Has anyone used these hotels in France? Normally I drive the 650 miles from Bath to central France in a day but with two drivers. Her ladyship does not want to travel this time so I'm going on my own and need a night on the way. I refuse to use the west country ferry routes so I thought I would book into the Formula 1 hotel in Abbeville, about one hour from Calais. However the cost seems ridiculously cheap at 30 euros. What is the catch, if any?
Thanks
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No catch;room has 3 beds but facilities are shared between 4 rooms and,dependent on the time,there may be no staff,you check in and out with a credit card.
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Said this before. Nothing wrong with Formule 1 for a basic sleep. Stayed in many but now prefer to forego the mattresses with a plastic cover (who do they expect in there?) for a B & B (brand name not bed and breakfast) for a few euros more and scrambled eggs of a sort for breakfast.
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Premiere Classe Hotels give you a private bathroom as well for about the same price - just as budget, but one mod con!
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Some of them are en-suite, facilities vary in each location (as does price). Try a Premier Classe instead, few Euros more but nicer rooms, or, if you want to go up from that, Campanille.
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Never stayed in one but heard some horror stories and therefore never would.
It comes down to expectations: as already pointed out there are other budget chains with better facilites.
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They are basic and one I stayed in had shared loos and showers -rather too basic for us. Also no restaurant or bar. There are various other chains which offer more comfort but are more expensive, but still cheap and v good value for money compared to British hotels.
Have a browse through these (a couple are mentioned above)
www.hotel-bb.com/index.phtml?NumLangue=2
www.etaphotel.com/etaphotel/index.html
www.ibishotel.com/ibis/gb/decouvrez/index.shtml
www.envergure.fr/kyriadfr.html
www.envergure.fr/campanilefr.html
www.envergure.fr/pclassefr.html
None will cost you more than about £40 a night (and remember French hotels are priced per room not per person).
For something a bit different near Abbeville (in the charming little holiday place at the mouth of the Somme - St Valery sur Somme) try this
relaisguillaumedenormandy.akeonet.com/
Rooms are a bit "shabby chic" but fantastic views over Baye de Somme and a great and reasonable menu
Or have a look here
www.logis-de-france.fr/fr/recherch/index-ca.htm
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Phil
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PS Etap at Abbeville is relatively new, just by motorway and only 40 euros per night with ensuite facilities - difficult to beat!
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Phil
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If you have ever been 'inside'courtesy of Her Majesty you will feel at home in a Formel 1.
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So tell us how you know TL!!! I'm intrigued!! ;-)
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Phil
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I have stayed at the Formel 1 at St Malo a few times when i did not know any better and i've watched a lot of Porridge.Monsieur,please can we have your bootlaces,tie and belt,oh and be careful in the showers.
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We've stayed in nearly 200 different French hotels - chains at all price levels, Logis de France, etc.
Best value, I reckon, is Etap - cheap, basic but comfortable, satellite tv, cheap continental breakfast and usually have free parking.
They are part of the Accor hotels chain, which has a website which you can use to check locations and pre-book.
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I definitely support Etap. We quickly found this chain was inexpensive, but more than adequate when you are en voyage. However, for stays of more than a couple of nights we still trust our instincts and find an unpretentious private hotel.
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Campanile,not the cheapest but good rooms,a proper bath and,at all the ones I've stayed in,good,not just acceptable,food.
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Typical. He came in looking for a Perodua and now you are trying to flog him a Honda Jazz. Formule 1 will do the job provided you don't mind sleeping on an industrial estate and sharing automatic loos and showers and that large stain on the carpet. I've used them in France and Belgium and they are fine as long as you don't want to hang around. All the others have their own loos afaik. Ibis or Campanile, with its own (overpriced) restaurants, on a better class of business park are quite another matter and near enough twice as much. The only real answer is to say try the Formule 1 for yourself once. It is the budget member of the Etape family so the same website carries plenty of alternatives.
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Avoid these places if you are a light sleeper, or take ear plugs. The walls are paper thin, and so you hear everything.
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There's a Formule 1 in Peterborough (just round from BCA Car Auctions) which I've glanced at a few times. I'd rather be tempted to use a park bench if it's not raining...
In France, the Campanile chain is ok if somewhat anonymous. Why not seek out a Routières establishment - usually excellent food and much more a 'taste of France'.
