Stopover Between Calais & Geneva
Discussion
Morning all. As per a previous post in here, we're headed to the Alps next summer and after weighing up all the different options of getting across the channel, I think we're going through the tunnel with an overnight somewhere between Calais and Geneva.
Current plan is to get through the tunnel lunchtime'ish, drive for a few hours and stop over in Reims which is mean to be nice according to friends. If we go with that plan, it'll give us a full day the day after to get down past Geneva (6ish hour drive) so I was wondering whether theres anything en route that would be worth a look? We pass Dijon but not sure if thats worth a stop? How about something in/around Geneva? Just thinking something for a few hours to break up the journey...
Cheers!
Current plan is to get through the tunnel lunchtime'ish, drive for a few hours and stop over in Reims which is mean to be nice according to friends. If we go with that plan, it'll give us a full day the day after to get down past Geneva (6ish hour drive) so I was wondering whether theres anything en route that would be worth a look? We pass Dijon but not sure if thats worth a stop? How about something in/around Geneva? Just thinking something for a few hours to break up the journey...
Cheers!
Where are you headed to in the Alps?
Dijon is nice enough but personally I would not dally if my destination has mountains.
I’m not a massive fan of Geneva (we are exploring it more but it’s a fairly beige city imo given what is close by) but then I love Bern which most Swiss find to be an odd preference….
depending where you re headed I’d divert around the lake and take in the views. Lausanne/montreux way is lovely around the vineyards terraced down to the lake with the Mont Blanc range on the horizon. Easy to get to the chamonix valley from there also.
Annecy is still nice in winter if you did want a destination at the end of a driving day and then on to the alps proper in the morning. If you don’t need to enter Switzerland then why bother? There’s a huge decathlon next to the hyper market in Annemasse if you need last minute clothing and food supplies.
Dijon is nice enough but personally I would not dally if my destination has mountains.
I’m not a massive fan of Geneva (we are exploring it more but it’s a fairly beige city imo given what is close by) but then I love Bern which most Swiss find to be an odd preference….
depending where you re headed I’d divert around the lake and take in the views. Lausanne/montreux way is lovely around the vineyards terraced down to the lake with the Mont Blanc range on the horizon. Easy to get to the chamonix valley from there also.
Annecy is still nice in winter if you did want a destination at the end of a driving day and then on to the alps proper in the morning. If you don’t need to enter Switzerland then why bother? There’s a huge decathlon next to the hyper market in Annemasse if you need last minute clothing and food supplies.
Edited by shirt on Friday 21st November 10:33
As others have said Geneva is pretty beige - stay in the mountains if you can.
We weren't massive fans of Reims, felt too big and was quite deprived in parts. But it was pouring with rain while we were there which may have negatively impacted our view. We did thoroughly enjoy the Tattinger Champagne caves though.
On the direct route, we prefer Dijon and Trois and would happily go back to both. And if you want to take a detour we thoroughly enjoyed Colmar and the wider Alsace region (lots of wine tasting and a 45 min trip to Europa Park in the Black Forest).
Also watch your speed in Switzerland, don't ask me how I know !!!
We weren't massive fans of Reims, felt too big and was quite deprived in parts. But it was pouring with rain while we were there which may have negatively impacted our view. We did thoroughly enjoy the Tattinger Champagne caves though.
On the direct route, we prefer Dijon and Trois and would happily go back to both. And if you want to take a detour we thoroughly enjoyed Colmar and the wider Alsace region (lots of wine tasting and a 45 min trip to Europa Park in the Black Forest).
Also watch your speed in Switzerland, don't ask me how I know !!!
JQ said:
We weren't massive fans of Reims, felt too big and was quite deprived in parts. But it was pouring with rain while we were there which may have negatively impacted our view. We did thoroughly enjoy the Tattinger Champagne caves though.
Quite like Reims centre but agree parts aren't great. And in August we struggled for a restaurant that wasn't a chain.Epernay is lovely, lots of champagne vineyards to potter about.
Slightly further south we used to stop in Mesnil-St-Pere in our motorhome. Only mention it because the lake is good for a swim.
My parents lived in Versoix, just east of Geneva on the north shore, for a few years, back in the 90's.
I drove there several times from northern England and concur that Dijon is an obvious and quite pleasant stopover.
Also, the drive over the Jura range is way more appealing than using the autoroute for the second part of the journey.
Geneva is a pretty sterile city - and was/is terrifyingly expensive. The museum of horology is interesting, of course. That said, close by, is Lausanne, Montreux (Chateau de Chillon), Chamonix and Mont Blanc. The Mer de Glace is just amazing.
I drove there several times from northern England and concur that Dijon is an obvious and quite pleasant stopover.
Also, the drive over the Jura range is way more appealing than using the autoroute for the second part of the journey.
Geneva is a pretty sterile city - and was/is terrifyingly expensive. The museum of horology is interesting, of course. That said, close by, is Lausanne, Montreux (Chateau de Chillon), Chamonix and Mont Blanc. The Mer de Glace is just amazing.
DaveyBoyWonder said:
Morning all. As per a previous post in here, we're headed to the Alps next summer and after weighing up all the different options of getting across the channel, I think we're going through the tunnel with an overnight somewhere between Calais and Geneva.
Current plan is to get through the tunnel lunchtime'ish, drive for a few hours and stop over in Reims which is mean to be nice according to friends. If we go with that plan, it'll give us a full day the day after to get down past Geneva (6ish hour drive) so I was wondering whether theres anything en route that would be worth a look? We pass Dijon but not sure if thats worth a stop? How about something in/around Geneva? Just thinking something for a few hours to break up the journey...
