Choosing
Accommodation in Southwest France varies from grand city hotels or seafront palaces to rudimentary mountain refuges. In between you can rent villas or gîtes, camp, or stay in a wide range of small-town hotels, country auberges (inns) and chambres d’hôtes (bed and breakfast). During the summer it is advisable to book, especially in the coastal regions, but outside the peak holiday period (between mid-July and mid-August, when the French head south en masse) you should find accommodation easily. Some hotels, especially in the Pyrenees and more remote areas, will close between November and February, and most campsites will be closed during the winter months.
Hotels
All hotels in France conform to national standards and carry star ratings, set down by the Ministry of Tourism, according to their degree of comfort and amenities. Prices (which are charged per room, rather than per person) range from as little as €50 for a double room in an unclassified hotel (ie its standards are not sufficient to warrant a single star, but it is likely to be clean, cheap and cheerful), to at least €150 for the cheapest double room in a 5-star luxury hotel.
Hotels are required to display their menus outside, and details of room prices should be visible either outside or in reception, as well as on the back of bedroom doors. It is possible for a hotel to have a 1-star rating, with a 2-star restaurant.
When booking a room you should normally be shown it before agreeing to take it; don’t hesitate to ask to see one or two rooms. Supplements may be charged for an additional bed or a cot (lit bébé). You may be asked when booking if you wish to dine, particularly if the hotel is busy. If you are expecting a meal on arrival, you should confirm that the hotel’s restaurant is open (many are closed out of season on Sunday or Monday evenings).
Lists of hotels can be obtained from the French Government Tourist Office in your country or from regional or local tourist offices in France.
Logis de France
Logis de France is France’s biggest hotel network. It acts as a sort of quality-control stamp for more than 5,000 private hotels in small towns and the French countryside. Most of these hotels are 1- or 2-star, and they vary greatly in facilities, atmosphere and level of service. Contact the Fédération Nationale des Logis et Auberges de France, 83 avenue d’Italie, 75013 Paris; tel: 01 45 84 83 84, or the French Government Tourist Office for a Logis de France handbook.
Relais et Châteaux
Relais et Châteaux is a group of prestigious, independently owned hotels and restaurants in historic buildings. A guide to them is available from Relais et Châteaux, 10 Beauchamp Place, London SW3 1NQ; tel: 0800 200 0002.
Bed and Breakfast
Bed and breakfast (chambre d’hôte) accommodation is fairly widely available in private houses, often on working farms, whose owners are members of the Fédération Nationale des Gîtes Ruraux de France. Bre...