A holiday in France is never a bad idea. Lakes, mountains, forests, fields of lavender — it’s a country which really does have it all, along with a heavy sprinkling of sandy beaches. One of the best ways to enjoy it is by having a great villa as your base, with plenty of room for the family. We’ve picked the pads worthy of your consideration — these are the best holiday villas in France.
Main photo: Chateau Le Brun, Loire Valley (Oliver’s Travels)
1. Chateau Seiguier, Loire Valley
Best for living like a lord
Always wanted to stay in a magnificent 17th-century castle in France? Chateau Seiguier is your ticket — and while it may look suitably baroque, inside you’ll find all of the conveniences of a modern build. Bagsy the standout top-floor bedroom; the exposed original beams are gorgeous and the bed was owned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Prolong your newfound sense of grandeur with a visit to nearby royal castles and world-famous vineyards, or stay at home and make the most of the 2.5-acre garden that includes a fishing pond and swimming pool. Just keep an eye out for impromptu guests; deer often come to graze in the grounds.
Pool Y
Family-friendly Y
Sleeps 12
Price ££
2. Chez le Vigneron, Languedoc
Best for vineyard hopping
Once an esteemed winegrower’s house, Chez Le Vigneron in the heart of the Languedoc vineyards is now yours for the taking. There’s plenty of space — set over three floors — and if you come with another party or older kids there’s an apartment just across the courtyard offering separate living space. You’re within easy strolling distance of two bakeries and a restaurant and, come Friday, a buzzing local market.
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Pool Y
Family-friendly N
Sleeps 8
Price ££
3. Domaine des Champs, Dordogne
Best for kids of all ages
The glorious vine-covered veranda that leads to a separate dining area with a pool, bar, and barbecue will tempt you to stay outside the walls of this 400-year-old villa. Little ones will feel the same: there are swings, slides, a football pitch, a shaded sandpit and go-karts. Should you or any hard-to-please teens eventually venture inside, there are two large living areas with a home cinema, cable TV and pool table. Domaine des Champs is also a short stroll away from Chandos leisure park, with canoeing on the Isle River, and a drive away from the Dordogne’s caves, castles and vineyards.
Pool Y
Family-friendly Y
Sleeps 26
Price £££
4. Belle Vue, Dordogne
Best for pools
Immerse yourself in the valley of the Dordogne without leaving the Belle Vue and your biggest decision will be the vantage point from which you choose to swoon over those sweeping hills: the fabulous terrace that traces the full length of the house or the pool deck that extends over the valley on stilts. Toasting the spectacular views with a glass of champagne is obligatory.
Pool Y
Family-friendly Y
Sleeps 8
Price ££
5. Château Le Brun, Loire Valley
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Best for getting back to nature
This 17th-century hunting lodge has been boldly renovated by a talented artist who has, amazingly, added yet more character and colour. It’s the perfect fit for two families, with a vast living area and spacious bedrooms — all packed with incredible artwork. Château Le Brun also cuts an impressive figure from the outside, sitting in a private, sprawling 52-acre park and with its own mini-forest. Don’t forget your fishing rod; there’s a lake too.
Pool Y
Family-friendly Y
Sleeps 12
Price ££
6. Villa Shambhala, Dordogne
Best for a river view
Villa Shambhala is hard to beat location-wise, near some of the best vineyards in the world and overlooking the banks of the Dordogne. You’ll find plenty of places to soak up those river views — try the spacious terrace with a dining set first. The interior design is artistic and rustic and the shops and patisseries of Pessac are just a wander away. Hunt out the honesty bar in the salle d’été: it’s stocked up with local wines, champagne and limited-edition labels.
Pool Y
Family-friendly Y
Sleeps 8
Price ££
7. Rouge Cottage, Dordogne
Best for food
Quaintly named Rouge Cottage is a secluded, petiteproperty that peers out at the stirring Limousin countryside. Come for lots of brood-pleasing treats: a private pool, pretty gardens and — best of all — a castle-style treehouse. If you can tempt the little ones down from their new hideout, there are two Michelin-starred restaurants nearby and, if there’s a willing babysitter on hand, some fabulous local vineyards. You’ll also find three swimming lakes within ten minutes of Rouge Cottage with sandy beaches, cafés and tennis courts. For something more high-octane try Espace Hermeline in Bussière-Galant for swimming, tennis, velorail, a high ropes course, a children’s park and crazy golf.
