To go on vacation, you have an infinite choice of possibilities. But often, in France, the terms “gîtes” and “chambres d’hôtes” come up. They are often confused, yet each has its own characteristics. Discover them here.

A gite is a house (or an apartment) of which you will have full disposal. It is also called furnished tourism or seasonal rental.

It must be :

• Furnished
• Equipped
• Rented for a week or a weekend but never for a night

You can find several types of lodgings: the rural lodgings, or the ecogites. The latter appeared with the advent of sustainable development and enjoy a very high demand.

Among the best known in France, we find the Gîtes de France, with more than 56,000 lodgings classified from 1 to 5 “épis” (equivalent to stars).

A bed and breakfast, on the other hand, is an accommodation in the home of the host. Also known as a B&B, the guest room is a private room with bathroom, in the home of your hosts. You do not have full use of the place.

Here are the characteristics:

• Rental per night
• Breakfast always included
• Maximum of 5 rooms per house and 15 people in total (we talk about a guest house)
• Hotel service: bed and cleaning done
• The living rooms are shared

It is an excellent way to discover the local culture, the homemade food and to meet new people!

Be careful though, one of the main rules is the respect of the owners. If in a gite, you can arrive and come back whenever you want, it is better to warn the owners if you come back late and be careful not to make noise in a guest house.

That’s it! You now know all about the difference between gites and bed and breakfasts. And if you are interested in the subject, you can also learn more about the Gîtes de France label.