In May my partner and I, researching the Normandy D-Day Landing Beaches for a Bradt guide book, stayed in a Pierre et Vacances self-catering apartment. This was our third research trip and while we’ve stayed in great hotels in the past (and there are many along the coast), this time we needed a place where we could work when we wanted, particularly in the evening, make cups of tea and coffee when we needed and have flexibility. We needed accommodation near the beaches which had good WiFi, a kitchen and if possible a view.

I already knew about Pierre et Vacances who have holiday residences all over France. Guest writer Fiona Quinn stayed in Presqu’île de la Touques for her guide to Deauville and Trouville on the east coastal stretch of Normandy.

Pierre et Vacances Self Catering Apartments – Le Chant des Oiseaux

There are eight Pierre et Vacances resorts in Normandy, most of them near the coast. Le Chant des Oiseaux in Courseulles-sur-Mer was ideal. Not only is Courseulles in the middle of four of the Normandy beaches: Sword, Juno (a 4-minute drive or 10-minute walk from the apartment), Gold and Omaha, it’s also a delightful small resort with a lovely long sandy beach, a marina, fishing port, good restaurants and shops.  

 No problem checking in. We arrived at 6.30pm, were given our keys and information on the resort. The nearby well-stocked Carrefour Market stayed open until 8pm which meant a quick dash (3 minutes away by car) for stocking up on essentials for our stay.

Reception

The reception desk, open from 9am to 7pm, has two helpful and friendly assistants who speak English. For late arrivals, instructions are emailed in advance on how to get the keys and apartment details.

We ordered baguettes and croissants each evening for the next day and they supplied a couple of emergency coffee filter papers for the machine (we hadn’t thought that far ahead). The receptionists can order pizzas for an evening meal and make restaurant bookings for you. Reserve through them; you get a small reduction on the restaurant bill.

Our Self-Catering Apartment

Our 2-bedroom apartment was on the second floor up an exterior staircase (ground, first and second storeys). The master bedroom had a good sized double bed, a large wardrobe with hangers and a wall-mounted TV, though there’s very little space around the bed. The second bedroom, off the main kitchen/reception area, had bunk beds for kids. The apartment can sleep six with sofa beds in the main room though that would be a bit crowded.

The kitchen area was equipped with a fridge with a small freezer, hob, microwave, dishwasher and plenty of plates, glasses and cutlery, plus a coffee machine and dishwasher. In fact so many plates, glasses and cutlery that we only ran the dishwasher once – on our departure.

You sort your rubbish using one container for food waste, one for recycling paper and plastic bottles and one for household waste; bottles go into the bottle bin. Then you take it all to the waste shed. You’re in eco-conscious France. Like many French companies Pierre et Vacances has its own agenda. It follows low-carbon solutions, supports local communities, is in the process of insulating all the buildings, uses renewable energies and is partnering with SNCF to encourage train rather than car travel.

But back to the apartment: the main room has a large table (with six chairs), the two sofa beds, cupboards and shelves plus a TV. Two bathrooms, one with toilet, basin and shower, the second with bath and basin had enough hooks and shelves for toiletries, dressing gowns etc. (Sorry guys, I think the designer must have been a woman).

All apartments have bed linen, towels, a welcome cleaning kit and free cleaning on departure.

A balcony with table and chairs looked out onto the back of the resort and beyond to open fields. There’s ample parking outside each house.

Amenities

We didn’t have time to swim in the heated indoor pool, nor use the laundry room. Offered, but not taken up by us, was a weekly guided discovery tour of the area. There are also pedal and electric bicycles and if needed, trailers and baby seats (extra cost). Maybe next time.

Practical Information

You can book for one night, five, eight or however many you want depending on availability. And you can book to start your holiday any day of the week.

A seven-night stay costs from £543 for a one-bedroom apartment which sleeps up to five people and the total price includes accommodation, taxes and charges except for the national tourist tax of €1.50 per person per day (free for children up to 18 years old).

Pierre et Vacances in Normandy

Each of the eight destinations in Normandy is different, with most of them located near the beach. Some are new build; others are old renovated buildings.

