We are travelling from the SW France to the UK by car at the beginning of Dec for the 70th birthday of my hubby's sister (he wants me to assure you that she is his older sister!!).
We would like to break the journey on the night of the 6th Dec and and the 11th - not more than 3 hours from Boulogne. Anybody know of anywhere? Thanks
Somewhere for a stopover December
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Giddy Goat
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Enid, do you want B&B or a hotel, or what, and would Montreuil be too near Boulogne for you? Have a few ideas but have to go in a minute - will get back to you this evg, but I'm sure you'll get loads of ideas from others. Since this is a special occasion, I thought you'd love the following, which we stayed in a few years ago now. Not too pretentious but a very pretty place to stay, and the food is super! Leave a space for brekky, which was memorable, and not like the usual Continental offering at all.
http://www.lagrenouillere.fr/
Sawday will have loads to consider too: http://www.specialplacestostay.com/
CU later!
http://www.lagrenouillere.fr/
Sawday will have loads to consider too: http://www.specialplacestostay.com/
CU later!
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be
merci - sorry should have been more specific. We'd really prefer a B and B but if the hotel is recommended that's different.
Montreuil is a bit too far for us - we can't leave 'til lunchtime Wednesday as we look after the baby Wednesday mornings and don't want to give her Mum more days without us than necessary (we'll just have had a fortnight away in November)
Montreuil is a bit too far for us - we can't leave 'til lunchtime Wednesday as we look after the baby Wednesday mornings and don't want to give her Mum more days without us than necessary (we'll just have had a fortnight away in November)
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Paul Carmel
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Hi Enid,
The last time we drove back we stayed at a place call Hotel Du Tribunal in Mortagne-au-Perche, The town itself looks a bit of dump but the Hotel is wonderful, good food, nice bar, and not too expensive.
This is their site which does the place no justice.
http://perso.orange.fr/hotel.du.tribuna ... eterre.htm
The last time we drove back we stayed at a place call Hotel Du Tribunal in Mortagne-au-Perche, The town itself looks a bit of dump but the Hotel is wonderful, good food, nice bar, and not too expensive.
This is their site which does the place no justice.
http://perso.orange.fr/hotel.du.tribuna ... eterre.htm
Cheers
PC
PC
Enid, here's another one around Alençon, I have never stayed there, but the owner, Phil, has helped me with website photos (via the Living France forum) and seems a really nice guy, very funny. The place looks good too.
http://www.normandie-chambres.co.uk/
http://www.normandie-chambres.co.uk/
Slightly off topic, sorry, but there were some interesting comments on the LF forum recently regarding the value (or not) of Alistair Sawdays guide recently, you might be interested in reading it before making your choice!
http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums ... spx#751516
http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums ... spx#751516
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Normandy Cow
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My gosh! Some people do really seem to have it in for Sawdays don't they!!!!! (Sour grapes maybe?)
I have been using their guides for years, and I have never been disappointed at any place I have stayed. The whole point of them is that the places are not all necessarily "de luxe" expensive places, as long as they are special within their budget. Also, it has to be noted that things change, people move on, and AS only inspect every two years - so it is possible that a place has gone downhill since the guide was published, particularly if you are not looking at the latest guide.
In my case, I can vouch that it was not "easy" to get in - we had to fill in a detailed application form and provide loads of other information such as examples of our info pack, etc etc. Then, once we were "shortlisted" I had to badger them to make sure that they came and did our inspection. In the end the inspector came about 2 weeks before the deadline for the last inspections and I am sure that they only sent her because they were sick of me phoning them every week. Once she was there, she spent over two hours looking around the place and asking some very detailed questions. She told me (and I believe her) that they had had over 1,000 applications for the 360 places that ended up in the book.
Finally, people on LF seemed to be griping about the cost to the advertiser for appearing in the book. Well, I paid £344 inc vat for being in the book and on the website for 2 years. This is cheaper than Holiday Rentals and to me, 10 times as valuable - not just for the large number of bookings I get from the AS book and website, but also for the ability to mention in all our other advertising that we have been inspected by AS.
There! Said my piece, I can get off my high horse now and recommend somewhere for you, but I think it may be a bit too far from you, it is Neufchatel-en-Bray, just 2 hours south of Boulogne:
http://www.visitfrance.co.uk/accommodation.cfm?i=5166#
(Incidentally, they are not in AS, but I think they ought to be...! )
I have been using their guides for years, and I have never been disappointed at any place I have stayed. The whole point of them is that the places are not all necessarily "de luxe" expensive places, as long as they are special within their budget. Also, it has to be noted that things change, people move on, and AS only inspect every two years - so it is possible that a place has gone downhill since the guide was published, particularly if you are not looking at the latest guide.
In my case, I can vouch that it was not "easy" to get in - we had to fill in a detailed application form and provide loads of other information such as examples of our info pack, etc etc. Then, once we were "shortlisted" I had to badger them to make sure that they came and did our inspection. In the end the inspector came about 2 weeks before the deadline for the last inspections and I am sure that they only sent her because they were sick of me phoning them every week. Once she was there, she spent over two hours looking around the place and asking some very detailed questions. She told me (and I believe her) that they had had over 1,000 applications for the 360 places that ended up in the book.
Finally, people on LF seemed to be griping about the cost to the advertiser for appearing in the book. Well, I paid £344 inc vat for being in the book and on the website for 2 years. This is cheaper than Holiday Rentals and to me, 10 times as valuable - not just for the large number of bookings I get from the AS book and website, but also for the ability to mention in all our other advertising that we have been inspected by AS.
There! Said my piece, I can get off my high horse now and recommend somewhere for you, but I think it may be a bit too far from you, it is Neufchatel-en-Bray, just 2 hours south of Boulogne:
http://www.visitfrance.co.uk/accommodation.cfm?i=5166#
(Incidentally, they are not in AS, but I think they ought to be...!
)Hey - I'd love to be in Sawday - when we've tarted up the grounds we'll be approaching them. So happy to own up to being jealous!
Thanks for the link - looks lovely but a little too far @ 8 hours drive and we are looking for @ 6. Actually if you had been at your place we were going to ask you for a bed for the night
So happy to own up to being jealous!Thanks for the link - looks lovely but a little too far @ 8 hours drive and we are looking for @ 6. Actually if you had been at your place we were going to ask you for a bed for the night