Overnight stay in France (midway between Calais and Roanne)

[De Sisti]

I have booked to take part in the Semaine Federale in Roanne, France, this year and intend to travel
via the Eurotunnel in my car. The drive down to Roanne will be up to 8 hours and my intention is to break
up the journey and stay somewhere around the halfway distance (+/-) between the two locations.

Can someone recommend a place where they have stayed and had an ok night's sleep without any
issues? I'm not looking for five-star luxury, nor a dive. Ideally I would book a room for both legs of
my journey.

(Mods: feel free to put this where you think most appropriate).

[rr]

We've stayed here several times, good and comfortable.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FRzCckqHbaNqcLUTA

[De Sisti]

@RR, Thanks for the tip. I dithered for a few days and only managed to book a room for the outward
leg of my journey (it would have been so convenient to have the return leg at the same place).

[De Sisti]

We've stayed here several times, good and comfortable.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FRzCckqHbaNqcLUTA

Thank you for your recommedation. I stayed for one night and was totally delighted with the place.
The lady in charge was the most pleasant host I have come across. She made me feel so welcome
and could not have done any more for me. I was accomodated on the ground floor (which was
perfect for me) and had a splendid room. Breakfast was a feast. I have already completed some
feedback for the hotel (they have nothing to worry about; I gave them 5* for everything).

Semaine Federale was good too. Lots of riding and met a shed-load of wonderful people.

The only slight negative point was all of the driving. I covered 1,554 miles (door-to-door). For all
future visits to take part in the event I will draw a mythical line across the belly of France
and only drive to the events above the 'demarcation'.

[rr]

Glad it is still good.

[Adam]

A friend of mine did the Semaine Federale and went by train as he didn't want that long drive.

Next year it's in Orléans, so much nearer to the UK.

[De Sisti]

A friend of mine did the Semaine Federale and went by train as he didn't want that long drive.

Next year it's in Orléans, so much nearer to the UK.

I can't travel with a minimum amount of stuff, so car travel is preferable. Next year no overnight
stay will be necessary.

[andyoxon]

We stayed in, what was the Golden Tulip (& Novotel before that), now Campanile Troyes Nord (Barberey), in Troyes a few times (last 2018), on way back to Calais from Chamonix area...  Always went into Troyes to eat, as hotel/motel seemed overpriced foodwise.  Did the job.  They did have a small pool at the time, which was good.

[De Sisti]

On the way back I stayed in Troyes. The temperature was well over 30 degrees, so venturing into
town for food and drink (after such a long drive from Roanne) was out of the question. I just made
do with some orange juice and crisps I had in the car (until breakfast the following morning).

The road trip was long and my 22 year-old BMW 320d Touring coped without a hitch.

[John Stonebridge]

We arrived back home in Edinburgh last night having driven the 900 or so miles from Roanne starting on Sunday 12 noon. 

Stopped off at Reims Sun pm and Cambridge Mon pm on the way.  Our cars AC packed in on the day we arrived in Roanne so the journey home was made at 60mph max with the windows down.  Added to that Mrs S was rather unwell all the way home, a positive Covid test on arrival back home confirmed what we had both expected. 

Great base for cycling Roanne, though the memory of the storm on the first Saturday night will never leave me.  Definitely the most terrified I’ve been in many many years. 

[De Sisti]

Great base for cycling Roanne, though the memory of the storm on the first Saturday night will never leave me.  Definitely the most terrified I’ve been in many many years.

Blimey! Glad you escaped the worst of it. I was in a dormitory and I heard it (and had upmost
sympathy for those under canvass).