Holiday Village Normandy Garden in Branville, Residence et Spa in Houlgate, Residence Les Embruns in Deauville, Presqu’Ile de la Touques also in Deauville, Le Chant des Oiseaux in Courseulles-sur-mer, Residence Les Tamaris in Trouville, Residence Port Guillaume in Cabourg and Residence Le Green Beach, Omaha Beach (a golf destination).

More about Pierre et Vacances Self-Catering Apartments

Pierre et Vacances is well known in France though less of a household name in the UK and USA. It’s been going since 1967 and now has over 383 destinations and almost 24,500 holiday accommodations in France and the Caribbean, Spain, the Canary and the Balearic Islands, Italy, Croatia, Portugal and Mauritius. The company has recently added accommodation in Montenegro, Greece, Crete, Morocco and Madeira.

To book with Pierre et Vacances tel: 0870 0267 145 or visit www.pierreetvacances.com  

Guide to Courseulles-sur-Mer

More Information on Normandy

Ferries to Normandy from the UK
Guide to Normandy
Normandy D-Day Landing Beaches
Hotels and Accommodation near the D-Day Landing Beaches

The guide book D-Day Landing Beaches Guide Book by Mary Anne Evans and Alastair McKenzie was published by Bradt Guides in March 2024.

Declaration: We were on a press trip and were hosted by Pierre et Vacances. However my opinion is my own, and we were so impressed by the accommodation we are booking another stay which we will pay for.

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Follow this Épernay in Champagne guide for a glorious visit at any time of the year. The small town is considered the capital of champagne rather than its big sister Reims.

Épernay is a charming small town, 28 kms (17 miles) south of Reims. It’s in the Marne department of Champagne-Ardenne and is the heart of a wine-growing region covering 35,000 hectares of wines. It’s easy to get to and makes a perfect short break. I went in December for Les Habits de Lumière weekend. It was cold, sparkling and beautiful.

Major Attractions in Épernay Guide

You’ll find the websites of each attraction at the end of the article.

Avenue de Champagne

Épernay life revolves around the Avenue de Champagne that runs through the middle of the town.

This wide long boulevard is lined with the names of the great and the good: Moët et Chandon (founded in 1743), Perrier-Jouët, Pol Roger, Mercier, de Castellane and other champagne houses less well known to foreign visitors like de Venoge and Boizel. You’re walking over 110 kilometres of underground cellars, where the champagne is kept at a constant 9-12°C degrees.

The elegant châteaux were once both home and cellar to the original owners. Grand and gracious, their façades look out onto courtyards protected by cast-iron railings and gates while the lucky inhabitants kept their gardens at the back.

It’s used for every big occasion in Epernay. In December it’s at the heart of the Habits de Lumière festival; in January it saw the cars driving from Reims at the 2023 Monte Carlo Rally to Monaco.

Moët et Chandon Guided Tour

Moët et Chandon is arguably the best known name. A guided visit to Moët et Chandon starts in the former drawing rooms. Then with an English-speaking guide you descend into the brick-lined cellars underneath. Dimly lit, the cellars engender a feeling of reverence, bordering on awe. Not surprising really; you’re looking at millions of euros worth of bubbly made according to age-old methods. The dusty bottles are stacked in racks with deliberately bewildering numbers and letters at the top of each stack. Only the cellar master and his assistants know what they mean. And this is just the showcase. Most of the houses, particularly Moët et Chandon, have far larger production sites outside Épernay.

It makes you appreciate the glasses you savour upstairs even more.

Château Perrier Houses a Top Museum

I hadn’t expected the Champagne Wine and Regional Archaeology Museum to be so surprising. No bubbly served here for a start. But such considerations aside, it gives you a wonderful snapshot of the region’s prehistory and more recent history in a delightfully easy way.

The museum is full of the kinds of models I love. Strange skeletons for those who are into osteology; pots and shards for the archaeologists. I spent time with the Romans. Did you know that Roman roads often had three tracks? One elevated for those Roman armies to march from city to city, and one each side for the horses and carts of the plebs.

The champagne production section is just as interesting with oddities, and quirky information on the process itself. Again the section is full of models and pictures to keep your interest and there’s a sniffing table where you can try to identify different scents.

The only one I got right was walnuts (see below!)

You can also go down to the cellars but we were off to try another glass of bubbly.

