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French Connections

Find Holiday accommodation in France

When you look out of your window and the sky is grey, it’s cold and winter has a way to go, it’s time to plan your next holiday in France.

Here at French Connections we have loads of offers to tempt and entice you to take your dream holiday in France…

Special offers in

Check France out our Special Offers section where there are loads of terrific offers exclusive to French Connections customers. Money off, discounts and early bookings offers – grab a deal on a French holiday home, farmhouse, cottage or villa.

See all offers here: Discounts and special offers

Last minute deals

If you’re in the enviable position of being able to take a last minute holiday, we have some terrific bargains. Whether you’re hankering after a bit of winter sun, summer at a seaside resort, city breaks, cultural holidays or countryside retreat – check out the deals here: Last minute holiday deals across France

Long Lets

For those able to take an extended holiday, we’ve got some great treats in store. Check out our article dedicated specifically to long let holidays in France.

Why choose French Connections

We’re been working with holiday home owners in France since 1996 to bring you one of the best and most diverse choices of holiday homes in France. Our website lists loads of details so that you get a comprehensive view of every property.

We love France and we write a weekly blog about the places we visit, things to do, ideas and guides.

We’re not a nameless, faceless team – we’re real people who love to make holiday dreams come true for our customers so don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance.

Donna, Izzy, Laura and Janine

If you’re able to take a longer holiday, perhaps you’re retired, or taking a long break from work, then there are plenty of options for a relaxing or productive holiday in France.

There are loads of reasons to take a long let holiday:

1 If you’re thinking of relocating, a long holiday in the area can give you real insight into what life will be like in the area you’re considering.

2 If you can, then why not take an extended break where you feel like you live somewhere – without having to buy there.

3 It can be a chance to do something inspirational – perhaps write, learn to paint, take up a sport, cookery lessons. There’s a whole load of reasons why a long holiday in France can bring motivate and give you the chance, and the time away from normal daily life, to do something different.

4 If you go in winter months, it can be very economical. You may not get the summer weather but pick right and they’ll still be loads to do.

5 Master the French language, with a long holiday there’s a lot more chance to practice.

Loads of long let holiday homes in France

At French Connections we’ve got a long list of holiday homes in France where long lets are promoted and can be a really great option.

Fancy a gorgeous apartment on the Cote d’Azur, southern France? La Bastide Saint Christophe, set in an ancient olive grove, complete with heated pool – is perfect for a solo or couples long term get away.

Or how about gorgeous Dordogne where La Bourgeoisie Cottage in sensational Sarlat would be perfect for a family or a group of friends with its 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. The ancient 16th century house has a salt water pool, set in 6 acres of gardens and is close to Sarlat with its amazing markets and wonderful medieval architecture.

If you’re a beach lover, then The Waterside Apartment in Marseillan will definitely float your boat! South facing, the architect designed apartment in a former wine warehouse is superb. The terrace overlooks the sea and boats bobbing about and the beach and lovely port town with its beaches and cafés is just outside the front door. Perfect for friends, couples or family, this 2-bedroom apartment would make for a most inspiring long holiday in the south of France.

We’ve got heaps of choice for long lets in France waiting for you to check them out and plan your dream extended holiday…

Chartres, in the department of Eure-et-Loir, region Centre-Val de Loire, in south west France is world famous for its UNESCO world heritage listed cathedral.

We look at this majestic church and tour the city to see what the best things for visitors to see and do…

Chartres Cathedral

The extraordinary and wondrous gothic Cathedral of Chartres has been a major pilgrimage for more than 1000 years. More than 1.3 million pilgrims a year still make their way to Chartres to visit the Cathedral, to walk its ancient labyrinth and to enjoy its ancient ambiance.

No matter how many cathedrals or churches you might have been to, this one stands out. It has the most beautiful stained-glass windows - 172 of them in total covering an incredible 2,600m². Incredibly, Some of them date back to the 12th century. You can’t help but love the colours, especially “Chartres blue”, a deep blue used on the oldest windows. There is also an extraordinary, ancient crypt, effectively an underground cathedral which in the summer months you can tour by candlelight, it’s incredibly atmospheric.

