We are arriving at CDG at 930AM on Sept. 19th and picking up our rental car. It has been suggested that we drive to Auxerre and stay overnight there before we drive to Beaune for a few nights. Can anyone suggest a hotel in Auxerre?

http://www.ot-auxerre.fr/ is a good place to start but we went to Cravant which is a tiny village with one good hotel.

I'm going there myself and have heard encouraging reports about the Hotel Normandie and the Hotel Maxime.

We stayed one night at the Hotel Normandie in September 2004, enroute from Chamonix to Paris, it's a short walk from the centre of town. The rooms are spacious and clean. It is located near a main traffic junction, a rond-point, so if noise bothers you, ask for a room that faces the rear. The hotel has a lift if you don't want to walk up the stairs. Breakfast is served in the dining room downstairs. Secure parking is at the rear of the hotel at a fee if your require.

For dinner, dine at Le Bistrot du Palais. Not a fancy restaurant by any means, but the food and service were sensational. Great regional cuisine!

Have fun!

s

The Auberge les Tilleuls is a country inn about 30 min south of Auxerre and is wonderful. Auxerre is a delightful town , with a great cathedral, well worth a couple hours walkaround, or longer. Vezaley, a bit farther south also makes a beautiful and worthwhile stop in this very rich area.

We stayed at hotel Le Maxime and highly recommend it. It's located right at the foot of the city center and has convenient parking on the grounds.

Another consideration for Vezelay - Marc Meneau has a restaurant there with rooms. Last time we stayed there, it was very nice - we stayed in one of the out buildings, not the main restaurant - the rooms were large, with private patio in the back. The breakfast was one of the best I've ever had.

If you are considering other locations, We love Avallon. We have stayed at the Hotel de La Posre and the Moulin des Ruats.
One of my favorite French writers, Colette, went to school in Auxerre. We made a visit to her childhood home in nerby St Sauveur-en-Puisaye and they turned the Chateau there into the Colette Museum.

If it's the same Auberge des Tilleuls, jjbrook, in Vincelotte, we had a wonderful meal there, along the Burgundy Canal; it's a Logis de France affiliate so has rooms as well. As you say, this is a country inn and, though very romantic, would be very different than staying in the larger Auxerre.

We don't do well driving much after not getting any sleep so do not travel long. Once we have eaten, we are pommés, Kaput. If that is you...may I recommend the tranquil Le Manoir de l'Onde outside of Sens in the little bled of Villperrot on D58. Romantic, great beds and wonderful cuisine! We then drove on into Burgundy to Beaune, stopping sto see a coupld of towns along the way, the next day.

I have not stayed here yet, but we have reservations Hotel Le Parc des Marechaux. http://www.hotel-parcmarechaux.com/

Hotel Maxime is wonderful. It is indeed located at the foot of the ancient city. Auxerre is beautiful and it deserves more than a pass-through. Just a short drive away is Vezelay. It is one of my favorite spots in France. Vezelay and Chatelet (in Provence). I did hot air ballooning out of Vezelay and had an impossibly great time. We stayed at Lion D'Or. But back to Auxerre - If you choose Maxime you can't go wrong. Enjoy.

We have stayed at the Hotel Le Parc des Marechaux and it is fine. Also only a short walk to one of the finest restaurants in France: le Jardin Gourmand; worth the trip on its own.

jhanlon, do you remember what day the Jardin Gourmand is closed? We ate there one year and other times we found it closed.