L'Etap Hotel, Boulogne

Needing to find a cheap place to break the journey from Budel to England, we stopped off at a ‘L’Etap’ hotel in Boulogne. The first time we went there, we arrived after the kids’ bedtime, they were woken up being taken out of the car so the easy, quick and fuss-free check-in was a blessing! We had a room in no time, a bed to jump in straight away after a tiring day packing and traveling. Lydia loved the novelty of sleeping in a bunk bed above Mummy and Daddy, and there was room for a travel cot for Elijah. We all fell asleep straight away. We woke up to the lovely smell of French coffee and baguettes.

It’s not luxury. ‘L’Etap’ gave us all that we needed for an easy and cheap night. Friendly service, small but clean en suite bathroom and toilet. The beds, apart from the pillows, were comfy and gave us a good night sleep. We were also able to spend time on the beach before our 2.15 Speedferry left the Port. Having stopped there a few times since, we know Boulogne quite well now!