This one is a gem. I can’t help but get excited when I stumble across these lovely family-owned chateaux that offer good quality bed and breakfast accommodation and they wish to work with Stopover Connections! I just can’t wait to share it with you. This chateau in the Auvergne is perfectly placed if you need a stopover as you head south (or north, for that matter) on the A71 autoroute. It is only an hour north of Clermont-Ferrand and is surrounded by acres of grounds in which the children can let off steam after being cooped up in the car for hours on end. The rooms are classically furnished and decorated as you would expect, and the added bonus is that evening meals are available too, so no need to head out in the car again in search of a restaurant when you have only just arrived.  Click here or on the photo below to view full accommodation details and then click the ‘enquire for availability’ link to make your request for specific dates

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What are these?

Le Centre Ouest
If you are taking your holiday in the central or central western area of France this summer, then this post is for you.  From the Pays de la Loire region to the Loire Valley, from the Vendée inland to the Auvergne, each department has it’s speciality.

Let’s start on the west coast of France, with a product that most probably won’t have occurred to you but that you simply must try.

Salt
Surprised? You will be! If all you have ever known is the harsh table salt that is commonly bought in UK supermarkets then you are in for a treat. The salt marshes of the Ile de Guérande and of the Ile de Noirmoutier produce some of the most delicately flavoured salt that you can buy. You didn’t know salt actually has a flavour, did you… try the fleur de sel de Guérande and you will never go back to ordinary table salt, I can promise you. The good news is that it can be bought in any supermarket, either ready milled or in granules. Add it to your shopping list now!

Cheese
Heading inland, you will arrive at the Auvergne region, home to some of France’s most delicious cheeses such as Bleu d’Auvergne. On the 20 and 21 August this year, the village of Riom-es-Montagnes in the Cantal department is holding it’s annual ‘Fête’ in celebration of this locally produced cheese. You can find the full programme on this site but suffice it to say that the weekend will include plenty of eating and drinking, music and shows.

If you are in the area, make sure you try the other cheeses that are produced locally such as Cantal Entre Deux and also the deliciously creamy blue cheese Fourme d’Ambert. To guide you, the area has a waymarked ‘Route des Fromages AOP d’Auvergne’ along which you can stop at the producers, taste the various cheeses and buy direct. Fantastic!

Tomatoes
Just to the east of Tours in the Loire Valley, you will find the Chateau de la Bourdaisiere. The chateau is proud to house the largest collection of tomatoes (650 varieties!) in the world. You can read all about it on this page, but if you are in the area  on the 10 and 11 September, be sure to pop along to the Festival des Tomates et des Saveurs which will take place at the chateau. You are sure to come away from it with a whole new perspective on tomatoes!

If you fancy a late summer/early autumn break amidst beautiful, tranquil scenery in the south of France, this accommodation is just the ticket. I am delighted to welcome these British hosts to our portfolio as they, like myself, are keen cyclists, not to mention food lovers and will delight in sharing their beautiful corner of France with you. The quiet country lanes make for many miles of quality cycling and at the end of the day you can sit down and enjoy one of Aileen’s fantastic evening meals, prepared using local and seasonal produce wherever possible. The less active visitor will enjoy visiting the area’s many pretty villages - Rocamadour, Sarlat, Domme, Les Eyzies, St Cirq Lapopie, Pech Merle, Cahors…. take your pick! With flights into Brive Airport from London City and Ryan Air flights into Bergerac, your autumn break is just a few clicks away.  Click here or on the photo below to view full accommodation details and then click the ‘enquire for availability’ link to make your request for specific dates

Fancy an August short break on a small family-owned vineyard estate with the classic vineyards of Saint Emilion and Pomerol just a stone’s throw away? This beautiful guest house accommodation still has good availability in August and I should also mention that they have just lowered their prices which puts them very much in the ‘affordable’ price bracket now! The accommodation would suit those looking for some peace and quiet in classically French surroundings and wine buffs will of course be in their element. A bottle of the Domaine’s own wine will be offered to you and you will of course have the opportunity to taste many more during your stay.  Click on the photo below to view full accommodation details and then click the ‘enquire for availability’ link to make your request for specific dates.

If you haven’t yet booked your holiday to France, why not make your destination Burgundy, a mere 5 hour drive from the port of Calais. This British-owned self-catering studio near Dijon still has availability for 1 week starting 6 August for a family of up to 6 people in a double and two twin-bedded rooms. Young children are particularly welcome and well-catered for, with swings and slides available in the big garden. Adults will no doubt appreciate the Burgundy vineyards of the Côte d’Or that are on the doorstep. Remember to leave space in the car for a few cases of red, white or rosé! For full details and prices, please follow this link or click on the photo below

The accommodation still has good availability in September and October too. Autumn is a great time to visit the vineyard region of Burgundy as the grape harvests will be in full swing and there is a real buzz about the area. Temperatures will have calmed down a bit after the summer highs and, let’s face it, prices are lower too!

