Western France by car and ferry
	In September 2004, we took one of our ‘touring holidays’ trying, in vain, to recapture the excitement of our previous ‘Grand Tours’ in camper vans. Maybe, just maybe I tried to cram too big an area into a fortnight’s holiday. I had come across an interesting website www.interhotel.fr and ordered the catalogue which listed reasonable priced hotels across France. I spent many a lunchtime (in the pub, swift half only boss, promise!) deciding a route and choosing hotels to suit, and of course doing a cost analysis. So it was we left England in September on the Transmanche ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe, Now this is a very laid back friendly ferry company, with talkative amicable staff, a very refreshing experience to the usual crossings. The 4 hours passed very pleasantly, nice breakfast, a stroll around decks. After exploring the boat it was into the bar for my one (allowance before driving) pint of lager. Our itinerary was, dash to The Loire for an overnight stop, a good meal, bottle of wine (of course) an early start and a longish run to the Bay of Arcachon, just south of Bordeaux. Whizz up to Royan . Then further up the coast to Sables D’Olonne, scene of Ellen MacAurthurs triumph. Before a dash to Dieppe for a last Moules et Frites before returning home. That was the plan, err, heres how it went. We arrived in Dieppe, at around mid-day, we set off for the 185 miles journey to Auberge Maille D’Or in Beaugency on the Loire.  We arrived at around 5pm and parked in the off road car park, an old out building really. Shown to our room, via a most beautiful garden, we were pleasantly surprised to discover we had a small studio on a single storey extension running alongside the garden. Very pleasant indeed, and more important, quiet. A two minute walk took us down to the mighty Loire, surprisingly the riverside was undeveloped no bars or cafes, not even a quayside. We walked back via the charming old town and it’s church, for a re-vitalising shower and a rather good 3-course dinner and wine in the hotel’s excellent restaurant.
	Declining a breakfast, as we wanted to get a crack on with the 315 odd miles we had to go to get south of Bordeaux and reach Arcachon, our base for 3 nights. After an hour or so we stopped for a coffee and croissant in a small town before joining the toll motorway to clock up a few miles. These toll routes are a real pleasure to drive on, usually fairly quiet and with wonderful ‘Aires’ or services every 10 k’s. Which alternate between large garage, restaurant complexes and lovely small wooded stops with picnic areas and always with good toilet facilities, sometimes even showers. It was great to open up  ‘Hawkie’  (our silver car, “Siver Machine” by Hawkwind, yes I know we are sad!) and let her loose, a Nissan Primera 2ltr Gti does not often get a good run on our overcrowded roads. The tolls run out at about 8 pence a mile, but save you a lot of time, fuel is a bit cheaper (use supermarkets) so that counteracts the tolls. Early afternoon found us searching the area where I thought the Hotel Le Nautic was to be found, in the central part of town opposite the popular beaches. Alas it turned out we were about a kilometre to the north, opposite the marina (working marina, not tourist unfortunately). I had thought it was on the actual seafront, but it was on the wrong side of the busy main road. The brochure photo had been cleverly taken from a pontoon in the marina, through a gap in the buildings to give the impression of a waterfront location. Second gripe coming up, having booked 8 months before, I naively expected to have a top room with a view of the marina (through said gap). Sure enough we had a back room with a view of the church (and it’s damn bells!) but it was a nice room. I did not know it at the time, but if you book through some hotel chain’s websites, the discount you get is not covered by the parent company, but knocked off what they pay the actual hotel. So you never are going to get a top room, balcony and sea view, unless you pay a supplement!  Live and learn.
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