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Pool Y
Family-friendly Y
Sleeps 5
Price £
8. Manoir Clement, Côte d’Azur
Best for entertaining
Botanical Manoir Clement is surrounded by blooming landscaped gardens and overlooks a huge heated pool. The interior design is calm and cosy, but the real star of the show is the sun-drenched terrace, complete with a barbecue and plenty of sunbeds. Manoir Clement is located just half an hour from the coast, and there are many cutesy villages to be explored in the surrounding mountains. Take home a signature holiday scent: Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, is within a ten-minute drive.
Pool Y
Family-friendly Y
Sleeps 10
Price ££
9. La Maison du Sud, Languedoc
Best for a countryside location
You’ll be fighting over who gets the luxurious loft suite of La Maison du Sud — a plush hideaway with squabble-worthy countryside views. Don’t get too distracted: the entire house is spectacular with antique French furniture, a charming farmhouse kitchen, and a perfectly sized plunge pool. There is no bakery in the village, but the baker comes to deliver fresh baguettes every morning.
Pool Y (plunge pool)
Family-friendly N
Sleeps 6
Price £
10. Mas Mayeaux, Provence
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Best for big groups
There’s plenty of room in Mas Mayeaux, a private estate in Provence made up of the main house, which sleeps eight, and a smaller annex sleeping four. Should you still seek a moment of peace there are 1.4 acres of landscaped gardens and fruit trees. Both houses have their own patio areas, and a shared swimming pool is perfect for long sunny days — as are the barbecue, hammocks, and outdoor games area. As tempting as it is to stay put, hire a car and explore the region’s rolling lavender landscapes and hillside vineyards. Time your visit for the Vaison Danses festival in July, held in the nearby Roman amphitheatre.
Pool Y
Family-friendly Y
Sleeps 12
Price ££
11. Mas Art et Soleil, Provence
Best for A-list vibes
The natural light and stylish design throughout this Provence farmhouse are dead giveaways that Mas Art et Soleil was once an artist’s studio. Paintbrush or no paintbrush, there’s plenty of masterpiece-worthy inspiration outside — it’s surrounded by the vineyards and olive groves of Alpilles Natural Park, with a tranquil pool and gardens on the doorstep. Spend your evenings wandering Eygalières. It’s just over a mile away and is one of the prettiest hilltop villages in Provence — a handful of A-listers have already snapped up holiday homes here.
Pool Y
Family-friendly N
Sleeps 6
Price ££
12. Le Jardin Secret, Languedoc
Best for privacy
Keep it quiet, but Le Jardin Secret in sun-drenched Languedoc is a relatively untapped 18th-century treasure. Find it in a tiny hilltop village, surrounded by rolling countryside, and swoon over its original features. Its south-facing terrace looks out onto the Pyrenees and Black Mountains. The medieval town of Carcassonne is a 30-minute drive away.
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Pool Y
Family-friendly Y
Sleeps 8 (four bedrooms)
Price £
13. Villa Romane, Provence
Best for a Provençal vibe
You’ll spend most of your time splashing about Villa Romane’s Roman-style circular swimming pool or debating whether the panoramic views of Provence and the Rhône valley look best from the upper or ground floor. Inside, pick between six fabulous bedrooms and five bathrooms (so no need to quibble over who uses the shower first), while outside, an alfresco kitchen, barbecue, shaded lounge and sun terrace await. Take a stroll and head to the gorgeous Provençal village of Beaucaire for a clutch of boulangeries, fine French restaurants, traditional cafés and shops.
Pool Y
Family-friendly N
Sleeps 15
Price ££
14. Villa Xavier, Languedoc
Best for luxury
Every inch of Villa Xavier has been designed to induce squeals of glee: from its huge heated swimming pool, to the underground wine cellar where you’ll find the best local vintages. Choose a spot to relax — there are plenty. Will it be the huge outdoor living areas, large dining terrace, or underneath the olive trees? It’s possible to book day trips on the owner’s private boat, or a fitness coach to help you get into shape if you’ve gone understandably overboard at the boulangerie. And, should James Bond drop by, you can point him in the direction of the villa’s own cigar humidor.
Pool Y
Family-friendly Y
Sleeps 12
Price £££
15. Maison Sebastien, Provence
Best for showstopper vistas
Built in the 14th century as a lookout tower, Maison Sebastien does indeed have see-it-all views: from its rooftop terrace you can gaze over oak forests, mulberry trees, and the property’s private pool. There are countless comfortable nooks in which to relax — from the cinema room and living area with wood-burning stove, to the sunloungers and shaded terrace. Head to the bustling local market in Forcalquier to add local delicacies to your picnics or dine at the village of St Michel L’Observatoire — there are plenty of restaurants to try.
Pool Y
Family-friendly Y
Sleeps 13
Price ££
16. Gîte Les Barts in Loubès-Bernac, Eymet
Best for privacy
Get a taste of local life with a stay in this light-filled two-bedroom gîte set within its own flower-filled grounds. Come summer and you’ve got your own garden accessed via patio doors and when winter sets in you can get cosy by the log burner in the lounge. Explore the village of Loubès-Bernac — tucked between Duras and Bergerac — and the 14th-century castle at Monbazillac.
Pool Y
Family-friendly Y
Sleeps 4
Price £
17. La Tour Des Vignes, Aquitaine
Best for a quirky vineyard stay
Repurposed from an 18th-century windmill, La Tour Des Vignes is certainly one of the more unusual places to stay. The bulk of the living space is in the main tower, with winding stairs taking you up each level, offering better and better views of the vineyard laid in front of it. An attached annex has French windows that open out fully to bring the outdoors in. With a pool, barbecue and plenty of outdoor seating, this is where you’ll want to spend most of your time anyway. Note that because of the tightness of the space, it’s not ideal for those with mobility issues or particularly young children.
Pool Y
Family-friendly N
Sleeps 4
Price £
18. Château Gaillac, Midi-Pyrénées
Best for an escape to le chateau
A classic French château, this property offers bags of character for what’s a very decent price considering the number of people you can host in its ten belle époque-style bedrooms. The stay is made even better by the fact that your booking comes with a case of wine, made by the vignerons working in the adjacent vineyards. Elsewhere on property, there’s a lap pool with plenty of lounger space and a sprawling garden to explore. Kids will love the treehouse with seating, and bikes that they can take out to explore.
Pool Y
Family-friendly Y
Sleeps 20
Price £
19. Mas De Beauce, Midi-Pyrénées
Best for building with history
Step inside this 14th-century manor house and it’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time. The dining room, lounge and bedrooms all retain their period features, with antique furnishing throughout, but you’ll be pleased to know that the house has been modernised where it matters — principally the bathrooms and kitchen. The area around the property is all farm land, and is ideal for those looking for a rural break with bucolic strolls through the countryside, though a pool on site means you can lounge under the sun too.
Pool Y
Family-friendly N
Sleeps 8
Price £
20. Casarella Cesarina, Corsica
Best for mountain views
Perched on a hillside overlooking Calvi Bay, this two-bedroom villa has smashing views of La Balagne’s mountains from the sweeping terrace and swimming pool. It’s traditionally furnished, with antique pieces alongside wrought-iron lamps, and has simple bedrooms. It’s a 15-minute walk downhill to the bars and restaurants, although with a barbecue and sheltered pergola at the villa, there’s really no need to leave.
Pool Y
Family-friendly Y
Sleeps 4
Price ££
corsica.co.uk
21. La Maison du Mûrier, Hautes Alpes
Best for larger families
This Grand Designs-meets-17th-century farmhouse in the southwestern Hautes Alpes, two hours’ drive from the nearest airport (Grenoble Alpes Isère), is a true labour of love — much of the interior, including the beds and kitchen, has been built by hand. It’s full of thoughtful touches such as a pasta machine, a cinema room, an honesty bar and a hot tub. In winter the nearest ski resort, Le Dévoluy, is only 30 minutes’ drive away but in summer the hills come alive with flowers, hikers, cyclists and natural gorges where the brave can take a dip.
Pool Y
Family-friendly Y
Sleeps 10
Price £££
welcomebeyond.com
Additional reporting by Qin Xie
Take me there
Inspired to visit France but yet to book your trip? Here are the best easyJet holidays and British Airways breaks. For a variety of villas, try Oliver’s Travels.
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