Jeff Steiner's Americans in France.
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Subject: French Countryside.

Question: We are bringing our 12 year old son to France for the first time in July. After a few days in Paris we will rent a car and head towards Spain. We like to get off the beaten path, are interested in the Basque country, and would rather see local things than the big tourist sites. Any suggestions for places to go and lodging that might be out of the ordinary, maybe on a farm or something?

Answer: I think the best way to get off the beaten path is to visit small French towns. Even in highly tourist regions, small towns and the countryside tend to have few tourist. For example St Emilion, about 45 minutes east of Bordeaux, is very touristy and a must see, but just a few miles away you can find open countryside and small villages that are not on the tourist map. I have to say that you will be hard pressed to find any part of France that does not have a tourist in it.
When I was in the Basque country, I stayed in a small town just outside of Cambo-les-Bains and it was a very beautiful and might be what you are looking for, sorry but I don’t remember the name. But most of the villages around Cambo-les-Bains seemed to be off the beaten path, so they might work out for you.
As for places to stay, I would suggest that you have a look at www.gites-de-france.fr/eng/index.htm, a Gîte is a rental house in the countryside, but the site also lists Chambre d'Hôtes, Bed & Breakfast’s.

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