wmdenton

I am looking for opinions on the hotel breakfast in France. Are they worth the money?

For example, when my wife and I were in Italy we soon figured out that the hotel breakfast should be avoided at all cost. We found it much better to find a small cafe for coffee and a pastry. Plus it was more exciting.

Should we expect the same thing in France? Any other thoughts?

Cheers

Underhill

Hotel breakfasts in France (or just about anywhere else, for that matter) tend to be more expensive than at a local café. Some hotels, however, are now including breakfast in the room rate, and sometimes the breakfast is an all-you-can-eat buffet. Still, we find it more fun to eat outside our hotel--unless it's pouring rain or we want a leisurely breakfast in our room.

StCirq

IN general, it's not worth the money to pay for breakfast at the hotel, no. Go to a nearby café and have a café and pastry or croissant for a fraction of the price.

ecat

I also vote on finding a local cafe for breakfast.

I felt like I was able to get into the whole Paris feel much more this way, and the cafe lattes were sooo much better!

Have fun!

ninasdream

To me, breakfast is for getting the day started. Experiencing a meal outside of the hotel is for lunch and dinner. However, since I may be running for hours, I want protein and fruit in there. The french usually just have coffee and a little bread, butter, croissant. Anything else is more American style. I would go for a hotel bfast if reasonably priced and has what you want. If it is included with the hotel, and buffet, take it! You'll give your body good fuel-- a little egg or meat, or yoghurt or cheese, and you can save your pennies for a fun people-watching cafe or elegant bistro meal later. Last year a friend and I skipped the included hotel buffet for a cafe breakfast at in La Villette, we paid 15e for 2 butter tartines and 2 cafe cremes. That's a little steep for me- and I still didn't get the eggs that I like to start my day.

ninasdream

I forgot to add, I just returned from France, staying at 2 little hotels I found on Fodor's. Breakfast was 6e at each, and was coffee, juice and a croissant & a small baguette. The a la carte pot of coffee and hot milk was a good way to go. I didn't need to spend 6e on brad and croissant. After I hit the local marches, I could have some strawbs and cheese with my morning coffee, and not so much bread. Or -- n as others mentioned, have fun shopping for a pastry with the few euros saved instead.

ninasdream

Drink lots of water & resist the urge to partake of all the free wine/champagne. If your doctor approves, take something to sleep, and catch some shuteye. I pop 2 pm formula over the counter pain relief tablets as soon as they start boarding first class. As soon as I get on the plane, I settle in with blanket and pillow. On arrival, if you are able to get to your room, don't stay- and don't nap! Just hit the ground running.

BTilke

I think it depends on the hotel. At the Hotel du Cadran in the 7th arrond. of Paris, for example, the hotel coffee is not that good and I can't eat more than one or two croissants, so it wasn't worth it to me.
But at the Hotel Le Parc in the 16th, the spread included a lot of fresh fruit, fruit salad, fresh squeezed OJ and the coffee was very good, so it was worth is to us (I love fresh squeezed OJ in the morning). In this case, breakfast was included in the special Internet rate, but I would have paid for it anyway. A similar experience at the Mercure Centre in Angers.
I would take a peek at your hotel's breakfast spread the first day. Unless it looks really appealing, go to a cafe instead or get something to go from a patisserie or boulangerie.

WillTravel

I haven't tried it in Paris, but I suspect the Ibis breakfast is worth the price. (I'm presuming they have a full buffet spread as they do elsewhere.)

Huitres

I would say "don't". I would do the same thing that you did in Italy in France. It is not worth spending the addtl 7-10 euros a day paying for a hotel breakfast that most likely consists of a croissant, cafe au lait and/or chocolat - especially when you can find the same for less $ outside the hotel in the numerous boulangeries and patisseries all around (croissants usually average 1-2 euros each). Likewise, cafe au lait is about 1-3 euros, dependent on where you go. (These were prices I found in the 7th Arr. 2 months ago - late March)

Sher

In Paris at the medium priced hotels we have been in, we found the breakfast only so, so. I also thought it was expensive for what was provided. I would rather go out. Also, a cafe on the street is more interesting for people watching.

