I'm taking my school group through the south of France and would like to stay in a hotel/hostel where we can get a decent meal (we are on a budget of course!) in the restaurant or nearby. We could stay in Carcassonne, Arles, or anywhere in between.
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
Craig: Do the parents of these students know that you are a little vague about your plans? I mean "...we could stay in Carcasssonne, Arles, or anywhere in between" ? As a parent, I would want to see a firm itinerary before I would send my child & lay out a pile of money. Why don't you contact the tourist offices of the towns you want to travel to? I have already responded to you about a youth hostel in Arles that could accommodate your group of over 50, and I got that info from the Arles Tourist Information office. If you are thinking that you can take a group of 55 people into a restaurant in either of the towns you mention, or any other small town in the south of France, please think again, or you will have a large group of very hungry people on your hands.
Posted by
OP
Mission, BC, Canada
47 posts
Hi Norma,
I appreciate your concern for my students. I have taken nearly 300 people on wide ranging, low cost, highly successful tours of Europe over the last 6 years, as a free, extra-curricular service.
The parents are quite confident in my abilities, which is why I have a huge waiting list for next year's trip, (March 2011), which I am currently planning. I always change the trip and add at least one or two places that I haven't been before, hence the questions about the south of France.
I read your information about Arles, and the hostel there as well as the one in Carcassonne either do not have space for us or are already booked for the dates I have planned. I guess you don't have any new information to add - I was looking for people with specific recommendations about places they have stayed. I will let you know where we stayed and what restaurant we ate in, as there are definitely going to be restaurants that will accommodate our group. I've been all over Eastern and Western Europe, in small villages and big cities, and I always am able to find and pre-book a meal for my group, often with the help of other experienced travelers, as I am hoping to find here.
Thanks anyway.
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
Alrighty, then. Good Luck.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32353 posts
Craig,
You didn't indicate whether you would prefer Hostels or budget Hotels. I've found that school groups often use HI Hostels and they do have a property in Arles with 109 beds.
In terms of restaurant recommendations in either Arles or Carcassone, I'd have to check my files to see if I made a note of them. I tried Cassoulet in Carcasonne which was somewhat of an interesting experience.
Given your location, would it be a correct assumption that your group comprises French Immersion students from MSS (top of Grand Street and up the hill from the Bellevue)?
Cheers!