fbpx
French Connections

Find Holiday accommodation in France

Take a look at our discounts and deals and get inspired to take a break that won’t break the bank. Or take a spontaneous break at the last minute and enjoy a great holiday in France.

Special offers and discounts – bag yourself a bargain break in France

Grab a bargain holiday break with us, we’ve got some great late deals and discounts for a huge range of areas in France.

For instance, the gorgeous France de Cezac in captivating Cahors is offering 45% off if you book for 30 June and the enchanting Chateau des Demoiselle is offering 35% off for remaining August weeks.

There are some really great offers to be found in our listings but don’t delay, they get snapped up fast! Head over to our

Late Deals and Discounts section

and browse the terrific deals and bag yourself a bargain break.

Last minute availability in France

It’s not too late to book your sunshine holiday in France this summer – we’ve got lots of fabulous holiday homes for rent. Whether you’re looking for a romantic cottage for two in Brittany, a spacious villa by the beach in the south of France for the family or a chateau in the vineyards of the Loire with friends, we can help you find your dream holiday home in France.

Our fabulous range of holiday rentals range right across France, so, pop on to our

Last Minute Availability” section

we keep it updated so that you can pick and choose right up to the last minute!

So if you’re feeling spontaneous and fancy a late escape – we’ll be delighted to help you, we love to help you make your holiday dreams come true…

This summer head for the beach with your bucket and spade and enjoy a brilliant seaside holiday in France…

Normandy – Etretat

Massive natural stone arches at both ends of Etretat Plage inspired impressionist painters Boudin, Monet, and Manet. This stretch of Alabaster Coast is wrapped in dramatic cliffs Two arches, Porte d’Aval and Porte Amont, can be seen from the town; the third, known as Manneport, reveals itself after a walk at low tide when 17th-century oyster beds emerge from the sea.

Ille-et-Villaine, Brittany – Cancale

This pretty little port is not far from St Malo, famous for its oysters! The magnificent mollusks have been cultivated in this attractive fishing village for hundreds of years. There are also breath-taking views over the Baie de St Michel and scenic walks around the coast.

Find your dream holiday home in our great selection in Ille-et-Villaine

Charente-Maritime - Ile de Re

Ile de Ré is a long, tiny, flat island just off the Atlantic coast, near La Rochelle. Composed of 12 villages, gorgeous little white houses and cobbled streets, beautiful vineyards, potatoes and asparagus fields, cycle tracks, salt marshes and stunning beaches.

Discover our gorgeous holiday homes in Ile de Re

Pas de Calais, Hauts de France – Le Touquet Paris-Plage

Voted in the top ten beaches in France by voters in Trip Advisor’s Travelers Choice Awards, Le Touquet Paris-Plage is popular with Parisians for its style and is known as the “Monaco of the north”. Le Touquet has bags of charm and is quite unique amongst the many gorgeous seaside towns of France. For one thing, it has a certain English 'je ne sais quois' having been developed by an Englishman in the early 20th century. A long golden sandy beach, peppered with bars and restaurants make this a firm favourite for the whole family.

Pick your perfect holiday home from our selection in Pas-de-Calais

Charente Maritime – Saint Palais-sur-Mer

This resort on the Atlantic coast close to Royan, is well-known for its sandy beaches and mild, sunny climate. With beautiful architecture reminiscent of the Belle Epoque, and Carrelets (traditional wooden fishing huts on stilts). Saint-Palais-sur-Mer is a magnificent area for cycling, hiking, or to just chill out on the silky sand on the beaches.

Apartments, villas, gites and more – we’ve got something to sort everyone in Charente-Maritime

Check out our selection of holiday homes in Etretat

At French Connections, we love nothing better than making your holiday dreams come true… email or call us if we can help with holiday advice…

Toulouse Credit: Toulouse Tourist Office Boigontier

Toulouse is the fourth largest city in France, known as La Ville Rose (“the pink city”). There are no stone quarries nearby so rich local clay is used to make pinkish terracotta bricks which many buildings are made of. It’s also known as the home of the European Space industry and of Airbus.

