French Rural Retreats

A really friendly French family home, steeped in history and tradition with delicious home-grown food, a lovely garden and peaceful pool

Fabulous bakes and hot waffles at breakfast, green fields all around and Normandy steeped in history. Great for foodies and historians

Hilltop château on the edge of a small village half an hour from Saint-Émilion, with a lovely garden, a swimming pool and two lakes

Peace, space, nature in the Champagne-hugged Somme valley - and home-grown, organic meals with generous French hosts. Family-perfect

This cosy little house with garden and orchard is near to one of France's best trout fishing lakes and has double-height ceilings

Two comfortably converted farm buildings, with a shared pool on a gentle south-east sloping vineyard with wonderful views

A magnificent medieval tower in the grounds of an 18th-century château sitting in a dreamy valley. Come for superb gardens and architecture

A beautiful cream stone building in the grounds of a grand château, with a large and view-filled outdoor terrace for peaceful dawdling

A lovely honey-coloured stone cottage with private walled garden, large terrace and pool, outdoor bath and pergola-covered terrace

A hugely seductive and stylish special place - with magnificent views, pool and bikes, vineyards and hilltop villages to visit

A family retreat high above the river Dordogne and deep in woodland - with heated pool, games room and village restaurants a stroll away

A spacious farmhouse with a pool in the grounds of a stately château. Wander the walled garden, explore the countryside and pretty villages

For lovers of tranquillity and the great outdoors – come for simple pleasures not mod cons - loads to explore, a pool, a tennis court

Take your pick from guided horse-trekking to grand banqueting at this traditional château; drive to explore WWI history and the lovely coast

A working farm with well renovated ancient buildings among 200 acres of pastures and forest. It's quiet here in the glorious Périgord

Immaculate and comfy farmhouse in Aquitaine, where you'll be spoilt by your attentive hosts and astounded by their sumptuous seasonal meals

A fortified castle in parkland, built mostly in the 1300s on the Montbazens plateau, near to the stunning Averyon gorges

Bedrooms have seersucker linen, doors open to the countryside and Beaune is a hop away. David and Niels ensure a memorable stay