© Emmanuel Dyan

One always wonders about where to stay while traveling to a new place. For those that wish to enjoy the natural beauty of France while wanting to be close to urban life, the following are some of the best places to stay in France. Alegria is a bed and breakfast on the edge of the village of Aups, the junction of the wine route, truffle route and the Gorges du Verdon, part of an exceptionally lovely protected natural park. The Ferme de la Platane is a wonderful old farmhouse that dates back to the late 1700's. It has been restored and offers three spacious studio apartments and a slightly larger cottage. The Grand Hotel des Bains is a great place to relax and de-stress and offers views of the coast that are spectacular with golden beaches, dramatic cliffs and promontories.

© alh1

It is not a hard thing to arrange in Europe to stay at castles, as many of these have been converted to luxury hotels and student hostels. However, some of the best hotels in France that are also castles still belong to private families that have managed to stay in their grand homes over centuries.

The current chateau of Villersexel, for example, is in its third incarnation, owned by a baron who can trace his ancestors back to Charlemagne. The castle was built after the previous castle on the site was destroyed in a battle between the French and Prussians in 1871, and it had been burned to the ground another time before that, but all told there had been a castle on the site for over a thousand years. This castle-hotel features a sweeping staircase that leads up to the guest rooms, each of which has a bed crowned with coronets.

© LetoCarvalho

If you are looking for cheap hotels with 'budget' rooms, service and meals, then this list will help you know places you don't want to go to.
The government of France has doled out eight of its latest honourary titles to the best hotels in France, or 'Palaces'. Some of the most swanky hotels were vying for the Palace distinction, now famous as the "tourism's version of the Pulitzer Prize", categorized such by a 10-man panel consisting of famous personalities from all walks of life.
Four of the eight lucky hotels are – Hotel Le Bristol, Le Meurice, the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome and the Plaza Athenee.
Tourism authorities said the rank recognizes "French-style excellence" and marks them out from other best hotels in France