The main thing you need to decide is if you want american comforts, meaning AC and probaly a private bath, I spend about 15 weeks a year in the EU and try to stay at local hotels as they are cheaper and the food is better, there are several chains such as NH, Park, Ring hotels that are family owned type places. But if this is your once in a life time/honymoon type trip, dont pinch pennies as you will regret it if something goes wrong, and things do go wrong.
If you really want an apartment, try here:
http://www.rentalsfrance.com/
had a good expereince with them for the countryside.