Lots of people will be looking to escape the UK for the early May bank holiday weekend or late May half term week – and you may want to avoid battling through the major airports. So why not load everything in the car and hop across the channel to a cottage, villa, gite or chateau in France?
If you want to totally chill with the family - and save some money- grab a spacious holiday home rental, stock up on vin du pays along with some fresh bread, pate and cheese and stretch out in the sun while the kids are happy in the games room, pool or garden. These days most holiday lets have flat screen TV with British channels and wi fi access, so everybody can be happy.
Holiday homes from home are still available throughout France, and you can book a three bedroom house that sleeps six with its own garden and pool for as little as £400 a week. This is fantastic value when compared to a hotel and you’ll have loads more space and can save on eating out.
Accommodation ranges from romantic hideaways for two to comfortable farmhouses and chateaux where the extended family can relax.
With an early ferry crossing to Calais, you can reach Champagne country, Normandy, Brittany, the Loire Valley, Charente-Maritime and even the Dordogne in a day. And if you don’t want to travel far, there are some beautiful spots for a short break in the Nord/Pas de Calais, close to Le Touquet, Montreuil, Old Hesdin and St Valery sur Somme.
Search availability now for the early May bank holiday or for the late May half term
Vendée, our region of the month for April, is south of the Pays de la Loire region on the French Atlantic coast, just south of Brittany and Nantes, and north of La Rochelle. Just two to five hours’ drive from the western ferry ports, it’s an easy day's journey from Britain and Ireland.
All year round the Vendée is one of the sunniest spots on the west coast of France. In summer the wether is generally warm. The capital is La Roche sur Yon, originally a stronghold for the people of the Vendee.
Attractions and places to visit include:
• Beaches for swimming and water sports
• Picturesque villages and fishing ports
• Romantic offshore islands
• Historic towns
• Beautiful chateaux and gardens
• Wine producers
• Excellent Golf courses
• Cycle routes and rambling trails
• The fascinating Poitevin Marshes
For travel, the area is nearest the ferry ports of St Malo, Roscoff and Cherbourg, two to five hours’ distant by car, and the journey from Calais is about seven hours.
Holiday accommodation in the Vendée is great value. We have lots of country and coastal private holiday villas with their own garden and many with a swimming pool, making them ideal for family holidays. Also gites, farmhouses and converted barns offering traditional charm.
Easter is just around the corner and there’s still time to book a holiday in France during the Easter break.
Easter in France means age-old community traditions and joyful celebrations. In the countryside, Spring is evident all around in field, forest, vineyards and verdant hillsides – so it’s an excellent time for getting active outdoors.
French churches hold an Easter Mass on Saturday evening and the Sunday is marked by a long family lunch with plenty of local produce and wine, which seems like a pretty good model to follow if you’re holidaying in France!
Book now and you can even grab a bargain from our discounts and special offers. The Syrah House at Domaine du Crestet, a Mas Provencal in Vaucluse shown in our photo, sleeps 4 and has southwest view towards vineyards and the historical village Crestet. There’s an Easter discount of 150 euros a week in the period 19th March to 9th April 2016
In Finistere, Brittany Ty Glass cottage is only 500m from 2 secluded beaches. It’s set in a large private garden and sleeps 6 people. From 26th March to 15th April, prices are reduced by £100 a week and in May all rates are reduced by 10%
La Montagne is a two bedroom gîte that sleeps five people, located in the Minervois, Aude region of soutrh west France. There’s 20% off all bookings of four or more nights during the months of March and April, including Easter.
Check out all our special offers and search by date for last minute availability at the links below.
We’ve teamed up again with FrenchEntree magazine to offer you the chance to win a holiday at Mas Berangere, a lovely 18th century stone farmhouse in two acres of gardens with wisteria, lavender and mimosa scenting the air.
The Mas and three gites are on the edge of the medieval village of Vers Pont du Gard, close to Uzes and are surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and orchards. Owners Philippe and Cathy Plauchut have renovated these comfortable, stylish holiday homes to preserve their great character and charm and have added private terraces and a swimming pool.
The competition is to win one week’s stay for two adults and (optionally) two children under twelve in Gite Laurier (travel is not included). Enjoy fabulous views to the Gorge du Gardon from the bedroom and a spacious private shaded terrace with sofas and dining table.
