We've just returned from another great "Rick inspired" trip to France and wanted to share our impressions of the 3 hotels where we stayed. In Lyon we were at the Hotel Campanile that we found online for only 49E for the 2 of us. It's right beside the Gare Perrache which could spell problems in some cities, but we found it to be fine here -maybe because there's not a lot of tourism in Lyon. Place Carnot, is the park that both the our hotel and the train station faces onto. We were given a room on the 6th floor with a balcony. (only 4 in the hotel)We woke to a street market, bustling with activity and in the evening they had rock bands performing - fun. (they stopped playing at 10 pm) It was roomy, clean and the staff were nice.
In Aix, we stayed at the Hotel France for 80E. It was in a great location (right in the heart of old Aix), and clean but I wouldn't stay there again. If you want to stay in Aix, you have to pay more and next time I will. It was old but not in a charming way. It served our purpose for 1 night and the staff was very nice and helpful but I'd re-think that next time - maybe just make Aix a day trip out of Marseilles?
In Nice, we stayed in the port area and the Kyriad Hotel for 58E which included breakfast! We loved this hotel -clean, friendly, comfortable and the area wasn't too touristy. We felt like part of the community. We had stayed next door a couple of years ago at the Comfort Hotel, which is now an All Seasons. Place Garibaldi is a block away for meals and live evening entertainment. The bus station is just a couple of blocks past that and the new tram line, now completed is so convenient. We took the tram to the train station several times during our 6 days in Nice.
We find hotels online that get good reviews then look for that hotel in various sites. There's a big range of prices for the same location.
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Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
Carol, the area BEHIND Gare Perrache is a bit dodgy actually, as we accidentally discovered once. BY the way, the Campanile chain hotels are always dependable and budget friendly and they are all over France. We stayed in Kyriads twice on a road trip a few years ago, and they, too, are kind to the wallet.