We are busily booking pensions, small hotels, and B&Bs for our summer 2011 trip. Our latest find in Annecy, France is 85 Euro and breakfast is 7 Euro per adult. Is the breakfast required? I remember having a required breakfast once when staying in Arles, France. It was part of the bill even though we preferred eating breakfast elsewhere. Do you know if there's a standard ettiquette/custom for this? We have a couple other places in Germany with similar offers.

Thank you!

Most places in Germany offer accommodation with breakfast as a package. If you don't want to have the breakfast you have to settle that with the owners of the place in advance or upon arrival (not in the morning when you leave and receive the bill) and you'll pay a few Euros less.

From my experience France is similar as Germany. You simply tell them that you don't want breakfast when checking in (or tell them that you'll decide in the morning).

Good chance that it's on the bill anyway but that's normally a mistake and easily changed if you tell them.

<< Is the breakfast required? >>

You would have to direct this question to the owners of the establishment you're looking at. No one else would be able to answer that question about an un-named hotel.

I've never stayed in any place in France where I had to pay for breakfast if I didn't want to.

I've been at hotels in France that gave you a choice of pension or demi-pension, but I'm not sure it's enforceabley law. I hardly ever have hotel breakfasts in France because they cost too much (for me). I think it's probably a different story at a B&B, because a meal is part of the "experience." That said, the last time I stayed at a B&B in France, breakfast wasn't even an option. As adrienne said, I think every place has its own individual policy.

Thanks for clarifying. I thought maybe it was a French custom that I was unfamiliar with. I'll simply ask at check-in. I'd rather eat breakfast elsewhere and for less money as well. Thanks!

"No one else would be able to answer that question about an un-named hotel."

I think if the price for the breakfast is quoted seperatedly, at least in Germany it's pretty clear that the guest can opt out. Otherwise they wouldn't list the price for the breakfast but only for the package.

Even if the breakfast is included, there might be a possibility for an opt-out. One of the reasons for the packages in Germany are the travel guide-lines of many companies which make it a better deal for many business travellers if the price for the breakfast isn't quoted.

We never prefer to eat breakfasts at hotels in France, and for most "occasions" it was not included in the bill. However, on a couple of occasions where we booked through Bookings.com, they offered 'deals" where breakfast was included and the price of the room + breakfast was less than the price of the room without breakfast, if I had booked directly with the hotel.

Stu Dudley