How do French people really live? Satisfy your curiosity by staying at a Chambre d'hôtes (French bed & breakfast). Over a sumptuous breakfast, chat with your hosts (artists, farmers, or even princes and princesses) and find out the nooks and crannies of your destination, beyond the tourist guides. Or if you choose to stay at a table d'hotes, enjoy home-style French cooking for your evening meal.

by Anna Goldrein, with photography by Jon Martin

I have discovered 15th century farmhouses, grand châteaux, alpine chalets and smart townhouses, all offering excellent value for money and memorable stays. To find out more, dip into Alistair Sawday's French Bed & Breakfast Special Places to Stay (Alistair Sawday Publishing Co. Ltd - www.specialplacestostay.com, £15.99), Hunter Rivages' Maisons d'Hôtes de Charme en France (Editions Payot & Rivages, €21; French only) or useful tomes by the AA, such as Bed & Breakfast in France, (The Automobile Association, £11.99) and Thomas Cook Publishing's Selected Bed & Breakfast France (£11.99). For a wide choice of B&B accommodation in the capital, consult Paris Bed and Breakfast (Alcove & Agapes, 8 bis Rue Coysevox, 75018 Paris; Tel: 00 33 1 44 85 06 05; Fax: 00 33 1 44 85 06 14; info@paris-bedandbreakfast.com).

Le Char à Banc

Essentials: Farmhouse, convivial crêperie and antique shop set in a former mill, near the tiny village of Plelo, 20km from Saint Brieuc.

Story: The multi-talented Lamour family have created a haven of relaxation, indulgence and good taste. Choose from five rustic rooms; the Hatter's room, Musician's room, Clock room, Sewing room or Birds' room.

Suits: Gourmets, lovers of green spaces and kids (but, don't tell them those cute little piggies end up in the pot).

Eat and drink: Crêpes with homemade rhubarb jam for breakfast. At weekends (Saturday evening and Sunday lunch), tangy homebrewed cider, buckwheat savoury pancakes (galettes) or potée (pig stew with farm vegetables, simmered in a cauldron over a real fire). Finish with sweet pancakes.

On your doorstep: Farmyard animals, pedalo on the river in the grounds or take a ride on the Breton work horses.

Nearby: Sandy beaches of the Côtes d'Armor.

Cost: For one: €81; for two €89; for three €103; for four €109 (includes breakfast). Dinner around €10.

Contact: Lamour Family, Moulin de la Ville Geffroy, Plelo 22170 Chatelaudren, Côtes d'Armor.
Tel: 00 33 2 96 74 13 63
Fax: 00 33 2 96 74 13 03
Email: charabanc@wanadoo.fr
www.aucharabanc.com

Château de Mirvault

Essentials: Intimate château set in extensive grounds on the banks of the Mayenne River.

Story : The family of current owners, Brigitte and François d'Ambrieres, has owned this green land since 1573, accumulating the objets d'art, antiques and pictures that now decorate the spacious bedrooms, apartments and sitting room. Francois' family has owned the property since 1573.

Suits: Old-style romantics who will appreciate the Ambrieres' friendly but formal welcome.

Eat and drink: For breakfast, tuck into farm eggs, homemade jams, fresh croissants and local produce. According to the season, there are nuts, grapes and even farm-grown lemons.

On your doorstep: Once you have paid your board, all drinks included - bikes and even a boat are at your disposal. Explore the 40-hectare farmland and 10-hectare park. Prepare a picnic in the château kitchen then jump in a boat to a secluded spot. A former guest proposed marriage in the middle of the lake.

Nearby: Fantastical Museum of sculptor Robert Tatin with 6th-century stone house, King Louis XI's romantic little Château de Plessis-Bourre with drawbridge and sumptuous furniture (both at 20km); grandiose Château d'Anger (45km).

Cost: €76 for two; €23 supplement per person (breakfast included). If there is a third person, they can share the apartment (bathroom) with the couple already staying but have their own bedroom for a €23 supplement.

Contact: Brigitte and François d'Ambrieres, Aze, 53200 Château-Gontier, Mayenne department.
Tel/Fax: 00 33 2 43 07 10 82.
There is no dedicated website, but the château is on www.bienvenue-au-chateau.org.