About an hour from the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, close to the Spanish border, blessed with lots of sunshine, Toulouse is fast becoming one of the most popular cities in France.

Explore Toulouse

Making for a great base, the Grand Hotel de l’Opera is slap bang in the middle of the city on the vast Place du Capitole. It is one of the classic mansions of the city and boasts two restaurants, both sharing the same courtyard. Les Jardins de L’Opera is the gastronomic home of Michelin starred chef Stephane Tournie. The more affordable Brasserie de L’Opera run by chef Gratien Castro is excellent.

Place Charles de Gaulle is a good starting point for a visit to the city to find out what’s on. Pick up a one-day Toulouse Pass Tourisme at the tourist office which will give you free entry to the museums and reduced rates at many of the city’s attractions. It also includes free travel on public transport, metro, bus, tram and airport shuttle bus. And, it includes a guided tour of the city and a free cruise along the River Garonne.

The walking tour of Toulouse starts from the tourist office housed in the historic Donjon du Capitole. This much-loved building houses the Hotel de Ville, the Theatre Nationale Orchestra, and Opera House. It is well worth a visit to see the dramatic wall murals depicting the seasons of Toulouse.

You can’t help but notice that all over the city are two symbols, a twelve-pointed cross, and the scallop shell. The cross is The Occitan Cross also known as the cross of Languedoc, it is the symbol of Occitanie and appears everywhere. The place du Capitole has a huge brass one set in the floor, designed by Raymond Moretti in 1995, each point is a symbol of the zodiac

A short stroll through streets lined with buildings of pink bricks brings you to the Basilica of Saint-Sernin. This was an important stop on the Way of St James, one of the routes of Santiago de Compostela. This explains the appearance of the many scallop shell symbols in Toulouse (pilgrim’s motif).

Don’t miss the massive Jacobins Convent, it may not be the most beautiful building from the outside but inside the light is extraordinary and the with massive pillars and palm-tree-like ribs reaching huge heights are truly impressive. The cloisters are a welcome cool place to rest up from the heat of the city.

Eating out in Toulouse

Place St Georges Credit Toulouse Tourist Office P Nin

Place St Georges is one of the locals’ favourite squares in the city, ringed with cafés and restaurants. It is the perfect place to spend a relaxing evening watching the world go about its business. You couldn’t do much better than head to Monsieur Georges for a tasty dinner. The duck profiteroles are divine, washed down with a glass of perfectly chilled rosé.

Many restaurants serve the quintessential dish of the region – cassoulet, though, on a hot sunny day, the robust bean, sausage, and duck stew might be a bit heavy, wait until the sun goes down for this dish.

Toulouse is the sort of place where you can leave your maps and guidebooks, GPS and phone in your hotel room. Just dive into the city and got lost in its streets. There are shops to suit all tastes, great cafés, and restaurants to fit all budgets. The food markets are excellent and there’s even a man-made beach on the banks of the Garonne, the perfect picnic spot. There really is something for everyone in this fabulous city.

Find loads of lovely holiday rentals near Toulouse on our search pages – we love making your holiday dreams come true…

Enchanting chateaux and fascinating museums, sensational restaurants, new hotels and fabulous wines, a beautiful bay, award-winning theme park and a whole lot more. We have loads of excellent reasons you’ll want to visit the Pays de la Loire…

Les Machines de l’Ile Nantes

A truly spectacular artistic, cultural and touristic project in Nantes. Steampunk meets Alice in Wonderland as giant creatures roam the streets and whimsical rides keep kids of all ages enchanted. Details: lesmachines-nantes.fr

Nantes Art Museum

The arty party city of Nantes reopened Nantes Art Museum in 2017, after 4 years of renovation. 10,000 exhibits, a fabulous restaurant, shop, and auditorium with tons of wow factor.  Details museum.nantes.fr

Stay at: Perfect for family and friends, sleeping 15 the Chateau Cendrillon at Beaupreu near Nantes has a heated outdoor pool and is beautifully decorated. It’s a Vill’otel, which means you get the privacy of your own villa with the comforts of a hotel – magnifique! It’s centrally located for visits to Puy du Fou, Saumur and Angers.

