Paul Stanton, Communications Director 972-490-9347 Fax: 972-490-9429 info@parisplus.com Today's Newsletter Tuesday, May 2, 2000 Article 3 of 6 A valuable (and value-filled) resource for anybody spending time in rural france is the Logis de France Network, where decent rooms can be had starting at $35/night We've mentioned this organization in passing in several editions of the Daily Newsletter, but perhaps it's time to give Logis de France a full hearing. It is, after all, one of the most important cost-cutting resources available to anyone taking in the French countryside (it's almost a necessary component of a fly-drive vacation, in our opinion, unless you're renting one of the low-cost cottages known as gites). When you have your choice of more than 3,650 hotels (primarily, though not exclusively in France) literally all over the map where a double room generally sets you back between $35 and $50 per night, it's time to take note. Logis de France is not a hotel company, but a network of independently owned lodgings that average an intimate 18 rooms per property. Exactly three-quarters of them are located in towns with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants. Owners are almost always a local couple, and one of the great benefits of staying in one of these hotels is that the proprietors really know the area and are generally delighted to point out all the local attractions. Another of the benefits is that virtually all the hotels have dining rooms that specialize in the prevailing regional cuisine--and with menus that start as low as $12/person for a hearty, satisfying traditional meal. Properties are rated from one to three chimneys, according to the amenities each one offers, but all are held to pretty exacting standards. (A year or two ago, 800 or so hotels were booted out of the organization for not being up to snuff.) You can get a guide listing all the Logis de France hotels by writing to the French Government Tourist Office, 444 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022. Information and reservations are also available by logging on to the organization's Web site, www.logis-de-france.fr, which has an English-language section and a searchable map. Finally, several U.S. companies offer the "Logis en Liberte," a voucher program that allows you to tap into 260 of the network's most well-sited hotels; Paris-Plus-France Travel Marketing Network (800/950-8673; (www.parisplus.com) To comment on this or any other article in our Daily Newsletter, or to submit a letter to the editor, please send an e-mail to pfrommer@hungryminds.com If you are interested in advertising within Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Online, contact adinfo@hungryminds.com Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel is a trademark owned and operated by Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc. Copyright © 2000 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc.