You just arrived in France and you just want to start to travel to discover the countryside. That’s a pretty good idea!!
You found cheap way to travel in France, but you still have to deal with one question:
Where will I sleep during the night without spending too much money ?
Here is the good news, I will review for you all the short stay accommodation solutions you will find in France while backpacking!
Here we go!
Hotels
Hotels are the easiest way to find a mattress to sleep. Hotels are located everywhere, from the biggest cities to the countryside.
The advantages of the Hotels are that you can book it only for one night.
In the Hotel, you will not be able to cook or eat your own meal. But most of the time you will find a restaurant for lunch, dinner or breakfast in the Hotel or near the Hotel.
Hotels are the easiest accommodation to book at the last minute, but they will usually not be the cheapest places to spend the night as you will have extra expenses like restaurants.
Click here to compare the price and get the cheapest Hotel for your stay!
Hostels
Do not mislead the Hotel with Hostel with the s between the o and the t!!
It makes all the difference.
Hostels are usually the favorite places for backpackers. There is so many reasons to it.
First of all it’s mostly young backpacker that go in hostels. Second of all hostels are really flexible for the booking as you can easily book one to several nights.
Hostels are mainly located in city center that will facilitate your sightsee.
Hostels have common places that you will be able to use to cook, use internet, chill and meet other travelers.
The Hostels staff sometimes organize small party in the hostels. They might even sometimes have games area and barbecue places.
For your comfort there is not only big dormitories with common bathrooms in the Hostels. They have also private rooms with private bathrooms.
Some of the Hostels will also propose you the breakfast and can deliver diner.
Hostels is definitely the best way to travel and socialize for the cheapest price.
Click here to find and book an hostel *
* By booking an hostel you will not usually pay the full booking price in advance but for most of the time a fee of 10%.
Apart’ Hotel
The Apart Hotel is a mix between a Hotel and an apartment. You will find the booking facilities of an Hotel e.g you can book an Apart’Hotel at the last minute. You can also easily book your Apart’Hotel just for one night.
But in an Apart Hotel you will find the commodities of an apartment: inside your room you will have a kitchen with a fridge and a table to make your own food.
The Apart’Hotel are quite a new concept that you will find in the biggest cities.
Click here to find and book an Apart’ Hotel.
Real Estate Agencies
Real Estate Agencies are places that you will sometimes goes to pick up the keys of your rental when you book your holidays to private owners. The real estate agencies are sometimes the place that do the check-in, check out and cleaning of private owner’s accommodation, so you won’t deal your stay with the private owner directly but you will organize your stay with the private agency.
Holiday Residences
Holiday Residences are places where people will be able to book apartments for one to several days.
In the Holiday Residences, you will find all the commodities of your own flat: kitchen, living room, bedroom and a bathroom.
Holiday residences are mainly located near the sea or in the mountains.
Click here to find and book a stay in Holiday Residences.
Holidays Club
Holidays Club follow the concept of the holiday residences with activities and entertainments schedule. In some of the Holidays Club you will find all-inclusive booking package e.g you will be able to book your accommodation and have the access to the activities included with your booking.
Holiday residences are mainly located near the sea or in the mountains.
Click here to find and book a stay in Holiday Club.
Bed & Breakfast
The Bed & Bredfast are like Hotel rooms operated by private’s owners. It means that you will mostly find those rooms in the countryside houses.
Your host will mainly provide you the Breakfast in a common room with fresh and local product. Sometimes the production will be made directly by your host with its own production of his garden (like for instance the marmalade).
Some of the Bed & Breakfast will also be able to serve you dinner.
This is your host that will make the dinner; you will not be able to cook your own meal at the Bed & Breakfast host.
You will be able to book one night to several nights with your Bed & Breakfast host.
Click here to find and book a stay in a Bed & Breakfast.
Private owners
The private owners are one of the cheapest way to spend holidays and travel the world. With the private owners, you will find all the type of rooms.
From the single bedroom by going to the 15 person’s villa’s you will be able to find the accommodation you look for your holidays by booking a stay with a private owner.
In the city you will principally be able to book a stay in a flat, while in the countryside you will be able to book a stay in houses with sometimes gardens and barbecue equipment’s.
You will find in the private owners the main commodities of your own flat: bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, living room sometime even a washing machine and even more house equipment.
To secure the booking transaction and avoid scam classified ads, make sure you book your stay with private owner through secure website like Air’B’n’B or Booking.com
Click here to find and book a stay to private owners place with booking.com
Campsite
A cheap way to travel is to spend your night in campsite. This is particularly pleasant if you travel in spring or in summer time.
You will be able to stay in campsite for one to few days. To have the cheapest rate in France look for the municipal campsite (those are camp site operated by the city hall).
You will find several comfort experience going from the tent space which is the cheapest way to do camping to Mobil home which is the more comfortable way to do camping (and I even saw campsite with private Jacuzzi on the Mobil home terrace!)
It’s up to you to choose what kind of campsite you look for.
Click here to find and book a campsite
Mountain Refuges
Mountain Refuges are dormitories that you will find in mountain nature reserve along the hiking trails. Mountain Refuges are mostly located in nature reserve where you don’t have other building. The mountain refuges deliver you a matrass and local food. You will find in mountain refuges a cheerful atmosphere like in the hostels.
To find a mountain refuges along your trail, have a look on refuges.info
Caravanning – Camper Van
Doing Caravanning in a camper van are the flower power way to travel and discover the country!
You will save a lot of money on your accommodation expenses. But be aware that you are not allowed to do wild camping or wild caravanning in France. You will find in most cities special caravanning parking where you will be able to get electricity, water and commodities to flush your camper van toilette… The good news is that the price to park your Camper Van parking is really tiny compare to a night in a hotel.
To find a park for your camper van and stay at night you will have to look for the service area.
You can find the Camper Van service Area in France online on Caramaps or Camping Car Park or offline on the Michelin Guide.
Have great trips =)
Your Erasmus of Paris Buddies