The chambres d’hotes or bed and breakfast market in France is booming. Across France, from big cities like Bordeaux and Marseille, small towns like Arras and Antibes to the deepest rural France of Auvergne, homeowners have turned their houses into bed and breakfast businesses.
It makes sense for owners, and it makes perfect sense for people who want to book something different that is fun and a good value. In recent years, French hotels have struggled. With tightening government regulations, highways bypassing small towns and villages, and cheap tour packages that take people out of Europe, many small hotels have been unable to cope. You may find that the charming little hotel on a market square that you enjoyed so much last year is now being converted into a home or apartments.
What you can expect
- A genuinely friendly welcome
- Help with planning your tourism by a local expert.
- Breakfast included in the price.
- A glimpse into French family life
- Respect for your privacy.
- A maximum number of five rooms.
- A high standard private bathroom.
In many bed and breakfasts you will find books to read in multiple languages, games to play and information on local tourist attractions. The hosts know their regions, so you will receive honest and up-to-date advice on where to go and what to see. There may also be boating, canoeing, tennis, or boules to play.
In some remote regions, hosts can arrange for you to pick you up from the nearest station or city and drop you off the next day.
What not to expect
- You may find a home where family life surrounds you and is not as pristine (or as anonymous) as a hotel
- There may not be a lock on your bedroom door
- You may not have a private table for dinner or breakfast
- A bar for drinks
- Access to the house during the day.
Eat in your bed and breakfast
All will provide a good continental breakfast included in the room price, often with homemade jams and homemade bread.
Some of them also offer a dinner, although you need to reserve it in advance. Again these are very good and include wine and at least one 3 course meal. Vegetables are often grown in the garden and you can’t get any fresher than that. Costs average around 25 euros per person , which is much better than a restaurant.
Choose your style
There are as many different houses and rooms as there are rooms and breakfasts. There are old stone farms in the depths of Provence; smart townhouses, outhouses, stables, barns, former priories, and garden wings of a house. Most of the owners live in part of the house, but that is not always the case. Some chambres d’hotes have simple kitchens to cook your own food.
What you pay
The costs vary from place to place. While many bed and breakfasts are in the range of € 60 to € 100 for a room and breakfast for two, some of the best, the strange castle or a fantastic farm in the Luberon charge more than 200 euros per night. But they all have a good value; You definitely get what you pay for.
Find your bed and breakfast
- Many publishers have published annual guides. Of these, one of the best is from Alastair Sawday, who has been producing guides for off-road accommodation in Europe for decades.
- If you are traveling in France and have not booked in advance, go to the local tourist office which will have a list of bed and breakfasts in your region along with lists of hotels and farmhouses.
- Gites de France The Gites de France organization is 58 years old and the largest guest network in Europe. Many people use it to book holiday homes for a weekend, a week or more throughout France. But they also represent over 10,000 bed and breakfast properties, so you’re sure to find one you like in a region you want to visit.
The objectives of Gites de France are clear. They: - promote comfortable and friendly vacation stays
- Satisfy the special needs of tourists seeking authentic and enjoyable vacations in natural settings, peace and quiet, novelty and open spaces
- Help preserve and promote the French countryside and its special cultural heritage.
- participate in local development and provide stability to the rural population by providing additional resources through tourism
The Gite de France system is easy to use. To book online, just follow the instructions on their website.
- Figaro Magazine and other publications produce an annual guide to the best (Figaro comes out in early April); so be careful when visiting a kiosk. They are likely more up to date than a guide.
What about the owners?
Some pensions are run like businesses; others may be doing it because they really enjoy meeting people. For some homeowners, it means that they can live in a better house than normal. For many people, it is a way to withdraw from the rat race and live a simpler life.
Many guesthouses are run on eco-friendly lines, working to reduce their environmental footprint and source all of their food from local producers.
Rating systems
There is no government regulated rating system. Each region will have its own systems. But many use ‘ears of wheat’ as a symbol; the more ‘ears of corn’, the higher the rating (4 is the highest).
Arrivals and departures
Remember that it is often a family home, so there is no reception desk. Say when you’ll be arriving (usually after 4pm) so your host can be there to greet you. And if you’re late, call on the phone to let them know, especially if you’ve booked dinner.
Pay
If you book in advance, you may or may not pay in advance. It depends on what system you use.
If you are paying for bed and breakfast directly on the day of your departure, you will find that credit card payments are rare. You can pay with traveler’s checks in euros, although foreign checks are often not accepted due to high bank charges. Almost all cities in France have ATMs that accept Visa and MasterCard.
You can find the local taxe de sejour added to your invoice. This is very small, 0.52 to 2 euros per person.
Tip
The owners do not expect tips. If you had a particularly good time, then a small gift is greatly appreciated. If you come back again and again, bring them something from your own country.
