Where to stay in the French Basque Country?

On Rue du Port-Vieux, in the Port-Vieux area of Biarritz. A simple hotel for walking down to the beach and strolling out to the Rocher de la Vierge.

On Rue du Port-Vieux, in Biarritz, 50 m from the beach. A 2-star for a car-free seaside stay, with the Grande Plage and the Côte des Basques still within walking distance.

On Rue du Port-Vieux, in the centre of Biarritz, the same street as two other budget addresses on the list. A small hotel for the beaches and the Rocher de la Vierge on foot.

On Rue Port-Neuf, in Grand Bayonne, right in Old Bayonne. A budget base for exploring the old town on foot, then driving out to Espelette and Ainhoa.

Arcaded Rue Port-Neuf is home to several chocolate makers, a Bayonne speciality.

On Rue de la Cabotte, in Bayonne, in the Saint-Esprit district opposite the station. Handy for those arriving by train and walking across the Adour to Old Bayonne.

On Avenue de l'Impératrice, above the Grande Plage in Biarritz, seven kilometres from the town centre. A palace hotel you admire as much as you sleep in, for a night apart.

Built in 1854 as the summer residence of Empress Eugénie, hence the name of the avenue.

On Boulevard Adolphe Thiers, facing the bay of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, one of the coast's free stops. For a stay where thalassotherapy takes up as much room as the road.

On Rue Gambetta, in the centre of Biarritz, seven kilometres from the heart of the area. A characterful house in town, within walking distance of the Rocher de la Vierge and the beaches.

On the main street of Ainhoa, one of the villages on the itinerary. A 4-star with a pool for staying in the hinterland, as close as possible to Espelette and the Rhune train.

On Allée du Château, in Anglet, on the shore of Lac de Brindos. A 5-star between Biarritz and Bayonne, for reaching either town in a few minutes by car.