The Ultimate Experience!

At our stylish, 200-year-old Carcassonne farmhouse, set in the stunning rural environment of South West France, we offer scheduled short-break tutored group holidays which you can join as an individual, or those which can be tailor-made for your own group during your selected dates.

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Mike Batt, Composer

Gastro Academy, Creative Writing, Songwriting - 2024 Lineup!
Top chefs, tutors and songwriting legend Mike Batt!

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What We Do at French House Party

We provide superior all-inclusive experience holidays, assuring the very best of personal attention to people whose expectations are high.

Without exception, our clients praise our great accommodation, fantastic food and wine, the excellence of our tutors and our exacting attention to detail.

Groups with no tutor requirements – or who are accompanied by their own instructor – can, with our help, create a bespoke break in the calm knowledge that it will run smoothly – we can arrange everything you need, from buses to banquets.

Britain’s Sunday Times and The Daily Telegraph have both recommended our Gastro Academy cookery courses – headed up by Michelin-star chef Jean-Marc Boyer – as among the very best in the world, and certainly the best in France.

French House Party is also named Top Retreat in the National Geographic book by American travel writer Pam Grout: “The 100 Best Worldwide Vacations to Enrich Your Life”.

Our many plaudits can also be seen on TripAdvisor.

Scheduled Learning Holidays

Book on these residential courses singly, as a couple or as a group:

Gastro Academy – Masterchef cookery courses in France

Cook in France! Join one of our Gastro Academy all-inclusive courses and you’ll discover that your tutors are first-class French chefs. Choose from 3-day, 6-day and 7-day courses. The cookery classes are conducted in English and French. These courses can accommodate non-participating partners who would like to have a golf programme arranged for them.Find out more »

Creative Writing courses in France

Our brand new 6-day course ‘Inspiration and Space to Write’ led by published author, freelance writer, poet, lecturer and writing tutor Dr. Anne Caldwell, promises the exploration of new ideas and techniques to kick-start your imagination, whether from scratch or to polish up works of writing you are involved in. There will be plenty of inspiration – whether you are interested in writing fiction, memoir, poetry or drama. The emphasis will be on building skills and confidence, through daily workshops, and sharing your work under the guidance of a professional writer.Find out more »

Songwriting with Mike Batt

A rare opportunity to learn songwriting from a musical genius! Mike Batt is one of the UK’s best-known and respected songwriter/producer/artists. His multitude of hits include ‘Bright Eyes’ – No. 1 in six countries for Art Garfunkel, ‘A Winter’s Tale’ – No. 2 for David Essex, ‘Caravan’ for Barbara Dickson, and ‘Nine Million Bicycles’ and ‘The Closest Thing To Crazy’ for Katie Melua, whom he ‘discovered’ and managed for 10 years, selling 11 million records on his own label.

An accomplished arranger and conductor, he has conducted many of the world’s greatest orchestras from the London Symphony to the Stuttgart Philharmonic, in a variety of classical and pop repertoire. He has written, produced and performed in musicals and still finds time to work on an eclectic range of projects from films to heavy rock with bands like Hawkwind and Steeleye Span. This unique four day tutored holiday runs 5th – 8th August, 2022! Find out more »

Short-break Holidays for Group Bookings Only

Whether your group is arty, smarty . . . or just in search of somewhere singular to party, we can provide a unique solution.

Venue for Corporate events

The French House Party has the ideal exclusive private venue for team training, management breaks or personal development courses, accommodating up to 14 delegates. Our professional organisational team fully facilitate your personalised event to ensure the smooth running of everything from buses to banquets. We can also arrange private wine-tasting visits to vineyards and visits to some of the exceptional gourmet restaurants in the Carcassonne area.Find out more »

Golf and Gourmet

Our Golf and Gourmet breaks have the Wow factor. From arranging all your chauffeured transport, your green fees at a variety of super courses, plus fabulous food and wine at fine restaurants and also chez nous, we will plan a personalised all-inclusive break for your group of golfers from the moment you arrive at the airport. And if you have non-golfers in your group, take a look at our ‘Golf and Gastro Academy’ combination break which enables golfers to head off with our chauffeur in the mornings for play at some of the great courses in the region, while non-players remain at home for some hands-on cookery tuition with our award-winning chefs – Michelin stars and all. With our own private tennis court, we can also offer the same bespoke service to groups of tennis players.Find out more »

Girl Power Getaways

In search of somewhere chic for a girls’ getaway? Maybe a chill-out week or even a pre-wedding girls’ celebration? Build your own bespoke break! We can incorporate fitness and beauty options for any group searching for somewhere really special for a great getaway celebratory long weekend. Group size limit is 14.Find out more »

Tutored Breaks for Groups

If you are a tutor or group leader who wishes to arrange your own holiday event on your own selected dates, please contact us to discuss your requirements and provide all the facilitation you need to make a success of your holiday event.

Our residential group size limit is 14.

French House Party events take place at a rural 8-bedroomed house with a tennis court, swimming pool and boules-pitch, on the outskirts of Carcassonne. All the bedrooms are double or twin, and all have air-conditioning units and en suite facilities with hairdryer and CD player. The house has Wi-Fi.  Find out more »