In Provence, it was included in the price of the room and was not an option. It was also not elaborate, but quite good. And since we were out in the country, there was not a cafe three feet away from the hotel door. So it was a nice start to the day.

klondike

Willtravel is right. Some of the chains and the nicer hotels that cater to foreigners have very nice, copious breakfasts which include a platter of cheese/meats and coddled eggs as well as cereals, breads and a variety of juices. More and more seem to be doing this.

However, most one and two star hotels still just do the coffee/bread, in which case it is definitely a better deal to skip and buy your own. You could aways ask at check in what the bkf includes and if you don't plan on eating it is nice to inform the desk. Many places ask you if you will be eating breakfast so they get the right amount of fresh product.

Gretchen

All have covered the ground well so my suggestion is to take a look at your hotel's breakfast and decide--also based on what you prefer for breakfast. We don't drink OJ so that isn't a priority. It also may depend on how close a cafe is to your hotel. And yes, the Ibis in Paris do have a nice buffet. The Muguet (2*) has a nice selection--croissant, roll, coffee, and OJ brought to the table. Then a selection of hard eggs, yogurt, cereal and milk, cheese to take if you want. So one year we ate at the hotel rarely eating anything but coffee and bread and another we went to a cafe every morning--spent 5E for the 2 of us vs. 14E at the hotel.

Ziana

I do not know if everyone's breakfast buffet was included but ours was.
So, breakfast menu was a
cereal
croissants
rolls
butter
nutella
ham
cheese
jam
OJ
milk
coffee
yogurt

what else can person want?
My friends were complaining that in their Hotels it was like bad coffee and hard croissants - that's it.

Hotel Alcyon 17 rue de Prague

sfowler

The main reason I tend to "do" French hotel breakfast is that in the morning I have a hard enough time getting to the hotel breakfast room without going out to face the world. For me the price/value ratio includes this factor

janie_diaz7777

In Paris I recommend taking the hotel
with breakfast. We had a wonderful buffet breakfast at a Holiday Inn there. Early AM is usually when you want to get moving! Pastries don't often "stick to your ribs" unless you have little planned for the day!

Mucky

Generally Continental breakfast is quite expensive, coissant and coffee and perhaps some fruit is not much for the prices charged.
However, where you eat does depend upon where you are staying.For example if you are staying in a rural location or in a small village there will almost certainly be a small van coming around at about 8am every day selling bread coissants and the delectable pain au chocolate. This institution epitemises what I love about France. If in a large town or city there are alays plenty of cafe's and breadshops offering a wider range at cheaper prices than hotels. But if you are just too lazy to look, then the hotel breakfast will suffice.
enjoy..
Muck

francophile03

This is a little off the subject a bit, but perhaps someone can explain this for me. I, too, do not care for OJ and definitely don't care whether or not it's freshly squeezed.

However, I notice that in Paris the hotels seem to place alot of value in offering freshly squeezed OJ in their breakfasts.

Thanks.

Ziana

Publicity ! as a lot of snobs do want their oj be freshly squeezed while in Paris even if they never saw it at home.

m_kingdom2

The taste of freshly squeezed orange juice i.e. made within the hour on the premises, has a far superior flavour to anything that is available in a carton - it is delicious - rather than something that one might use as an acid based cleaner. Furthermore, a screwdriver should only ever be made with orange juice of the freshly squeezed variety.

As for the rest of the breakfast, it depends on the hotel. If no breakfast is included in the rate, then try it on your first day and decide whether you feel it is worth the money. I feel that around 20EUR per head for breakfast, buffet style, is reasonable if the selection is large and of excellent quality - this removes the need for one to lunch as well.

As for Italian breakfasts being "avoided at all cost", every hotel I stay at in Italy has served superb breakfasts, perhaps you were just unlucky with your choice.