Hotels - Champagne and Lucerne

[blueST]

Need some advice on what is surely a well driven path....

We are driving down to Umbria in a couple of weeks and need to sort a couple of stop-overs on route. We fancy somewhere in the Champagne region of France and Lucerne in Switzerland. It'll only be one or two nights at each place and I can only run to cheap/medium pricing, certainly under £100 per night average. We'd like somewhere we can easily walk out for a meal etc. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks

[heebeegeetee]

Don't have any specific recommendations, other than i like to use the Logis de france website for er, France. The half board aka db&b options are good value for money, and booking is easy online.

I stopped overnight in Lucerne about 20 years ago. What a stunningly beautiful place. Always meant to go back but still haven't managed it yet.

[RainerM]

Hallo,
Logis de France are always good, at least in our experience.
Lucerne:
have a look here

http://www.luzern.org/en/privacy.cfm?

or here:

http://www.centralswitzerland.ch/index_en.php

Enjoy your trip :-))

Rainer-CH

[porkanut]

Hi

for the Champagne area take a look at Chateau Etoges its reasonably pricey but a nice location & decent food.

Cheers
PN

[TimCrighton]

http://www.sawdays.co.uk/ You generally can't go wrong with a Sawdays...

http://www.sawdays.co.uk/search/display.php?PlaceI...

[blueST]

Wow, thanks for the ideas.

Logis de France - Now why didn't I think of that, there must be one on every street. Top marks for missing the wood for trees there.

I have emailed Chateau Etoges, it looks beautiful but may be slightly too expensive.

I wil look at the Sawdays and Swiss stuff later, unfortunately my employer requires my undivided attention for the next 8 hours.

Appreciate the pointers.

[Black Frog]

Always stop at Reims - use the Mercure Cathedral - secure parking, good standard rooms and within your budget. 5 min walk to loads of restaurants/bars etc

In Lucerne, try Hotel Aulac - stayed there a year or so back on route to southern tuscany...great restaurant and beautiful view over the lake which is 100 yards away..get top floor balcony room if you can!

BF

[blueST]

Black Frog said:

Always stop at Reims - use the Mercure Cathedral - secure parking, good standard rooms and within your budget. 5 min walk to loads of restaurants/bars etc

In Lucerne, try Hotel Aulac - stayed there a year or so back on route to southern tuscany...great restaurant and beautiful view over the lake which is 100 yards away..get top floor balcony room if you can!

BF

I'd already spotted the Hotel Au Lac but dismissed as it it looked a bit too far from town. What's do you think?

[Mrs_T]

For the true champagne experience stay in Epernay, heart of the Champagne Region. There are plenty of places to stay in and around Epernay to suit all budgets. Try the Ibis for a central location and secure parking (2 minute walk to restaurants, Champagne Houses and bars), The Villa Eugene for a touch of something a bit more modern (located at the emd of the Avenue de Champagne, beautiful rooms and an outdoor pool), in the village of Ay there is the stunning Hotel Castel Jeanson (amazing parking!, quiet location plus a heated indoor pool). The owner is a champagne producer (Champagne Goutorbe Pere & Fils) whose wife speaks perfect English. Try the Rose, it's fabulous!. For a great B&B try the Clos Raymi. Full details of all these places to stay are here.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g187136-Epernay_...

First port of call should be the tourist information centre located opposite Moet. They will provide you with a map and loads of useful info about the places to visit. Moet, Perriet Jouet, Mercier and Castellane all offer tasting and tours to the public so you can sample different cuvees and find out what you like. My next suggestion would be to get out into the surrounding villages and stop at some smaller producers as often their champagnes are amazing and much cheaper. The really good Champagnes are often not exported. My personal favourites are :- Michael Gonet in Avize, Guy Charbaut in Mareuil sur Ay and Nicholas Feuilatte is well worth visiting to see the whole process in action.

Have a wonderful trip. The restaurant Le Sardaigne is very popular with the locals, not expensive and one to visit.

Edited by Mrs_T on Sunday 17th August 12:21

[blueST]

Well, made some bookings based on the reccomendations on this thread. Have booked Villa Eugene (Superior room no less!) in Epernay (thanks Mrs_T) and Hotel Au Lac in Lucerne (thanks Black Frog). It's cost me a bit more than I thought, but you only get one honeymoon, so I'm told. In addition to that I had already booked a villa in Umbria and a hotel in Antibes.

Want to get back from Antibes to the In-Law's house in Normandy via the Millau viaduct, so will probably need one more hotel somewhere. And then I've got to work out how i'm going to pay for the super unleaded......

Thanks for all the tips, some really nice suggestions there.

[blueST]

Just like to say thanks for all the advice. Stayed in the Villa Eugene (Epernay), which was fabulous and the Hotel Au Lac (Lucerne), both suggested on here, and both great. In France we stayed in a Logis (also suggested in this thread) in Antibes which was great too.

Thanks for contributing to us having a great honeymooon. Have a big from me and the new Mrs.