Pavillon de la Maye

Essentials: When the luxurious Trianon Palace is full to bursting, the management send their clients to the Pavillon de la Maye, a smart townhouse in a quiet, residential street in chic Versailles.

Story: In 1998, Daniel-Etienne Hourdry, former general director of Maxim's, retired. By 2000, he and his wife had opened one of the smartest B&Bs in France with sweeping staircase, classically furnished salon and conservatory, well-tended garden and pristine antiques. All five bedrooms are spacious, with wooden flooring and marble bathrooms.

Suits: City slickers.

On your Doorstep: The Château and gardens of Versailles.

Nearby: Monet's home and gardens at Giverney, Chateau de Malmaison, former residence to Josephine and Napoleon Bonaparte.

Eat and drink: Breakfast comprises tea and coffee in a silver set, home-cooked Madeleine cakes and pear clafoutis with raspberry coulis, jams, croissant and brioche, cheese and fresh bread.

Cost: €168-€205 for two (breakfast included).

Contact: 16 avenue de la Maye, 78000 Versailles.
Tel: 00 33 1 39 23 21 00
Fax: 00 33 1 39 23 21 01
Email: pavillondelamaye@wanadoo.fr
www.pavillon-de-la-maye.com

Château de Viaud

Essentials: Discreet château set in the heart of wine-growing Lalande de Pomerol, between Saint-Emilion and Fronsac. The view of 20-hectare vineyards is enough to make wine-lovers tipsy in itself.

Story: While Philippe Raoux makes the wine, former fabric and furnishings decorator Mary looks after the chambre d'hôtes, which opened in May 2002. Each of the five rooms is named after an aromatherapy oil and scented accordingly. Regency and Victorian antiques, traditional French fabrics and contemporary art decorate the rooms and large sitting room.

Suits: Wine travellers

On your Doorstep: Visit of the chateau cellars and wine-tasting.

Nearby: Visit châteaux for wine-tastings, grottos and troglodyte church of Saint-Emilion, and Frontmayne Château. Take a spin to Bordeaux (a 25-minute drive). Or ask your host to organise wine-tasting bicycle tours or cooking demonstrations of local delicacies: tomate confit, confit de canard and foie gras.

Eat and drink: For breakfast: American pancakes or croissants, muesli, yoghurt and fruit for every season (plums in spring, peaches in summer and figs in autumn), plucked from the château's garden. All day: On-site tastings of the château wines (a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet-Sauvignon). Evening meals: For larger groups, on-site catering can be arranged. Otherwise, drive to nearby Saint Emilion for the intimate ambience and fabulous food of the Clos du Roi and L'Envers du Decor bistrot/wine-bar, the chateaux proprietors' favourite.

Cost: €80-€110 for two sharing double room, including breakfast.

Contact: Château de Viaud, 33500 Lalande de Pomerol
Tel: 00 33 5 57 51 17 86
Mobile: 00 33 6 08 25 00 54
Fax: 00 33 5 57 51 79 77

Domaine de Villedieu

Essentials: Rural retreat set in the tranquil Cele valley of the Lot.

Story: Martine and Michel Villedieu abandoned accountancy to run this rural retreat, a former farmhouse and outhouses (1511-1803), transformed into stylish chambres and table d'hôtes. Lay your head to rest in one of the four bedrooms, two of which feature the original fourniol (bread ovens).

Suits: Nature lovers

On your doorstep: Ramble around the land, potter in the garden, splash in the swimming pool.

Nearby: Bastide of Capdenac-le-Haut, medieval Figeac, city of Cahors.

Eat and drink: The Villedieu offer half-board; their talented young son is the chef, while the garden is plundered for vegetables, including some 20 rare varieties of tomatoes. Take an aperitif (walnut and Cahors wine with cassis) on the terrace. Dine on creamy goats cheeses Rocamadour and Cabecou, a bubbling bowl of Cassoulet (white beans, duck, pork and loads of garlic), succulent prunes cooked in Cahors wines, and oozing hot chocolate pudding. Breakfast is home-cooked cakes, fresh country bread and homemade jams.

Cost: Half-board: €60-€87 per person.

