We're planning on traveling through mid and east France in September at a leisurely pace. Will we be able to find rooms without prior reservations? Any advice would be greatly appreciated?
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
784 posts
I know there are people who sucessfully travel through Europe without reservations, but my preference is to book ahead. I don't like having to spend time looking for a place and if any special requirements are needed, it could be difficult to get them without prior arrangement. B&Bs (Chambre d'hote) are especially hard to locate in France if you don't know where they are. With a little preplanning with some good maps, it isn't hard to plan a route and book hotels in advance and still maintain a leisurely pace.
Posted by
white plains, ny, usa
4140 posts
I think Carolyn hits the nail on the head . We just returned from England and Scotland on just the sort of trip that you are suggesting . Things there are pretty much the same everywhere , The point is that there are many travelers of a certain age , like us , who now have the ability to do this , and getting last minute accommodation is a lot harder to do than when we would jaunt off to Maine in the seventies . We do what Carolyn suggests -- prepare an itinerary that enables you to book 48 to 72 hours in advance and play it that way . I assume you will have a car and that will certainly give you greater flexibility .
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
I think this depends on you. Are you flexible about lodging?
If so I think that outside of Paris you can travel this way with reasonable confidence on September. Worst case, which is unlikely: You drive to the next town.
The routine of calling to reserve the morning of works well. Of course you need a reliable guidebook or two.