 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
Look at overnight stops two hours from Calais, Saint Quinten looks ideal and there are three IBIS hotels only one of which I can book for my dates currently so have reserved that as a banker but its not ideal being in the centre of town and parking across the road. We'll arrive late so just need somewhere cheap and clean.
I've looked into B&B Hotel Saint Quinten and that looks better suited, however being a career glass half empty person the self check in worries me and some reviews have said they struggled to get in and the call facility wasn't working. Arriving late with two kids just niggles.
Has anyone been to the B&B Hotel Saint Quinten and csn offer any advice or other hotels in the area? Looked at the F1 and it looks dire.
I'm not after advice on driving further or overnight, beating traffic etc I'm fully versed in all of that, just looking for a suitable hotel around two hours from Calais.
Thank.you.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We always used to push on to Reims, where there seem to be a few more choices on accommodation which is nearer the autoroute so easier to get into. In general we would always prefer the Ibis budgets over the alternatives and always seemed to work ok when booking family rooms.
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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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Have used the B&B hotel in Saint Quentin a number of times with no issues- often arriving around midnight and able to access the car park, hotel and room with the access codes provided. Car park is nice and secure and the rooms are good and clean - the family room we stayed in was huge. It’s just a few mins of the motorway and close to supermarket/boulangerie if you want to pick up breakfast on the go.
The only other place we have stayed in St Quentin was the Ibis in the middle of the town but that had parking in a secure area behind the hotel not across the road, think they may only do rooms for max of 3 people though.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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St Quinten seems a nice place - we stopped for lunch there the other week on our way to Dole.
Going on personal experience of IBIS hotels in France, you won't go far wrong, although they do tend to charge through the nose for drinks at the bar. We booked through the All Accor app and as a family, they were doing 2x rooms as a family deal for under £100, not sure if you're family/couple.
We did stay at the IBIS Styles in Arras on our return last weekend, which was proper convenient from just off the motorway, totally fresh with new paint smell, and onsite parking (€10). It's also walkable to shops and places to eat, Arras is really nice. But that's more like 75 mins from Calais so not sure if you're aiming to be that little bit further into France before you stop
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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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Ibis St Quentin is fine, right in the centre, opposite the basilica, plenty of restaurants nearby and free parking overnight just across the road. There is another carpark you can use though. The breakfast was really good for a chain hotel.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Oh, and if you book direct, they have room rates with breakfast included and a membership discount.
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Used the ibis budget Center Gare a few times but from the description you've got the ibis Basilique, which is a more up market brand under the ibis umbrella so more than up to the job and you can expect reception to be staffed 24/7 so no worried about delays and arriving late.
If you arrive early enough Saint-Quentin's a lovelly little town and you stand a chance of finding a restaurant a short stumble from the hotel. Even if it does end up being just a bed for the night I've always found it to be a sleepy little town on a Saturday morning so bing "in the middle of town" really won't lose you much time getting back onto the A26 to continue your journey south.
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We've used both IBIS and B&B in St Quentin and they are fine.
You did say around 2 hours. Unless you are quite late I'd be inclined to push on to Reims Tinquieux - only about 2h30m and close to the motorway. St Quentin is a bit less than 2 hours
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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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Used the BB in St Q in Feb, absolutely fine, cheap fuel just before the turn in and a couple of restos within walking distance.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Used BB St Quenten several times and never an issue. Great chain of hotels and their locations are great for transport links...
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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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Used the Ibis styles a month or so ago — out of town, decent parking plein air, decent enough continental breakfast with fresh OJ machine, but maybe that’s not on the table — if it is I’d definitely be happy to go back
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Le Florence Hotel in St Quentin, stayed there a few times, walking distance to all restaurants and secure parking
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You know it makes sense.
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Is there many eating places around BB St Quenten? Looking at the maps there doesn't seem to be much around so would need to be dinner on route I guess.
