I just received my final tour email and it says that I'll have to hand-wash everything because laundromats are rare.
Has anyone gone on the 11-day Heart of France Tour and found that the hotel will provide a laundry service?
Usually, I bring enough clothes to last 4-5 days, then have the hotel wash everything at once on a 2-day stop.
If anyone has been on this tour and has advice, it would be appreciated.
There was a similar thread recently. Most respondents stated their had been an opportunity for sending out laundry at one of the two night stops. The only thing I can think of is a hotel change by the tour this year that may have impacted laundry or that the tour desk wants you to be prepared for a worse case scenario just in case.....
We were on this tour in 2016. Our group stayed at the B-Montmartre Hotel(great hotel and staff!!). About two blocks away was a laundromat and we did our laundry up the night before we left Paris. In Bayeux there was a small laundromat near the hotel and we did a few things there in the evening. Everything else we hand washed. You meet interesting people in laundromats when you travel!
Look for Google Maps and you will find a "laverie self service". There's one in every neighborhood.
We did this tour in 2015. The hotel in Amboise had laundry service, and there was a launderette nearby. But you won't know if you'll have a different hotel. Best thing to do is ask your tour leader at first meeting, where would be convenient stop to do laundry. It must be a common question. My suggestion would be to have your bag of laundry ready to hand in when you get there.
I agree with Stan that most people did laundry in Amboise. There is a free afternoon there so plenty of time to do laundry if you need to. I generally sink wash anyway so tend not to pay attention to which hotels have laundry services.
Where are you staying in Amboise?
I usually sink wash underwear and socks daily then do a bigger wash at a laundromat as needed. I guess laundromats are "rare", I'm often told that, but I always seem to find one when I ask. Check their hours. Since dinner time is often 7:30 to 9:00 in France, they may or may not be open after dinner (or you may not want to stay up very long afterwards). You may have to plan it in the afternoon before dinner. Last trip I washed at a laundromat in Chamonix and in an Airbnb apartment in Juan les Pins. Most of the time, I'm surprised how long the wash cycle takes and how short drying takes (many machines in homes do both). The washers always seem to take an hour or more but I had fully dried jeans (along with the rest of the load) in 20 minutes. It's possible I'm just not very good at picking the cycle?
I have seen reports here for other RS tours that I have taken stating the suggested laundry used when I took the tour is no longer there and it is becoming difficult to find one other than the usually expensive hotel service. It would be disappointing if there were absolutely no laundry services available on these tours any more.
And yes, the European clothes washers seem to take forever. I think it is because they use so little water, relatively speaking, than the washers I am used to in the US.
Thanks, everyone, for the info. We are staying at the Hotel Le Belle-Vue in Amboise -- some of you mentioned that they do provide a laundry service for a fee (which is much cheaper than an extra luggage fee on the airline).
Also, don't forget the ever popular service of dropping your bag of laundry off at un "pressing" or "blanchisserie" . It's generally much cheaper than a hotel. I, myself, would rather pay a bit to have my laundry done so that I don't miss an afternoon of exploring. I can't imagine my last night in an amazing city eating chips at a laverie! haha Plus there's nothing like some fresh pants in the middle of your trip! ;)
Washing machines in Europe often have very long cycles - at least the home versions. The home versions often start with cold water and heat it to the selected temperature within the wash cycle in the machine, so cycle selection is critical if you don't want a cycle that runs forever. And remember that the temperature will be listed in degrees Celsius. I think in laundromats the wash cycles are more like they are here in North America.
If you go to a laundromat, try to read the instructions carefully as many of them now dispense the detergent as part of the cycle. You don't add any soap.
You do use soap, there's hard water in Paris. Buy the packets in the machine for about a 1 EU.
You can regulate the water from warm to hot, as well as the dryer.
These machines use 7 kg to 6 kg.
