Traveling in France: what is a rural gite
A delightful and affordable way to travel in France is to stay in a rural gite. A rural gite is an independent structure, house, or apartment, fully equipped and furnished, including a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. These gites are located throughout France, outside urban areas, and there is an immense choice: countryside, beach, mountains. They can accommodate 2 to more than 10 people. The association that coordinates these rentals has a strict quality control measured in branches. From 1 to 5 branches indicate the range from the simplest to the most luxurious. It could be the quarters of a castle set in the countryside transformed into a gite, an old barn on a farm converted into a rural loft, or simply the annex of a beach house. Rentals are typically by the week, usually from Saturday to Saturday, or for a weekend.
The same association also offers guest rooms. I have previously written an article about guest rooms in Paris, and here it concerns apartments in the homes of French people in the countryside. The options are vast: apartments in farms, in castles, in beach houses, in mountain chalets.
You contact the owner or the person in charge of reservations directly. The contact details are included with each listing, along with the photo of the gite or guest room. I have traveled extensively through France staying this way, and I recommend it to everyone. The accommodations are always clean and comfortable. This is the minimum required to be part of the association. Starting from 4 and 5 branches, you will find a lot of comfort and luxurious amenities. To facilitate finding beautiful and charming accommodations, the website has a separate list called Gites de Charme. You can start your search there.
The site presents interesting suggestions and advice regarding gite selection. Currently, it suggests weekends in wine regions for an introduction to tasting grapes.
Discounts and gifts for Conexão Paris readers
GALERIES LAFAYETTE: Gifts for purchases over 50 euros made at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, click here for more information and to download the vouchers.
FRAGRANCE DE L'OPÉRA PERFUMERY: €10 off every €150 spent at the Fragrance de l'Opéra - click here for all information and to download the voucher.
CARRÉ OPÉRA PHARMACY: 10% off purchases made at the Carré Opéra Pharmacy - click here for all information and to download the voucher.
HOTEL SAINT ANDRES DES ARTS (charming 4 stars in Saint Germain): 10% off + 1 bottle of wine + breakfast - use code paris-story.com when booking on the hotel's website, click here to access.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: 5% off when you purchase your travel insurance using code paris-story.com. Travel insurance is one of the documents that may be required for your entry into Europe, click here to learn more.
TICKETS: 5% off tickets, tours, and activities sold on Tiqets using code paris-story.com, click here to visit the site.