Beautiful Gites & Village Houses in France
There’s something incredibly romantic about a French gite as the base for your holiday. Tucked away in lavender-filled gardens, vistas across rolling countryside, wandering to the local bakery for fresh baguettes and finishing the day with a glass of red as the sun dips behind the stone walls… bliss. Here’s our selection of gites and village houses – some with private pools – in France with 2018 availability.
Les Gites Du Rigaudou, Dordogne – Sleep 2
Shared pool: Three beautifully designed gites in the the Dordogne with a large shared pool in stunning gardens. Peaceful and relaxed, you’ve everything on hand including amazing views across the surrounding countryside. Three miles away there’s Martel, a Medieval town with markets, shops and restaurants – if you can tear yourself away from your private terrace..
Le Domaine de Monteils, Languedoc – Sleep 2
Close to the Mediterranean coast, Le Domaine de Monteils is in an ideal location to explore this region. Beaches, Medieval towns, beautiful local villages to explore and vineyards to visit! There are nearby villages to walk or cycle to and plenty of places to discover nearby. Each gite is designed to give you total privacy within the 100 year old landscaped gardens and facilities like private terraces, great kitchens and home cinema mean you’ll spend a lot of time “at home”. The loft apartment even has its own Jacuzzi
Le Mazet, Dordogne – Sleeps 2
Two hours from Bordeaux airport, but a world away, is the small and perfectly formed Le Mazet, a perfect bolthole for two. Beautifully restored its stone walls envelope you (and keep you cool in the summer months). You’re private from the larger Le Mazet with your own garden and your kitchen makes supper at home a treat – but there’s Monpazier with its shops bar and restaurants a 12 minute drive away for when you venture out.
La Petite Maison, The Loire Valley – Sleeps 2
In the lovely village of Treves, Le Petite Maison is a lovingly restored and beautifully designed romantic escape for two. The area is packed full of things to do; cycling, wine tours, river cruises and the cuisine in this area is incredible. If you end up staying in cooler months the log burner makes a great companion. Owners Micaela and Sue (who also own Le Grande Maison) are always happy to provide advice if you need it.
La Vie De Cocagne, Normandy – Sleeps 4-6
This beamed farmhouse is surrounded by a froth of swaying white flowers and grasses, with views that will really help you relax and unwind – the hot tub helps with that too. This is such a lovely place from which to explore the simple joys of country life – like wandering down to nearby Bonnebosq with all the traditional French shops you can dream of – and the outdoor hot tub provides a luxurious addition. The lively beach towns of Deauville, Trouville, Villers and Cabourg are nearby if you fancy picking up the pace a bit.
Into the Prairie, Brittany – sleeps up to six
Beyond stylish, these gites will leave you wanting to move in: The eight cottages here are as characterful and welcoming as the lovely Lamour family who run them. This is very much a family affair, with sites named after family members and guests given access to roam the the gardens, pick herbs and there are hens eggs too! Head out to explore an unspoilt and traditional part of France before heading home and cooking up your supplies, or booking dinner from Liz.
The House In Aups, Provence – Sleeps 6
Private pool: Tucked away in the oldest part of the medieval market town of Aups at the foothills of the Alps, is this stylishly furnished and spacious 17th-century former olive mill. Step out of this secluded oasis and you’re immediately in the midst of village life with all it has to offer. Beautiful walks can be found in the forested hills immediately behind the village and the turquoise waters of Lac St Croix are just 20 minutes away.
La Deveze, Gard, Southern France
Perfect multi-generational stay: There are four gites grouped together here, all with private spaces and sharing the lovely pool. For us the joy of this delightful French holiday home comes if you can take all four for a group of friends and family – or equally for a retreat or course HQ. Each gite has enough space to find somewhere to escape to (if you need to of course… maybe that’s just our family) and equally there’s loads of room to come together and celebrate each other when you want to. Top all of that off with stylish and comfortable interiors and it’s the magic formula for a big group holiday.
Les Chauvins, Charente
The heart and soul of these gites are their owners, Kelly and Peter. They fell in love with Les Chauvins and in turn have made it somewhere we challenge you not to fall in love with too! It’s ancient stone wall, underling floors, lavender filled gardens and traditional French charm all come together beautifully. Kelly is also keen to make Les Chauvins as eco friendly as possible and seeks to source what she can from ethical and planet friendly suppliers. We love it.
La Maison Beaumont, Provence
Townhouse sanctuaries: This grand old house in the centre of beautiful and traditional Beaumont-de-Pertuis now houses six apartments. They’re each unique and make use of the house’s high ceilings and traditional features, with big shuttered windows opening on to the square – unless you’re up in the attics where there are roof terraces and stunning views to countryside beyond town. The village is in a foodie heaven of an area, with fantastic restaurants and farmers markets to wander. Niki and Navid are big supporters or the Arts too, and offer discounts for those who give back to the community in which they stay. Details are on their website.
Explore more on Further Afield
Like our pick of the best gites and village houses in France, but haven’t found quite what you were looking for? Check out our full collection of special places to stay in France.
