Stays in Montauban

For a family weekend in Montauban, I would book Les Logis du Port Suites & Spa for its setting on the port canal basin, with garden or lake views and a sun terrace and garden on site. Parents get a spa and wellness centre, and the cathedral and the Ingres Bourdelle museum are two kilometres away. Its 9.4 score rests on only 51 reviews, which is a small sample for a hotel of this kind.

Hôtel Mercure Montauban occupies an 18th-century townhouse directly opposite the cathedral, so families can explore Montauban's historic district on foot without moving the car. All forty-four rooms are air-conditioned with private bathrooms, free WiFi and satellite TV, and three are adapted for guests with disabilities. Bistro Bourdelle serves French cuisine under a glass roof, handy for an easy dinner with children. A 9.0 score from 187 reviews is excellent.

Dali Hôtel Montauban has a games room, a seasonal outdoor pool and a sun terrace, and for a family wanting entertainment on site I would put it first in Montauban. Rooms are air-conditioned with walk-in showers, some with river views worth requesting. The spa and fitness centre are for parents, and the traditional restaurant serves dinner. The train station is an eighteen-minute walk away. An 8.8 score over more than 2,600 reviews is excellent.

Centre Louis Ormières is a former convent beside the River Tarn, with a garden that gives children space to move after a day out, and I would book it for families who prefer calm to a chain hotel. Rooms have a private bathroom, a continental breakfast is available each morning, a restaurant is on site and WiFi is free. Central Montauban is under a ten-minute drive, and Toulouse is forty-nine kilometres away.

ibis Styles Montauban has a year-round outdoor pool beside a sun terrace, which is the main reason I would book it for families visiting Montauban. Family rooms and sofa beds keep everyone in one room, and the rooms are air-conditioned. The Italian restaurant covers lunch and dinner, and a minimarket and coffee shop help with snacks. The cathedral is 3.4 kilometres away, and the Ingres Bourdelle museum and Les Aiguillons golf course are nearby.

Brit Hotel Confort Montauban is a three-star family hotel about five kilometres from the cathedral, and I would book it for families on a road trip who want everything on site. The air-conditioned rooms have private bathrooms and free WiFi, and the family-friendly restaurant serves traditional French cuisine. Breakfast is a continental buffet with fresh pastries, pancakes, cheese and fruit. Free private parking, a lift, bicycle parking and an electric vehicle charging station complete it.

The converted abbey's room rate includes free access to the outdoor pool, spa centre and fitness room, so children get a pool afternoon without any extra booking, and that is why I would pick it for families. Rooms are soundproofed and air-conditioned, and some have a terrace over the River Tarn, which I would ask for. Le Bistro des Capucins serves meals on site, parking is free and private, and Toulouse is about thirty minutes away for a day trip.

Hôtel du Commerce occupies a renovated 18th-century house in central Montauban, a hundred metres from the Ingres Museum, and I would book it for families who want to visit the town on foot. Each room has its own decor, with a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom, though only some have air conditioning, which I would check in summer. Breakfast can be served in the lounge or the room, and a restaurant is five metres away.

ibis Montauban sits at the exit of the A20 motorway, a five-minute drive from Montauban, and has an outdoor swimming pool, which is why I would book it for families driving south who want a swim before dinner. Rooms are simple, with an LCD TV and a work desk, and the daily buffet breakfast has pastries baked on site. Rugby fans will note the Fobio Stadium 1.5 kilometres away and the Sapiac Stadium four kilometres.

ibis budget Montauban Les Chaumes is a two-star 270 metres from the A20 motorway and four kilometres from central Montauban, and I would book it as a simple stop for families on the road. Rooms are soundproofed and air-conditioned, with a private bathroom and a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. A buffet breakfast and an on-site restaurant cover meals, a grocery store is fifty metres away for snacks, and parking is free.

B&B HOTEL Montauban is a two-star stop north of the city that I would book for families driving between Toulouse, Cahors and the Aveyron gorges. Rooms are air-conditioned, with a flat-screen TV and a private shower room, and WiFi is free throughout. Continental breakfast is an extra charge, reduced for children, and parking is free, which helps when the car is fully packed. Walking into central Montauban is not realistic from here, so plan on driving.

Kyriad Montauban Sud - Albasud has a garden and terrace with a children's playground, which is the reason I would book it for families stopping near the A20 motorway. It is eight kilometres from central Montauban, with free private parking, air-conditioned rooms with a flat-screen TV and free WiFi, a full breakfast buffet and a traditional restaurant for dinner. The Pente d'eau de Montech is nearby. Its 7.0 rating is modest.