You have been dreaming about this trip to France for a long time, and today you are ready and making plans. So exciting!
You go online to book your flight and your hotel as you are under the impression that you will get a better deal if you do a bundle. The list of hotels is quite long. Depending on your budget, you may go directly to the 4-star and 5-star hotels. Those usually meet mere mortals’ expectations.
On the other hand, you will want to pay close attention to the list of amenities that the 1-3 star hotels offer.
We in America are used to the big chain hotels, and we know that a $95 room is not going to be as luxurious as a $195 room, yet both are likely to be clean and equipped with a coffee maker and possibly a small refrigerator. Both are going to feature a bathroom with a bathtub/shower combo or a walk-in shower with a variety of small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and for sure a hairdryer. In addition, breakfast will be included.
Do not assume this will apply to all hotels in France.
If the information that you see on the screen is not clear, you should either pass or contact the hotel directly and ask.
Old style hotels may not have private bathrooms, in which case you will share a public bathroom with other occupants down the hallway.
Many hotels have a bathtub with a hand-held-only shower, which we, American people, sometimes find extremely inconvenient, unpractical, and annoying.
Most hotels in France offer breakfast, but at extra charge, in which case you should plan on spending an additional $8 - $12 per person.
Also, even though more and more hotels now offer the “American style breakfast” [to know why, please click here: https://www.voilabycoco.com/post/where-to-find-a-good-french-breakfast], smaller hotels remain loyal to the typical and delightful French breakfast consisting of the crunchy-on-the-outside and moist-in-the-inside bread, croissants, and other delightful “viennoiseries” which can disappoint the average American tourist, unless the said average American tourist understands that, after all, when in France, you do what the French do, thus you immerse into the culture and you do not post reviews such as “room for improvement” when you object to the traditional French breakfast on Yelp. If you do not like it, you may want to “stay at home and enjoy the mighty American breakfast”... at least that is how most French hotel keepers and restaurateurs think over there.
You see, even though France and America have a lot in common and both are part of the Western civilization, there are some substantial, surprising differences that you need to understand when you travel, and what is taken for granted here is not always taken for granted there… and vice versa! Knowing and understanding the differences will definitely help you prepare your trip better according to your needs and enjoy it to the fullest potential. Stay tuned to my blog for many more tips and tidbits on France… and feel free to send me your questions by e-mail at voilabycoco@gmail.com, or use the “comment” box, and keep watching and sharing my YouTube Channel 😉
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYYMucHYEd9W3MOkqUQF-Pw
Safe travels! Bon voyage!