Birds’ Eye View from a Helium Balloon

The Épernay helium balloon is tethered just outside the Avenue de Champagne. Ascend slowly up to 150 metres high for a view of the surrounding vineyards and villages. And, naturally, it’s done with a glass of champagne. It only takes off in good weather, so check before you go.

Markets in Épernay

If you like markets (and who doesn’t?), visit the covered Saint-Thibault market which has a good selection of stalls; open Wednesday and Saturday 8am-noon. On Tuesday and Saturday there’s a fabric and textile market in rue de la Poste. On Wednesday there’s a general market on la place Fada N’Gourma; Sunday morning try the food market on Auban-Moët Square.

There’s a flea market on the third Sunday of each month in Saint-Thibault.

Return to the ’70s

Vintage cars and vans are something of a universal passion in France. In fact, so popular are they that companies have sprung up all over giving tours in the sedate old ladies. My vintage tour company took us in a 70’s minibus out of Épernay and up and down small gravel tracks to a vineyard with a panoramic view. The back of the van was set up like a bar and a bottle of champagne produced. ‘Who wants to try this?’ asked the driver-guide, waving a sharp small sword. Up stepped one of our party to do the honours of beheading the bottle.

It’s actually quite easy (or at least looks quite easy). The bottle and the top with the cork have to be cold. You line up the bottle so the join of the two parts of the bottle is facing upwards. Take the sabre in your hand; hold out the bottle and hit the end of the cork firmly. Et voilà! The cork flies off and into the vines to be retrieved as a souvenir.

I’m not sure if this is a ‘Don’t try this at home trick’. I haven’t summoned up the courage or bought a bottle of cheap champagne yet to try the trick. But I will.

Pressoria – A Sensory Visit

Pressoria, just outside Épernay in Aÿ-Champagne, bills itself as ‘A Sensory Journey to the Heart of Champagne’. Which is a pretty bold claim. But Pressoria delivers and in such a way that you can take the family as well.

There are rooms showing you the growth of the vines and the changing seasons in the vineyards; there’s a room for sniffing scents to try to identify them (I managed walnuts but not much else); there are rocks to touch to give you an idea of the subsoil.

You can blend your own champagne and you end in a room surrounded by a screen with images of bubbles and music – all very artistic which everyone loved (except for me).

And of course there’s a tasting at the end.

What to See outside Épernay

It’s all about Champagne

Champagne is associated with the venerable Benedictine monk Dom Pierre Pérignon. This jovial figure (well his statue looks jovial) was the cellar master at the monastery in Hautvillers. He didn’t invent champagne, but in the 1670s was a key figure in the development of the wine.

Today Moët et Chandon produces Dom Pérignon, a sought after vintage champagne. This stipulates that all the grapes used are harvested in the same year; it’s only produced in good years and it is usually released after 8 to 10 years.

Hautvillers

The pretty village of Hautvillers is 6 kms north of Épernay. Small enough to wander around, it’s a good idea to book an English-speaking guide at the tourist office. It may be known today for one thing – champagne production – but once Hautvillers was a thriving little centre full of different shops. Wrought-iron signs hanging from the walls depicting the profession of the owner, vital to a population that couldn’t read or write.  

There’s a good view over the UNESCO World Heritage site vineyards that surround the village from the lower road. Keep walking to a cobbled, steep alley leading up to the Monastery and Abbey. You can only see the monastery from the outside, but you can go into the church where Dom Pierre Pérignon  is buried.  

And a visit to Don Pierre Pérignon’s statue is a must. People come from all over the world to look at this and pay their own particular respects. There’s always a bottle of champagne by his feet and the glass he’s holding is usually full.

More Villages around Épernay

Épernay is located in the vineyards of the three surrounding areas: Montagne de Reims, Côte de Blancs and Vallée de la Marne and there are plenty of villages and vineyards to visit. Check out the Route du champagne at the local tourist office or go online here. The different routes are easy to follow and you can stop and taste at anywhere which has the Acceuil (Welcome) sign outside. Try the smaller vineyards for some real revelations (and less expensive bottles).

Where to Stay

Jean Moët 4-star hotel is right beside the Avenue de Champagne. Rooms are different sized, ranging from the smaller attic rooms to larger rooms; bathrooms are spacious and there’s a view from most rooms of the splendid Épernay Town Hall. From €145 in the low season and €175 in the high season.