In 876, French King Charles the Bald gave the town of Chartres a holy relic, said to be a piece of the veil worn by Mary when she gave birth to Jesus. It was a major draw for pilgrims. The fabric survived a fire but not the French Revolution when it was cut into pieces and dispersed. A few pieces were returned though and you can see them displayed in the chapel.

The main building of the current cathedral, there has been a church on this site since the 5th century, was built between 1194 and 1221 and you really have to see the architecture for yourself. No photo does justice to the incredible buildings skills of the medieval builders, glass makers and masons.

What to see and do in Chartres

There are some beautiful medieval buildings, and, if you’re a fan of Renaissance buildings, you’ll spot plenty in Chartres. You can recognise them by their mushroom shape, smaller at the bottom and spreading out from the 1st floor. The design reflected an attempt to save money on taxes as owners paid according to how much ground they took up.

Chartres’ International Stained-Glass centre is the only one of its kind in France. Next to the Cathedral it’s housed in a listed monument. You can get up close to ancient panels of stained glass, join in workshops and discover the history of stained-glass.

Maison Picasiette, a little bit out of the centre, but well worth the detour and fans of Naieve Art will adore it. The house was decorated with pieces of broken china between 1930 and 1962 by Raymond Isidore, an iron foundry worker. His decades of laborious love are astonishingly bright and vibrant. Every inch of surface covered and sparkling, like an enormous mosaic jewel box.

Top tip: Pick up Le Pass from the tourist office for 10 euros. You’ll get discounts and saving at 50 of their partners including shops, hotels, restaurants cultural and tourist sites and more.

You can take the little tourist train with an audio guide to see the historic districts from spring to autumn. Take a guided tour via the tourist office or visit with a Greeter, volunteers who are locals who love to share their knowledge of the city they love.

http://www.chartres-greeters.com/en/ Chartres Tourist Office, 8 Rue de la Poissonnerie

Chartres Tourism: https://www.chartres-tourisme.com/en; Eure-et-Loir Tourism: http://www.tourisme28.com/

Banish the January Blues and visit The France Show in London!

It’s the biggest show in the UK that’s totally dedicated to all things French and we’ll be there.

French Connections is celebrating 21 years of bringing you wonderful holiday homes in France in 2019. From gorgeous villas, to romantic cottages, great gites, enchanting chateaux, seaside apartments and even B&Bs, we’ve got thousands of choices of French rentals all over France. We have something to suit every taste and budget.

Come and see us on Stand L45 and let us help you find your dream holiday home in France.

Celebrate the Good Life at The France Show

From 25-27 January 2019, France comes to London. From gorgeous gastronomy, wine tasting, property stands and more there’s everything you need for your French fix, all under one roof. Visitors can also shop for French goodies including cheese, cakes and break. Quiz experts in everything from learning French to buying a property and getting a job in France. Join presentations from the experts on diverse topics from holiday destinations to tax. In fact our very own features writer, Janine Marsh, will be chatting on the Flavours of France Show stage about life in France on Friday and Saturday and would love to say hello to you! Find her under our Blog section.

In short, the France Show has got everything under the sun for beating those January blues – including French Connections!

In the meantime, why not browse our website and start planning your next, fabulous holiday France. Please contact us if we can be of any assistance and join us on Facebook and Twitter for lots of tips and recommendations.

Find out more about: The France Show

 

If you have a gite, villa, B&B or holiday home of any type to rent in France – we can help you to maximise your bookings.

For more than 22 years French Connections has been matching holiday home owners like you with our audience of holiday seekers – and we’d love to help you too.

Our simple to use website allows holiday makers to easily search our listed properties by region, size and amenities, giving you multiple opportunities to showcase your accommodation. Our popular blog posts and social media campaigns create a strong online presence to capture additional enquiries from people searching for their dream French holiday.

We are so confident of your success with us that we’ve created two great offers.

Offer 1: Our no risk money back guarantee. Advertise with us and if you don’t get a booking, we’ll refund your money*

Offer 2: 50% discount off your first year’s subscription*

*Offers available until the 31st December 2018. Terms and Conditions apply.