Magnificent tapestries in Angers

The 13th-century chateau of Angers, with its 17 duo-tone towers, is one of the best-preserved fortresses of its era in France. It is home to a magnificent tapestry, one of the oldest in France, it has survived from the 14th century and is second only to the Bayeux Tapestry. However, there is another tapestry in the town, Le Chant du Monde, a series of ten tapestries that represent the crowning achievement of artist Jean Lurçat (1892-1966), a modern wonder. It’s housed on the north side of the river, in the Hospital Saint-Jean, itself a masterpiece of Plantagenet Gothic architecture.

Enchanting Chateau of Saumur

Saumur Chateau was built in the 12th century, you can see it from miles around on its elevated position looking over the town and the River Loire. You won’t find much furniture inside, there’s a small collection but go for the view over the town and the river – it is stunning. In July and August, there are free shows in the gardens.

Puy du Fou – one of the best theme parks in the world

Credit @ Puy Du Fou

This award-winning Vendée theme park, twice voted best in the world, was honoured with the 2016 THEA award for “Best Original Creation”, awarded for La Dernier Panache, an innovative show with a 360° rotating spectator platform. Celebrating four decades of dazzling entertainment, this unusual theme park presents history, culture and awesome adventure for the whole family. Details: PuyduFou.fr

Picturesque towpath in Mayenne

An 85km towpath exclusively for cyclists and walkers connects Mayenne to Daon. Considered to be one of the most beautiful greenways in France, it is absolutely perfect for lovers of nature, fresh air, and beautiful countryside.

The Robert Tatin Museum Mayenne

Close to the vibrant town of Laval centre you’ll discover the quirky Robert Tatin Museum. If you fancy a gentle cycle ride, rent a bike in Laval and take the route along an abandoned railway track from the town right to the entrance. An extraordinary artist who created an extraordinary home, now museum. Filled with giant artworks, complex paintings and a gorgeous garden, largely inspired by the artists travel in South America, it is fabulous. Details: www.musee-robert-tatin.fr

Stay at:  Maison de Vacances, St Laurent des Mortiers, the Bijou and gorgeous home dates back to the 16th century and sleeps up to three. Close to all the facilities including a fabulous golf course with lovely tranquil gardens, it’s the perfect relaxing retreat.

Great gastronomy at La Marine Restaurant in Noirmoutier

Head for the seaside and La Marine restaurant on the island of Noirmoutier, famous for its beautiful sunsets.  The 2 Michelin Star Chef, Alexandre Couillon was named "Chef of the Year 2017" by Gault & Millau. It’s worth going to even without the fabulous golden sandy beaches and great activities. 

The tallest castle in France

Chateau de Brissac at seven stories is the tallest castle in France. It has a fabulous interior, lovely wine shop, and gorgeous gardens – well worth a day out any time of the year.

24 hours of Le Mans – a legendary race

The annual June event is the oldest and most prestigious endurance motor race in the world, it’s a not-to-be-missed event for all motoring enthusiasts.

La Fleche

Situated halfway between Angers and Le Mans in the Sarthe department, La Fleche is a colourful and buzzing little town that nestles on the banks of the River Loir. It’s a great place to visit with a fabulous zoo, great water sports, a wonderful market (Wednesday/Sunday), chateaux nearby, surrounded by forests, vineyards and idyllic countryside peppered with picturesque villages.

Stay at: Cottage les Lilas in Conflans-sur-Anille – A choice of rooms and suites in an aristocratic chateau or a cosy cottage to yourself. Located in an area of outstanding natural beauty, exceptional wine producers, delicious little auberges, and restaurants. You can also book archery, French and cooking lessons, rent a vintage Citroen car, take a hot air balloon, visit the chateau of the Loire and lots more.

We have loads of lovely holiday rentals in the Pays de la Loire, pop over to our search pages to find your dream holiday home…

Provence is a dream destination of picturesque villages, glorious landscape, fabulous food and wine and much much more. With sunshine more than 300 days a year, it’s an ideal holiday destination year-round. If you’re looking for a break with beautiful landscapes, fabulous gastronomy, and local wines, untamed countryside, and sun, the Provence might just be the destination of your dreams.  

