The top ten places to rent a French Cottage

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by: Travelzest
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Word Count: 845
Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 Time: 7:04 AM
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1. Provence - East of the river Rhône, Provence begins with the neighbouring départements of Vaucluse and Drôme, regions of mountains, fertile plains and rivers which display all the magnetic beauty and contrast of Mediterranean mountain country. Unspoilt Drôme is famed for the clarity of its mountain air, its Mediterranean warmth and for its timeless little villages, tucked away in peaceful valleys. It is in the Rhône valley that the most important historical landmarks of Provence are to be found and no other part of France better displays the art of Roman civilisation.

2. Brittany - Jutting out into the Atlantic, France's most westerly province stands surrounded on three sides by the natural boundary with which its prosperity is traditionally associated. Yet it is precisely the isolation of Brittany from the rest of France which accounts for the preservation of much that is unique about the gentle Celtic land. Most of France's provinces have their individual identities but, with Brittany the impression is almost of being in another land.

3. Normandy - The historic province of Normandy encompasses five départements, from the wide cereal plains of Eure in the east to the patchwork countryside of little fields between high earth banks that is the bocage of the Cotentin peninsula. Behind the sheer chalk cliffs and sandy beaches which extend almost uninterrupted along Normandy's coastline lies a region whose wealth of man-made and natural treasures could surely justify the claim that this, among France's many beautiful provinces, is the richest of them all.

4. Atlantic Coast - Something for every taste, from the riches of its history to the unrivalled quality of its wines and the broad sandy beaches which make it the preferred holiday destination of the French themselves. The western littoral of France unites the indomitable Atlantic with a green and pleasant hinterland. The region stretches from the Vendée at its northern extremity, where sandy beaches lie framed by rocky cliffs, to the mouth of the Gironde estuary to the south. Here an extraordinary variety of landscapes can be found.

5. Dordogne - Discover the famous rivers, historic sites, picturesque villages & renowned gastronomy of these two neighbouring regions. Stretching south and west from the lower plateaux of the Massif Central, the Dordogne is a region which, perhaps above all others of the Midi, inspires the greatest feeling of bien-être. This is a land of sunshine, of history and renowned gastronomy, with a temperate climate and green, hilly countryside and quaint French cottages. The rivers wind their way along the valleys, wandering first this way then that in a series of picturesque meanders.

6. Languedoc - Roussillon - Languedoc-Roussillon border the Mediterranean along the Golfe du Lion for some 150 miles as it sweeps round from the Camargue to the pyrenean frontier with Spain. The area covered by these two provinces consists of four départements; a region of mountains, plains, ancient cities and ultra-modern resorts. It is blessed with a dry climate and that intensity of light which is so characteristic of Mediterranean countries.

7. Alps - A superb holiday region with great lakes, snow-capped peaks, charming flower filled chalets, pure mountain air and a variety of activities for everyone. From the shores of Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean at Nice, the climate changes from alpine to sub-tropical while the scenery is transformed from the gently pastoral, picture-postcards valleys of Savoie to the white limestone wilderness of Haute-Provence.

8. Burgundy - One of the richest and most charming of France's provinces, Burgundy's fame is universal, for Chablis, Mâcon and Nuits-St-Georges are among the names of its many great ambassadors. From Lyon north to Dijon, the wide valley of the Saône is virtually one uninterrupted mass of vineyards. The little roads which wind through the countryside are dotted with charming wine-producing villages and French cottages, as pretty as a picture, whose old stone houses, light gold beneath wide roofs of red and brown, stand out resplendent as the sun beats down.

9. Loire - The garden of France sung about by early poets, a long ribbon of precious land displaying wide, fertile horizons, sunny vine-clad slopes, green valleys and colourful flower-decked villages. The valleys of the Loire and its tributaries are renowned for their magnificent Renaissance châteaux and mediaeval citadels, some of which are considered to be among the finest examples of architectural genius in the world. To visit is to take a step back in history and to sample her douceur de vivre.

10. Pyrenees - Contrasting sharply with the vast, undeviating coastline of the Côte d'Argent, the Côte Basque is characterised by cliffs, creeks and jagged rocks. It is a short but fine coastline, pounded by Atlantic rollers which offer some of the best surfing in Europe. 'Beautiful people' are attracted to the sophistication of Biarritz and the colourful animation of fishing ports like St-Jean-de-Luz. From the coast, one is drawn to the silhouette of the Pyrenees coming down to the sea.

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VFB Holidays - Which? Holiday Favourite Tour Operator 2010, providing an exciting range of choices, from French Cottages, Italian Villas and themed weekend city breaks throughout Europe.