiyeah, ...indeed sheepskin used to prevent pressure sores in the elderly and immobile but that's exactly the point - it distributes pressure. B52 pilot's seats and many current long haul pilot's seats have sheepskin, which gives a large number of benefits including cool in hot conditions and warm in cold conditions; is flame retardant; and also reduces pressure spots. My kids loved having it in their seats and complained of numbness in their legs when it was sometimes not installed in the seat.
Until mentioned, I'd forgotten about doing the same. Our two loved thesheepskin added to their seat, buggy and car seat. We also have a 2X3 mtr fleece material straight from a upholstery supply roll tgat has been used to "throw" over them in the car. They can be dressed lighter and just pull this over or push it off to regulate their own comfort on demand whatever the interior temperature is running at.
Not expensive, very durable and adapted easily for any warm keeping duties without having something specific in design. Still goes camping with us as adhoc/emergency blanket, those nights when you put a bobble hat on in bed
Sheepskin also for passenger feet too when in normal car seats, shoes off to promote circulation (loose laced walking boots just tidy laces away so feet can slip in for getting out etc) makes for a particularly comfortable journey for those not driving.
After all it is free
After all it is free
When my daughter was 2yo, we ‘discovered’ Phenegon for a long/haul flight to Florida.
Between ages 5-18 we used hay-fever tablets (may cause drowsiness).
Now we no longer travel with a child, my wife takes 2 hayfever tablets at Calais at 10pm….. and wakes up at the bottom of the mountain at 6am.
Perfect!
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I use the IKEA restaurant at Reims. Have a look and see where else they have them. They’re ideal and have playspace.
We have DVD players, ipads and endless packets of crisps and crackers. I’ve done ZRH to Calais on my own with a 18m and a 4yr old and it was fine as we stopped at the Aires when they were getting a bit twitchy and popped them in the playground.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@jamescollings, Do you mean Phenergan?
My eldest son gets car sick anything over 45 mins and has for years. We drive to the French Alps twice a year and he takes 2 pills per day of driving.
It's a miracle. Not only is he fine, he can be sat in the back eating McDonalds or anything!
Oddly it says the pill is for travel sickness, hay fever etc. So tackles quite a few areas!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
My partner needs no drugs to sleep all the way.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............
She says ‘...if you are tired I will drive....’
I say ‘...but then you will fall asleep as you always do driving on the Autoroute and we’ll all die...’
She says ‘...yes but you can stay asleep and nudge me when I fall asleep...’
I say ‘...that’s mad and I will get no rest....’
She ‘....yes.....but....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....’
I just like black coffee so that’s fine.
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.
@kettonskimum, that’s the one. Miracle stuff
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@valais2, my OH was like that. We left Les Saisies once and he said "I'll drive first as the mountain roads keep me awake". Just past Albertville he said "I feel a bit sleepy now". So I drove to Calais.....
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
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IKEA
Genius! Although I am not sure I have ever left IKEA without a bungee holding the boot down, and that will be a drafty rest of the trip!
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