Gîtes or bed and breakfast: what's the difference?

When it comes to going on holiday, you have an endless choice of options. In France, though, two terms come up again and again: gîtes and bed and breakfasts. They are often confused, yet each has its own characteristics. Discover them here.

Gîtes

A gîte is a house (or a flat) that you have entirely to yourself. It is also referred to as furnished tourist accommodation or a holiday rental.

It must be:

• Furnished
• Fully equipped
• Let by the week or for the weekend, but never on a nightly basis

You will find several types of gîte: rural gîtes, and also eco-gîtes. The latter appeared with the rise of sustainable development and are in very high demand.

Among the best known in France are the Gîtes de France®, with more than 56,000 properties graded from 1 to 5 ears of corn (the equivalent of stars).

Bed and breakfasts

A bed and breakfast, on the other hand, is accommodation in someone's home. Also known as a B&B, it consists of a private bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, inside your hosts' home. You therefore do not have the place entirely to yourself.

Here are its main features:

• Let by the night
• Breakfast always included
• A maximum of 5 bedrooms per house and 15 people in total (in which case it is known as a guest house)
• Hotel-style service: beds made and rooms cleaned
• The living areas are shared

It is a great way to discover the local culture, enjoy home-made food and meet new people!

Do bear in mind, however, that one of the main rules is respect for the owners. In a gîte you can come and go as you please, but in a bed and breakfast it is best to let the owners know if you will be back late, and to take care not to make any noise. And there you have it! You now know everything there is to know about the difference between a gîte and a bed and breakfast. And if the subject appeals to you, you can also learn more about the Gîtes de France® label.