I'm on a longish trip currently on week 6 of 10 in Europe an just arrived in Arles after doing a long weekend in Dordogne. After a few days here and Avignon I like to spend 5 day +/- a day in the country. Nothing fancy but am a single women in her early thirties looking for well situated and relatively easy to reach by bus or train with a pool. I want a bit more of a relaxed time as in a few weeks I head to Asia for another 10 weeks. Please any suggestions? Note I'm on a budget but willing to spend up to €80/ night.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
So, you're looking for a recommendation of a town in France and a hotel with pool with rooms available next week? From where will you fly to Asia? French Riviera towns get pretty busy in summer, so I'd expand your parameters of what kinds of place you'll take. Hotels near the beach in France won't always have pools. As a back-up plan, Hotel Ibis Centre Gare, near Nice train station has 200 rooms and a pool, www.ibishotel.com. An online hotel search or the resources of the local tourist office may be your best bet.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33847 posts
I like to spend 5 day +/- a day in the country.
What do you mean by "country"? Do you mean countryside? If so, buses and trains will be rare as will be hotels with a pool.
Or do you mean within the country of France?
Where are you staying in Arles and Avignon?
I agree with Laura that trying meet all those goals and meet your budget with less than a week to find a place at this time of the year may be "challenging".
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7942 posts
We've rented a gite, a house in the country, and some come with a pool, but they tend to be for a week at a time and often work better for more than one person. Some are pretty basic, some are more luxurious, and some are even in or near cities - check out www.gites-de-france.com , and search based on the area in France you want to investigate. You might find one in just your size and price. Laura's suggestion of Nice would put you in a great place with a beach and interesting sights in town and in nearby villages.
Posted by
OP
Oakland, CA, USA
10 posts
I don't leave Europe for a few weeks and have slack time I thought I'd use either in the countryside or the beach. Truth is I arrived in Arles and not really thrilled with where I'm staying. Just rented a car for the Dordogne so I'd like to avoid the expense again. Even willing to go farther north maybe Dijon or ? Any ideas would be appreciated.
Posted by
OP
Oakland, CA, USA
10 posts
Ended up booking several nights and a train to nice from Arles figuring I could do Avignon afterward but before heading north. I still have several slack days but currently the plan is 26jul to Nice for 6 nights then back to Avignon for 3 nights then Paris for a week then Reims/Verdun, Flanders/Lille (WWI sites), then Bruges and Brussels for a few nights before crossing the channel to London where I'll spend 4 nights max before flying to China.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7942 posts
If you have the time and the interest between Lille and Bruges, check out Ypres (a/k/a Ieper), a Belgian town in the center of a lot of WWI history. Their "In Flanders Fields Museum" is excellent. It's not a town where you'd want to have been a cat in the Middle Ages, however - inquire locally about that, and check out the cat mascot for the local Ieperman beer.