Call us on + 44 (0)1580 819303 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details

Let us help you have a great 2019.

We’d like to wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Very Happy New Year.

We’ve really enjoyed that this year we’ve helped so many people to make their holiday dreams come true. It’s something we’ve been doing for 22 years and we have an ongoing passion for bringing you a fabulous range of holiday villas, chateaux accommodation, gites and B&Bs in France.

Whether you want advice for which villa might suit your needs best, to find a gite that’s suitable for a wedding or a family get together, city break accommodation, a romantic chateau stay or a B&B that’s close to the best beaches - get in touch with us by phone or email and we’ll be happy to help you.

We’re also on Facebook where we post inspirational posts and tips, and on Twitter where our gorgeous teaser photographs are sure to make you dream of your next fabulous French holiday.

Our office will be closed Christmas Day, Boxing and New Year’s Day only.

We wish you all the best for the season and look forward to talking to you next year.

With best wishes

Donna, Izzy, Laura and Janine

Angoulême in the southwest France, department Charente is not that well known to tourists and yet it makes for an excellent visit with a raft of attractions from a unique “treasure room” to a world famous comic museum…

5 things to do in Angoulême

From enjoying stunning views from its perch on a plateau to museums and fabulous restaurants, there’s lots to do in Angouleme

Le Cite de la Bande Dessinée et de l’Image

Comics (bande dessinée, "BD" - the "drawn strip") are big in France where they’re considered a serious and respected art form. Angoulême, with its museum, is the world capital of comics. It feels like every street reflects this love of art and even in the lovely covered market place there are reminders. The Le Cite de la Bande Dessinée et de l’Image is an enormous Museum with thousands of original examples, some of the earliest comics in existence.

Each January there is a major comic festival in the town and fans arrive from all over the world to join in the comic fun! Details: http://english.citebd.org/

Cathedrale Saint-Pierre and its “Treasure room”

“Le Trésor” has to be one of the most unusual ‘attractions’ anywhere in France. Unlike many of the grand cathedrals of France, Angoulême‘s is Romanesque, not Gothic. Made from white stone with a stunning carved façade it is beautiful and ancient, the original parts dating back to the 12th century though it’s been modified over the years. What sets this Cathedral apart though is the quite extraordinary “Le Tresor” by artist Jean Michel Othoniel, and nothing prepares you for the burst of colour you experience when you enter the three rooms he has “decorated” at the top of the Cathedral. Blue and gold are the predominant colours and glass artworks that are quite simply mesmerising. The treasures are ancient religious relics and church objects. Guided tour bookable at the tourist office – unmissable.

Museum of Angouleme

Right next door to the Cathedral you’ll find the Museum of Angoulême. Fine arts are stored here, plus one of the largest collections of arts of Africa and Oceania. It also presents the history and evolution of Angoulême with some outstanding exhibits dating back millennia. Well worth a visit.

Dine out

There are loads of great options for a gastronomic break from fine cuisine to rustic but head to the old part of town and stroll the warren of narrow roads lined with all sorts of options. One of our favourites is La Bulle Gourmande in rue de Genève, where the friendly staff make you feel welcome and feed you like you’re family. A small but tasty menu of seasonal local produce and a fabulous wine list. (Details: www.facebook.com/pages/category/French-Restaurant/La-bulle-gourmande)

Enjoy the views

This is a city in which to to wander and wonder. There are dozens of wall murals that make you go “wow” – they are so impressive. Created by comic artists of renown they give this town a real air of artistic quirkiness.

Top tip: Pick up a map of where the wall paintings are located from the tourist office.

Take a stroll through the lanes and boulevards and you’ll notice that there are distinct districts. Enjoy wide open spaces, elegant squares (Place Francis is lovely for sitting at a café watching the world wander by), grand buildings and stunning views from the ramparts.

More on what to do in Angoulême: www.angouleme-tourism.com

French Connections has loads of fabulous rentals in the Charente, one of the sunniest departments of France – pop over to our search pages to discover your holiday dream home…