We ate at the restaurant but didn’t stay at the top 5-star Royal Champagne Hotel. 47 beautiful huge rooms look out over the vineyards below. Needless to stay this is expensive, from around €560 per night in low season for the cheapest suite to around €900 in the high season. But this is Champagne and this is a superb hotel so if you have the means, go for it! It’s owned by an American couple from Boston who fell in love with France years ago on cycling trips. So it’s something of a labour of love for them.

The Best Western Le Relais du Vigneron is in Vertus, 16 km south of Épernay. Bollinger, Duval-Leroy, Moët & Chandon, Piper-Heidsieck, Roederer, and Taittinger all have vineyards near the village which is one of the highest rated Premier Cru villages of Champagne. It’s a delightful hotel which has been totally renovated. It now has large modern rooms in different buildings in the middle of the village. Good-sized bathrooms, bar and restaurant and friendly and welcoming English-speaking staff. Some rooms have small kitchenettes if you want to cater for yourself.

Where to Eat

Épernay has a lot of good restaurants. Locals drink champagne throughout the meal, so ask for advice if you’re not sure what to order.

La Table Kobus. Centrally located, this was one of the best restaurants I have been to for some time. It’s a pleasant room with a brasserie vibe and excellent waiters with style. The menu is kept to 3 or 4 choices, ranging from truffled foie gras terrine with Reims ham and artichoke chutney on the starters to fish including scallops and cod. Meat dishes include black angus beef, Iberique pork and roast veal. Menus from €27 to €53.

Le P’tit Champenois is part of the Hotel Jean Moët. There’s an entrance from the hotel into the charming restaurant which is heavy on beef or try the chicken supreme. 2-course menu is €27; 3 courses €32.

Le Domaine de Vincine. In central Épernay this small family-run restaurant is bright and cheerful. The small menu changes every 3 weeks and offers simple dishes using local and regional  ingredients. It’s best for lunch.

Le Bellevue Restaurant in the Royal Champagne Hotel. The restaurant is lavish with crystal chandeliers and luxury furniture and a view over the surrounding vineyards. Dishes are sophisticated; wine list is superb. There’s a lunch time menu at €45; otherwise starters hover around €25 and main dishes from €33 to €75 (for lobster).

La Cave à Champagne is a pretty restaurant. In the centre of Épernay, it has an impressive Champagne list (as you’d expect). Expect good, rustic regional dishes which are not for the faint-hearted and are good value. There’s a menu at €25.

Le Théatre Restaurant is one of the town’s oldest brasseries, housed in a classical building with a delightful décor. Again the chef concentrates on traditional local dishes. Menus €27 to €50.

Château d’Étoges. This impressive château is just outside Épernay. It’s a hotel and spa and offers good value breaks. There are 2 restaurants, a casual bistro and the more serious Orangerie. Menus from €58 to €78.

When to visit

Épernay is an all-year round destination. Undoubtedly it is at its best from Spring to late Autumn, but it has a very special event in December which I urge you to try to attend. Les Habits de Lumière takes place over the second weekend. I went last year; it was enormous fun.

This year Les Habits de Lumière in Épernay runs from Dec 8-10, 2023.

Practical Information

Épernay Tourist Information
Moët et Chandon Tour
Champagne Wine and Regional Archaeology Museum
Épernay Helium Balloon Ride
Pressoria

More to see and do in Champagne

Champagne Houses to visit in Reims
Voltaire, his lover and the Château de Cirey in Champagne

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By Fiona Quinn

Check out where to stay on Ile de Ré. Accommodation on Ile de Ré is a mix of campsites, self-catering homes and apartments, and a smattering of small boutique hotels.

Here I highlight a few of the inexpensive options. See at the end for a few suggestions of more expensive accommodation.

Why choose Ile de Ré?

Ile de Ré, the delightful island just off the French Atlantic coast town of La Rochelle and in Poitou-Charente, is a wonderful place for a holiday. Hire a bicycle, pedal around the little villages and chill out.

Ile de Ré Hotels

Hotel de Ré

For a family with little ones, the Hotel de Ré in Sainte Marie is a good bet. It has a pool and a small restaurant where breakfast is served. The bright, colourful rooms surround the pool area or the garden with kids playground; most have terraces. All include air-conditioning, and you can book certain rooms with pull-out sofas or suites with a dining/cooking area. This is one of the best places for accommodation on Ile de Ré.

Hotel Le Galion

Tucked away at the end of St-Martin overlooking Parc de la Barbette and lighthouse, this traditional ivy-covered French hotel with pastel shutters has 29 airy rooms. Most are decorated with fresh coastal decor and have an ocean view or face Fort Vauban. Translated as a galleon, the ship theme continues in the public spaces. When the weather’s fine, you can have breakfast on the terrace.

Ile de Ré Camping

For families, a French campsite stay makes entertaining the kids so easy. A five-star resort often has everything from several pools, sporting areas and restaurants to activities such as poolside exercise classes and evening entertainment.

Sites with fewer stars will generally have a pool, onsite shop and restaurant but may lack the range of activities. However, most sites have a variety of accommodation types to suit all budgets from basic spots to set up your tent to glamping-style cabins.

Camping Le Cormoran

Considered one of the best campsites on the island, this five-star plot near the village of Ars-en-Ré is nestled in the forest alongside the beach. Spread over 7 hectares, the upscale facilities include a spa and 2 heated pools overlooking vineyards. Accommodation is in wooden cabin-tents for 2 or 4, and static caravans from basic to luxury for up to 8 people.

Camping Le Suroit

A less expensive option is Camping Le Suroit, just a short walk from Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré beach and the popular market in the centre of town. Guests use one of two pools, with an indoor pool that’s popular with small kids if you want to stay out of the sun. There’s also a cafe-restaurant where you can enjoy an aperitif on the sofa, order a pizza, or join in the occasional evening entertainment.

There are no budget hotels in the big chain groups on Ile de Ré but there are some in La Rochelle which is the departure point for the island. Check out the budget chain hotels here.

If you’re going for more upmarket accommodation, we recommend the Relais et Châteaux Hotel de Toiras in St-Martin, and its sister hotel, Villa Clarisse. South of St-Martin and on the sea, Le Bois-Plage has the delightful Les Bois Flottant.

More about Ile de Ré

Here’s more about fabulous Ile de Ré from Fiona Quinn. Read what she recommends: What to do, what to see, how to get there and what to shop for.

Ile de Ré Tourist Information

About guest writer, Fiona Quinn

Fiona Quinn is a francophile travel writer and editor. She’s lived in France on and off during the past 30 years, including as a student in Paris, ski saisonnaire in Savoie and Haute Savoie, and a home-owner in sunflower-filled Charente. 
Check out her website

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How to budget for an inexpensive holiday

It’s a no-brainer. Book overnight stays in budget hotel chains in France and you’ll have more money for the other great things. Like lunches in small bistros and dinners in posh restaurants; world-class museums to see and sights to visit. Here’s a guide to the chains worth looking at and tips on what to expect.

Categories of budget hotels

In the budget hotel chains in France there are two main choices, depending on the level of comfort you want. Either go for the 1-star category chains or go a little more upmarket with 2-star category hotels.

Rates

As with airline tickets, rates change almost daily. If you know in advance where you will be when, book as early as possible to get the best rates. There are other things to look out for. For instance, you’ll find that the closer to the center of any city, the more expensive the hotel.

French Regulations

France has a strict, government-run star system and equally strict inspection laws. But you can still find some fairly bad 1-star, individually owned and run hotels. If you stick to the chains you’ll be guaranteed a good deal, though many of them lack any great character.

PLEASE excuse the images. I have included some pictures of the budget hotel chains in France, but they are not generally inspiring. So I went off piste to include a few city shots.

You might be staying on the outskirts, but you should visit the old parts of the city you’re staying in. Justification enough!

Of course if you’re just passing through on your speedy way north, south, east or west to wherever your final destination is, the last thing you’ll want to do is spend time sightseeing. But you could always consider finding a central restaurant for dinner. That way you get the best of both worlds.

1-star hotel chains

All the hotel chains in this category offer good value for money. They have a variety of rooms, plus family rooms for up to 4 people. They offer key access if you arrive late and the reception desk is closed. They start from about 30€ per room per night for 2 people.