Quality, local, fresh produce is increasingly hard to find in the UK. Sure, farmers’ markets are on the rise but prices are generally high and speciality products tend to dominate. So during your French holiday, be sure to make the most of the fantastic choice of local products that you will find there. Fresh, local, good value produce – every corner of France excels at it and each area has its specialities.

The local market
Every town and every village in France has a market at least once a week where you will find fresh, local produce and regional specialities. To find out where the nearest market is to where you will be staying, take a look at this wonderfully comprehensive website.

In this post, I’ll briefly cover just two areas of France for starters. Other areas will be covered in the coming days.

The South East of France
Olive oil - you will find THE most delicious, fruity olive oil in the Provence area which taste absolutely nothing like the bland oil that you find in UK supermarkets. Try just a smattering on a thin slice of baguette… mmmm! 

Fresh figs – 80% of the country’s figs are produced in the Var department of SE France just north of Toulon and the Mediterranean coast. If you have only ever eaten the dried variety then you MUST try the wonderfully onctuous fresh fig, either straight from the tree or baked with cinnamon and honey and served with fresh cream!

Mussels and oysters – the Mediterranean coast and the area around Sète are where some of the very best mussels and oysters in France are raised. I was never a big fan of these shellfish until I tasted them fresh from the sea – far more tender and full of flavour than anything I had ever tasted before. You must try them!

Also to look out for in the south east of France are lavender honey, the very moreish rosé wines of Provence .

- The south west of France
Kiwi fruit – surprised? Well, the Aquitaine region of the SW of France is one of the main producers of this fruit. These are not the bullet-hard, flavourless kiwis that you find in the UK supermarkets, but juicy, soft-skinned fruit that are very moreish. You’ll see them on the market stalls during the late autumn and winter.

Prunes – The Agen prune is known the world over for its fantastic flavour. Forget the syrupy jarred prunes and the dried out, flavourless specimens that you see elsewhere – the Agen prunes, grown in an area North of Toulouse, are soft, juicy and so full of flavour. I like to preserve them in Armagnac for 6+ months and then skewer them, wrap them with wafer thin slices of bayonne and then warm them through under the grill – delicious!

Cheese – there are several areas of the Pyrenees that produce the most delicious cheeses, my favourites being brebis (ewes milk cheese) and fromage de chèvre (goats cheese), although the fromage de vache (cows milk cheese) is also widely produced

Garlic - the pink garlic ‘ail de Lautrec’  has a far, far superior flavour to any other garlic that I have ever tasted and I challenge you to disagree! Produced between Albi and Puylaurens in the ‘Tarn’ department east of Toulouse, you will find tresses of this garlic at every market stall.  

Let’s not forget the wines of the SW of France. Gaillac, Fronton, Madiran, Jurançon are just some of the top producing areas of the region that you should look out for, all situated South and South east of the obvious  Bordeaux vineyards. Look out for the wine seller at the markets in the SW of France selling his bargain-priced wine from a big vat – he’ll fill your old water bottles up with truely delicious wine for less than €2.00 a litre – bargain!

I was really quite excited when these British hosts contacted me, asking if they could be added to our portfolio of quality accommodation in Normandy. They are ideally situated, just 40 minutes NW of Le Mans, in a lovely rural setting where peace and quiet are the order of the day. But the reason for my excitement is that they are proposing 3 independent apartments (one for 2 people and two others for up to 4 people) on a bed and breakfast basis as opposed to offering simply guest rooms in their home – fantastic if you are wanting to come and go at leisure.

The other pluses here are the availability of an evening meal, homemade jams, cakes and even ice cream, plus a plunge pool in which you can cool off in hotter weather

They still have availability in July and August, so don’t delay, click here or on either of the above photos to view full accommodation details and then click the ‘enquire for availability’ link to make your request for specific dates

Spring is the perfect time to head over to France for a golfing holiday or short break. The temperatures are still amenable and the countryside is simply gorgeous dressed in its fresh, new finery. The country is blessed with some truely superb golf courses and we are lucky enough to work with some accommodation hosts who can offer you discounts off tee fees at local golf courses, who can offer golfing tuition and one particular accommodation that is surrounded by an 18 hole golf course – a golfer’s dream!

A golfing break in the Pays de La Loire
The British hosts who run this quality guest house accommodation (with a swimming pool) near Angers in the Pays de la Loire region of Western France are keen golfers (or at least Peter is!). There are four top quality golf courses in this relatively unexplored area and Peter can get you a 20% discount off green fees. Arrangements such as reserved and guaranteed tee times, buggy hire and meal arrangements can be taken care of for you. So whatever your handicap, Peter is on hand to advise you on the golf course to suit you best. Click here or on the photo below to view full accommodation details and then click the ‘enquire for availability’ link to make your request for specific dates.

