Les Charmilles

We only realised back in Dover that two of our 6 year old daughter's stuffed toys had been left behind. Beatrice had already let us know and was happy to post them to us. That was above and beyond, and we were blown away by the whole experience. She was welcoming and spoke impeccable English. Our room was a good fit for two adults and two children, with some of the most comfortable beds we’ve come across. Breakfast had plenty of variety and quantity, so we all left well fuelled. We’ll likely come back. If you arrive in the evening, check the riverside restaurants online and book ahead. We ended up at the pizzeria, which was okay, but the other restaurants looked much better and were already full by the time we arrived.

The owner is a lovely, friendly lady and speaks very good English, which helped since our French is limited. I stayed in this charming bed and breakfast in the centre of St Jean de Losne. My room was spacious, clean, and prettily decorated, and it was handy to have a kettle for making tea whenever I wanted. Breakfast in the pretty garden was very nice. Definitely recommended.

We had car trouble while travelling a long distance, and the owner still wouldn’t allow a later check-in at 21h, even though we asked politely and well in advance. The two-hour check-in window is rigid and difficult to manage on a long drive. Our booking was cancelled, but the owner kept our money, so we ended up in a roadside hotel. Avoid.

Watch out if you’re travelling: check-in has a strict 21.00 cutoff. We got held up at the Mont Blanc tunnel and missed it. That cost us €200, plus another €150 for a different hotel.