Enjoy the beaches and canoeing at the River Gardon, just 200 metres away, or take a 2km stroll through the wild herbs of the garrigue to the awe-inspiring Roman aqueduct, the Pont du Gard. Visit the nearby vibrant city of Uzes or go just a little further afield to Nimes, Avignon and Arles. Go wine tasting and buying from excellent, little known local producers.
See more about Mas Berangere and enter the competition here
La Manche, in Normandy, must rank as one of the finest holiday playgrounds in northern France – and it’s our region of the month.
Literally translated as ‘the sleeve’, this peninsula extends like an arm into the south west English Channel and contains some iconic sites, appealing resorts, beautiful beaches and lovely countryside.
At the start of the peninsula is the evocative Mont St Michel. The popularity of this landmark cannot dim its magic as you walk across the causeway and climb the medeival cobbled pathways in the footsteps of monks, fugitives, merchants and modern visitors.
Moving round the coast, you reach the very French resort of Granville, buzzing with shops and excellent restaurants, and beyond it some beautifully sheltered sandy beaches. The mild micro-climate means this area can be very pleasant in spring and autumn as well as during the warm summer. Also don’t miss the cathedral at Coutances and the zoo at Champrepus.
On the eastern coast you’ll find Bayeux, the atmospheric market town with the world-famous tapestry. Moving on in time, you can also visit the beach known as Utah, where one of the first Normandy landings took place during WWII, and the village of Ste Mere Eglise. The visitor centre for Utah is well worth seeing.
Manche’s countryside is rich with peaceful woodland and meadows and there are some great cliff-top walks. At its northern tip is the port of Cherbourg, with Cité de la Mer, a large aquarium complex where you can visit the nuclear submarine 'La Redoutable'.
Ferries sail to Cherbourg from Poole, Portsmouth, Rosslare and Dublin. The ports of Caen and Le Havre are also nearby and La Manche is about a 4 hour drive from Calais. We have a great range of places to stay, from a family friendly chateau to converted barns and country cottages. Just follow the link below.
Own a holiday rental in France? You have just two weeks left to grab our great Easter 20% discount offer, which ends on 31st March 2016.
The offer is open to new advertisers listing on the French Connections site and applies to both our Classic and Professional packages. Both are fixed cost advertising with no commission charges, so you keep all your earnings.
Adverts are easy to compile, as we put you in control of your pages. And optional upgrades mean you can display extra photographs, host video tours, run special offers and feature in promotions.
You’ll also have the back-up of our great customer service and personal support, including native French speakers, and our active programme of promoting our owners in the Press. We get regular coverage for our advertisers in French Property News, Living France and FrenchEntree magazines.
So, if you’re thinking of letting your French property for the first time or looking to get more bookings, start at the link below now.
The two latest winners have been announced of our competitions with FrenchEntree magazine. We regularly run competitions where one of our fabulous holiday lets is featured full page and readers can win a week in France staying at the property. Watch out for a new one coming up soon!
Mel B has won a week at Les Bonnets cottage, Domaine de Fumel, a relaxing retreat in the Dordogne. “I can't believe I have won, I am so happy!” exclaimed Mel when we told her the news. “ I haven't been to France for many years and have never visited the particular area near Bergerac, so am really looking forward to seeing the quaint villages. Our first plan is to visit the market on Sunday in the village of Issigiac. We can't wait. It will be my partner’s first holiday abroad in 25 years, and he has never been to France. Thank you so much for your amazing competition!”
Jan Haldane and her husband will take their prize week at La Petite Maison Devine near Carcassonne. “On a touring and camping trip with teenagers recently, we got lost around Paris and were flooded out of our tent! But we spent a wonderful week in Brittany when first together 35 years ago, so I am looking forward to a more calm, relaxed and warmer trip, and to finding out what all the fuss is about. Everyone I know loves France!
“We are Canal lovers, and the location is right on the Canal du Midi - so we shall be swimming, walking, cycling and eating some great food I expect. Also we love to explore old medieval towns and castles, and this location looks perfect for that too. I have bought my husband some conversational French lessons, so he can update his skill!”