First Tour - Calais > Le Mans > Dieppe. Where to stay?

[TouringHornet]

Hi All,

First post and i need some advise please?

Me and a mate are attempting our first trip abroad and plan to get to Le Mans and back in one piece on our first 'big' bikes - 2006 Hornet and a 2014 MT07, so not exactly mile munchers!

We leave on the Chunnel to Calais on Thursday 30th June and return from Dieppe on Monday 4th. I plan for us to travel down the coast from Calais then head inland on some smaller roads once crossing the river Seine to Le Havre to Le Mans then back up to Dieppe for the Monday.

I should be able to plan a route OK, (advise welcome though!) but need advise on where to stay (B&Bs ideally as we are travelling light). We will get to France midnight/early hours on the Friday so plan to get a hotel near to Calais to get a fresh start in the morning on Friday - Ideas for a hotel just south of Calais, maybe in Boulogne-sur-Mer or near?

Then i'm after any advice for hotels/B&Bs in/around Le Havre, Le Mans then Lisieux onour way back to Dieppe. Locations not set in stone, but near to these places would be good as ive planned around 200-300 miles a day to give plenty of sight seeing and stopping time!

Thanks in advance.

Mike

[chickenstrip]

Bit of a n00b at this continental touring lark myself, but weight of opinion seems to fall on using booking.com. F1 hotels in France if you don't mind being some distance from the centre of things in any given town or city, and basic but functional amenities. Usually plenty of places to just turn up without booking in touristy areas, but might be risky during peak season.

Only place I've ever stayed at Le Mans was the campsite at the motor circuit - just a sleeping bag and cold, wet ground; not recommended
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[Evil Hans]

+ 1 for the F1 Hotels. Great value ... I did a mix of Camping / F1 / Ibis in France and Germany a few years back.
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[Ebbs73]

Hello Mike

We do le man a few times a year and we've stayed here a lot .
https://www.lecharlestonhotel.com/en/

Great rooms , great breakfast but greater is the underground car park for your bike .
It's near the main train station ( ish ) and not far from the centre , food , beer , French ladies to admire .
if you have time nose around the old town it's stunning .

Calais to le man isn't to bad , bit boring and slow on the Nationals as it takes in every traffic light known to man .
Fill up at super markets as it's far cheaper . Sat navy should pick it up .
We've stayed in Abbeville centre a few times , not a bad place and only 75 ish miles from Calais .
When touring we just use booking.com to find a place , F1's are cheap but as said , out of the way .
Centres are better as you've got all you need , park your bike anywhere really . Best take a lock tho .

Whatever happens it'll be fun .

Regards
Chris

[Ebbs73]

Just a thought , if you have time , just off the d940 is the
Musée du Mur de l'Atlantique , it's on the way to Boulonge .
It's a massive gun that used to shoot across the channel at England , really worth the stop . Nice road to it too .

[TouringHornet]

Great, thanks for the tips all. Appreciate it.