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Please see Bayeux for other available Bayeux hostels and accommodations.
Please see Bayeux for other available Bayeux hostels and accommodations.
The Hostelz.com Review
Family Home is the only hostel in Bayeux, France and ideally situated for visiting the D-Day beaches in Normandy. It is about ten kilometers to the closest beaches and the hostel has information about various tours leaving to the beaches. Additionally, it is only about a five-minute walk to to the tourist information office in Bayeux. In fact, in this town of about fifteen thousand, everything you need is a short walk. It is easy to find from the train station (which has regular trains from Paris) -- there are signs directing the way and if that doesn't work, just head towards the spires of the always-visible Cathedral Notre Dame.
Facilities available include a TV/video lounge, kitchen, patio, laundry, and giant chessboard in one of the patios. A night's stay includes the cost of an excellent continental-style breakfast with coffee. If you don't feel like cooking, an excellent option is the home-made French multi-course dinner with wine (for a very reasonable price).
The Family Home hostel includes a mix of rooms of various sizes from doubles to dorms, but no lockers. All rooms seem to cost the same price (although this is an HI/YHI hostel so there is a discount with card). The facilities are clean, if a little worn down in places. It definitely has the "family home" feel in parts. On the main floor there are showers in a separate room. On the second floor, they are in a hallway between sections of the house. Some rooms have en-suite. Toilets are scattered around the house.
The owner knows little English and will be much more friendly if an attempt is made to speak in French. Possibly because of this, there is little information provided upon check in on breakfast time (starts at 8 a.m.) and dinner time (7:30 p.m.) and it is not clear as to whether an indication needs to be made for one's presence at dinner. However, for a budget option at the D-Day beaches, this hostel cannot be beat.
Facilities available include a TV/video lounge, kitchen, patio, laundry, and giant chessboard in one of the patios. A night's stay includes the cost of an excellent continental-style breakfast with coffee. If you don't feel like cooking, an excellent option is the home-made French multi-course dinner with wine (for a very reasonable price).
The Family Home hostel includes a mix of rooms of various sizes from doubles to dorms, but no lockers. All rooms seem to cost the same price (although this is an HI/YHI hostel so there is a discount with card). The facilities are clean, if a little worn down in places. It definitely has the "family home" feel in parts. On the main floor there are showers in a separate room. On the second floor, they are in a hallway between sections of the house. Some rooms have en-suite. Toilets are scattered around the house.
The owner knows little English and will be much more friendly if an attempt is made to speak in French. Possibly because of this, there is little information provided upon check in on breakfast time (starts at 8 a.m.) and dinner time (7:30 p.m.) and it is not clear as to whether an indication needs to be made for one's presence at dinner. However, for a budget option at the D-Day beaches, this hostel cannot be beat.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
October 2006
Their Description
Family Home Hostel Details
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Map
Location/Contact| Address | 39, rue Général de Dais, Bayeux, Normandy - Lower, France |
| Location | •Train station of Bayeux at 1 km. • Bus station of Green bus at 500m. |
| Website | None (if you know the URL of their website, tell us and we'll add it) |
| Telephone | +33 (0)2 31 92 15 22 |
| Fax | +33 (0)2 31 92 55 72 |
How is Family Home Hostel rated on other websites?
