10 hotels easily accessible without a car

These hotels and guesthouses have one thing in common: they're all accessible by train, so there's no need to bring your own car! It's a different way to travel, one that's gentler and free of traffic jams.

Christine Robalo Published on 8/27/25 at 7:18 AM

We often think that to really get away from it all, you need a car. And yet... A simple train station can become a gateway to the sea, the forest or an unspoilt village. These hotels have been designed for those who travel light: you can get there by train, sometimes by RER, often on foot or with an organized shuttle. And once you're there, there's no need to move. It's all there: scenery, spa, fine dining... These are the new escapes, without traffic jams or full tanks of petrol, for a weekend where you can breathe for good.

Les Hautes Mers, L'Île-d'Yeu

Tiles that warm underfoot, Ker Châlon beach just across the way, and the taste of salt on your lips: at Les Hautes Mers, the change of scenery begins as soon as you step off the boat. Bought out by Domaines de Fontenille, the former Caillou Blanc has been restored to its former glory, with just 25 rooms, a décor designed as an ode to the Atlantic (light wood furniture, whale statuettes, crumpled seaweed-coloured linen), and a family home atmosphere with a sense of service. Sail between the sea-facing deckchairs, the On the Wild Side Spa, sunbathing after a bike ride in the moors, or iodized dinners at the Vent Debout restaurant with the bay in your sights. And to prolong the magic, head for the Bar de la Meule, its hidden annex in a pocket port.

from €164 (breakfast not included)
27 rue Pierre Henry, 85350 L'Île-d'Yeu. Tel. : 02 51 37 01 12
See Gault&Millau's review of Les Hautes Mers

Domaine des Vanneaux, Presles

In the heart of the L'Isle-Adam golf course, Domaine des Vanneaux cultivates a relaxing atmosphere just 35 minutes from Paris and 20 minutes from Auvers-sur-Oise. Gabled roofs, longère-style volumes, fireplaces in the living rooms and bay windows overlooking the forest: the place plays the contemporary farmhouse card with mastery. Designed by Wilmotte, this hotel ticks all the boxes for an uncompromising weekend in nature. With its heated swimming pool, Cinq Mondes spa, bistronomic restaurant, golf course and wooded paths just a stone's throw away, this is the ideal place to get away from it all without a car (free shuttle service from the Isle-Adam train station). From culture to entertainment, historic monuments to bucolic walks, the region is rich in discoveries. On the program: pétanque, badminton, molkky, bike rides, introduction to golf, and much more. On the dining front, you'll find a touch of the local terroir in the golf restaurant and Ludovic Bernier's signature recipes at Le Piaf. A contemporary haven for Parisians in search of chlorophyll.

from €176 (breakfast not included)
Where? 1 route Du Golf Des Vanneaux, 95590 Presles. Tel. : 01 34 08 40 60
See Gault&Millau's review of Le Domaine des Vanneaux

abaca Press - Donja Pitsch

La Folie Barbizon, Barbizon

A wind of freedom blows through this artist's house hidden behind the foliage of the Fontainebleau forest. Neither quite a hotel, nor quite a residence, La Folie Barbizon eludes definition. With its 21 rooms and suites designed as inhabited works of art - frescoes, antique objects, painted ceilings, stained-glass windows made from eggplant peelings - it is a living, creative and joyfully committed gallery. You'll come for chef Éric Fava's plant-based, locavore cuisine, for a ceramics workshop or an impromptu concert, to sleep under a luminous mobile or stroll through Estelle Marandon's dream garden. just an hour from Paris, this poetic UFO, the brainchild of Lionel Bensemoun and Nicolas Saltiel, restores a sense of nobility to slowness, nature, sharing - and rooms with a view of dreams.

from €138 (breakfast not included)
Where? 5 Grande Rue, 77630 Barbizon. Tel. : 01 89 56 67 00
See Gault&Millau's review of La Folie Barbizon

La Folie Barbizon © Adel Slimane Fecih
adel Slimane Fecih

Maison des Ambassadeurs, La Rochelle

A five-star hotel in the former estate of a diplomat? The Maison des Ambassadeurs pays homage to Albert Bodard, chic globetrotter and son of La Rochelle, with a style that blends hushed lounges, historic staircases, nautical charts and rooms with exotic accents. In this discreet residence, divided between a 17th-century building and a 1950s wing, you'll navigate between exposed beams, large windows overlooking the city and distant evocations of embassy missions. Enjoy the calm of the Bodard Bar, the inner courtyard, the South American-influenced Arco restaurant, and - the ultimate luxury in the city - a spa with swimming pool. An ideal base from which to explore the central market, the arcaded alleyways and the surrounding islands, or simply to enjoy an aperitif in the iodized air of the old port.

from €122 (breakfast not included)
Where? 43 rue du Minage, 17000 La Rochelle. Tel. : 05 46 28 06 00
See Gault&Millau's review of Maison des Ambassadeurs