Here are a few towns that are top of our list:

Ravishing Roussillon

The hilltop town is enchanting. There’s a large car park from which the views over the ochre coloured cliffs are stunning but take the short walk into the town to discover its delights. Pretty cafés, flowers cascading from window boxes, quirky art and wine shops and cobbled streets that wind around offering the most spectacular vistas.

Gorgeous Grasse

The roads around Grasse lead to tiny picturesque villages via hair pin bends and mountain passes. The perfume capital of France is pretty but the real lure is being able to visit the perfume markers and being assailed by the extraordinary scents they create. Get off the beaten track and head to nearby Cabris. This authentic Provençal hilltop village overlooks the Mediterranean Sea will delight you with the smell of lavender and rosemary in the air and old stone villas with worn blue shutters.  The locals gather in the square drinking pastis and playing pétanque and allow time to just pass while they enjoy the moment. 

Magnificent Mandelieu

Quiet roads, long sandy beaches and just a few miles from Cannes, this lovely place is simply intoxicating and very relaxing.

Exquisite Eze

Credit: Office de Tourisme d’Eze

For breath-taking views, the perched village of Eze fulfils all your dreams. Close to the sunny city of Nice, it’s famous for its stunning panoramas over the Mediterranean Sea, gorgeous gardens and pretty streets. It’s also very close to Monaco, Menton, Villefranche-sur-Mer and a whole host of southern French beauties.

Stunning St Paul de Vence

Another hill top beauty, in fact, one of the most beautiful in France. It’s inspired artists through the ages who have fallen head over heels for the special light, the wiggly cobbled streets and ancient fountains. 

Head on over to our search pages to find the holiday home that suits you in Provence – we love helping to make your holidays dreams come true…

Credit: D. le Nevé Champagne Tourism

Troyes is the former capital of Champagne and there are loads to see and do in this lovely, vibrant and historic city.

A town in the shape of a Champagne cork

Troyes is an ancient city, once a Roman town with a direct road from Milan and onwards to Boulogne-sur-Mer in the north of France – the route for the invasion of Britain. The powerful Counts of Champagne built a palace in Troyes and fortified the town with walls which, even though Champagne the drink didn’t exist at the time, took the form of a Champagne cork.

A huge fire in 1524 destroyed many of the ancient wooden buildings which were replaced with brick buildings, many of which are still there to this day. Visiting Troyes is like stepping back in time. Every street seems to have its quota of half-timbered houses and there are cobbled streets and tiny alleyways that create a mesmerising maze in the centre of the old town. In the little ruelle des Chats (Cats Alley) it’s so narrow that the houses lean in and touch via a central gutter at the top and cats could cross from houses on both sides of the roads.

Everywhere you go you’ll discover traces of history from hundreds of years ago, quaint, quirky and irresistibly charming…

Things to see and do in Troyes

Credit: D. le Nevé Champagne Tourism

There are nine museums in Troyes including the Maison de l’Outil et de la Pensée Ouvrière, an unusual and charming museum dedicated to hand tools dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. Located in the rather unique Hotel de Mauroy there is an impressive collection of 20,000 tools ranging from the ornamental to the practical.

The Hôtel-Dieu-le-Comte houses a fabulous collection of pillboxes, medicine boxes, and jars for lotions and potions in an apothecary that just as it did when it was created in the early 18th Century.

Troyes is known as the” town of ten churches” and is famous for its magnificent Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul. Its Gothic splendor, begun in the 12th Century remains unfinished, the tower of St Peter completed, the tower of St Paul never started. It doesn’t matter, the 180 amazing stained-glass windows, created over four centuries from the 1400's won’t fail to impress.

Troyes is home to a unique collection of stained glass windows going back a thousand years, it has earned it the nickname of the "holy town of stained glass".

One of the largest retail outlets in France is just outside the city. Savvy Parisians flock to shop in Troyes, and when the sales are on in January it is very popular. Troyes was the French capital of hosiery in the 1800s and still a centre for production, known for its lingerie shops.

