Agritourism is gaining in popularity as a way to learn more about the country you are visiting in a very personal way. Agritourism is a vacation taken on a farm, a vineyard or other rural venue. Typically vacationers will book a room, cottage, or villa on a farm or rural property. In many cases, vacationers are able to assist in chores such as picking fruit, helping in the grape harvest, and working with the farm animals.

This type of tourism is an inexpensive and educational experience that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Wikipedia gives a more in-depth explanation of the Agritourism phenomenon.

Agritourism is very popular in Italy, Spain and France as well as other European countries. Agrisport has a directory of rural farmhouses and rooms for most European countries. You will be able to contact the owners directly to arrange your holiday

France

Gites are the main venues for Agritourism in France. Every department in France has lots of Agritourism opportunities. Some of the most popular areas are Brittany, Provence and Burgundy.

Gites of France has been around a long time and they can help find Gites in any area of France. They state that the Gites de France label guarantees quality accommodation that complies with a national charter. Under this system, each gà®te is awarded 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 ears of corn. Each gite is rated according to its surroundings, its level of comfort and its amenities. All the gites are re-assessed at least once every five years and much more regularly if a customer has raised concerns about the property.

Gites.com is a commercial company offering gite stays, much like a villa broker.

Meet The French is a commercial site that helps you book French holiday accommodation directly with the owner! And fortunately, all advertisers are completely fluent in English! An added bonus is that the site offers a nice vocabulary and phrase review for those wanting to converse at an elementary level of French.

France This Way is yet another commercial site that offers gites in France. The site offers a great deal of information on each property as well as a map of its location.

Italy

Italy seems to be at the forefront in Europe for Agritourism. A really nice website for learning about Agriturismo, as it is know in Italy, is Agritourismitaly. You can see properties and even book on-line. Agritourism in Tuscany is wildly popular as it is in Poggio.

Bella Umbria deals with Agrotourism in Umbria alone. With lots of pictures and information about the area, Bella Umbria is a helpful site.

Spain

The EcoTourismoRural website gives links to sites throughout Spain for rural and Farm stays.