Les Étangs de Corot, in Ville-d'Avray

twenty minutes from the Saint-Lazare train station, between peaceful ponds and the forest of Fausses-Reposes, this charming inn reopened its doors in summer 2022 in a setting completely revamped by Christophe Bachmann. Now a member of Beautiful Life Hotels, it boasts 42 whimsical rooms, where floral frescoes, sunny fabrics and colorful furnishings offer a contemporary interpretation of the country house. In the kitchen, chef Rémi Chambard pays homage to the terroirs of the Île-de-France region: burrata from Yvelines, chocolate from Choisy-le-Roi or roasted mushrooms from Paris. Depending on your mood, you can enjoy the "Promenade" or the "Grande Balade", before settling into the Bains de Corot for a KOS Paris treatment or a glass of champagne in the outdoor whirlpool. A soothing, arty address.

from €179 (breakfast not included)
Where? 55 rue de Versailles, 92410 Ville-d'Avray. Tel. : 01 41 15 37 00
See Gault&Millau's review of Les Étangs de Corot

michel Figuet

L'Aigle Noir Hôtel - MGallery, in Fontainebleau

The château is only a few steps away, yet as soon as you cross the threshold, you feel as if you've stepped into another era. L'Aigle Noir, Fontainebleau's historic hotel, has kept its classical roots (opened in 1764) but allows itself some unexpected detours: murals in the rooms, a play on motifs, toile de Jouy and contemporary touches set on a 16th-century base. The atmosphere is reminiscent of those grand family homes that have evolved without losing their soul. Here, you can sleep in enveloping beds, breakfast in a library-like lounge, or sip a cocktail at the Montijo while watching the evening fall over the square. An address for history buffs who also like thick carpets, spacious bathrooms and hotels that assume their singularity.

from €151 (breakfast not included)
Where? 27, Place de Napoléon Bonaparte, Fontainebleau. Tel. : 01 60 74 60 00
See Gault&Millau's review of L'Aigle Noir Hôtel

L’aigle Noir Hôtel M Gallery © L'aigle Noir Hôtel

l'Aigle Noir Hôtel

Cures Marines Hôtel Thalasso & Spa - MGallery, Trouville

Facing the sea, under the seagulls and soft shade of the Belle Époque, Trouville's former casino is now home to a spa-hotel unlike any other. Since its reopening, Les Cures Marines has blended thalassotherapy, high-tech treatments and the art of living without dogma, thanks to Accor's The Purist program. Here, you can float in a heated seawater pool, try chromo-synchronized neuro-meditation, or indulge in a gourmet meal in a restaurant that doesn't banish butter or wine. The rooms are soothing, the light soothing, and the frescoes reinterpreted on the walls of the pool extend the story.

from €220 (breakfast not included)
Where to find us Boulevard de la Cahotte, 14360 Trouville-sur-Mer. Tel. : 02 31 14 26 00
See Gault&Millau's review of Cures Marines Hôtel Thalasso & Spa

la Clef Production

La Musardière, in Giverny

Right above Monet's house, this former rest home has been converted into a hotel, and plays the card of simple elegance, with its peaceful rooms, cement tiles and blond wood furniture. The Révélations restaurant, run by Benjamin Revel, showcases worldly inspirations and local produce, in an atmosphere as relaxed as it is inspired. You can stop for lunch on the terrace of the bistro Le M, or extend the experience with a night under the stars of Giverny. One of only two hotels in the village, and an invaluable address for those who take the train to Vernon before finishing by bike or shuttle.

from €195 (breakfast not included)
Where? 123 Rue Claude Monet, 27620 Giverny. Tel. : 02 32 21 03 18
See Gault&Millau's review of La Musardière

Loire Valley Lodges, Esvres-sur-Indre

thirty minutes from Tours, eighteen four-meter-high wooden cabins welcome travelers in 300 hectares of private forest. Here, no Wi-Fi, very little network, no television, but walkie-talkies to talk to each other, bicycles to get around on, and silence for company. Each lodge, designed with a contemporary artist, has its own identity, and all have a Jacuzzi on the terrace, some a sauna. Comfort is hushed: perfect bedding, large bay windows overlooking the foliage, soothing atmosphere. Far from a Spartan return to nature, it's a gentle immersion in another time. Let yourself be won over by slowness, and dine at the Ardent restaurant, where chef Thomas Besnault composes a vegetal, forested, instinctive cuisine. The perfect place to disappear for a few days...

from €390 per night (breakfast included)
Where to find us Allée de la Duporterie, 37320 Esvres-sur-Indre. Tel. : 02 47 38 85 88
See Gault&Millau's review of Loire Valley Lodges

anne Emmanuelle Thion

Le Garage, Biarritz

A former garage, an aerodrome past, a history of mechanics, and a welcome revival. a stone's throw from Miramar beach, Le Garage has been reinvented as an arty boutique hotel, with 27 rooms and suites overlooking the Atlantic from their terraces. Brushed concrete, colorful frescoes, neo-retro furnishings and a relaxed ambience: here, luxury is unfurled without frills. Wake up to a choice of Surfeur or Champion breakfast, featuring smoked trout, homemade granola or scrambled eggs; on Sundays, brunch is accompanied by live music and a festive air. Come for the industrial architecture, stay for the pool and the Biarritz light. An atypical pied-à-terre.