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
HAHA!!!!!!! Just graduated from college in 2000 and backpacked the entire continent of Europe w/ a friend on a budget, of course, so I wasn't picky about anything! Was there to see the D-Day beaches. Our room wasn't ready so we had to wait for an hour or two along w/ other backpackers but we made friends with them during the time. Found out that we were to shuttled to a "dorm-like compound" half a mile down the road that they own. Dorm rooms or "army barracks" were split into male and female/single-sex. We were dropped off with a group of backpackers (guys and girls) and left all alone. We decided to forget the single-sex rule and made the dorm totally co-ed(!) and threw a MASSIVE college-style party with the many more backpackers that came ranging from all-across the US, South Africa, Canada, England/Ireland, among other nations. The owners never checked on us and we stayed up the entire night telling jokes, playing drinking games and so on. The last night before I left, we packed about 9 people in a car and drove out to one of the Normandy beaches at midnight and took bottles of wine to have some fun. I departed in the very early morning, saying goodbye those who were awake, thanking them for an awesome time! I didn't pay attention to the details of the hotel because of the great people I met that night. 10 years later, I am still in touch with them and we always talk about those two nights of bonding. That's my only memory of Family Home back in the summer of 2000 -- the BEST summer of my life! — VR , New York, NY-USA (2011-03-22) Great Bargain and Wonderful Character What a wonderful bargain this was. Convenient, budget, historic, clean spacious. Even the French breakfast was delicious and plenty. We ate so much, we could skip lunch altogether. It was cold but a warm bed and very clean. The whole place was a little worn down in places, but that gives it a family home feel. There were spiral staircases, exposed beams -- lots of character and authentically French. I believe the home dates back to the 18th century and is the oldest home I've ever spent the night in. The owner doesn't speak much English, but after all we're in France. — Chito Peppler , USA (2010-08-06) Charming, excellent location I've stayed at Mme Lefevre' Family Home twice, and will be staying again this year with a group of 12 high school students. Of course it helps if you speak French -- you're in France, for heaven's sake! Mme Lefevre is one of the nicest, most accommodating people I've ever met in France. She bent over backwards for my two school groups. The after hours entry is a little tricky, but it works with a code, like most apt. buildings in France. For me, Family Home is a wonderful place. — Ken , USA (2010-05-19) Avoid it! I "made a reservation" at the Family Home two weeks before going to Bayeux. Upon arriving at 8 pm, the people there told me that I had never called and they had never taken a reservation from me. In that respect, Family Home is horrible. They don't treat you like a customer. In addition, about three blocks away there's a place which is cheaper than Family Home and is NOT a hostel. Overall, AVOID Family Home. — NormandyRiders , USA (2010-02-21) Very French I stayed in this Hostel in the spring of 2006 and had a great time. It is very cold in the winter, the french to english thing is a little difficult, but the positives out weigh the negatives. The building was charming, the morning breakfast was amazing, I mean, amazing. There was a lot of traditional french fair, and its family style, so you get to meet your fellow travelers. Our first night there we spent two hours at the breakfast table (by choice) just talking to fellow travelers. Oddly enough, everyone we met was a native English speaker (Australian and Canadian). We ate so much at that breakfast we didn't need lunch that day. Of all the hostels I stayed at in France (20 plus) this one was my favorite. Partly for its charm and good food but mostly for the friendly atmosphere it fosters between its tenants. If you stay here, just enjoy its quirks -- you didn't come to France for the hostels. — lilly , United States (2010-02-13) Sucks! I booked over a month in advance and they need from me was my first name which was odd. They didn't take any deposit either, they said all they needed was a name. So, i stubbornly trusted them. So, guess what?! When i went there, arrived around 7 p.m., no one was there! I waited for thirty minutes and no one, not even people who were suppose to live there showed up. I found later through my tour agency that they apparently they had trouble with their fire alarm and had to move everyone! I had to scramble to find a place. Down the street there is a nice house hotel for 35 euros a night. I missed my tour for the D-Day beaches because of this hotel, but i recovered by going there by myself, but still not happy. So, buyer beware! — Brian , Canada (2009-09-08) Dirty,disgusting, broken furniture, litter in room, poor breakfast! I stayed there with my family, two adults, four children, age four to fourteen. We didn't move much, closet and chairs broken, pasty dirt, waste under the closet, used linen. For breakfast we had to organize spread from other tables, no fresh baguette only toasted stuff. Late confirmation after several enquiries. — C. Hohage , German (2009-07-28) Very good for hostel-type accomodation. If you're on a budget the Family Home Hostel is great value. Don't expect the HIlton, but at such affordable rates it's great. I stayed there in 2006 and will be staying there again this July. Right smack in the middle of town and just down the road from Bayuex's Medieval fare. Also has a great mix of young and old guests which also makes for a bit of fun and a few drinks at night. Breakfast is always fantastic. — Dave Robertson , Australia (2009-04-17) Brilliant! My experience of this hostel was a great one! My friends and I went here in 2005 and it was immaculate. Aside from long games of giant chess and a healthy serving of baguettes all day, the atmosphere was amazing and there were so many fantastic people there. Madam Le Fevre confused us a little, and there was of course, the infamous night of "the distribution of the keys" when we all thought we were going to have to leave our rooms because of a bus load of teenage swedish girls. But thankfully we didnt have to move and the girls still arrived. I had a fantastic time in Bayeux, we rented bikes in the town centre and cylced to the Normandy sites as well as through the countryside for some fresh air.There is an indoor swimming poll in Bayeux, but you cant go in unless you have trunks and a head cap on. Good luck, but I loved this hostel! — Doug Murphy , Scotland (2009-01-22) Good I stayed in this hostel in 2000. I did somewhat have to wait a bit cause I was there at dinner time and no one made an effort to help me out. But, after a long wait while they ate, I was taken care of and shuttled to another one of their hostels a couple miles away. It was in middle of nowhere but a rather new building and very comfortable. The beds were comfortable and cozy and there were only like five of us in the whole place. I would stay here again if ever I visit Normandy beaches again. They did help me out to get reservations for the D-Day beaches and it was an exceptional value as we saw a lot of that area. I do speak french pretty good and did not have any problems. — rey , united states (2008-10-26) Good hostel I have worked at this hostel. I think the food is good (generous portions) and the building is great -- spiral staircases, exposed beams, period features. It does indeed have a "Family Home" feel to it, which I found endearing. Location convenient for centre of Bayeux and for tours of D-Day beaches. It's true the patronne doesn't speak a lot of English but she does a little. There is bike storage space if you need it. Overall -- characterful and authentically French! Not expensive either! — Clive Jones , British (2008-08-20) Generally good I toured Europe in the summer of 2005 and found this to be the best hostel I stayed at, for both price and character. As many others have pointed out, the old lady's English skills aren't so good, but my French is horrible and we were able to communicate. The food was good and the atmosphere was excellent! I hadn't made reservations, so I ended up with a bunch of Canadian college students in the attic loft, which was relatively clean and comfortable. Everything you'd want to see is within a short walking distance. I'd recommend this hostel to anyone traveling to Normandy. — Michael , USA (2008-05-11) Be prepared for the fact that the woman who runs this doesn't speak much English. Not that you should expect her to, you're in France after all, but she was one of very few hostel owners in my europe trip who didn't, and my french was not adequate to the task. The place is old, obviously, but it was fairly clean. The location was fine, given that the city is small. I managed to end up with a room to myself, even though she had lost my reservation which I had made five weeks in advance by phone and called to confirm two weeks in advance. Luckily she wasn't full (which was shocking considering I was there for D-Day). She does have some strange lockout policy that I can't remember now, but be prepared. — Haley , Canada (2007-04-10) i recently visited Family home on a school trip back in march. i had the opportunity to be fed some traditional meals while i was there and they were amazing. i found the rooms fairly nice, with a good view ( at least from my room #15 ). the location was wonderful, located within walking distance of the downtown shops, the cathedral, and a shopping center. i found the people pretty nice, although you do need an understanding of french to understand most of what they say. — luke radko , Canada (2007-04-09) This is the most disgusting place I have ever stayed in the women who owns it, is a complete freak, crazy if you ask me.The hole place was a disgrace -- the windows wouldn't close in over three of the rooms the floors looked like they had fleas, me and my boyfriend left the place after four days (even though we paid in advance for a week) with bites all over our bodies! the toilets were horrid even after me and my best friend tried to clean it up with things we had to buy from the near by town. and mine and my friends shower did not work and a person that we met on the trips shower didn't go hot. personally I would never return to this place and would not tell people about it in a good way. me and steph also believe that we saw a rat or two on our stay however we can not be sure because we just heard and thought we saw them. — Gloria (2007-02-07)