Rugby World Cup: St-Etienne Hotels
Hotel Accommodation in St-Etienne, Where Scotland Are Based
Scotland are in St-Etienne for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, and Italy, the USA, Portugal and Samoa play matches too. There is a good choice of cheap, budget hotel rooms
For the Rugby World Cup in 2007 the Scotland team will be based in St-Etienne, near Lyon, where they play two matches, against Italy and Portugal. Samoa also play a game against the USA, with all matches taking place in September 2007. Although St-Etienne isn't a big tourist destination, it's a great city with a friendly atmosphere and good food. Scottish fans will also feel at home in a bar called Le Glasgow, though it commemorates the occasion when the St-Etienne football team won the 1976 European Cup against Bayern Munich in Glasgow.
St-Etienne doesn't have the same wide range of hotel accommodation that other world cup venue cities can offer, although what it lacks in 5-star hotels it more than makes up for with a wide choice of less expensive hotel options. Some of the more budget choices include the following:
*
Hotel Furania, 18 rue de la Resistance
One of the best of the cheaper hotels in the city centre, run by a very friendly family who take great care of their guests. It may only have a 2-star rating but it has been beautifully decorated by the owners, who obviously have a flair for design. The rooms are clean and comfortable, and there's a lovely bright breakfast room, and the hotel is right in the city centre just a short walk from the main squares – and Le Glasgow!
*
Hotel Tenor, 12 rue Blanqui
All the action in St-Etienne takes place on or near the place de l'Hotel de Ville, and there will be plenty of sports screens placed nearby for the world cup, for fans who can't get tickets. The 2-star Hotel Tenor is just a block away from the square, and has 64 rooms which are all ensuite and all have satellite TVs. A bonus for anyone driving is the basement car park, a real luxury in the centre of St-Etienne.
*
Hotel Terminus du Forez, 31 avenue Denfert Rochereau
This 3-star hotel is close to the station, as the name suggests, which is being linked to the city centre with the new tramline extension. The tramline also goes right out to St-Etienne's renowned Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, better-known as The Cauldron. The Hotel Terminus is a characterful and quirky place to stay, with rooms decorated in different styles, including old colonial and Egyptian themes.
*
Mercure, rue de Wuppertal
One of the few chains to have a presence in St-Etienne is the ever-reliable Mercure hotels. They may lack the individuality of places like the Terminus and the Furania, but they are reliable and offer all the comforts that the modern business traveler comes to expect. The only drawback here for anyone who likes to be close to the action is that it's located in the Parc de l'Europe, about 2.5km southeast of the city centre. It's only five minutes by taxi, though, and the Mercure has its own bar and restaurant too.
*
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
