How to book accommodation in France

What type of accommodation can I book?

For your stay in France, you have the option of booking:

• a hotel room,
• a furnished room or flat,
• a campsite pitch, a mobile home, a cabin or a bungalow,
• a guest room in a bed and breakfast (B&B),
• a bed or room in a youth hostel.

Many options are available. It is up to you to choose the accommodation that is best suited to your needs.

How to book accommodation in France?

To find accommodation, you can contact the Tourist Office of Paris or of the other city where you wish to stay. Otherwise, use a holiday rental agency or check out accommodation rental websites.

If you choose to book through an online platform or ad sites, be aware that they are only intermediaries between you and the landlord or hotelier. In principle, you can’t hold them responsible for any problems with the accommodation. Be particularly careful: the accommodation presented on the site may not be the one you dreamed of.

Tip: Feel free to contact the hotel or the rental property owner directly to compare such aspects as price, terms of cancellation, room/property features and breakfast with what the booking platform offers. Platform service fees can be a substantial additional cost.

Before confirming your reservation, you should make sure to read the hotel’s general terms and conditions of sale. This way, you are already aware of your rights in the event of a cancellation or any other modification to your reservation.

I have found my dream accommodation. What information should I check before booking it?

Before booking an apartment, room or bungalow in France, make sure that you have the following information:

• the address, surface area, number of main rooms and other features of the accommodation (e.g. it is on a high floor with no elevator),
• whether it contains a bathroom/WC,
• its condition and state of maintenance,
• the amenities provided (e.g. fridge, oven, TV, bed sheets),
• the rental price,
• whether the price includes e.g. breakfast, cleaning/housekeeping, bed linen,
• whether or not pets are allowed.

Also check if the accommodation has a label (Gîte de france…).

If you rent a furnished tourist accommodation (from an individual or an agency), a detailed description must be provided to you before the rental starts.

Good to know: Hotel operators in France do not have the right to refuse accommodation to families with children (Articles L.225-1 to 225-4 of the French Penal Code). However, hotel operators may try to bypass this obligation by telling you that the hotel is fully booked. If you have any doubts about the reasons for refusing your reservation, you will be required to provide proof that the hotel operator acted in bad faith and, where appropriate, need to file a complaint for discrimination.

How can I find accommodation accessible to people with disabilities?

The “Accès libre” platform lists accessible establishments (hotels, rooms and flats for rent, bed and breakfast…). Establishments adapted to different types of disability are awarded the “Tourism & Disability (Tourisme et Handicap)” label. You can locate them on the spot using the pictograms, which specify the conditions of accessibility according to the type of disability: hearing, mental, motor or visual. You can therefore find a room with adapted wardrobes, a motorised bed, washbasins and sliding bathroom doors for example.

Does the hotel have the right to refuse my pet?

Yes.

If you are travelling with a pet, you should ask before booking as not all hoteliers accept pets. Ask the question at the time of booking. Please note! A supplement may be required.

If the booking is made on a booking platform, a small icon is usually visible indicating whether pets are allowed in this establishment.

The hotel or lessor asks me to complete a police information form (fiche individuelle de police), is this normal?

If you are a non-French national, yes.

All foreign guests (over the age of 15, as children under 15 can be listed on the accompanying adult’s form) who are staying in a hotel, furnished accommodation, B&B, campsite, etc., must complete and sign the police information form upon their arrival. This form may be requested by the police and gendarmerie in the event of civil disorder or legal investigations/inquiries. The form must be retained by the hotel or lessor for six months. If you refuse to complete or sign the police information form, the hotel operator or lessor is entitled to refuse you entry to the property.

Upon arrival, I realise that my accommodation doesn’t match the description. What should I do?

If the hotel room or rental property does not match the advertised description (e.g. it has a view of a construction site instead of the Eiffel Tower or smells unpleasant), or if it does not contain the amenities stated in the rental contract, take photos of the discrepancies.

Then, get in touch with the owner to find an amicable solution. For instance, ask the owner to repair the appliance that is broken or to clean the rental property. If you booked your accommodation through an online platform, feel free to contact them and ask them to help you navigate the problem and report the condition of the accommodation.

If you can’t reach a solution, ask the owner if another rental property is available for you to stay in under the same rental agreement. And if this is impossible, ask for a price reduction, a voucher for a future stay or any other solution that would be satisfactory to you.

Good to know: in the case of an unsafe or unsanitary rental accommodation (e.g. presence of cockroaches, loose electrical outlets, mould, windows that do not open), the city health department can be contacted.

Who can help me if I have a problem?

First, contact the hotel operator or the rental property owner in writing. You may also contact the intermediary through which you found the accommodation (e.g. online booking platform, tourist office). Retain proof of your correspondence.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.