The Midi-Pyrenees and Languedoc-Roussillon Hotels

Hotels range from Mediterranean modern to medieval baronial to Pyrenean chalet, and most are small and cozy rather than luxurious and sophisticated. Toulouse has the usual range of big-city hotels, for which you need to make reservations well in advance if you plan to visit in spring or fall. Look for gîtes d'étape (hikers' way stations) and chambres d'hôtes (bed-and-breakfasts), which offer excellent value, a chance to meet local and international travelers, and, perhaps, to sample life on a farm, as well as the delights of cuisine du terroir (country cooking). As for off-season—if there is such a thing, since chic Parisians often arrive in November in their SUVs with a hunger for the authentic—call ahead and double-check when hotels close for their annual hibernation. This usually starts sometime in winter, either before, or right after, the Christmas holidays.