They are located near railway stations, airports and on the outskirts of cities. The architecture is pretty basic, but they are clean and well managed. If you’ve booked and are on an autoroute, look out for the right signs to get off!

hotel f1

hotelf1 started life as Formula 1 then took the trendy path and changed its name and upped its product. But it’s still great value for money. Owned by the giant French Accor group, it’s over 30 years old and has over 170 hotels throughout France.

This chain is one of the cheapest in France. The accommodation is pretty simple but every room has a bed with bedding (beds are not made up, and microfiber towels can be bought for 3€ each), a washbasin, table and chairs. The shower/WC area is nearby.

If you’re after something a little more upmarket, book a premium room. You get your own bathroom and made-up beds. Rooms for 2 have a double or twin bed; if you book for 3 you’ll be in bunk beds. There are hostel style rooms taking up to 6 people.  I’ve stayed on an industrial zone just outside Chartres with a fast food Courte Paille restaurant a few steps away.

They provide a basic breakfast buffet of hot drinks, cereals and orange juice, bread, butter, jam and chocolate for 3.50€ per person.
Cost of the room is from 30€ to 50€ per night for 2 people, less off season.

Check out the hotelf1 website here

Premiere Classe

Premiere Classe is part of the international Louvre group and part of Starwood Capital. They also own Campanile Hotels and Kyriad in the budget range.

Premiere Classe have 195 hotels in France. They are upgrading some of their hotels, offering rooms with private showers, flat screen tvs and made-up beds. Again rooms are small but basic, with double or twin rooms, and a table and chair in each.

Buffet breakfast of hot drinks, cereals and orange juice, bread, butter, jam and chocolate is available for 5.90€ per person in the eating areas.
Cost of the rooms are from 30€ to 55€ per night for 2 people, less off season.

Check the Premiere Classe website here

2-star hotel chains

You’re going a bit more upmarket (and paying a bit more) for 2-star hotels.

Ace Hotels

Ace Hotels has 80 hotels. Like many of the cheaper chains, they are purpose-built and many are located outside the centre. Sound proofed and air-conditioned rooms are available. All have large beds, colour TVs, desks and a chair, ensuite bathrooms with shower, washbasin and WC and free Wi-Fi. There’s 24-hour reception and free parking.
Cost of the rooms start at 56€.

Check out all the Ace Hotels here.

P.S. They have one in Arras which is the reason for the above photo. Check the Arras Ace hotel out here.

B&B Hotels

B&B Hotels have 279 hotels in France, with most of them around Paris and in the south along the Mediterranean coastline. The décor is simple but pretty and all rooms have an en-suite bathroom with shower and toilet, a writing area and chair, colour TV, free WiFi and parking. 
Buffet breakfast is 6.85€.
Cost of the rooms start at 40€ but most of their hotels are more than this .

There’s a B&B Hotel in Biot, a charming small fortified village near Antibes. Check out the Antibes/Biot B&B hotel here.

Ibis Budget Hotels

Again, part of the giant Accor groups, all the 438 Ibis Budget hotels are now upgraded with contemporary smart décor. Rooms have a double bed and bunk bed, en-suite bathrooms with shower, washbasin and WC. Rooms have a writing shelf and chair; colour TVs and free WiFi.
Buffet breakfast is 9€.
Cost of the rooms is more than other in this 2-star category beginning from 65€ per room.

Check out the Ibis Budget Hotel site here.

Like the other chains, pick your city and you’ll find an Ibis Budget Hotel. Book at Reims and save money for all that bubbly. Check out the Champagne houses in Reims here.

FastHotels

Not part of Accor, the small chain FastHotel has 80 hotels in France. Differing in size they have rooms for 1 to 3 people with overhead bunk beds in the larger rooms. En-suite bathroom have a washbasin, shower and WC and there’s a desk and chair, colour TVs, and free WiFi.
Buffet breakfast is from 6€.
Cost of rooms starts at 45€.

Check out the FastHotel site here.

P.S. There’s one in Caen just near the Normandy D-Day Landing Beaches. Check the Fasthotel Caen hotel here.

(If you’re after a more luxurious hotel on this stretch of coast, read my article on best places to stay near the beaches.)

More suggestions

University Rooms

This is a fun idea though choices are limited and I have not had a lot of success booking in France. But give it a try.

Universities throughout France offer rooms during the vacation which is mainly June to September. So if you want to get that student vibe, try the site.

