Clermont travel?

[LE18]

8 of us, We have booked Stansted to Lyon, £64 return, thursday to monday hotel £230 for a double in Lyon and 9 seater minibus £238 collect to from lyon airport for the duration, seems like a good deal.

[Noddy555]

I visit the Auvergne quite a lot and I prefer to travel via East Midlands trains & Eurostar to Paris Nord, then a quick jog over to Paris Est for the express to
Clermont. if you leave Leicester early say by 06.00 hrs you can be in Clermont around 16.30 local time (1 hr ahead) on the same day. The Trains are comfortable
and the cost is not prohibitive.

[TigerCam]

I visit the Auvergne quite a lot and I prefer to travel via East Midlands trains & Eurostar to Paris Nord, then a quick jog over to Paris Est for the express to
Clermont. if you leave Leicester early say by 06.00 hrs you can be in Clermont around 16.30 local time (1 hr ahead) on the same day. The Trains are comfortable
and the cost is not prohibitive.

Noddy555,

Can you recommend any hotels please?

[Ze Stade Fan]

I'll check with the (mostly French speaking although some decent linguists there) boys on Clermont's forum and I'll try to sum up their advice.

Meself I am travelling to Clermont on February 8 to watch ASM/Stade Français, and I found a room for two night for €60 plus per night at the quite cosy Novotel in Brezet (near the Aulnat airport), normally these rooms would go fer €90 plus.

The hôtel is at a 10mn taxi distance from the stadium Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin.

[Ze Stade Fan]

I've been trawling the net for hotels and I found beds for €19 apiece at the Formule 1 hotel in Brezet. The cheapest deal you can get, I guess, near the airport at a 10mn drive from the stadium Marcel Michelin. Well, Formule 1 is the cheapest chain in France and I suppose they'll have you sign a disclaimer in case you commit suicide after a prolongated look at the ceiling paint.

Another guess is to enter in Google the following query "Hôtel Clermont Ferrand Place de Jaude"

Place de Jaude is the big square at the heart of the city, where stands the famed statue of Vercingétorix, the Gaul chief who resisted Caesar, and there is if my recollection is correct, a direct tramway to the stadium. So place de Jaude or near place de Jaude would be a good guess for pubs, restaurants etc. And you can find all sorts of prices there.

[Noddy555]

For Tigercam I normally stay with friends, but if you want to stay in a nice
town near to Clermont (about 15 miles north) the Hotel California in Vichy is
clean & comfortable and reasonably priced at about 40 euros per night for a single & 65 euros per night for a double (Price is per room) and all have shower & wc.Price includes Breakfast. Albert & Martine are genial hosts and there are
good train and bus services between Vichy & Clermont.

[LE18]

I have a friend who definately recommends you not to stop in a Formula 1 hotel, they are very very basic.

[ourla]

Re: f1 they are basic BUT after a badish experience near Lyon years ago I was forced to use one recently and it was really good. Very clean, really helpful guy on reception and cheap as chips... I mean really.

[Ze Stade Fan]

A friend of mine advises you to go and investigate the Kyriad website : http://www.kyriad.com/fr , there is a hotel near the heart of Clermont called the Kyriad centre, 5 mn walk from Place de Jaude. She says she was kindly welcomed every time she got there.

Just type Clermont-Ferrand in the destination box. 59,50€ per night says my friend, minibar and a supermaket nearby should you need some extra beers.

There is also a brand new Mercure hôtel (quite cosy chain, from my personal experience) for about 95 per night.

And the Accor website boasts a Adaggio Access hôtel for 47 per night with a mini kitchen in the room. (what would foreigners do with a kitchen, pah ! )

[BJ.]

If you're travelling into Clermont by train, the Hotel Lafayette is worth considering. It's at 53 Avenue de l'Union Sovietique and only 200m from the railway station. It's also 1.4km from Stade Marcel Michelin and only 1km from the ASM supporters bar, the Bouclier de Brennus, on Rue Pélissier. This place has to be visited on match day, especially pre-match. I guarantee you will be made very welcome. That is assuming you're willing to mingle with the home supporters.

[razekiel]

I visit the Auvergne quite a lot and I prefer to travel via East Midlands trains & Eurostar to Paris Nord, then a quick jog over to Paris Est for the express to
Clermont. if you leave Leicester early say by 06.00 hrs you can be in Clermont around 16.30 local time (1 hr ahead) on the same day. The Trains are comfortable
and the cost is not prohibitive.

If you come to france with Eurostar to Paris Nord. Don't go To Paris Est.
Clermont train has never be there.
Since 2-3 years (before it was at "Gare de Lyon") you have to go to Bercy train station ( subway 14 or 6) and then a quick walk.

The journey (25-30min) I recommand you : From Paris Nord take subway 4 direction "Montrouge" and stop at "Chatelet". Then Take the 14 direction "Olympiades" and stop at "Bercy".

The train to Clermont is worst ever you can take in France : ugly, slow and costly.

Enjoy you trip.

[RagingBull]

a bit OT but I still miss Kayser was a great hooker for us.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2588 ... 46,00.html

[johnthegriff]

Leicester Tigers Away Supporters Club will be organising a trip, at present we have secured hotel accommodation and are trying to get decent prices for group travel by train, we are also looking at a coach trip which will be about £100.00 cheaper than train. It looks as prices will be about £300.00 by train and £200,00 by coach inclusive of three nights bed and breakfast. I need a few days to finalise plans.

[Noddy555]

I beg to differ razekiel I went to the Auvergne in summer 2012 and the train
did go through to Clermont, but you are quite right it is the Gare de Lyon not est, sorry I got my stations mixed up. If you get the express service which
operates twice daily usually at 12.15 and 17.00 hrs. There are no changes and it
takes about 2 hrs and 50 minutes. Of course April is still on the winter timetable and will differ from June when I traveled, but I assure you you don't
have to change.

[Greenwhiteandred]

So the Telegraph says we are playing Sunday at 4.40pm. Assume this is local time - is this confirmed elsewhere anyone?