If you’re planning a trip to France, Airbnb is great for city stays. There is no shortage of adorable Parisian apartments on Airbnb you can book any time of year, for a pretty decent price.

But if you’re venturing out to the French countryside, you’ll find many more unique accommodations — like treehouses in Provence, charming bed & breakfasts in Burgundy, or stone cottages near St Tropez — by using some less obvious booking sites that only the locals know about.

Here’s 5 essential websites that the French use to book their (many, frequent) vacations. Consider these your secret weapon for booking picture-perfect stays outside the city.

PS: I share lots more France travel inspiration on Instagram! Follow along if you like what you find here.

The best sites for booking unique vacation accommodations in France

1) Gîtes de France (Vacation Homes)

Photo credit: Gites de France / Gite rental in Southern Corsica

Gites de France is great for booking group stays, or extended vacations. “Gîte” roughly translates to “vacation home”, usually in more rural areas of France. The French government introduced the gîte system in the 1950s and still oversees it to this day. Hosts need to apply for the "Gîtes de France" label and are granted a star rating (1-5) based on the level of comfort. It’s all very well-regulated, as the French love to do.

Unlike a chambre d’hote (B&B), gîtes are for self-catering travelers. The owners will be nearby to welcome you, but there won’t be anyone on site to bring you breakfast or change your sheets.

2) Chambres d’Hotes (B&Bs)

Chambresdhotes.org is what many of the small-town B&Bs use to advertise & manage their bookings. Here, you can search guest rooms in private homes with a full breakfast provided. The site has been around forever, and is admittedly not very aesthetically-pleasing. But! If you’re traveling to a more remote area of France — like small wine country villages — it’s worth checking out their listings, which usually aren’t on other sites. I found one of my now-favorite chambres d’hôtes is in Essoyes, Champagne on this site.

My go-to chambre d’hote in Essoyes, Champagne region .

3) Staycation.co

Staycation.co is a favorite among Parisian city-dwellers. Each week, they offer special deals for weekend getaways, all less than 3 hours from Paris. These staycation packages include more than just a fancy hotel room, but fun extras like breakfast in bed, couples massages, welcome cocktails, bike rentals, and more — all for about 30-50% less than you’d pay a la carte. Subscribe to get their weekly deals, which drop every Wednesday morning.

Staycation.co offers package deals for weekend getaways, all less than 3 hours from Paris.

4) Glamping Hub

If all the most unique Airbnb rentals were on one site, Glamping Hub would be it. The name makes it sound like a backpackers site, and while they do have plenty of yurts and tents for rent around the world, they also have some seriously magical rentals that put the “glam” in glamping, like this cabin in the countryside near Toulouse:

5) GreenGo

GreenGo is one of the newest sites for booking eco-friendly stays in France. They promise “no greenwashing”, only verified getaways with minimal environmental impact. You’ll find an inspiring selection of charming properties immersed in nature that you can rent for short & long term stays— the perfect excuse for a digital detox!

“La Maison des Etoiles”, one of the many eco-friendly stays you can book on GreenGo — Photo credit: Green Go / “La Maison des Etoiles”

Where have you found incredible accommodations in France? I’d love to hear in the comments. Bon voyage!

Booking Vacation Accommodations in France: 5 sites that aren't Airbnb