They are available in Paris and also in Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Caen, Clermont Ferrand, La Rochelle, Lyon, Mâcon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nancy, Nice, Nîmes, Perpignan, Reims, Tours, Troyes and Valbonne. If you’re coming for a long stay it’s ideal, though you can also book one night at some of them.

Check out the University Rooms site here.

And think about…

Logis Hotels

Check out the famous French Logis Hotels chain. Logis Hotels are not included in the budget hotel chains in France but they offer some of the best value for money.

With over 2,200 hotels in France the marketing organisation is very well organised. All its hotels are individually owned and reliably good. Many of them have excellent restaurants serving local produce. They have different categories of hotels, from Logis Bacchus (vineyard logis) to family friendly Logis Famille.

They vary in price considerably, as well as in star ratings, etc. But they will be more expensive than the budget hotel chains above.

They produce an annual guide which you can pick up in any of the Logis hotels for free. It’s become my bible for looking for smaller hotels in France and I never leave home without it.

Check out the Logis Hotel site here.

And finally…

Late booking sites for those last minute decisions for hotel rooms in France:
Check out lastminute.com

Check out Budget Hotels in Antibes here

Two more cheap hotel ranges:
Campanile
Kyriad

For more tips on saving money while travelling in Europe, check out The View from Chelsea: 12 Top Ways to Save Money on City Stays in Europe

The post Budget Hotel Chains in France appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

I drove round the Normandy D-Day Landing beaches on a 5-day research trip with my partner. Our hotels near the D-Day landing beaches are based on this trip and I have added a couple more recommended by friends.

There’s so much accommodation, hotels and charming bed and breakfast manor houses in Normandy I’ve only covered a fraction. You’ll have your own picks and I’d love to hear about your recommendations. So please do send them and I’ll try to get to them on my next trip.

This selection of hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation near the Normandy D-Day landing beaches runs from the Cotentin Peninsula and Utah Beach in the west along to Caen in the east.

Near Utah Beach on the Cotentin Peninsula

A piece of World War II history

The grey stone 18^th-century Château de Quinéville on the east side of the Cotentin Peninsula has seen its fair share of World War II history; Rommel, Goering and Goebbels stayed here on an inspection of the Atlantic Wall. Damaged by bombing during the D-Day landings, it was restored in the 1970s and is now Dutch-owned and run.  

Set in parkland, with a garden where the owners grow bio vegetables for the restaurant, an outdoor pool and a terrace for drinks and dining, there are 32 comfortably furnished rooms in the château and an adjacent building. Fireplaces keep the main public rooms warm in cool weather, there’s a library and bar. It’s a 14-minute walk to the beach.

The east side of the River Douve estuary

Stay in a fortified manor house

The imposing stone Manoir de la Rivière looks as if it could resist any medieval attack a jealous neighbor might have attempted in its past.

We were ushered into a stone-flagged entrance and up to our second-floor room. There are pretty textiles (a passion of Isabelle Leharivel who owns the manor house with her husband Gérard) on the generous beds and at the windows that open onto a rural scene, fireplaces (decorative only) and large beds in the generously sized rooms. Good bathrooms complete the picture.

Downstairs we sat in front of the roaring open fire in the vaulted dining room for a drink before a home-cooked dinner from Isabelle, a 3-course meal vegetables and herbs from the kitchen garden and fish straight off the fishing boats at Grandcamp Maisy.
Breakfast the next morning included unlimited amounts of coffee, freshly baked croissants and brioches, fruit, yoghurt and cooked eggs and ham on the table.

The Leharivels have been here around 37 years and know the area backwards. They sent us to the nearby La Cambe German cemetery which we would never have found on our own, and advised us on local cheese producers.

Churchill, Eisenhower or Saint-Exupery?

Located at La Cambe between two temporary airfields used by the US Air Force, the Spirit of 1944 really does evoke the past in 3 pretty rooms.

Sir Winston Churchill has a sloping roof, an en-suite shower room, an extra sofa bed and Churchill memorabilia.

Dwight D. Eisenhower is larger with stone walls, a half-timbered ceiling, black and white photos on the walls and US army items.

A large wooden wall with an old map makes Commandant Antoine de Saint Exupery seem like a briefing room. There’s a Victorian roll-top bath and shower in the en-suite bathroom.

