French Cottages

Australian owned Boutique Holiday Homes, Luxury Villas,
Apartments and Cottages to Rent in France located in the historic hearts
of the four  very best HUB villages in country France.
BUT WE ARE MUCH MORE THAN  JUST FRENCH  HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION.
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 a guest)

LOOKING FOR THE BEST WAY TO TRAVEL AROUND FRANCE?
LOOKING FOR THE BEST PLACES TO STAY IN FRANCE?

DON'T MISS OUT... IT'S ALL HERE!
This website answers both questions above and thousands of others,  so look no further!
RECENT GUEST COMMENT (they are going again soon):
"Can't wait for another fabulous time with you in La Belle France!"

RIVER CRUISES  and  BUS TOURS ARE NOT THE WAY TO GO!
For the past 25 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 absurdly expensive but superficial.
With them, you might as well be going to Disneyland!

STILL IN THE EARLY STAGES OF PLANNING  ... OR JUST DREAMING?

Then this is the PERFECT TIME to peruse our 123-page FRENCH TRAVEL GUIDE
based on our 30 years of travelling in France.
Download it now by clicking on the RED BUTTON  below.
As a bonus, we are offering a $100 per week discount voucher
to those people who do this (valid for the next 5 years).

MAKE YOUR ITINERARY "HUBBABLE NOT LUGGABLE"
Hub-based exploration is so much more relaxing than moving
on (packing and unpacking) every few days.
Stays with us generally are in multiples of one week
starting on a Friday so you can enjoy the  local Saturday markets.

Our guests say their stays with us were the best
French holidays they have ever had.

Much better than those expensive river and sea cruises!
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 *******
******* AND WE ARE NOT AI  BOTS *******
We're real people who respond personally and promptly.
AND...
BEST VILLAGES IN FRANCE

The cottages are situated in just four HUB villages
in France that we chose very, VERY carefully for their
exceptional  intrinsic qualities and their locations for exploration.

SO, BREW YOURSELF A POT OF TEA OR POUR YOURSELF
A GLASS OF YOUR FAVOURITE FRENCH WINE
AND ALLOW YOURSELF TO SIT BACK and thoroughly
READ and EXPLORE every part of this website.


Every minute you spend here will save you twenty minutes
on any other French Travel website.
Use it to plan your trip and you'll save much time and stress
in the long run - we promise!

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.

A uniquely different French Experience!

With 25 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 of 8 holiday cottages in four distinctive regions in France.  We have been developing our special approach to French Travel for over 25 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

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