Normandy
It's not that thrilling, maybe, but this central establishment overlooking Église St-Jacques is a safe and recognisably solid bet, with decent rooms, prim…
Must-see hotels in France
Biarritz
This one won't suit all, but it offers some of the best value in town. It's directly above the Café du Commerce, so inevitably it's got a buzzier (read:…
La Rochelle
This popular 231-bed HI hostel is 2km southwest of the train station in the seaside suburb of Les Minimes. Dorms sport four to six places in bunk beds –…
Rouen
You wouldn’t guess from the outside, but this muscular building on a quiet backstreet near the Seine is a welcome surprise, sheltering modern, clean-as-a…
Parc National du Mercantour
Situated right opposite the main gate of Colmars-les-Alpes, this simple, good-value hotel makes a decent base in the valley. It's far from luxurious, but…
St-Tropez
What a great spot this simple hotel has, in an old villa on the edge of place des Lices. It's so perfectly situated that you don't mind the plainness of…
Biarritz
On a street running up from the old port, this is one of the better 'budget' options in Biarritz. Rooms are bright and comfortable, and the hotel has been…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
A good choice if you want to stay in Montmartre and not break the bank is this 22-room hotel. Simple rooms with patterned wallpapers have an old-fashioned…
Poitiers
There's nothing fancy about this four-star hotel, part of the Best Western hotel chain. Expect solid, old-fashioned value all the way. Faux art-deco…
Bordeaux
Just off the main shopping strip on a pedestrian street, two-star rooms here are a potpourri of styles: some are entirely classic while others are sun…
Montpellier
What you lose in luxury here you more than make up for in location: the lively and central place de la Comédie is mere seconds away. Rooms are basic but…
Biarritz
A fine park-view mansion with a fustier feel than some, but reasonable prices and lots of heritage to boot. Rooms look dated – floral bedspreads, mirrored…
The Dordogne
Beside the broad River Isle, this Logis hotel is the best value in Périgueux, as long as you can get a river-view room (the ones by the busy road are…
The Luberon
Four cute cottages, tinted orange like the rest of Roussillon, and surrounded by grassy lawns. They’re rustic in style, and all have self-contained…
Golfe du Morbihan
This modern, well-equipped and functional 96-bed, HI-affiliated hostel, with a self-catering kitchen, is a few hundred metres north of the citadel. Its…
Nantes
Change is in the air at Nantes' original artsy hotel, with design-driven decor, 50 attractive rooms and contemporary art pieces strewn across the lobby…
Orléans
A creaky 1920 lift takes you from the wood-panelled lobby to 35 slick rooms decorated in gold and either red or green. Rooms vary in size, but all are…
Amiens
Insist on a renovated room at Hôtel Le St-Louis: half of the 24 rooms were renovated in 2015, and are light, spacious and quiet, while the other half are…
Montpellier
Montpellier’s HI-affiliated hostel feels very institutional, but it's a good base for budgeteers, with clean four- to 10-bed dorms and renovated bathrooms…
The Pyrenees
The rambling corridors of this old hotel lead to a selection of higgledy-piggledy rooms, variously decorated in stripes and richly saturated hues, most…
Paris
Stacked on seven floors of a 1970s building, this chic hotel's 39 light-filled modern rooms have the odd endearing vintage feature: old coat pegs, an old…
St-Jean de Luz
If you really want to be in the heart of town (and steps from the beach), this cute little hotel is a good bet. Outside, it's covered with balconies and…
Auvergne
Well located between the train station and the Parc des Sources, this family-run hotel has 28 rooms, each decorated with a simple, homely touch. The…
Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne
Dating back to the late 19th century, when Volvic had a reputation for restorative fresh air, Hôtel du Commerce holds on to its nostalgic air with vintage…
Limousin
Half old-fashioned auberge, half smart hotel, rooms mix the best of old and new: wood floors, glass sinks and flat-screen TVs meet solid furniture, velvet…
The Jura Mountains
The budget arm of neighbouring Hôtel du Lac is unexciting, but it's a steal: 17 well-priced en-suite rooms and three apartments, made homely with floral…
Languedoc-Roussillon
Once a merchant’s house dating from 1860, this basic corner hotel just 150m from the train station is a decent base for overnighting in Narbonne, with…
Limousin
Hôtel Le St-Eloi has 15 sunny rooms inside a quaint shuttered building opposite the church. The ones with Jacuzzis and terraces are good value, and half…
Nantes
The rooms at this modest three-star hotel, tucked on a quiet street behind the Opera house, don't really stand out from the crowd but the common areas are…
Lyon
This 20-room hotel is conveniently located on the edge of Vieux Lyon, and only a five-minute walk across the bridge from the Hôtel de Ville. Some rooms…
Burgundy
Just a short walk uphill from the tourist office, this well-managed abode is clean, bright and friendly, with a respectable restaurant on the ground floor…
Limousin
Two kilometres southeast of Collonges in Meyssac, this little slate-roofed country hotel is a little run down, but it's not without charm. The best rooms…
Parc National du Mercantour
Magical mountain views unfurl from this large Swiss-chalet-style hotel 8km north of St-Martin-Vésubie. The rooms are nothing to write home about, but you…
Atlantic Coast
Split between two old sandcastle-coloured buildings, this 18-room hotel has fairly unexciting rooms but the setting, overlooking the river, is hard to…
Blois
The 56 rooms here are chain-hotel standard and many are smallish, but the location is super central and the pre-WWI lobby is still adorned with century…
Arcachon
Squatting on the beachfront, this faded wedding-cake-white palace dating to 1860 is grander on the outside than it is inside. But the family-run hotel has…
Brit Hotel Les Comtes de Champagne
Troyes
The same massive wooden beams have kept this trio of pastel-hued half-timbered houses vertical since the 16th century. There's a bright courtyard and 12th…
Lille, Flanders & the Somme
The foundations of this 13-room hostelry, 250m west of the cathedral in the Ville Haute, date from the 12th century. Rooms 6, 11 and 12 have exposed beams…
Brittany
This charming and good-looking Breton-style hotel has wood-and-leather furniture and a superb location overlooking the Baie du Prieuré. Rooms with sea…
Arles
On the road to Marseille, 1.5km southeast of town, Camping City is the closest campground to Arles. Bike hire and laundry facilities are available, and…