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Fomula 1 hotels do what they say on the tin - they're a very basic room for the night for the lowest price offered by the Accor group and nothing more.
That said, I've not used them myself, preferring to spend a little more on an Ibis or Novotel.
If you visit the Accorhotels website and search by location, you'll get a comparison of all the chains available near Calais when you're travelling. The different brands have different price strucutres (e.g. Ibis is cheaper on weekends than midweek) which may mean that, for your intended stay, an Etap (for example) might be a better deal.
Also, you often find two or more sister chains located close together, so you can always stay in one and eat in the restaurant of the other if you prefer.
Bon route!
- Gromit
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Looked at one when touring about 12 years ago, very basic then, preferred Campanile or Climat, the latter had some really characterful hotels including one very interesting building in the middle of Paris and very cheap.
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Have stayed in Formula1 hotels all over France, have even stayed in one in Sydney, and although they are basic, they are clean tidy and well kept. there are usually resturants nearby for a good meal. have also stayed in Villages hotel,(not as abundant) as well, they are basically same as an F1 but have ensuite facilites. have no problems with recommendong them as somehere to just break up a journey
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Thanks for all the replies. I am going to try Formula 1 on this occasion. If it's not up to my needs then I will choose one of the other many recommendations next time. However, I have modest needs, as long as I can get something to eat nearby and the room is comfortable then I shall be happy. My military training had me sleeping in some pretty basic places so I am sure it will be fine.
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Off the original query a little, but do nay of you know if there is a French budget chain that does family rooms allowing 2 adults and 2 kids to stay in one room?
Etap and Ibis only seem to offer 2+1 rooms - and 2 rooms is getting pricey.
Dan
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Doh
just tried the BB link and answered ny own question.
edit button?
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Campaniles have gone up in price and their food has gone down in quality and up in price over the last decade.
I now recommend Logis de France (but you are up a level from Formule 1) which are not iirc a chain, but have a large book full of generally family-run hotels offering excellent cooking and characterful rooms for no more money than a Campanile.
But that's the Mondeo TDCi, not the Panda that you asked for!
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Logis de France - my short-term accommodation of choice. You can find them on the web these days (to check prices and vacancies)and so don't really need the little green book anymore. Dinner is usually served by le patron in the evening (and probably after he's bought the ingredients and cooked them too.) I've always found such a meal a great deal.
But, France being France, I'd suggest always book by fax not email - most of them don't seem to use email much.
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If there are 2or 3 of you try these :
www.suite-hotel.com/suitehotel/index.html
not many sites but we found them very good value on the weekend.
As a family of 2 adults and 3 16's, Campanile are fine.
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It was certainly very basic - not even any soap in the room - but it was clean and comfortable.
There was no restaurant but the IBIS next door had one so I went in there and for 14 euros I had a fantastic cold buffet to tuck into followed by roti de porc and a chocolate mouse. I then had a bottle of Chardonnay.
Breakfast in Formula 1 was OK, nice coffee and the bread was fresh. Reminded me a bit of being at school, having to take your dirty tray to the racks at the end.
As someone above said, it does what it says on the tin. Basic but cheap.
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it does what it says on the tin
And not as boring and sanitised as the other F1 !
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- Chocolate mouse sounds interesting! French cuisine, eh? Guess it ate all the cheese..?!
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I travel to France every month, and have tried them all when travelling with my wife too, but as someone else said, B&B is a better bet. Quite a lot more comfortable for little more. I usually do Derby to Middle of Brittany in a day too, and it's a good run, but I swear by the gadget I have got to open the Peage gate automatically and pay the toll. You don't even have to stop, just slow down! I think you can get them for the Dartford crossing too.
You can pick one up at the Peage in Boulogne on the way south, it costs 30 euros to hire, 2 euros a month every month you use it, and your tolls are deducted automatically from the bank. The only snag is you need a french bank account. It's a breeze compared with leaning over or having to get out, especially as my van does not have leccy windows! Mike
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but I swear by the gadget I have got to open the Peage gate automatically and pay the toll.
You don't need a French bank account to get a Liber T transponder. I use my Liverpool Victoria credit card rather than my CCSO account. I can vouch for the joy of having one. It can be a bit disconcerting at first as the barrier doesn't rise until you are about two feet away from it.
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