Anyone got any advice on somewhere to stay with secure parking (preferably locked garage or underground parking) as we will have a van full of bikes and kit that we don't want to have to unload and re-pack just for an overnight stop. It would need to be accessible to us late at night. As we'll be getting in to Boulogne at about 9pm and driving for about 3 hrs I guess we're looking for somewhere around the Reims area (possibly as far as Troyes) – that we would be able to check into / access the secure parking at about midnight or a bit later.

Cheers

I've stopped in a chain of motels called 'Hotel B&B' on the way to the French Alps and they all (well the ones I've been in) have gated car parks that you can only access with your booking reference.

Some folk even leave their bikes chained up on their car roof racks so I can't see parking a van with bikes in being an issue.

If you don't like this idea though then just book a B&B place out in the sticks.

If you can run to multiple drivers, why bother stopping at all? One sleeps whilst the other one drives. We're just back from a fortnight out there and that's pretty much how we do it. I drive to Reims, swap with herself who then gets us to Dijon while I get a couple of hours sleep, then swap back over again. Breakfast in Annecy, coffee in Bourg, then off up to where we're staying.

Weirdly, the traffic near Dijon at 4AM is often far worse than the M25 at 6pm. Go figure.

Formula 1 hotels, and take the bikes into the room. THats what I've done

There is a F1 near Troyes. We stopped there on the way back from the alps earlier this month (van+car full of bikes). Not 'secure' in the way you mean but the place is out of the way and seemed relativly safe area, Certainally better than inner city troyes or reims, secure garage or not! Was full of brits too :0)

It also means you get to visit http://www.speedrabbitpizza.com/

I just drove the whole way from Glasgow, kipped for an hour on the ferry and an hour a bit later when the missus had woken up enough to drive. I never trust leaving my bikes anywhere in the car if I can help it.

We stop in the aires by the autoroute… chuck a decathlon 2 second tent up, and kip next to the car :o)

Sanef (the autoroute company), and the police have no problem with this – I have chatted to both while pitching tents in the past. They even have signs on the entrance the the aire saying 'max stay 48hrs'

Dave

Weirdly, the traffic near Dijon at 4AM is often far worse than the M25 at 6pm. Go figure.

5am is the start time for mustard production factories dontchaknow.

I agree with Jon though, if you can, drive straight through. French autoroute service station coffee is rocket fuel and will keep you going. The only times I've stopped before is if I had my daughter with me or we were visiting someplace on the way.

i got insured on a mates car and we shared driving. Think we slept for an hour on the ferry then an hour on a grass verge in a lay-by just after getting off the ferry.

Seemed to be enough sleep for both of us but we swapped over driving every couple of hours.

Another one for stopping in the aires.

Find a nice one and bed down.
Shropshire to St Tropez with 3 hours kip in the car.
Mrs doesn't like to drive on the left………i don't like her driving on the right!

Its do-able……..Plenty of coffee and music!

Stop in Champagne on your way back and load up with fizz.

Do it in one go, like many above have said. I just drove back from Poitiers to Swansea in one hit. Coffee and music, and then once back in the UK, Radio 4 are your friends.

We stayed overnight at a travelodge near Canturbury on the way down. Despite the bikes being seriously locked up inside the car I couldn't sleep well and was checking on them loads all through the night. Never again.

The B+B in the middle of nowhere idea is really good though.