Whether you’re dreaming of mountain air, Provençal markets or Parisian nights, our collection of special places to stay in France brings you closer to its most memorable corners. Get a new perspective on favourites like the Dordogne and Bordeaux, or explore the meadows of the summer Alps and the untamed hills of the Jura. 

We travel the country meeting the hosts behind each place, choosing stays that let you feel the real France – shutters thrown open onto sunlit courtyards, mornings spent at village markets, and evenings enjoying music and romance in ambient Paris cafés. 

Whether you’re dreaming of holidays in France filled with food, culture or slow days in the countryside, this is your shortcut to the stays that make it unforgettable. 

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Our most loved places to stay in France

Villa Le Calme - Gallery

Villa Le Calme

Villefranche sur Mer, Alpes-Maritimes

 

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. 

It might be a host who insists you taste the tomatoes lovingly grown in their own garden, or a family-run hotel with a restaurant loved by locals. This human, personal approach is how we curate France’s most characterful places, and why you can trust our collection to deliver. 

Sawday’s and Channel 4’s The Great B&B Challenge 

When Channel 4 were looking for judges to assess couples competing to win a beautiful old B&B in France, they came to us. Nicola Crosse, one of our longest-serving inspectors, was chosen to bring her unique Sawday’s perspective to contestants’ hosting skills. She was looking for warmth, generosity of spirit, a real love of making people welcome – just what we’ve always looked for in our B&Bs in France. If you want get a feel for exactly what that means, take a look at the French B&Bs she’s found and loved over her years at Sawday’s. 

Our different types of places to stay in France

Gîtes

Gîtes

Bed & Breakfast

Bed & Breakfast

Hotels

Hotels

Chalets

Chalets

Why book your holiday in France with Sawday’s?

✓ Book direct with owners to get the best rates and truly personal recommendations from the people who know the place best. 

✓ We champion small businesses, family-run stays and hosts who care about their local communities and landscapes.

✓ We’ve spent over 30 years inspecting stays for character, atmosphere and a genuine sense of welcome, so wherever you go in France, you’re in good hands. 

Find more inspiration with our favourite places to stay in France

The gîte is one France’s travel icons, drawing visitors for centuries. It’s as much a feeling as a type of place, with the simplicity of rural life at its heart. We visit every gîte in our collection, checking for the character and charm that give you a real experience of this French classic, but we also look for owners who will introduce you to the place they live and love.

Dog-friendly cottages in France

There’s no reason to get yourself in the dog house by leaving your four-legged friend at home when you head to France. We’ve visited every one of our places, from the Cherbourg peninsula to Cap Bénat, making sure they have the comfort and character that you, and your dog, will love. Browse all our French dog-friendly cottages below.

Villas in the south of France

Nothing conjures a clearer picture in the mind than the words, “villa in the south of France”. They bring with them a whole feeling of sun-drenched drowsiness, warm grass and billowing linen. We’ve personally inspected every single one in our collection, so you can trust that you’ll find the sort of place you’re dreaming of, then breeze down to the beach for days of sun, sea, hilltop vineyards and balmy al fresco meals.

 

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