Cheers!
Alsace is very pretty, especially Riqwihr we normally get an earlier crossing and stop there. Current plan is to get through the tunnel lunchtime'ish, drive for a few hours and stop over in Reims which is mean to be nice according to friends. If we go with that plan, it'll give us a full day the day after to get down past Geneva (6ish hour drive) so I was wondering whether theres anything en route that would be worth a look? We pass Dijon but not sure if thats worth a stop? How about something in/around Geneva? Just thinking something for a few hours to break up the journey...
Cheers!
When I do it I've stopped at Reims and Troyes but generally just in a cheap hotel next to the motorway. Both are nice enough cities though if you want an explore. I think where you stop is influenced to some extent by where in the UK you set off from. I'm generally Manchester so there to tunnel, across and down to Reims is a long day. Coming from the South coast and Troyes is doable.
I also sometimes get the night ferry Hull to Rotterdam which might be an idea if north based too.
If you do just want a nice overnight then you could also have a look at the Logis de France website, you filter by hotels with good restaurants, spas etc.
I also sometimes get the night ferry Hull to Rotterdam which might be an idea if north based too.
If you do just want a nice overnight then you could also have a look at the Logis de France website, you filter by hotels with good restaurants, spas etc.
Thanks all - food for thought. Heard from a few people that Geneva is a bit plain so probably give that a swerve.
Will be coming down from Yorkshire so plan for day 1 is drive to the tunnel > through the tunnel > drive for a few more hours so that kinda puts us at Reims. We'll only likely be there for the night, bite to eat and then if theres not a lot to see we'll be heading south first thing in the morning. Will have a look at the options above for a diversion/stop-off!
Will be coming down from Yorkshire so plan for day 1 is drive to the tunnel > through the tunnel > drive for a few more hours so that kinda puts us at Reims. We'll only likely be there for the night, bite to eat and then if theres not a lot to see we'll be heading south first thing in the morning. Will have a look at the options above for a diversion/stop-off!
I quite like Reims, the main drag is not somewhere you'll want to eat as mostly overpriced tourist food. Look for Brasserie le Boulingrin which is a 5 min walk away and a proper French Bistro (must book though).
The Cathedral is stunning and free!
The town centre Holiday Inn is actually nice for an overnight, has secure parking (a bit tight but ok) and a rooftop bar with a nice view of the city.
The Cathedral is stunning and free!
The town centre Holiday Inn is actually nice for an overnight, has secure parking (a bit tight but ok) and a rooftop bar with a nice view of the city.
Big E 118 said:
I quite like Reims, the main drag is not somewhere you'll want to eat as mostly overpriced tourist food. Look for Brasserie le Boulingrin which is a 5 min walk away and a proper French Bistro (must book though).
The Cathedral is stunning and free!
The town centre Holiday Inn is actually nice for an overnight, has secure parking (a bit tight but ok) and a rooftop bar with a nice view of the city.
Cheers - think Reims is definitely looking like the place for an night on the way down so I'll check the restaurant. I think the Holiday Inn is what a mate has recommended to me (next to the station?). We'll be in the van but think theres disabled parking outside so that should be ok.The Cathedral is stunning and free!
The town centre Holiday Inn is actually nice for an overnight, has secure parking (a bit tight but ok) and a rooftop bar with a nice view of the city.
From Yorkshire what is the cost of the ferry vs tunnel and hire car?
Rotterdam to Lausanne is 8.5hrs I’ve done it both ways many times. It’s not a bad drive either, all the speed cameras are literally signposted, you’ll clear the motorway by mid afternoon and then there’s some nice routes and places to eat over the Jura.
Rotterdam to Lausanne is 8.5hrs I’ve done it both ways many times. It’s not a bad drive either, all the speed cameras are literally signposted, you’ll clear the motorway by mid afternoon and then there’s some nice routes and places to eat over the Jura.
DaveyBoyWonder said:
Cheers - think Reims is definitely looking like the place for an night on the way down so I'll check the restaurant. I think the Holiday Inn is what a mate has recommended to me (next to the station?). We'll be in the van but think theres disabled parking outside so that should be ok.
Holiday Inn central isn't next to the station (a few mins away) and I don't think has parking outside. If you don't need off street parking there are a plenty of chain hotels that are fine, Mercure/Ibis/Best Western in the town. All perfectly acceptable for an overnight stay.This weekend I'm heading to Malbuisson, about an hour from Geneva. I have stayed many times at the family run Hotel Le Florence in St Quentin - about 40 minutes west of Reims. The hotel is fabulous value & in the heart of the town (arrive early & there's free parking). It's nice not to stay on a trading estate & you can have a beer in a town square. A couple of miles off the autoroute.
As others have said, the Jura mountains are amazing at all times of the year. Driving is great. Love Lake Geneva, some cracking villages, often see lovely cars at the weekend. Checkout the vineyards between Lausanne & Montreux - they are a World Heritage Site. If you're into rugby, there's a ground opposite UEFA's HQ at Nyon - I watched Switzerland v Sweden (!) with Mont Blanc in the background...
As others have said, the Jura mountains are amazing at all times of the year. Driving is great. Love Lake Geneva, some cracking villages, often see lovely cars at the weekend. Checkout the vineyards between Lausanne & Montreux - they are a World Heritage Site. If you're into rugby, there's a ground opposite UEFA's HQ at Nyon - I watched Switzerland v Sweden (!) with Mont Blanc in the background...
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