France’s top 5 hideaways for your digital detox

Read on for 5 havens of peace that are perfect for relaxing with your family, your significant other or your friends and recharging your batteries. Wellness break guaranteed! 

>> Travel by train for your digital detox! 

1. Gravière Castle for vineyard lovers
2. Hotel and spa Vichy Célestins for a romantic getaway
3. The Ile d’Arz for fans of the coast
4. The Mas de la Fouque for letting go of Facebook
5. Riell Castle for forgetting the material world

A reference in the industry, Gravière Castle has just what you need to make you forget about your various electronic devices. After walking up the gravel path, you will be greeted by your smiling hosts who will present you with a “Digital Detox Kit” complete with postcards, paper, and a pencil to rediscover the joy of writing, and board games to enjoy fun times with your children.

Built on a very human scale with just five guest rooms, Gravière Castle is also a perfect home base for sampling the joys of the wine route as you wend your way through the Médoc with its vineyards as far as the eye can see. It is time to reacquaint yourself with your Michelin guide and leave your GPS in the glove box!

>> Your train ticket for Bordeaux

For fresh, healthy skin and well-rested eyes, hotel and spa Vichy Célestins offers a cure well worth enjoying with your partner or even a friend! There will be zero temptation to check on your notifications: as soon as you arrive, your computer, smartphone, tablet and MP3 players are taken away and locked up for safety. Finally, you’re free!

Return to simple pleasures: a boombox to set the mood, a mandala to colour and a map of the city all await you in your room. Slip on your comfy bathrobe, then head to the spa for a head-to-toe wellness treatment from attentive spa employees.

You are sure to get a good night’s sleep after one of their special anti-stress treatments. Smartphone? What smartphone?

>> Book your train tickets to Vichy

Cut ties with the mainland at Relax Océane, which offers detox stays organised on theîle d’Arz in the Morbihan.

The goal? To put your devices aside and reconnect with yourself. On the agenda: hiking, yoga, meditation and simply gazing out at the sea. There is no need to search for Mother Nature on Instagram; she is right in front of you!

>> Book your train tickets to Vannes

Tired of looking at digital landscapes on your Instagram feed? Head to the Camargue, a stunning coastal area with wide open skies.

Once you reach the stunning Mas de la Fouque, you will forget all about your cell phone. Choose from a treatment at Spa Nuxe, a meal at the gastronomic restaurant, a hired bicycle for getting lost among the pink flamingos, or simply relaxing in a chaise longue to contemplate the wild ducks.

This site also offers a unique chance to watch the the sunset while sitting in a hot tub, or spend a night in a caravan in complete silence. Transport yourself without having to click on a single button.

>> Book your train tickets to Nîmes to reach Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer

At Riell Castle, there is no need to leave your smartphone at the coat check. Nature is everywhere and the Pyrenees block the signal — and so much the better.

Between the pool surrounded by stone pines and the rooms worthy of Empress Sissi herself, you can solve the world’s problems in front of the fireplace and enjoy gastronomic meals to your heart’s content.  The spa and its 18,000-year-old thermal spring will transport you back to a time long before the digital devices of today were ever invented.

>> Book your train tickets to Perpignan to reach Molitig-les-Bains