Gîtes in France are more than just holiday rentals – they’re a way of slipping into everyday French life. Our gîtes are part of our wider collection of handpicked places to stay in France, chosen for their character, location and the hosts who genuinely love where they live. 

You might wake to church bells from a 19th century barn in a sleepy Dordogne hamlet, where welcome hampers brim with local cheeses and still-warm bread, or throw open shutters onto lavender fields in Provence. Whether you’re after long, lazy French gîte holidays with a pool or something unique, like a Burgundian winemaker’s cottage surrounded by legendary vines, you’ll find self-catering places that are perfectly suited to slow, local-feeling stays. 

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Shortcut to special places

Carefully selected self-catering homes, hotels, pubs and B&Bs

Personally inspected

We've visited every place and chosen them for their warmth and character

UK & Europe

Our collection spans the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal

No fuss from us

You book direct with the owners, with no fees or fuss from us

 

Our most loved gîtes in France

Why book your French gîte with Sawday’s?

✓ Book direct with owners. You deal person-to-person with the people who run the place, getting fair prices and honest, detailed answers to all your questions. 

✓ We champion independent hosts and family businesses that care about their landscapes and communities, so your stay supports the France you’ve come to love. 

✓ We have 30+ years’ experience finding special places to stay in France. Every place in our French collection is inspected for atmosphere, character and a genuine welcome – the things that turn a good holiday into a great one. 

 

How we find France’s most special places

Our team travels across France each year, meeting owners, sharing meals and checking every detail in person. 

We’re not box-tickers. We’re travellers looking for that unmistakable moment when a place feels both beautifully French and genuinely welcoming. This human, personal approach is how we curate France’s most characterful places, and why you can trust our collection to deliver. 

Sawday’s guide to gîte holidays in France

A gîte holiday isn’t just accommodation – it’s a way of life. Private space, authentic locations, slow mornings, long lunches, and evenings under the stars.

Our complete guide walks you through what you can expect from a gîte holiday, the best time to stay in a gîte and gîtes with owners who host the kind of stay you won’t find on Google.

Learn all about gîte holidays with Sawday’s >