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| HOTEL PRICE CHART | |
| Rates are per room based on double occupancy. | |
| Under €55 | |
| € | €56-€96 |
| €€ | €97-€135 |
| €€€ | €136-€195 |
| €€€€ | Over €195 |
Hotels in France carry a government star rating, ranging from one star for a simple inn up to four stars for deluxe accommodation. Star ratings – which are based on room size, facilities, elevators, plumbing – are only loosely connected to price. A very charming three-star hotel may be more comfortable (and more expensive) than a nearby four-star.
Logis de France – Fédération Nationale des Logis de France, 83 Avenue d’Italie, 75013 Paris, ☎ 33 01 45 84 83 84, fax 33 01 45 83 59 66, www.logis-de-france.fr. This organization rates some 3,000 independently owned restaurant-hotels, which must meet strict standards of quality and service. Their ratings of one to three “chimneys” are reliable indicators. One chimney means simple but comfortable furnishings, good cuisine, excellent value; two chimneys indicates a high level of comfort and tasty cuisine for the price; three chimneys is for an extremely comfortable hotel, elaborate cuisine, and attentive service. |
A ferme or a chambre d’hôte is an informal, often family-style accommodation. Chambre d’hôtes include meals – either full or half-board (breakfast and dinner). A ferme, which means farm, may often be a chambre d’hôte as well. Gîtes are for the do-it-yourselfer and can be an economical solution for families or larger groups planning to stay in one location.
Slightly up the scale are villas. Not as grand as the word might suggest, villas are privately owned homes and cottages rented out through brokers. Usually very well-equipped (kitchens may even have food processors and balloon whisks!), often with swimming pools, they can be a reasonably priced base for three couples sharing.
Because much of this region is dry for three-quarters of the year and vulnerable to forest and brush fires, camping is permitted only in designated areas, some of which may be municipal but are usually privately owned. Campgrounds are subject to a governmental star system, depending on the level of comfort and facilities such as showers, platform tents and utility link-ups for caravans (the European term for small trailers and RVs). Camping areas will be suggested in each chapter. For more information and a fuller list of campsites, try the website of the Fédération Française de Camping et de Caravaning, www.ffcc.fr (French-language site with links to English-language campsites).
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