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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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@Rob_Quads, There was a couple in the adjacent shopping mall. There was a small chain one with its own beers, and they were good. Food as you’d expect in a shopping mall - perfectly adequate.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Rob_Quads, As well as the ones at Auchan, there is a Buffalo Grill within walking distance in the other direction.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Timbobaggins, good shout, I'm looking at that for our summer trip. If we've sold the campervan by then, otherwise I think we've got a plan B.
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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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@Hells Bells, advice would be, ask for ground floor, as sometimes they put you up in the gods
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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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Laon is just about 2hrs from Calais. 10min from the motorway. Nice old town.
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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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@Timbobaggins, cheers, @adithorp, I've never managed to find a hotel there.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| @Timbobaggins, cheers, @adithorp, I've never managed to find a hotel there. |
strangely we sold our Motor Home last year,
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Really helpful replies thank you all.
You never know how it will pan out from one year to the next but this February was such a pain getting across on the tunnel we made it to Reims close to 0100, had hoped to get there around 2300. Stayed at the Novotel Reims Tinqueux which was nice but too costly for what we required we usually use IBIS budget or standard hotels the Novotel cost near £160 for about 5 hours sleep. I had meant to look up somewhere cheaper but forgot and by the time I'd remembered everything sensibly priced was booked up.
For next year thought stay a little further north in the hope we arrive earlier and can get a few hours sleep before an early start. Of course sods law we'll be there super early and wish we'd pushed on!! It's all out of our control.
We live in the south east near Guildford so about two hours from the tunnel, unfortunately we have to leave the Friday afternoon after school so we're knowingly driving into the storm. Hoping half term not being the same week as Paris next year makes some difference.
Appreciate many drive through the night and I can see the advantages but I'm a very poor sleeper laying flat, sitting up I'll be awake all night and no use to anyone the next day.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Fri 25-04-25 17:17; edited 1 time in total
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Out of interest where are you driving from @James77? We stoped at Riems this year and got there around 6pm but we did leave early but I think a few hours earlier in the morning can save many more hours in the queues getting out the mountains. Might be worth adjusting your leave time a bit.
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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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@Rob_Quads, HI Rob, Just updated my post above. Guildford area South East about 2 hours drive to the tunnel. We hit awful traffic at around 1700 my wife works in a school so can't leave earlier and on the M25 several pileups had happened by the time we got there the queue to get to tunnel check in was pretty manic. Just bad luck.
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@James77, does it have to be a hotel, can it be a S/C apartment?
have stayed in St Q overnight before, and have booked an apartment again there for next march. you can get good deals on various agencies, normally more space than a hotel room, with lounge area etc and allows you to sort yourself out food wise if you want.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Not Saint Quentin, but we've stayed in many a B&B Hotels and never had an issue with late night automated check in. The membership gets you discounted room rates/cheaper/free breakfast etc
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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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@James77, we've used the B&B StQ a few times to get ahead of the crowds by using an evening Eurotunnel departure (near J10 M25). No problems with the online check-in and arriving after midnight.
There is an Ibis Styles in StQ as well but I guess you looked at it already and was one that wasn't available.
You mentioned using the Novotel Reims but it was a bit expensive. There is also an Ibis on the same site which was cheaper when I was looking earlier this season. Maybe a compromise?
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Maybe your wife can catch a train to Folkestone from Guildford? Means you can avoid traffic problems.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Novotel Reims Tinqueux are dead to me after they 'lost' our booking and advised we went elsewhere.
The Campanile Tinqueux has a vending machine to check in, which issued us with a blank room key card. We had to try all the rooms before we found the one that was ours...
The Originals Tinqueux is/was the best of the bunch there, but they've been sold or rebranded to B&B Hotels and they've got rid of the all-important kettle, but are otherwise still OK.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@HilbertSpace, we stayed in that Campanile several years ago now. Our 'family room' had a camp bed squeezed into the space between the double bed and the wall. I had to sleep in camp bed as it was too small for teenager. Dog had to sleep in the bathroom. We had to climb over all the beds to get to the bathroom, no floor space at all. Food was just roadkill.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We have stayed quite a few times at the Ibis at Tinqueux which is opposite the Novotel.
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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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| lampygirl wrote: |
| Not Saint Quentin, but we've stayed in many a B&B Hotels and never had an issue with late night automated check in. |
I have! Effing thing flatly refused to recognise my booking reference, name or anything. It was 1:30am and I was already two hours behind schedule after a roadside vehicle repair and the last thing I needed. Only way I could get in was to do a fresh booking and payment at the terminal.
Reception refunded the second booking in the morning no issue (they knew the terminal was malfunctioning and had been called out earlier in the evening for a queue of people) but it was a quiet time. If it was February with no alternative room availability, you'd be stuffed.
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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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| Pamski wrote: |
| We have stayed quite a few times at the Ibis at Tinqueux which is opposite the Novotel. |
I've stayed there too and it's a decent option and the Courtepaille steakhouse next door is adequate enough for a traveller. Think you need a crit'air sticker to access Tinqueux though.
Whether it's in range probably depends on what your average driving speeds are. Google maps says it's 275km from Calais which would be just over two hours for me but I guess it wouldn't be for most. I've only ever been done once in France a long time ago so I'm happy to push my luck.
For reference, the cut-off point between the entry level fine (€45 paid on-the-spot) and the next one (€90) is 156km/h so my cruise control is usually set to 155 km/h.
There are no cameras on that section so the only way you can get done is if the Gendarmes have set a up a mobile camera. Much like the UK, I reckon they've got better things to do.
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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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@Je suis un Skieur, that is my worry and it will be half term so no other option.
However, I've booked B&B StQ hopefully will be fine. Worst case we'd have to push on through the night.
Thanks everyone for responding some really good information.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@James77, if you booked direct with B&B (and not through an aggregator like hotels.com) then you will get an email the day before to do an online check-in. Once you do this, you should get both the gate and entry codes.
My only 'dislike' with that hotel is the car park is pretty small and it's a squeeze to get the car into a space on a late arrival but we have always managed the few times we have stayed there.
You also mentioned the tunnel, not sure what tickets you usually book but just going to highlight the fact they have changed the T&C's since March for late arrivals etc. There is another thread on here if you weren't aware.
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| @Timbobaggins, cheers, @adithorp, I've never managed to find a hotel there. |
Stayed there a couple of times. Once in a Formula type place (I didn't book it so that's as much as I remember) just outside town and once a last min stop near the train/funicular station (bit ropey to be honest).
Arras can be worth a try.
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| Specialman wrote: |
St Quinten seems a nice place - we stopped for lunch there the other week on our way to Dole.
Going on personal experience of IBIS hotels in France, you won't go far wrong, although they do tend to charge through the nose for drinks at the bar. We booked through the All Accor app and as a family, they were doing 2x rooms as a family deal for under £100, not sure if you're family/couple.
We did stay at the IBIS Styles in Arras on our return last weekend, which was proper convenient from just off the motorway, totally fresh with new paint smell, and onsite parking (€10). It's also walkable to shops and places to eat, Arras is really nice. But that's more like 75 mins from Calais so not sure if you're aiming to be that little bit further into France before you stop |
We stayed there on the way home in Feb,the night England beat France in the six nations, the restaurant was very subdued  . Good value for money as the ibis usually are
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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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We now have a membership with Accor group which gets slightly better rates and more access to availability. Includes Ibis Budget and styles and Novotel and we have always found accommodation. I find St Quintin slightly too close and we tend to push to Tinqueux which is faster access from autoroute than St Quintin Cebtre. Our journey often involves a 8-9pm crossing following school pickup in central London. Family have banned me from booking Campailine as too “spooky”!
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@sno trax, agreed on the parking. I read a review said it was difficult to park looks like it on maps too and we're arriving late so a concern. Need to park the wagon safely.
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FAQ
