Car Security At French Hotels En route to The Alps.

A snowHead

Recently stayed at one of the many Motorway Hotels for the first time on our way down to Morzine. Like most tired drivers ended up arriving late and leaving all the gear in the car (Clothes Skis Boards Boots Jackets etc) and getting into the room with just our travel bags. Some rooms looked out onto the carpark but our's didnt so spent a restless night worrying about the car and everything in it! No problem for us on our trip but has anyone had any issues with car security at these hotels? Cant imagine the nightmare start to a holiday this could cause!

A snowHead

I've stayed at various places. I generally take my laptop in and leave the rest, fingers crossed. Never had a problem, but yes, it could happen. I try not to lie awake worrying about things over which I have no control (though I don't always succeed.... wink

). The grotty artificial pillows in those hotels, plus the fact that rooms are often too hot, are generally more responsible for poor night's sleep, and I have frequently lain there wide awake wishing I'd just kept driving.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

We have stayed at a variety of Premier Classe and Campanile hotels, generally now just the Val Moret south of Troyes, usually with a very loaded car for a few weeks - and a roof box - but we only ever take a small bag, maybe a laptop or two if visible, and hope for the best. I really could not be bothered to unload masses of stuff.

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We don't unload the car either, just overnight bags and the dog. Rarely stay right next to autoroute though (apart from Val Moret). Some of the Ibis we've stayed in had locked gates at night.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Yep, we are the same just take the valuables in and make sure nothing is/obvious visible. If overloaded we cover it all with a rug.

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Same here, just take overnight bags and valuables. We are lucky in that we can fit the skis inside the car and can normally pack such that we can use the boot cover thing. We tend to book hotels which have secure underground car parks if we can. Generally Ibis have had underground ones (Troyes, Besancon) though some have been surface gated ones, stayed at an Etap with a locked compound one, also recently stayed at Holiday Inn Express in Arras which had an underground one. Not had a problem so far.

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Only done summer trips, but as everyone above just left everything in the car apart from a small bag. Even had bikes locked up on a bike rack left overnight. However, I wouldn't do that with my best bikes.

After all it is free

Never stayed in a French Ibis/Ibisbudget, but have stayed in many in Germany/Austria/Switzerland en route to ski/MTB trips.
As above, most of the time I've left everything in the car with the exception of overnight bag and laptops. Sometimes I've used the underground carpark, but othertimes I've just parked in the street complete with skis/bikes and stuff inside (but reasonably covered up / obscured). €12/night underground parking for some Ibis hotels seems steep, but I guess it's a handy insurance if there's €4000 worth of bike inside.

Obviously in the UK I would never leave anything or any value visible in the car (or house for that matter). When I picked up a hire car in Spain I was told much the same thing, it's obvious it's a hire car so don't leave anything in it at all ever. The incidences of theft from hire cars there is apparently staggering.

However, in Austria it seems the norm to leave skis on full view in cars overnight. Just shows how the crime rates vary across Europe.

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I took the decision to only stay in hotels with secure, lit car parks on the way down. Been using Novotel for the last few years, the ones I choose have gated car park access and 24hr security. Never had a problem.

On the way back I stay in the cheapest/most convenient place I can find, that's what insurance is for. But we have never had a problem in any of these either !

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There is no way on this earth I am taking all the crap for 5-people into a hotel room overnight. Take laptop and anything else valuable and try and park close to reception or under lights. Is a risk both in UK at Premier Inn and our overnight stops in France but I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

Hells Bells, Of course at Val Moret your car is literally outside your bedroom!

Used many and always left the car loaded though always taken the laptop in, occasionally the wife and children too but always the laptop Laughing

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A hidden gem is the Holiday Inn Express in Reims that has a very, very secure car park and is just off the motorway.

You know it makes sense.

My dad left a transit van containing literally everything I own overnight in a hotel car park in Reims or Dijon or thereabouts when he helped me move in here. That was a pretty pant-filling night.

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

Boris, I don't think we'll be staying at Val Moret again though.

A snowHead

Hells Bells, did you have a bad meal or room there recently? It has always worked well for us and I do enjoy going to have a swim now if we are doing the journey in the UK direction.

A snowHead

stayed in Riems/Troyes and more usually Dijon on trips up and down from French Alps without issue. So long as valuable stuff is covered it shouldn't be an issue. The Accor hotels tend to have automated gates which are closed overnight - usually a problem arriving at 1am and trying to get someone on the reception to open them Smile

but so far, so good.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Pamski, it is just a bit too far south for us,making the drive on day 2 a bit much, and there are options we prefer farther North. Our room was freezing, and son was given a room at the opposite end of the grounds to us. Nothing major, meal was OK, but not brilliant.

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We liked the Val Moret, rooms were perfectly ok and the car was right outside, so we only took valuables into the rooms with us. I can see Hells Bells point about location though. Its the first time we've done this journey - we travelled out Fri pm and with hindsight we would have pushed on further before stopping. Coming back we did in one go, however if we had been stopping, I think we'd want to get a good bit closer to Calais.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Defender, We have had our car broken into. We take everything that is not insured to be in the car out. Then we sleep fine Very Happy

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mikeh, it was made worse by the heavy snow on Sunday morning, and a 6 hour drive to Calais. Only made me even more certain it was too far south. It's too far for us in the other direction too. Chalons/Epernay is about perfect.

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Picking up my car this Monday in Albertville, having broken down on Jan 29th. Had to leave 4 pairs of skis, 2 pairs of boots and 4 goggles in car, no insurance would cover them, and to add insult to injury, as we did not notify Privilege that we were going aboard, we are only covered 3rd party for the journey. I wonder if everything is still there ?!!!

After all it is free

A friend had his roof box emptied, really old tatty skis etc too. Then again, I just sleep in the front seat in a sleeping bag so can growl if anyone approaches the car Laughing

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Son's car was broken into on overnight stop to the alps (first night of the season) when he was competing and all his ski gear/ British team suit etc stolen. Had to replace things before he could ski. We always remove everything that is visible now, even in locked and lighted car parks. Son now travels on the Hull ferry so the car is locked in the hold overnight - he's not competing now but instructing all season so travels out with 5 months of gear.
Many of the cheap French hotel chains are used by the white van brigade, they will have gear in their vans too but it may encourage the local thieves.

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mikeh, quite a few now include fully comp insurance for a limited number of days. Mine is 90 days (Tesco), some are 6 months (LV). Not all insurers need you to notify them either.

You know it makes sense.

Pam w - duff is relative - it does what we want it to. We dont take our car abroad very often, so its not a huge deal.

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

I've seen a few break-ins or aftermath thereof so I always take anything saleable into the hotel, transceivers, cameras, air bag anything that can be sold on the open market. Yes, you may be able to claim on insurance, but up goes the premium. It's you choice. Many cars get broken into on changeover day in resort, fully packed, laptops, cameras, the lot. Important thing is not to leave anything 'covered up', there's only one reason to do that.

A snowHead

A snowHead

allanm, my household policy covers personal belongings and valuables in my car but only if they are not in view.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

We usually end up with all the tat on the top - the bags that I produce at the last minute after OH has methodically packed the back of the car - so purchases from Boots, Sainsburys etc sit up there and don't really look very exciting, along with extra coats and the odd blanket for the journey.

Help!!

Car Security At French Hotels En route to The Alps.

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