Troyes is broken up into eight areas: Saint-Jean district or the Champagne Fairs district, Canal district, Arts district, Les Halles district, Saint-Nizier district, the old Jewish quarter, Cité district, Madeleine district. Pick up a map from the tourist office, wear comfortable shoes and explore this lovely city.

The very popular Saint-Jean Quarter is brimming with lively restaurants and brasseries ranging from haute cuisine to homely fare. The andouillette de Troyes is much loved by locals who’ll tell you it is a delicious sausage, it’s made from tripe (offal) and some find it’s a bit of an acquired taste.

There are some wonderful bakeries, patisseries, cheese shops and charcuteries and you’ll find a market every day of the week in the town as well as the 19th Century Halles (indoor covered market).

French Connections has loads of great holiday rentals in the Champagne area, nip over to our search pages to find your dream holiday home…

If you’ve been glued to the TV-loving Escape to the Chateau and Escape to the Chateau DIY – we’ve got some great recommendations for you to have your very Escape to the Chateau holiday, but without the work!

Escape to your own Chateau

Who hasn’t fallen in love with turrets reaching up to the sky, moats sparkling in the sunshine, views from shuttered windows over vineyards and gorgeous gardens? Chateaux come in all shapes and sizes in France, from the grand fancy castles of the Loire Valley, fairytale castles in Burgundy and thick stone castles in the south, guaranteed to stay cool in hot summers. Oozing history, filled with atmosphere and decorated with style, a chateau stay is inspiring and special, a great way to channel your inner aristocrat.

At French Connections, we’ve got loads of chateaux holiday homes, from B&B to self-catering, across France. Some are huge, some are Bijou, all of them are fabulous.

Just click here to see all our chateau holiday rentals

Fancy being the King or Queen of your own castle?

It might only be for a week or so, but we all deserve a little bit of luxury in our lives and there’s nothing ordinary about these chateau holiday homes.

We’ve picked a few we think you’ll love but click on the link above to see a whole load more.

Charming chateau picks in France

Great for the whole family: Le Castel du Plessis Gerbault in Indre-et-Loire is perfect if you’ve got kids. It has a swimming pool, huge garden, well-equipped kitchen, barbecue area and comfy rooms. It’s just 2km from Chinon in the heart of the Loire Valley, aka the Valley of Kings thanks to the number of gorgeous chateau there are. This is a self-catering rental and sleeps up to 7.

Celebrating a special event and want all your friends there? Then the Chateau et Gites Saint Gervais in Normandy might just be perfect…  This is a charming castle with typical Normandy style annexes from the 12th, 15th and 16th century. The castle and two-holiday homes are surrounded by a park of 70 hectares, with views over the 'Vallée de la Calonne'. The beach of Deauville is just 30 km away and the D Day sites an hour’s drive. There’s something in this area for everyone from castles and horse riding to beaches, culture and gorgeous towns and villages, even Monet’s Garden at Giverny and stunning Honfleur to name just a couple of highlights. Sleeping up to 35, this chateau is great value too.

Oh so romantic and perfect for two in the Loire Valley: The Chambre Bleu is a king size room with luxurious decoration in this family chateau owned by the Count and Countess Vanssay in Sarthe. Furnished with silk fabrics, antique oil paintings and precious Louis XV antiques. There’s even a Juliet balcony overlooking the garden and park. A truly spectacular area of France with loads to do and see year-round. What’s not to love…

Luxurious and truly special: The Chateau de Saussignac in Dordogne offers a gorgeous 17th-century apartment in the right wing of the castle. Antique tapestries, rugs and stunning Baccarat crystal chandelier complement the rich, wooden paneling in the salon. Tall French windows on both sides of the building allow all day sun to stream through. The 4-metre ceilings with exposed beams, large working fireplaces and mirrors add an elegant and inviting feel to the downstairs living area, while upstairs there are two well-appointed bedrooms with antique furniture and modern beds, a bathroom, toilet, laundry and TV area. There is also a sunny south-facing private garden. Self-catering sleeps 6 and set in the heart of a small village surrounded by vineyards… you won’t want to leave!

See more fabulous chateau rentals here

Check out our gorgeous Manoir houses for rent here

Want more – these lovely Maisons de Maitre will melt your heart!