How to choose the right holiday accommodation? Our advice from Clévacances experts

Organising your holiday already means enjoying the journey a little... provided you find the ideal accommodation! Gîte, bed and breakfast, villa or flat: there's a huge range on offer and it's not always easy to find your way around.

To avoid unpleasant surprises, we're sharing our top tips for booking with confidence and complete serenity.

1. Define your needs before booking

Before even comparing ads, you need to ask yourself the right questions and define your needs:

• Number of travellers: family, couple, group of friends...?
• Location: near the sea, in the mountains, in the countryside, in town...?
• Type of accommodation: house, flat, chalet, unusual accommodation...?
• Type of stay: relaxing, cultural discovery, sports holidays...?
• Comfort requirements: swimming pool, garden, Wi-Fi, children's facilities...?

👉 Clear thinking from the outset will save you time and allow you to target accommodation that really matches your expectations and needs.

Clévacances Tip : our site allows you to easily refine your search thanks to numerous filters practical (swimming pool, pets accepted, garden, baby equipment, PMR access....) and themes varied: wellness breaks, nature getaways, snow holidays, wine stays, seaside, city breaks... Enough to find the accommodation that perfectly matches your desires.

2. Favour a trusted label

The internet is full of adverts... but not all are created equal. At Clévacances, each accommodation is visited and checked by an independent expert, then labelled from 1 to 5 keys according to its comfort and facilities.

This guarantees travellers:

• photos that conform to reality,
• a verified level of quality,
• the ability to contact the owner directly,
• no unpleasant surprises on arrival.

Clévacances tip: to identify the quality of an accommodation, look for the number of Keys on its sheet (a simple and reliable benchmark for choosing according to your desired level of comfort.)

3. Check the location and environment

A gîte in the heart of nature to recharge your batteries, a bed and breakfast in the city centre for sightseeing on foot, a flat by the sea... The location is just as important as the accommodation.

• Check out the ad map,
• Find out about nearby transport,
• Check out the activities and services available locally.

Clévacances tip: take advantage of the stay themes (seaside, mountains, nature, wine tourism, well-being, etc.) to easily find the atmosphere that suits you.

5. Consult traveller reviews

Testimonials from previous holidaymakers are invaluable. They provide confirmation of the seriousness of the accommodation and a concrete insight into the experience.

At Clévacances, the satisfaction of travellers is at the heart of our priorities: with an average score of 9.7/10 out of more than 46,800 reviews submitted, our labelled accommodation demonstrates a high level of quality and trust.

Clévacances tip: all reviews published on Clévacances come from real, verified travellers, to guarantee total authenticity and a transparent rating. You can consult them directly on each accommodation sheet to make your choice with complete peace of mind.

6. Understand the booking and cancellation conditions

Final point before validating: the modalities of your stay:

• The amount of the deposit,
• Any charges (particularly in the case of online bookings)
• The cancellation policy,
• The methods of payment accepted.

✅ Clévacances makes it a point of honour to be transparent: no hidden charges and a worry-free booking. Before proceeding to payment, all costs are detailed.

 
Clévacances tip: depending on the type of advert, you can book directly with the owner or via secure online payment, it's up to you to choose your preferred method! And for peace of mind when travelling, remember to take out the cancellation insurance offered when you book, so that you're covered in the event of the unexpected (illness, weather hazards, transport incident...).

Conclusion

Choosing your holiday accommodation doesn't have to be a source of stress. By defining your needs, favouring a recognised label such as Clévacances and checking the essential information, you can be sure of going away with peace of mind.