Sawday’s Detours – how to explore France
Alistair Sawday’s forays into France for his guide books inspired many people to take it slow and see the best of France and now that his publishing empire has extended into accommodation collection, their website is a great resource for planning a trip. I love their B&Bs, hotels and self-catering properties because they always feel […]
A family road trip through France
On July 4th, 2020, the British government gave the green light for travel in France after four months of lockdown during the pandemic, so I booked the Eurotunnel and put together a trip of a lifetime through France, taking the route straight through the middle, stopping for adventures on the way that ranged from a […]
Blog: a handy list of villas and gite companies
‘Can you recommend a good gite company?’ is one of the questions I’m most frequently asked, so here is a list of the companies and individual gites and villas I most often mention to people: BUDGET Sawday’s If you’ve never heard of Sawday’s, then they’re a great place to start your search. They list characterful […]
About the France Traveller newsletter
This newsletter, what’s all that about then? As you’ll have seen from this website, I write about France travel, food and drink for national newspapers and magazines (and a few websites too!), but as there are always more tips, ideas, photos and videos than I could ever cram into my articles, I’ve given them a […]
Best stopovers en route south
“Where do you stop when you drive south?” is possibly the number one question I get asked… and it’s so good to have dozens of suggestions up my sleeve. Whether you want to just enjoy a bit of luxury and switch off at a beautiful boutique hotel, or have a more adventurous stay in a […]
Ferry breaks in France
Five of the best places to visit just over the Channel. Travel is so easy by ferry – you can fill your car with luggage or leave it empty to fill with cheese, wine, liqueurs (you know the ones, those sticky, after-dinner tipples they make from everything from quince to walnuts – I like them, […]
10 great French holidays by train
Ten of the best places to visit in France by train, The Guardian, 29th March 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/mar/29/france-by-rail-10-great-summer-trips
Total Guide: Seaside France
For Sunday Times Travel Magazine’s August 2017 issue, I wrote more than 4000 words about Seaside France in a variety of different formats. This included: Two longer pieces on the Roussillon coast and Roscoff (including the Ile de Batz), Top tens on best seaside hotels, secret coastal towns, sun-drenched beaches, lazy seaside meals, ways to […]
French city breaks by train
Two new high-speed train lines opening in July 2017 will mean several cities in the west of France will be much easier to get to. This piece for The Times revealed the best ways to enjoy each place: Rennes Saint Malo Poitiers Toulouse Bordeaux Nantes Angouleme Read it here.
How to do France on a budget
With Brexit bashing the exchange rate, many of those looking for a trip to France want to do it without breaking the bank. For this story in The Guardian I showed how, by emulating the French style of holidaying, you can save money on a trip, be it food, accommodation or driving. Read it here.