ON A BUDGET : Pastoral Charm in France

As the bucolic-yet-civilized charms of southern France--especially Provence--continue to be trumpeted across the world (most notoriously in books like “A Year in Provence” and its sequels), a tourist avalanche continues to descend on those once-peaceful domains, and the impact has been felt in local prices of everything from cottages to cassoulets.

Fortunately, there still exists the occasional pocket of rural Gallic charm sequestered from the overcharged crowds. Anyone looking for a dream European getaway this fall will want to hear about a little corner of southwestern France’s Languedoc region called the Midi-Pyrenees.

The area’s capital is Toulouse, a big city with aerospace and numerous other industries, reachable from Paris in five hours by train and a little more than an hour by air. But beyond Toulouse, its unpretentious hinterland is everything Provence once was, but at prices 30% to 40% lower.

What’s there to do besides hanging out and soaking up the atmosphere? You could spend months roaming the medieval towns and fortresses, such as Cordes sur Ciel, impressively set on a rocky outcropping; Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, a 13th century collection of half-timbered houses; and St. Cirq-Lapopie, a hill town dramatically crowned by an abandoned castle.

Prehistory buffs disappointed at not being able to see the cave drawings at Lascaux can see similar art--and not just reproductions--here at Pech-Merle, in the village of Cabrerets.

Then take a leisurely boat ride along the Canal du Midi, flowing west from Toulouse. The land of painters Toulouse-Lautrec and Ingres also offers top-notch small museums dedicated to their work.

And don’t forget the cuisine--what would a visit to the south of France be without it? The home of foie gras and Armagnac brandy has its share of pricey dining, but there are also very good farm inns where you can sit down to heavenly multicourse repasts for $10 to $12 per person, or for $15 at dining spots like Restaurant des Touristes in Marcilhac-sur-Cele and Tonin’ Ty in Cordes sur Ciel.

While partaking of all this, for seven nights you can base yourself in a gite (self-catering cottage or bungalow), typically for as little as $560 in September, and in the still-lovely month of October for just $400; in high season, mid-June through early September, prices are closer to $800. Many of these rental cottages are stone or stucco, simply but elegantly furnished, with fully equipped kitchens and sometimes swimming pools. Other deals are even better: A simple but comfortable four-person gite outside the small city of Albi costs just $255 in September, including fully equipped kitchen, garage and a working stone fireplace.

The organization Gites de France rates 55,000 properties throughout the country and publishes this information on the Internet, https://www.gites-de-france.fr.

In the United States, a tour operator called the French Experience will find and book your dream gite for a $25 fee. Telephone (212) 986-1115 or Internet https://www.frenchexperience.com.

Additional budget lodging options, especially for those who prefer to tour the area town by town, are the chambres d’hotes (bed-and-breakfasts) found in practically every village. Examples: Domaine de Loran in St. Maur, south of Auch (tel. 011-33-562-61-79-00, fax 011- 33-562-61-79-09), with spacious, beautifully furnished doubles for $47; and Les Tuileries, just outside Cordes sur Ciel (tel./fax 011-33- 563-56-05-93), whose antiques-appointed doubles, including breakfast, are $49.

Members of Logis de France, an independent network of lodgings usually costing less than $50 a night, are bookable in the United States through Europe Express, tel. (800) 927-3876.

For more on the Midi-Pyrenees, call the French Government Tourist Office at (410) 286-8310 (France-on-Call hotline); Internet https:// www.francetourism.com.