Rick Steves Recommends This Comfy And Affordable Type Of Accommodation For Cultural Immersion In France

Beloved travel writer Rick Steves has plenty of advice to help travelers have authentic experiences, from easy ones like learning a few phrases in French before traveling there to broader itinerary changes like choosing Lyon or Marseille over Paris. When it comes to where to stay, Rick Steves has suggested that staying in a room in the home of a person who actually lives at your destination can be an affordable alternative to traditional hotels — and it might actually make your experience more meaningful, too. On his website, Steves explained that travelers shouldn't expect all the amenities of a hotel, and should expect to share bathrooms, but that the savings and enthusiastic local hosts can make it worth giving up those comforts of home.

A trip to France can be a wonderful, even transformative experience — but with so many people longing to have a romantic, classic getaway there, it can be hard to avoid oversaturated areas, like the tourist trap restaurants in Paris. On his website, the European travel expert advises seeking out rooms in private homes all over Europe, including France where they are known as chambre d'hôte, in order to get the best prices — but it may also be the key to having an authentic experience in France and seeing your destination through the eyes of a local. Living alongside actual inhabitants of the city and possibly even getting to know them yourself can bring you into residential areas and away from the traditional touristy areas of your destination.

If you're staying in a major city like Paris, finding a person renting out guest rooms for short stays is going to be very different than if you're going into rural areas. In remote places, those looking to rent out accommodations to tourists may be waiting at train stations and other spots they might find tourists to offer them a place to stay, but that's unlikely to be the case at the airport in Bordeaux or Nice. Rick Steves says that you can often find people offering rooms in private homes on sites like Airbnb, though in the past Steves has encouraged travelers to rethink booking an Airbnb because of their negative impact on local communities. In France, there are heavy regulations on Airbnbs and other short-term rentals to deal with issues like locals being priced out of the area, but some will likely still be available for rent if you search.

A more considerate option, also recommended by Steves on his website, may be just heading to a tourist information office at your destination and asking if they know of any rooms to rent for the duration of your stay. You may also want to keep your eyes peeled for flyers and signs, as some rentable rooms are only advertised that way. In France, there's a good chance those memos will be written in French, so on his website, Steves advises that you should look for the phrase "chambre d'hôte" as you explore your destination.