The Dordogne
Despite the old-timey candystripe awnings, rooms at this family-owned hotel are bang up to date, with cool colour schemes, distressed-wood furniture and…
Must-see hotels in France
The Lot
With flower-filled hanging baskets, Hostellerie Fénelon evokes the feel of an Alsatian summer house. The pricier of the plain rooms overlook the river and…
Blois
With a bright Tintin and BD (comic book) theme, this modern hotel offers 29 comfortable rooms (the cheaper ones are smallish) and an attractive restaurant…
Côte d’Opale
Just 200m from Nausicaá aquarium, this friendly, well-run hotel is across the street from the beach. Lilac, taupe and chocolate hues give the 42 rooms…
Camping Municipal de la Pointe du Grouin
Brittany
This excellently located campsite on the road from Cancale to Pointe du Grouin has gorgeous views of the sea. The campground has 199 plots, a bar and shop…
Côte d'Azur
This modern hotel offers 15 well-kept rooms and suites with stripy fabrics, wood floors and wrought-iron balconies overlooking a splendid pool with…
Côte d’Opale
Opened in 1927, this 47-room hotel is just 200m from the beachfront promenade. Some rooms have balconies; family rooms come with a double and two single…
Var
A prime address for beachside sleeping; some of the rooms have terraces facing the sea, and are accordingly more pricey. Half-board is available (adult…
Brittany
This simple two-star spot right on the harbour is cosy, with seven imaginatively decorated rooms with period furnishings and thoughtful touches throughout…
Vaucluse
Despite the heritage 18th-century façade, inside this former mansion (now owned by Best Western) the rooms are fairly generic: comfy enough, but short on…
The Lot
Smack in the heart of the old town, this hotel sits above a cool and lively cafe which serves drinks and sandwiches. Bare-bones contemporary rooms feature…
Limoges
This former relais de poste is favoured by business travellers, though it has seen better days. They remodeled the lobby in 2017 and claim the rooms are…
The Dordogne
The ivy-covered façade promises period charm, but inside the rooms are rather modern and bland. Still, bathrooms are sleek, rates are reasonable, and the…
Gorges du Verdon
Large, activity-oriented campsite on the shores of Lac Ste-Croix; also has wooden chalets and mobile homes. There's usually a two-night or four-night…
Inter-Hotel Pau Villa Montpensier
The Pyrenees
A pastel pink, shuttered façade conceals 20 plain, simple carpeted rooms here, all with mix-and-match colour schemes and rather dated bathrooms. The…
Calvados
There's nothing particularly special at this simple place, but this is as cheap as it gets in Trouville. The cheapest rooms are plain, so it's worth…
Rouen
The two- to eight-bed rooms at this modern, 88-bed hostel are comfortable and functional. It's set 2km east of the cathedral off rte de Darnétal; from the…
Chambéry
This chain hotel near the train station is far from being the most charismatic place to catch some sleep in Chambéry, but it is well run and comfortable,…
Limousin
Parts of this quirky 28-bed hostel, like the latticed windows and square dovecote, date from the 15th century. Inside find a cosy lounge, well-stocked…
Angers
It’s not at all fancy, but this reliable, 41-room hotel near the train station is solid and squeaky clean. There's a lift and free bike storage. Rates are…
Golfe du Morbihan
This simple hotel near the train station caters for a business crowd. It can seem faceless in places, but facilities are solid and the location very…
Rennes
Rennes' well-equipped youth hostel has a self-catering kitchen and a pleasant canalside setting 2km north of the centre. Digs are in one- to five-bed…
Limoges
Globetrotting decor defines this quirky little hotel, with themes including a maple-clad Canadian cabin, an Indonesian room, and a Grecian room in whites…
Aix-en-Provence
On the edge of Vieil Aix, this faded hotel is hardly luxurious, but it’s a bit of a bargain as long as you can put up with the no-frills decor. There’s a…
Limoges
Basic but good-value rooms spread out over several floors of a tall townhouse. Floors are squeaky, doors are creaky and the spiral staircase will give you…
Limousin
Arnac-Pompadour's best lodgings are at this welcoming B&B, just southwest of the castle. There are five rooms; breakfast is an additional €8 to €15. There…
Golfe du Morbihan
This splashy option with an aqua park that has water slides is one of the peninsula's 15 campgrounds. Just 2km east of the town centre, it's beside Plage…
Clermont-Ferrand
The double-glazed rooms at this small hotel near the Friday morning St-Joseph market offer the best budget value in Clermont: they're smallish, and…
St-Tropez
An immaculately clean converted house, five minutes' walk from place des Lices, the Colombier’s fresh, summery decor is inherently relaxing. Rooms are in…
Camargue
Directly across from the town's stout northern bastion, this pocket-sized chambre d’hôte has four artfully appointed rooms, one with a small private…
Amboise
Quirky, creaky hotel on a central square with 27 higgledy-piggledy rooms wedged around corridors; most rooms are modern, smallish and timber beamed…
Normandy
Dramatically situated on the western cliffs overlooking the beach, this campground also rents out two- and six-person chalets (from €280 per week). In…
Limousin
A venerable wisteria-fronted hotel in the centre, with comfy but bland rooms. The restaurant (lunch/dinner menus from €19/34) serves good Limousin fare:…
Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne
This pleasant municipal campground is by the banks of the Alagnon River, 1km south of Murat's train station. There are laundry facilities and areas with…
Auvergne
This well-maintained but unstylish hotel is a great budget base. Rooms have wooden floors, dinky bathrooms and views of the square below. A small…
Toulon
The over-the-top, Italian-inspired decor is slightly risible and the lighting could be nicer, but Little Palace is well run, friendly and has 23 great…
Vaucluse
Plus points for this no-frills hotel: it's cheap as chips and dead central. Minus points: rooms are basic bordering on spartan, and can be very prone to…
Mont St-Michel
This 62-bed hostel has four- to six-bed rooms and kitchen facilities: it's not located on Mont St-Michel, but in Pontorson, linked to the rest of France…
Auberge de Jeunesse de Biarritz
Biarritz
This popular, well-run place has a lot going for it: clean dorms, a lively cafe-bar and a sunny terrace for summer barbecues. From the train station,…
Limousin
Hôtel Ambroise is nicer inside than out: snug, simple rooms (some with river views) and a restaurant (menus from €12.50). It's located on the north edge…
