Driving through France with a stop or two on the way is a great way to get to your holiday in the Ariège.
You can spend less time on the motorways and enjoy the beautiful varied scenery of france. You can take a picnic and stop for lunches at the roadside “aires” which provide picnic tables and grassy areas, or find a roadside cafe for a snack.
If the fancy takes you, you can stop in a town or a chateau on the way!
Overnight Stops – Camping or Hotels?
If you are travelling with children the long hours of driving can be hard on everyone, and camping on the way can be a fun solution so that you arrive relaxed and comfortable at your destination.
Camping sites of every kind are are plentiful in France, both privately owned and those run by local councils.
Nearly every town and many villages have municipal campsites nearby (campings municipaux) with all the facilities, often including swimming pools and restaurants. The prices are low, and few have a booking facility so you just turn up. If they are full it’s not usually far to find the next one. However, it is advisable to check whether they are open if out of high Season in Summer.
Click here to go to camping-municipal.org
The website lists all of the Municipal campsites in France by region. You can folllow the links in the maps to find out more, where you will often find more links to other local campsites and amenities – including hotels if you are travelling out of the camping season!
Autumn, Winter & Spring – or you just don’t like camping!
Hotel chains in France for overnight stops are plentiful too, both cheap and luxury options are available country-wide. It is advisable to book ahead if you are planning a stay during the summer months. Some have a flexible cancellation policy allowing you to change your booking up to check-in day.
Here are links to a few hotel chains in aphabetical order without any preference:
Campanile
Etap
Formule 1
Novotel
Premiere Classe
Enjoy your trip! – And if you have stayed somewhere you really enjoyed, you can tell us about it by commenting below 🙂