In Ardeche, the Auberge du Troubadour, Bed and Breakfast, Hotel de Charme, Self-catering

Good Places to stop at or See on the Way

Note : This page is designed for visitors touring by car,
as access to the places mentioned here by rail or bus does not offer practical schedules.
Visitors from the USA: Be sure to book your car and make payment arrangements
from the US, as this will result in savings of up to 60%!

Depending on your time of arrival in France, you may wish, or need to, spend one night "en route"
rather than hurrying to arrive at the Auberge du Troubadour in time for dinner
[although we are always happy to make special arrangements for relatively late arrivals!]

Of course, our recommended sites can also turn into useful stepping stones
if you are planning to leave the Auberge du Troubadour in the mid or late afternoon,
and provide a delightful Sunday lunch stopover for those leaving in the morning.

We have selected these spots from among our personal favorites
only on the basis of their surroundings, their welcoming atmosphere
and the dining and lodging experience they provide;
we believe them all to be good or even excellent value for money,
although the price levels vary widely.

If stopping at any of these hotels or restaurants,
please do mention our recommendation.
We do not benefit in any way other than, potentially, by their reciprocal goodwill.

For layovers in Paris:

Contact us and we will help you choose a good hotel or self-catering accomodation
that will suit your plans.
We can also recommend good restaurant options and provide tips
to help you make your own discoveries.

If flying to or out of Lyon:

If you will be landing late or taking off early,
the best bet is the Sofitel Hotel, in St.Exupery Airport (formerly Satolas) itself,
which also incorporates the TGV station.
Excellent standard of accomodations, a good restaurant and very friendly service
[ideal for women traveling alone]
at affordable prices.
Although the hotel has no longer its own restaurant,
it offers round the clock room service and a pleasant bar.
They often have special deals, so make sure to ask what the best options are when you book!
Sofitel's parent company Accor has this easy to use site:
Groupe Accor-Sofitel Lyon.
(Choose the English version on the top, at the first option enter Lyon,
then from the list select Number 2, East Lyon, which includes St. Exupery under "Airports";
by clicking on "List of Hotels", and then on "Display all available hotels"
you can access a virtual visit of each establishment and make online reservations).

For layovers in the city of Lyon itself, contact us for up to date tips.

If coming from the north or east:

Near Lyon [2.5 – 3 hours’ drive from the Auberge du Troubadour]

The old medieval city of Pérouges,
about a half hour east of Lyon and/or northeast of Lyon St. Exupéry airport, off the A42/E611.
Exits are signposted with brown “listed site” picture panels.
All information at Pérouges [In English and French]

An extraordinarily beautiful large fortified village,
originally populated by weavers and cloth merchants thriving on the proximity of Lyon
[for centuries the center of the textile industry],
today lovingly restored and featuring charming arts and crafts shops,
several outstanding restaurants and a palatial hotel that will take you back in time.
The Ostellerie du Vieux Pérouges is a decentralized group of exquisite old buildings
dating from the 15th through the 17th centuries,
all located within a block or two from each other
and from the excellent restaurant that functions within the main house.
Expensive, but a unique adventure well worth living.
For more information, Ostellerie du Vieux Pérouges
[N.B. This site, in French only, is best accessed with Internet Explorer!]
For a comparable dining experience at more modest prices,
try the neighbouring Auberge du Coq [Tel. +33 (0)4 74 61 05 47].
Unfortunately, they do not offer accommodations.
Auberge du Coq [In French only]

Caution: Pérouges is entirely paved in ancient, small, round cobblestones that are totally incompatible with high heels!

Between Loriol and Montelimar, on the left side of the Rhône,
[about 1.5 hours from the Auberge du Troubadour via exciting mountain roads
best experienced in the daytime!]:

The 16th and 17th century villages of Cliousclat [pottery] and Mirmande
[walled and fortified, now counting many artists among its permanent population].

Cliousclat has one very charming hotel with lovely rooms
and a first-rate restaurant serving regional cuisine, La Treille Muscate
La Treille Muscate [In English and French] or Treille [In French] [Tel +33 (0)4 75 63 13 10];
and also another excellent restaurant, La Fontaine, which does miracles with fresh vegetables

Mirmande features La Capitelle, a set of wonderful Renaissance houses formerly belonging to provincial aristocracy.
Rooms are comfortable, generally simply furnished.
Its restaurant serves a superb combination of American Nouvelle and French Regional cuisine.
La Capitelle [in English]

Prices at both locations are average.

If coming from the south:

At Nîmes, approximately 2.5 hours from the Auberge du Troubadour

In the center of this amazingly lively city that mixes Roman antiquity, genteel 18th century domestic architecture
and town gardens rivaling those of the Palace of Versailles,
the Lisita, a classy hotel and restaurant
featuring many bullfighting mementos and elements in its decorative scheme,
is located right behind the Arenas [the local Roman Colosseum]
in a short pedestrian plaza, with vehicle access via a side street.
Visit Le Lisita for the restaurant [In English and French],
and for the hotel, use Tel +33 (0)4 66 67 66 20, Fax: +33 (0)4 66 76 22 30.
Hotel rooms are very attractively priced [as it mysteriously rates only 2 stars in the French hotel system].
The food is simply heavenly, some of the best I have ever tasted. Reasonably expensive, but superb value,
with quality, imagination, presentation and service of a level that is hard to find today, even in France!

In Uzès, approximately 2 hours from the Auberge du Troubadour

Uzès is a fully restored medieval city built around a castle still inhabited by descendants of the original owners,
with monumental churches, shady squares, lots of antiques shops
and traditional markets, summer bull runs on the boulevard around the ramparts,
and a gem of a hotel and restaurant on the eastern edge of the walled city by the Bishopric [Evêché]:
The Hotel d’Entraigues, consisting of a few carefully restored hôtels particuliers [great city houses]
dating back to the 17th century, linked by bridges, private lanes and secluded gardens.
It also has a beautiful private pool.
The restaurant offers superb Provençal cuisine
served indoors or outdoors among luscious trees and flowering plants.
Luxury at a very reasonable price. Hotel d'Entraigues [In English and French]

If coming from the west:

At Le Monastier, about 25 km east of Le Puy, in the Auvergne –
about 1.5 – 2 hours from the Auberge du Troubadour

Le Monastier is an old village of the Cevennes
[with most prominent buildings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries]
that features prominently in R.L. Stevenson’s Travels with a Donkey
[which would take him onwards through the Ardèche
and then south to Alès, very near the city of Uzès described above].
At one end of Le Monastier you will find the Auberge des Acacias,
a welcoming island of happiness run by Daniel Arcis and his wife,
offering simple and comfortable accommodations
and excellent home cooked regional food prepared with the freshest local ingredients.
Sunday lunches are a special pleasure both for the food and the atmosphere. Tel.: +33 (0)4 71 03 82 37.