Tips on Accommodations

The French government rates hotels on a one- to four-star system. One-star hotels are budget accommodations, two-star lodgings are quality tourist hotels, three stars go to first-class hotels, and four stars are reserved for deluxe accommodations. In some of the lower categories, the rooms might not have private bathrooms; instead, many have what the French call a cabinet de toilette (hot and cold running water and maybe a bidet). In such hotels, bathrooms are down the hall. Not all private bathrooms have a tub/shower combination; ask in advance if it matters to you. Nearly all hotels in France have central heating, but, in some cases, you might wish the owners would turn it up a little on a cold night.

Relais & Chateaux

Known worldwide, this organization of deluxe and first-class hostelries began in France for visitors seeking the ultimate in hotel living and dining in a traditional atmosphere. Relais & Châteaux establishments (there are about 150 in France) are former castles, abbeys, manor houses, and town houses converted into hostelries or inns and elegant hotels. All have a limited number of rooms, so reservations are imperative. Sometimes these owner-run establishments have pools and tennis courts. The Relais part of the organization refers to inns called relais, meaning "post house." These tend to be less luxurious than the châteaux but are often charming. Top-quality restaurants are relais gourmands. Throughout this guide, we've listed our favorite Relais & Châteaux, but there are many more.

For a catalog of member establishments, send 10€ ($13) to Relais & Châteaux, 11 E. 44th St., Suite 707, New York, NY 10017 or download it free of charge on their website. For information and reservations, call tel. 800/735-2478, or check out the website www.relaischateaux.com.

Bed-and-Breakfasts

Called gîtes-chambres d'hôte in France, these might be one or several bedrooms on a farm or in a village home. Many offer one main meal of the day as well (lunch or dinner).

At least 6,000 of these are listed with La Maison des Gîtes de France et du Tourisme Vert, 59 rue St-Lazare, 75439 Paris (tel. 01-49-70-75-75; www.gites-de-france.fr). Sometimes these B&Bs aren't as simple as you might think: Instead of a bare-bones farm room, you might be in a mansion in the French countryside.

In the United States, a good source for this type of accommodations is The French Experience, 370 Lexington Ave., Room 511, New York, NY 10017 (tel. 800/283-7262 or 212/986-3800; www.frenchexperience.com), which also rents furnished houses for as short a period as 1 week.

The best stateside agency is Provence West, P.O. Box 3146, Evergreen, CO 80439 (tel. 303/674-3726; www.provencewest.com). They have connections with some 120 of the best accommodations in the region. A 14-page booklet that describes the gîte experience is provided upon booking, with valuable tips including how to secure inexpensive car rentals. Another source is France: Homestyle (tel. 206/325-0132; www.francehomestyle.com), run by Claudette Hunt. These lodgings are a bit fancier than a typical bare-bones gîte. Her repertoire in Provence includes more than 300 properties.

Condos, Villas, Houses & Apartments

If you can stay for at least a week and don't mind doing your own cooking and cleaning, you might want to rent long-term accommodations. The local French Tourist Board might help you obtain a list of agencies that offer this type of rental (which is popular at ski resorts). In France, one of the best groups of estate agents is the Fédération Nationale des Agents Immobiliers, 106 rue de l'Université, 75007 Paris (tel. 01-47-05-44-36; www.fnpc.fr).

In the United States, At Home Abroad, Inc., 163 Third Ave., #319, New York, NY 10003 (tel. 212/421-9165; fax 212/533-7277; www.athomeabroadinc.com), specializes in villas on the French Riviera and in the Dordogne as well as places in the Provençal hill towns. Rentals are usually for 2 weeks. You'll receive photographs of the properties and a newsletter.

A worthwhile competitor is Vacances en Campagne, British Travel International (tel. 727/643-5710; www.britishtravel.com). Its directory contains information on more than 700 potential rentals across Europe, including France.

Barclay International Group, 3 School St., Glen Cove, NY 11542 (tel. 800/845-6636 or 516/364-0064; www.barclayweb.com), can give you access to about 3,000 apartments and villas throughout Languedoc, Provence, and the Riviera, ranging from modest modern units to those among the most stylish. Units rent from 1 night up to 6 months; all have color TVs and kitchenettes, and many have concierge staffs and lobby-level security. Incremental discounts are granted for a stay of 1 week or 3 weeks. Rentals must be prepaid in U.S. dollars or by a major U.S. credit or charge card.

Hometours International, Inc., 1108 Scottie Lane, Knoxville, TN 37919 (tel. 866/690-8484), offers beautiful Riviera villas, all with pools, at reasonable rates.

Hotel Associations

For budget travelers, Hometours International, Inc. offers a prepaid voucher program for the Campanile hotels, a chain of about 350 two-star family-run hotels in France. Rates begin as low as $100 per night double. This is an excellent alternative to B&B hotels because all chain members provide a buffet breakfast for only 7€ ($9.10) per person. B&B catalogs for $9 or apartment brochures for free are available from the address above.

Others wanting to trim costs might want to check out the Mercure chain, an organization of simple but clean and modern hotels offering attractive values throughout France. Even at the peak of the tourist season, a room at a Mercure in Provence rents for around $115 to $185 per night. For more information on Mercure hotels and a copy of a 100-page directory, call ACCOR at tel. 800/MERCURE in the United States (www.accor.com).

Formule 1 hotels are bare-bones and basic though clean and safe, offering rooms for up to three at around $35 per night. Built from prefabricated units, these air-conditioned, soundproof hotels are shipped to a site and assembled. (Formule 1, a member of the French hotel giant Accor, also owns the Motel 6 chain in the United States, to which Formule 1 bears a resemblance.)

While you can make a reservation at any member of the Accor group through the RESINTER number (tel. 914/472-0370 in the United States), the chain finds that the low cost of Formule 1 makes it unprofitable and impractical to pre-reserve (from the United States) rooms in the Formule chain. So, you'll have to reserve your Formule 1 room on arrival in France. Be warned that Formule 1 properties have almost none of the Gallic charm for which some country inns are famous, but you can save money by planning your itinerary at Formule 1 properties. For a directory, contact Formule 1/ETAP Hotels, 6-8 rue du Bois Bernard, 91021 Evry CEDEX (tel. 01-69-36-75-00; www.hotelformule1.com).

Other worthwhile economy bets, sometimes with a bit more charm, are the hotels and restaurants belonging to the Fédération Nationale des Logis de France, 83 av. d'Italie, 75013 Paris (tel. 01-45-84-83-84; www.logis-de-france.fr). This is a marketing association of 3,828 hotels, usually simple country inns especially convenient for motorists, most rated one or two stars. The association publishes an annual directory. Copies are available for $25 from the French Government Tourist Office, 444 Madison Ave., 16th Floor, New York, NY 10022 (tel. 514/288-1904).

At the most inexpensive end, Hostelling International USA, 8401 Colesville Rd., Silver Springs, MD 20910 (tel. 301/495-1240; www.hiayh.org), offers a directory of low-cost accommodations and hostels around the country.