Published by Lyn on 8 May 2016
I stayed at Chambre d’hôtes Aubert’Cail when I rode from Saint-Lô to Cherbourg in the Manche department of Normandy. Here's what I thought of the B&B.
See here for a city centre hotel option
Chambre d’hôtes Aubert’Cail
74, rue Général Köenig, 50000 Saint-Lô, France
Manche, Normandy
Website
Chambre d’hôtes Aubert’Cail is an accueil velo accredited B&B in the suburbs of Saint-Lô in the heart of the Manche area of Normandy.
This is a very comfortable base, though you’d need to weigh the price (€90-€160) and the edge-of-town location (see below) up against the price and convenience of a city centre hotel.
5 things we liked
1. The entire house has a really luxurious feel, having been restored and decorated by the current owners. There are exposed stone walls, a guest sitting room and beautifully furnished rooms with lovely old brocante touches and colourful bed linen.
2. The shower was a wonderful walk-in Italian job, with piping hot water – perfect after arriving wet through after a cold and rainy day on the bike.
3. The house is set in the suburbs, a few kilometres from the centre of town. It is down a tree-lined driveway off a main road, and set among sprawling gardens that back onto a lake. It really is relaxing here. That said, you really need to ride to town (or be happy to take a long stroll) for restaurants and sightseeing (so save some energy and don’t forget your lights if you’re having a late night). This does prove challenging in poor weather I'd arrived soaked through and then had to get back on the bike to cycle to dinner after I'd dried off and showered. For dinner, I rode into town to eat at the magical Le Gout Sauvage. Seriously, if you are within cooee (as we say in Australia) of Saint-Lô, you really do need to come here just so you can eat at Caroline Vignaud’s exceptionally friendly and super sensational restaurant. It was a Masterchef-esque experience.
4. The B&B is very private. The owners also have the house just next door, meaning the B&B itself is afforded a level of privacy you often don’t get when you’re staying in someone’s home.
5. The owner is very friendly – my bike had even been brought up from the shed after breakfast and parked at the door, ready to ride.
I’d like to have seen some more options for breakfast. There were a few slices of cake among the usual French pastries and bread, but no cereals, eggs, cold meat or fresh fruit options. I had to top up on extra food on the way out of town to keep me going for my ride through until lunch. This was especially important as it was a long weekend in France, so most local brasseries and some boulangeries on route were closed.
Chambre d’hôtes Aubert’Cail
74, rue Général Köenig, 50000 Saint-Lô, France
Manche, Normandy
Website