All the rooms are fresh and bright, themed to World War II with photos, posters and old maps. It’s very well done, with L’Occitane toiletries, and…nice touch this…The Longest Day and Saving Private Ryan on DVD. More wartime books and DVDs are available from their library.

US war correspondents slept here

Located inland about 17 kms south of Pointe du Hoc and Grandcamp Maisy, the stone Château de Vouilly has real connections to World War II.

Take breakfast in the dining room which was used by General Bradley for one of his press conferences, and sleep in one of the rooms that might have been occupied by Robert Capa, Ernest Hemingway, Walter Cronkite or any of 50 World War II correspondents. They stayed here between June 10 and August 10 in 1944, sending their stories of the D-Day landings via a radio transmitter set up in the park.

Four rooms are comfortably furnished with old-fashioned cupboards, chairs and fittings; 3 have views over the gardens and parklands.

In and around Bayeux

Modest Queen Mathilda hits the spot

There are posher hotels in and around Bayeux (the best known is the 5-star Château Audrieu south east of the city) but we were delighted with the 2-star Hôtel de la Reine Mathilde.

Bayeux can be a bit of a nightmare to drive in and park so the public car park we could see from our window was a godsend. We had a ground floor room in the annexe, looking directly onto the canal. It had a large bed, and a small alcove with an armchair, was decorated in pastel colours and had a very good sized bathroom.

We had a simple dinner and breakfast in the casual bistro which also doubles as a local bar.

Rooms are from 95€ to 180€ but prices vary according to the season/demand.

North of Bayeux

One of the best hotels in Normandy

I first fell in love with the Ferme de la Rançonnière when I was researching about William the Conqueror in Normandy twelve years ago. He was all over this part of Normandy though not here; this gorgeous stone fortified farm only dates back to the 14^th to 15^th century.

Drive through the arched stone – and castellated – entrance into a large courtyard enclosed by buildings. Some are bedrooms, others make up the restaurant and bars and an old cider press.

Our room was on the top floor looking onto the inner courtyard with its tables and chairs and cars instead of horses and carriages.

It was a suite with a room which had a sofa bed and separate toilet and a large bathroom with a bath and shower, a room which was blessedly heated at all times (it was April and cold outside).

The bedroom was huge with an antique cupboard that could have come from Narnia; the dark wood furniture offset with red covers and curtains. All very medieval we decided, though luckily the WiFi was not from the same era.

Dinner in the stone-walled, beamed ceiling room with a huge fireplace at one end was a meal that was fit for a king, or in Normandy’s case, a duke. No wild boar and bones flung onto the floors, but local produce cooked to perfection: scallops, guinea fowl, seasonal vegetables, local Normandy cheeses and imaginative desserts.

We retired to the bar for a nightcap, joining a party of very jolly French and Dutch who were regular visitors.

Breakfast in yet another stone-walled room offered everything we wanted. Then we paid the bill and were astonished that the owner remembered me from all those years ago.

Okay, I have written about the Ferme before, but even so, this ticked the final box for me. Perfect hoteliers, perfect hotel. I’ll be back very soon.

Caen

Central and comfortable in Caen

Centrally located, the Hotel des Quatrans is not much to look at from the outside, but it’s welcoming with helpful staff, has comfortable, newly decorated rooms in modern style and is good value.

There’s a small breakfast room looking out onto the street, and public parking right outside and just across the street.

We ate in the evening at the delightful Le Clou de Girofle at number 12 Rue du Vaugueux on a very good value 20€ menu for 3 courses. The wine list is above-average in quality and not expensive. The street which is wall-to-wall small restaurants and bars is just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel.

More about Normandy

Normandy D-Day Landing Beaches
Normandy Travel Guide
Travel to Normandy
Impressionism and Normandy

We went to Normandy on Brittany Ferries

Book with Brittany Ferries. Regular sailings go from Portsmouth to Caen, Le Havre and Cherbourg as well as from Poole to Cherbourg. The best of all the ferry companies, their overnight sailings are more like a mini cruise.

We took the 8.15am morning ferry from Portsmouth which arrives in the French port of Ouistrehem (Caen) at 3pm and returned on the 4.15pm ferry from Caen which arrives in Portsmouth at 8.15pm.

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