Sawday’s guide to gîte holidays in France

With Sawday’s, you book directly with gîte owners who help to shape the experience, so you can ask questions, get tailored suggestions and arrive already feeling oriented. The result is a holiday that feels personal and grounded rather than pre-packaged, with the sort of small discoveries that rarely appear in search results. 

If you’d like a fuller explanation of what makes a gîte different, we’ve written a guide called What is a gîte?, which explains the concept in more detail. 

What to expect from a gîte holiday?

Expect space, privacy and a slower way of living, often shaped by food, landscape and local routine. Rather than packed itineraries, gîte stays often centre on everyday local life. Discover the best market towns for a gîte holiday where you’ll find quality regional produce sold by friendly stall owners, enjoy the relaxed pace reflected in gites in Northern France for slow living, or receive recommendations from gîtes with owners who host the kind of stay you won’t find on Google, where their lived knowledge leads you to lesser-known gems. 

Planning your gîte holiday

Practical planning often begins with timing, which is where advice found in our when is the best time to stay in a gîte in France? guide becomes useful. Transport decisions follow closely behind, with an increasing number of travellers leaning towards the slower journeys reflected in beautiful gîtes you can reach by train from the UK. A surprising number of French gîtes are easy to reach without flying, with train routes via Paris, Lille or Lyon make slower, lower stress travel entirely doable. 

Gîtes with pools

Swimming and gîtes were made for each other, particularly in summer when outdoor living takes over. Cooler coastal settings appear in gîtes with pools in Normandy, while the vineyard backed stays in Loire Valley gîtes with pools capture a softer, sun-drenched atmosphere. Some are private, others shared within small estates, but all add to a restorative routine of morning swims, relaxed afternoons and evenings outdoors. 

Ultimately, a gîte holiday offers something increasingly rare: the freedom to travel at your own pace while still feeling connected to place. Whether you’re drawn by food, landscape, culture or simply the pleasure of unhurried days, the right gîte encourages a way of travelling that feels less about ticking sights off a list and more about genuinely experiencing where you are. 

Find your perfect gîte holiday >

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