What makes South West France so charming?

This Australian artist's two bedroom French holiday cottage (known as a gite in France) or vacation rental in the Lot / Dordogne, South West France has blue shutters and tiled floors, but with all modern conveniences and a fully equipped kitchen for self-catering. The cottage near Cahors, could not have better access to so many sites in the northern Midi Pyrenees South West France region. This is a very happy accident, we have come to realise, and certainly was not planned!!

We love living in and exploring this magical region and are happy to help you to discover the best places in South West France:

• such a variety of things to do and see
• average of 2,000 hours of sunshine per year
• populated with friendly people
• food of SW France - foie gras, truffles, cassoulet, duck dishes, Roquefort cheese, markets
• perched medieval villages
• Renaissance and bastide towns
• 1,550 miles of rivers and torrents including the Canal du Midi in the region
• prehistoric caves (Pech Merle, Padirac ...)
• weekly produce markets and Montcuq has one of the 100 most beautiful markets in France!!
• brocantes - antique markets
• vide greniers - ( literally) sales of emptied attics
• art exhibitions and ateliers
• concerts
• fetes and festivals
• the region has 17,000 kilometers of marked walking paths
• timeless French villages steeped in history
• activities such a canoeing, golf, climbing etc
• this department alone has more than 450 protected historical sites and many World Heritage listed buildings, bridges and villages and more.

Why choose our French cottage?

• situated in a vibrant French village with a great market and many commerces / restaurants
• the village of Montcuq is superbly positioned in the region as a whole with easy access to neighbouring departments and Cahors
• quality space and comfort expected by overseas travellers (registered 3 star gite)
• very reasonably priced - can be more cost effective than accommodation in Australia and New Zealand, for example
• free wireless high speed broadband internet for your laptop in summer (June - October approx)
• phone and satellite English language TV
• all linen and towels inclusive (no extra charges)
• picnic set inside cottage
• off street parking
• quiet but accessible position
• for up to 4 people (rates for a couple only)
• very comfortable for a winter or off season let also (note special low off season/ winter rates)
• no foreign currency payments necessary for guests from the following countries: Australia, New Zealand, France, U.K. and U.S.A. (Paypal or bank transfer accepted for others).
• We can arrange personalised intensive French lessons delivered at the cottage by a native speaking French teacher for those who would like to fast track their French. For example, 2 hours each morning leaving the afternoon free for exploration, or any other arrangement you would prefer.

(Click on images to zoom)

From this vacation rental not only will you enjoy the calm of cottage accommodation set in the country in South West France , near Cahors, where you can unwind, but you will have all the life of a thriving French village close at hand.

When is the best time to visit?? That depends on when you can come and what you want to do!!! During the summer why not enjoy the summer activities such as antique markets (brocantes), 'vide greniers', art exhibitions, concerts, theatre, jazz (Cahors), blues, African music and festivals and fetes of varying sorts in ours or surrounding villages that this region of France has to offer?

There are two bedrooms in the holiday cottage; one with a king size bed and the other with a king size bed or two singles, ideal for up to 4 adults (or we have a tariff for couples only). The beds are supportive quality models.

The large dining area inside the gite has a refectory table that seats 6 while the sitting area is furnished with a leather couch and two comfortable chairs. We feel it is very important to have somewhere comfortable to sit when you need to relax after a day's sightseeing or to simply spend a day relaxing. The gite bathroom has a shower over the hot tub. There are double doors leading outside this French accommodation to the terrace and the garden, from the kitchen and the living room. In the kitchen of the gite there is a washing machine for use by guests.

There is plenty of outdoor furniture; table and chairs with parasol and sunloungers at the gite.

The garden around this French cottage in Montcuq is filled with massed Lily of the Valley, tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other bulbs from February to April. Roses are in bloom all round the house from May through to November. There are many trees in the garden and grape vines (with table grapes), climbing roses and wisteria growing around the gite.

The holiday cottage is situated in Montcuq: a calm but vibrant real French village, unlike some in France which are now deserted except for weekend tourists and which also have no commerces (shops).

If want to have a swim, the Plan d'Eau with its white sand beach (and French lifeguard!) is within walking distance of the vacation rental and the village swimming pool is just around the corner. (Please bring your own swimming towels.)

Just a short walk away from the holiday house is the local Montcuq supermarket which although small, is excellent. In the centre of the village, less than a kilometre away from the vacation accommodation are two boulangeries (bakeries), an English bookshop, newsagents (with foreign language newspapers), post office, pharmacy, internet mediatheque, banks, 2 charcuteries/boucheries (delicatessen and butchers) two wine cellars, 3 cafes and several other shops, open all year including winter.

The cottage is uniquely placed, in South West France, allowing easy access to Cahors, and to the other departments of the Dordogne, Correze, Aveyron, Lot et Garonne, Tarn et Garonne, and Aquitaine or Toulouse and Bordeaux, all within an easy hour and a half's drive away away.

There are various ways to arrive at your holiday accommodation in South West France, besides by car. There is an International Airport just over an hour’s drive away at Toulouse (also Bergerac, Rodez and Brive - cheap flights from the UK or Paris with Easyjet). You could arrive by train to Cahors station, about 20 minutes away.

If you need it, we can sometimes arrange a pick up from Toulouse airport (for 2/3 people) or Cahors to the vacation rental and back. We are no longer able to arrange a rental car in the village, but we can send you details of how to contact local car hire places in Cahors. Pick-up of cars must be before noon Saturday at all car hire places in Cahors, or at another time with prior arrangement, which is quite normal.

You have many choices for local delicious French cheeses, foie gras (from Lot / Dordogne / Perigueux), pates, truffles, duck confit and Cahors wine. Remember to get up earlier from the cottage in France on Sunday so you do not miss the weekly morning market, one of the "100 plus beaux" markets in France. This market is open every Sunday of the year including in winter from 9am

Unfortunately, in just a week or fortnight, you will be able to do little more than sample what the area has to offer.

The Australian owner of this French cottage is an artist specialising in watercolours / watercolors. When the Australian owners are in France, they live in an adjoining apartment so you are not without assistance in English should you want it.

The vacation home is available to rent or home exchange all year round including winter. Look on the tariffs page for the availability button for this cottage in the Lot / Dordogne.

If you would like to rent or check availability of this two bedroom holiday cottage in South West France,go to the tariffs page for a booking form. The French cottage is very comfortable, double-glazed and well heated for a winter let /rental also.

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