I should mention that self-catering accommodation is also available at this location for up to 6 people. The 3 bedrooms can be made up either as twin beds or kingsize doubles, so all manner of parties can be accommodated for that longer golfing break. Click here or on the photo below to view full details of the self-catering accommodation and make your enquiry for specific dates

A golfing holiday in the Champagne region
What golf enthusiast could turn down accommodation that has a golf course literally on the doorstep! What’s more, we are talking about the Champagne region here, just 3 hours south of Calais and a short drive from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport East of Paris – what better location for a golfing weekend away. The 18 hole course is set amidst 70 hectares of rolling parkland that has rivers & streams running through it and is bordered by woodland. Christine, who owns the manor house accommodation will help you to make your golfing arrangements. She offers beautiful, classic, French manor house bed & breakfast accommodation, just perfect for your golfing break to the Champagne region. Click here or on the photo below to view full accommodation details and then click the ‘enquire for availability’ link to make your request for specific dates.A golf break in the Dordogne

We have just been made aware of a great new website which is a one-stop-shop for information on golf courses in the Dordogne … and it’s in English! In addition to information about and links to the golf courses, you can find details of the ‘Golf Pass Dordogne’ which you can print off online and which will give you cumulative discounts at all 7 golf courses in the area. Bargain.  For your stay in the area, may we suggest some truely wonderful Anglo-French owned accommodation East of Bergerac in which you will have complete independence. The guest rooms are effectively individual units which each have a king-size double bed and easy access to the swimming pool. Click here or on the photo below to view full accommodation details and then click the ‘enquire for availability’ link to make your request for specific dates.

A golfing break West of Paris, near Versailles

Ever dreamt of being coached by a former PGA Professional? Now’s your chance! Monsieur, at this lovely address which is perfectly situated just 40 minutes from Versailles, is a former golf professional and now gives golf tuition (possible in English as well as French) tailored to your requirements. If you don’t fancy the tuition and just want to get out there and play, on site there is a 5 hole practise range with a bunker and access to local golf courses can be arranged at discounted tee fees.Tempted? Click here or on the photo below to view full accommodation details and then click the ‘enquire for availability’ link to make your request for specific dates.

May is nearly here. Very little gets done in France in either May or June as there are so many public holidays! Although we include details of all upcoming public holidays (and indeed regional school holiday dates) towards the bottom of each of our accommodation pages, I thought it worth specifically bringing these dates to your attention… if you are planning a break away, be aware that accommodation on the following dates/weekends will book up fast as the French take time away.

But first, it is worth pointing out that the French love their holidays and have a tradition called ‘faire le pont’ or ‘making a bridge’…. basically, any time that a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, the French ‘make a bridge’ with the Monday or Friday between the holiday and the weekend, so that they get a nice, long, four-day break from work or school several times a year! This of course means that many shops and restaurants outside of tourist areas will be closed, so bare this in mind

Sunday 1st May – ‘La Fête du premier mai’, Labour Day in France. An interesting fact …people in many areas of France give bouquets of lily-of-the-valley or dog rose flowers to loved ones on the 1 May, a tradition which can be traced back to King Charles IX in 1561
Sunday 8th May – ‘La Fête de la Victoire 1945′, WWII Victory Day and is the anniversary of when Charles de Gaulle announced the end of World War II in France
Thursday 2nd June – ‘Ascension’ and a weekend on which most people will ‘faire le pont’ taking the Friday off too. ‘Ascension’ marks the day that Jesus ascended to heaven following his crucifixion and resurrection, according to Christian belief. It the 40th day of Easter
Sunday the 12th and Monday 13th June – the is Whit weekend or ‘Pentecote’ as it is known in France and is always celebrated 7 weeks (50 days to be exact) following Easter and falls on the tenth day following Ascension Thursday.
Thursday 14th July – ah yes, Bastille Day and another weekend on which the French will also take the Friday as a holiday! On July 14, 1789, troops stormed the Bastille in Paris and this was a pivotal event at the beginning of the French Revolution. In modern times, it is a day of celebrations of French culture. Many large-scale public events are held, including a military parade in Paris, as well as communal meals, dances, parties and fireworks. This is a great time to be visiting France!

Monday 14th August - ‘Assumption’. The Feast of the Assumption of Mary is an occasion for Catholics to honor the belief that the Virgin Mary ascended to heaven. It is a major public holiday weekend in France for which accommodation needs to be booked well in advance. Particularly if you are looking for an overnight stopover for the Friday or Saturday of that weekend, you are unlikely to be in luck!

Lastly, August is the month in which French offices, factories and administration centres shut down and their personnel head off for a month-long holiday. This is the month in which the roads are at their most busy. The Bison Fûté website has a very handy feature which shows you the ‘Red’ days on which peak traffic volumes are expected …. avoid the autoroutes on these days if you can.

This village b&b guest house is ideally situated in the midst of the vineyards of the Corbieres area of Languedoc-Roussillon, midway (just 20 minutes) between the beaches of the Mediterranean and the historic city of Carcassonne – what better location for your short break to the South West of France or for your stopover en route to Spain. Motorbikers will receive a particularly warm welcome from these British hosts. Vineyard visits and wine tastings can be arranged and my goodness, what fantastic wines you will find in the Corbieres area! If the lure of quality wine is not sufficient, maybe the swimming pool, superb evening meals and attractive prices will sway it?

Click here or on the photo above to view full accommodation details and then click the ‘enquire for availability’ link to make your request for specific dates.