French Cottages

An exclusive network of very high quality, Australian owned , holiday homes, luxury villas, apartments and cottages to rent in France located in the historic hearts
of the four very best HUB villages the country for your next holiday in France.

With us you will also enjoy Expert French Travel Guidance.
**You get so much more than just rental accommodation in France
with French Cottages
**(quote from guests Peter and Elizabeth Rogers)

If you're looking for the best way to explore France, the best places to stay and the best advice then you have come to the best site:  look no further, it's all here!

For the past 27 years our guests have enjoyed the benefits of HUB-BASED TRAVEL, a way of travelling where you base yourselves in a vibrant, living French village
(but NOT a tourist-ridden or brand-name one) then explore the wonderful sites and scenes in the surrounding region from your own home in France, living like a local. 
This provides a much deeper,  more genuine and interesting experience than all those
commercial tours and river cruises, which are not only expensive but superficial.

MAKE YOUR ITINERARY "HUBBABLE NOT LUGGABLE"
Hub-based exploration is so much more relaxing than moving on
(packing and unpacking) every few days.
If you send us your dates in France, we will be happy to suggest a complete itinerary.
We are not an automated booking platform site like all the others.
Jut let us know your preferences and we will create a wonderful, personalised itinerary you will never forget!
So ... pour yourself a glass of your favourite French wine and take the time to relax and  fully read and discover the gems in this website.

Based in Melbourne, Australia. WINNERS OF THE TOPI best principles award 2019 for protecting the original qualities of living French Villages

Bonjour et Bienvenue to
Your Home in France

An exclusive boutique network of very high quality French Holiday Homes: Cottages, Gîtes, Apartments and Villas
for your holiday in France combined with expert guidance from us to help you plan your trip.
Much more than accommodation in France, our unique hub-based approach to French Travel has no equal.

THIS  IS  WHAT  THE  AI  CHATBOT  CHATGPT  SAYS  ABOUT  US
French Cottages offers boutique holiday accommodations in France, emphasizing a hub-based travel approach.
This method allows guests to immerse themselves in local culture by staying in carefully selected villages
and exploring surrounding regions at a leisurely pace.

The website highlights the benefits of this travel style,
contrasting it with traditional tours and cruises, 
which can be costly and less immersive.


By basing oneself in a vibrant village, travellers can experience a more authentic and relaxing holiday.

Additionally, the site offers a comprehensive 123-page French Travel Guide,
drawing from 30 years of travel  in France, to assist in planning and enhancing the travel experience.

Overall, French Cottages presents a distinctive approach to French travel,
focusing on authentic experiences and personalised service. 

A uniquely different French Experience!

With 27 years of devotion to, passion for, and experience in France, we can show you the way to discovering
an exceptionally beautiful and memorable cultural and travel experience that no commercial tour  or cruise can achieve.
You will enjoy a much deeper, more diverse and authentic travel experience with us
than you will with those regimented bus tours and superficial river cruises.

The proprietors of French Cottages are David Hitchins and Bryan Stark, based in Melbourne, Australia

Who are we and why are we unique?

We are the two Australian managers and owners of 8 holiday cottages in four distinctive regions in France.  We have been developing our special approach to French Travel for over 30 years.

This site is totally unlike those booking platform sites that you see everywhere these days on the internet - automated sites that peddle the properties of others for a commission, with absolutely no concern about where these properties are or
what they really have to offer you. They just want to make money.
They do not love France as we - and you - do!
(view this video by Dick Smith about the effect those sites are having)

Contact us and we will be glad to help you in any way.

The proprietors of French Cottages are David Hitchins and Bryan Stark, based in Melbourne, Australia


Can you can plan your whole
'Tour de France' with us?

Mais oui! This is our specialty!
We can help you plan your ENTIRE French or EUROPEAN itinerary if you wish, drawing upon our wide knowledge of all parts of France and Europe generally.
You only have to mention this when you contact us. It's a free service!
For quick answers or regarding availability of our cottages, contact us here.

Dordogne Villa Views
Not just any old village.

No matter how pretty.
It must be just the right village with just the right type of centrally - based accommodation and thoroughly French: a five star village.
And you must be living right 'inside the walls' (not on the outskirts) of a village with that 'something extra'.

Loire Valley Medieval Festival
Sorry, no amount of searching the web will make you any wiser. 

This necessary"extra" quality cannot be judged by perusing the internet; you need to have stayed and lived there to know, just as being in the real Paris is so much better than viewing any photograph of it.
It's a fine difference but ... vive la différence!
It is why we travel after all.

Guests Enjoying L'Olivier Villa Garden
Except on this site because you can...

See and hear live video interviews with our guests direct from the villages - direct from the cottages.
See why they all say it was just so exceptional and how they still dream about their experiences years later, and come back for more!
Moving and inspiring to watch and listen to: don't miss out. CLICK OR TAP HERE TO VIEW

Hand written testimonials from our cottages
"To anyone considering booking with French Cottages, I say,
What are you waiting for? Contact them for the best tips, suggestions and service.
We will certainly use this company again. Thanks so much! "
and another (of many!)
"I'm so happy we trusted your judgement; everything you promised was delivered, and then some."

Testimonials French Cottages
Testimonials French Cottages
The proprietors of French Cottages are David Hitchins and Bryan Stark, based in Melbourne, Australia

A beautiful, stunning and informative production.

Order our 123-page printed French Travel Guide which puts all those other travel magazines out there to shame!

We believe that it is the only printed production of its type in the world.

Whether you're a first time visitor or a seasoned French travel expert, we're sure you'll find the answers and insights to nearly all your French Travel and Accommodation questions in this amazingly informative guide.

Our travel and holiday accommodation suggestions will make your
already exciting holiday in France even more memorable!

It's simple to get a copy delivered right to your door: just click here.
This new and vastly improved version is $25 plus postage
but you can view it for free by clicking here.

Contact Us For Your Best French Holiday Ever

Fill in this brief form, submit it and we'll get right back to you.
(if the submit button seems to fail, please scroll up and check that all required fields have been completed)
Any problems with the form? Just email us by clicking HERE.
OR (CALL US OLD-FASHIONED) just PHONE us on our Melbourne office number 03 8658 0799
(+613 8658 0799 if calling from outside Australia)

Discover the Real France with French Cottages Holidays

Your resource for organising the Best French Travel
Itinerary you’ll ever experience.

Address

759 Rathdowne Street
North Carlton 3054
Victoria
Australia


Contacts

Email: stay@frenchcottages.com
Phone: +61 (3) 8658 0799