Contact
Martine et Michel Villedieu, 46100 Boussac Tel: 00 33 5 65 40 06 63
Fax: 00 33 5 65 40 09 22
www.villedieu.com

Le Jardin du Presbytere

Essentials: Harmony of light and space in the gentle Britanny countryside.

Story: This three-roomed Chambre d'hôtes is an oeuvre-d'art by painter Marie-France Piel and her sculptor partner Jean-Pierre Mousquey. The walls, painted in warm pinks and dusty blues, are the backdrop for Marie-France's paintings of cockerels and Provencal fields. From the breakfast table, sculptures - a beady-eyed duck and bust of Archbishop Saint Magloire, watch over you.

Suits: Conversationalists and art lovers

On your doorstep: Wander the grounds of the Presbytere, where sweeping plants, a mass of flowers and a scattering of sculptures create a romantic garden.

Nearby: Abbey of Lehon, beautifully preserved town of Dinan, Fort Lalatte and Island of Brehat.

Eat and drink : Breakfast is crunchy craquelins fried in milk and butter, home-made jams and fresh bread, green tea or strong coffee.

Cost: €48.78 (including breakfast) for two person sharing double room. €54 from November.

Contact: Marie-France Piel, Jean-Pierre Mousquey, Le Presbytere, Les Hautes-Mares, 22630 Saint-Andre-des-Eaux
Tel/Fax: 00 33 2 96 27 48 18

Château du Mesnil Geoffroy

Essentials: Listed 17-18th-century château in Normandy, set in formal gardens.

Story: Your noble hosts take pleasure in introducing their historic home and stunning gardens. All of the five rooms (including two suites) are decorated in the family antiques and offer garden views.

Suits: Gourmets and time travellers

Eat and drink: Princess Anne-Marie prepares a breakfast of fresh eggs from the farm plus a choice of ten homemade jams, including violet and rose petal jam (the flowers are picked from the garden) and Louis XVI's favourite - mango jam with caramelised lemon and rum-soaked raisins. Dine with the family to taste 18th century recipes, such as marinated pork in nine spices.

On your doorstep: Stroll the gardens designed by a pupil of Lenotre with lime tree avenues and a rose garden of 2000 varieties.

Nearby: Gorgeous village of Veules-les-Roses and seaside (both 6km), Dieppe (20km) and the gardens of the Parc des Moutiers.

Cost: €70-€120 for two persons sharing double room.

Contact: Princess Anne-Marie Kayali Château du Mesnil Geoffroy, 76740 Ermenouville, Seine-Maritime
Tel: 00 33 2 35 57 12 77
Fax: 00 33 2 35 57 10 24
Email:chateaumesnil.geoffroy@wanadoo.fr
Visit www.chateau-mesnil-geoffroy.com.

Yellow Stone Chalet

Essentials: Mountain-top chalet in Saint-Foy with luxurious but lived-in feel.

Story: Franco-American couple Nancy and Jean-Marc Tabardel's bed and breakfast boasts six double bedrooms and self-contained apartment sleeping up to nine people. Relax with sauna, Jacuzzi and panoramic views.

Suits: Health freaks

Eat and Drink: For breakfast: fresh fruit and crispy French bread, cereals, eggs, pain au chocolat and choice of cheese. In the evening (except Tuesday and Friday) dine on Savoyard wines and local delicacy tartiflette (gratin, Reblochon cheese, onions and strips of bacon) by a roaring fire.

On your doorstep: Good, off-piste skiing in Saint-Foy.

Nearby: Skiing at Val D'Isere (30 mins drive), Tignes (40mins), Les Arcs (30 mins), La Plagne (1 hr) or La Rosiere (15 mins). In summer, head for the alpine meadows of the National Parks of the Vanoise (20 mins drive) or stroll to the ruined village of Le Monal.

Cost: €145-€160 (for two, including breakfast). Evening meal €30 per person (includes wine), kid's meal €12.

Contact: Bonconseil Station 73640 Sainte Foy Tarentaise, Savoie
Tel: 00 33 4 79 06 96 06
Fax: 00 33 4 79 06 96 05
Email: yellowstone@wanadoo.fr
http://www.yellowstone-chalet.com