A survey reveals the large differences in the average cost of holiday rentals in the most popular regions of France.

Perhaps to the surprise of many it is a region in the south of France that comes out cheapest.

If you decided to take a holiday rental in the Rhône-Alpes then you would pay an average of €301 per bedroom/week, the cheapest rate of the regions in the survey.

This is less than half the cost that you would have to pay in the sun-soaked Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur.

The Île-de-France comes out most expensive for 2 bed accommodation, higher than Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur and Corsica, regions which are otherwise more expensive for 3 and 4 bedroomed accommodation.

The Rhône-Alpes is the third most popular regional tourist destination in France, after the Ile de France and Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur.

The table below gives the average comparative rates for one week's accommodation during the period 16th July to 31st August 2012, based on a review of the advertised prices of 23,000 holiday rentals in France.

Like all surveys, this one has it's weaknesses, notably that it is restricted to the most popular areas of France for holiday makers.

So regions such as Limousin, Centre, Champage-Ardenne, and Burgundy, although in themselves beautiful and interesting parts of France, do not figure in the statistics, but are likely to offer holiday rentals at more attractive rates.

Source: Tripadvisor