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 […]
Brittany’s Wild West
The rumble of the Atlantic ocean as it beats against the rocks on the Ile d’Ouessant is deafening, even on a clear, bright day, and it’s one of the most intoxicating places I’ve ever been in France. The Pointe de Pern is the island’s (and so France’s) westernmost spot and I covered it in 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 […]
Blog: 7 reasons to love self-catering in France
Some of the best trips we’ve had in France have been when we’ve been based at a gite or villa and this style of holiday works perfectly for France. Yet you don’t often find recommendations for individual rental properties in the press. This tends to be because editors prefer to recommend accommodation that will have […]
Brittany’s beautiful Emerald Coast
Desert Island Discs, Robinson Crusoe, Castaway, they all have a lot to answer for when it comes to finding the perfect beach; the ideal is that there should be nobody there, and you can stroll along on the soft white/yellow sand enjoying the turquoise sea all by yourself. There are plenty such beaches in France, […]
The Cotentin’s secret beaches
Where to find the best beaches in Normandy, the secret beaches, the hidden beaches, the best beaches for families, hikers and picnics
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 […]
Renaissance treasures in the Loire Valley
Mona Lisa’s eyes are said to follow you everywhere, but the same can’t be said when you’re sitting on her forehead. We’ve followed those eyes to get to this position; they drew us up a main street in Blois to the town’s Escalier Denis Papin where Leonardo da Vinci’s painting has been mounted on the […]
See the Loire Valley with kids
Why brave the queues at The Louvre in Paris to show the kids the Mona Lisa when, in 2019, you can sit on her eyebrows in Blois? This giant reproduction on the Escalier Denis Papin was the highlight of our trip to the Loire Valley to research the 500th anniversary of Leonardo Da Vinci’s death […]