Perhaps another angle is to decide on the region or regions you would like to stay in and then contact their Tourist Office and ask for a list of holiday home sites or gites ............. I seem to remember that the Dordogne (south west) France has several small holiday homes grouped round pools or similar type of complexes.

Or may be if you were to consider the landlocked east of France I might be able to find something similar, but I think it might be hard to 'block book' such a site unless you were able to book well in advance ... and I think 2011 would be more reliable than 2010 unless you act very very soon.

not a bad idea. thanks.

book now? i'm only just back! I hardly think in the current economic climate that summer 2010 is going to be booked out!?

Don't forget that the recession is over in France, and after the hot summer we've had, a lot of French are staying home as they don't feel the need to travel anywhere hotter!!!

http://web.mac.com/ingascony/iWeb/InGascony/Location.html

I can highly reccomend here though not been for a few years maybe too far south for you though !