Ian McEwan, a popular fiction author from England, described the state of mind of one of his protagonists in these beautiful words. The protagonist of the said novel takes temporary residence in Millau, France in order to escape the heartbreak and everything that goes with it.
The reason for McEwan choosing Millau as the place where his protagonist finds solace becomes quite clear upon actually visiting this pretty city nestled deep in Pyrenees Mountains, at the serene confluence of two major rivers in France “ Tarn and Dourbie.
Traditionally, Millau has been known as a city-town that is quite unlike other French cities. People here prefer to stay low and fly under the radar of tourism-maps, making a point not to get noticed too much. But when there is a thing so beautiful, it is bound to get noticed sooner rather than later.
And noticed have we “ because this quick guide to hotels in Millau will certainly help spread the word farther about the natural beauty Millau has to offer to its visitors.
Spare no thoughts and get going about your planning “ a Pyrenees adventure awaits your footfall!
The fact that Millau is not really a mainstream tourist attraction plays in the favor of those tourists who love to save big by staying at cheap hotels. This is not to say that there are dozens of such affordable hotels in Millau that one can depend upon being available all year round. There are only a handful of affordable lodging options around Millau, but they are usually good enough to rely on, even at the eleventh hour.
Deltour Hotel Millau City is one among them, and probably the most visited one, as well. Housed in an iconic red brick building with no flashy avatars, it offers a comfortable and basic stay for travelers who are looking for a place to crash at for a night or two.
Hotel de la Capelle is a good alternative, as well. It is located amidst the hilly regions of Pyrenees and its location makes for a very beautiful view, all year round.
The only thing tourists need to keep in mind while booking one of these affordable Millau hotels is to ensure that extended stay services are available, just in case the need should arise.
Millau boasts of about half a dozen amazingly luxurious resorts that connoisseurs of fun, comfort and luxury can count on. These are typically locally developed properties, as opposed to global brands you typically come across in other French cities like Marseilles or Lyon.
Mercure Hotel is a clutter of luxury villas that are rented out just like hotel rooms or suites. This is as good as it gets, because you cannot find such good deals of luxury resorts or villas anywhere else in France!
Cevenol Hotel offers pretty much the same deal, but in a rather more conventional way. It's emphatic building and opulent suites are good enough to sweep you off your feet and wow you with their extravagance.
Millau is not serviced explicitly and exclusively by any airport at all. The only way for tourists to get to Millau is by driving from some other nearby airport.
The nearest airport to Millau is still not near enough (about 400 miles, Orly Airport, Paris) to warrant any discussion about cheap hotels and luxury resorts near the airport.
If you wish to make your stay streamlined for convenience, you can choose to find and book a hotel nearby Millau Railway Station. It can offer you the best of the both worlds “ connectivity by train and accessibility to the town and its site!
Talking about sites, let's take a brief overview of various tourist sites in Millau.
Millau Viaduct is the most popular site around the town of Millau. It is a huge viaduct that is used to regulate the flow of water from the confluence of two river, Tarn and Dourbie. Standing in place for over a century, the viaduct has been a regular tourist favorite for many decades.
An easy extension of the viaduct sightseeing is another popular Millau site “ the Millau Bridge. It is a magnificent stone bridge that still stands tall and strong, a testament to the expertise of engineers and builders of the yore. The bridge, at 350m of height, is among the highest motorway bridges in the world. It also happens to be the only of its kind to be built prior to the invention of modern computer-aided building techniques.
La Couvertoirade is a small village located across the river from Millau. It is not really a popular site, but you would surely love it if you love to explore ways of life in small towns and villages. Its narrow and winding gullies, mud brick adobes and adorable front yards will certainly appeal the senses of ladies. Also, the beautiful windmill and a rather unvisited church make for a very strangely enticing display of human evolution and faith.
Millau, being located in Pyrenees, can be quite cold from October to February. So, the best idea for tourists to visit Millau in order to make the most of their visit would be to plan their visit in accordance with the middle of summer that is the month of June.
In June, Millau has the best possible weather one can imagine. Bring and warm days that stretch well past 6 pm and balmy nights that make for surreal experiences mean that you would always have to fight the idea of settling here permanently!
Millau hotels tend to run high on tariff during June, though. So, to strike a balance, you might want to reshuffle your trip by a week or two.