 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Planning journey by car to Tignes at Easter from South Wales so 245 miles in UK. Journey out will aim to stop at regimes or dijon but on the way back dijon is too close and just wondered if anyone has any suggestion somewhere nice that breaks up the journey perhaps a couple of hundred miles from Calais. Suggestions gratefully received.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Arras, Béthune or St Omer will variously give you about 275~350 miles ish to complete (including UK stretch) the next day. All next to A26 after passing Rhiems, so you get not too much to do in reaching Calais.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Alternatively, Châlons en Champagne, before Rhiems and approximately 190 miles from Calais is interesting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
If you are thinking as in nice to eat , Val Moret near Troyes
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
+1 for Le val Moret 3-star motel just south of Troyes on the A5, Jct.22, which has a pool and a good but unpretentious restaurant. 4 hours drive time (266 miles) to/from Eurotunnel. It's only 5 minutes off the A5 autoroute and you park your car right outside your room. We prefer the rooms with balconies, if they're available. The ETIK Logis loyalty scheme is worth joining before you stay, as you quickly accrue points for a cash voucher and there are loads of places in the Logis de France scheme. If you can be bothered, you can get cheaper-than-autoroute petrol in nearby Bar-sur-Seine, 7½km away. It's in the SW Champagne region and the bar and restaurant serve it by the glass, so lots of taster opportunity.
If you are interested in buying local Champagne at reasonable prices, I'd say get it from the Reception at the motel, rather than directly from the local caves unless you've got a lot of time to spend organising to visit, as many are only open by appointment and will be closed-up in the winter.
Just steer clear of the local Andouillette sausages. The marinade is great but it's an offal dish, made from pig's intestines. Unless you eat it quickly, the underlying smell of, as you'd expect, intestine contents starts to come through. Not for the faint-hearted. Their vegetarian option is usually very good if there's any such in your party. I sometimes have the veggie option even though I'm not one myself, because of the attractiveness of the cuisine.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Wed 22-02-23 10:28; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I’d suggest Saint Quentin, roughly hour and half from the tunnel. Nice town for a wander around and plenty of choice for eating establishments. We generally stay at the B&B hotel on the outskirts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hi @dan100, I have stopped at Dijon, Troyes, Chalons, Reims and St Quentin on the return journey, all Ibis/F1 so very boring but predictable. It depends on what you have time for, if you just want somewhere to pull into and sleep, they work but if not, I second the Logis de France network, it's brilliant.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@laforet I remember watching them build the roof of the swimming pool when we were at Le Val Moret on summer about 12 years ago! I shouldn’t really have been watching the workers walking on those unprotected beams, as then my young daughter fell off the climbing frame , which I should have been watching instead !
Was a good restaurant and a good place for a stopover
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
That looks great, @chocksaway. will make a note of that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
We stopped overnight in a Ibis Budget in Reims on the way back from Chamonix to Newport.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@dan100, Auberge de Moissons at Matougues just outside of Chalons-en-Champagne is ideal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
I have used the Ibis Budget Reims Thillois several times.
It adjoins an entertainment plaza with two cinemas and several restaurants. There is a large all you can eat buffet right next door to the hotel with hot and cold food which I think is great value.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| LaForet wrote: |
+1 for Le val Moret ...If you can be bothered, you can get cheaper-than-autoroute petrol in nearby Bar-sur-Seine, 7½km away. It's in the SW Champagne region and the bar and restaurant serve it by the glass, so lots of taster opportunity.
... |
You must really like petrol...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
We stayed at the Auberge de Moissons back mid January, third or fourth stay there. Dinner and breakfast both good. We know we are almost there when we drive past the McCain oven chips huge factory, enormous place and quite an overpowering smell. Put me off chips for quite some time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Normally we stay in Dole, but as you say, it is a bit close on the way back. This year we stayed at the Mercure Reims Centre Cathédrale. We wanted to go and see the Cathedral etc. before we had to catch the Eurotunnel and it was well placed for it. Pretty easy to get to, although we turned up just as Reims vs Troyes football match had finished - at least the local fans were happy 
Depends how cheap you want to do it, but think it was about £135 for a family suite for the 4 of us (parking was free in the outside hotel car park, there is a cost for underground parking).
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
+1 for Reims centre - I like a cathedral in winter. We've stayed at various hotels, including the Campanile, which has an underground car park (paying) which is definitely not designed for bulky SUVs! The art-deco cafe 'Waïda et Fils' in the centre is good for a coffee & croissant, although it has been closed at half term in the past, and isn't really for anyone in a hurry...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
These days because we've the journey so many times we don't feel the need to do the mid journey sightseeing, nice hotel, nice meal any more so have ended up with two "standard stops" depending on what the snow conditions are like at the end of our stay.
Option 1, when the snow is good. We'll be packed, dressed in ski gear and left the accomodation and checked out by 9am, go skiing until about 4, chuck skis and boots in the back of the car and pick a hotel, usually Ibis, Ibis Budget or another chain between Macon North and Beaune. Early start Sunday morning for a lunchtime crossing and home late afternoon. We're 200 miles from Dover so around 4 hours normally. Big advantage to this choice is the extra day skiing added to which by the time we leave the resort the bulk of the homeward bound traffic is way ahead of us and we rarely get any traffic problems.
Option 2 if we don't want to ski. Packed and away by 10am although much more of a stressful journey down the mountain with traffic and queueing into Taninges. Stop mid to late afternoon at Reims Tinqueaux, Top up with fuel and wine at Carrefour, relaxed start Sunday morning, again for a lunchtime crossing and home in similar time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
nice to be able to substantiate the warning 
