French railway carriage turned holiday home with its own tunnel for sale in Dordogne

A unique French railway property is looking for a new owner in Dordogne: a former railway tunnel with a restored train carriage converted into comfortable holiday accommodation. 

It took 15 years of restoration for Stéphane Bertoletti, who is now ready to pass on the unusual site.

The property includes a tunnel of around 600 metres, a renovated carriage equipped with water, electricity and insulation, as well as a second carriage that could also be restored. 

The site is located near Sarlat-la-Canéda, a popular tourist destination, and offers a combination of countryside and easy access to the town’s historic centre. 

For Mr Bertoletti, the adventure started almost by chance. “One morning there was an article saying that the state was selling properties in my newspaper,” he said. 

At the time, the article mentioned a railway tunnel in Lot-et-Garonne being sold by the state. Then Mr Bertoletti, while searching online, found another tunnel in Sarlat.

“I said, ‘A tunnel for sale? That’s funny.’ I like everything related to railways, model trains, miniature trains so I thought it was a curiosity.”

At first, he did not tell many people about the idea. “Everyone knows me as someone who takes on projects, but this was really a bit crazy - buying a tunnel. So when I explained it, everyone was a bit surprised,” he said.

After looking at photographs and information from a railway tunnel inventory website, he decided to make an offer without even visiting the site.

When he eventually arrived, the tunnel was almost hidden by nature. “Behind and in front of the tunnel, there was so much vegetation that you could not see it,” he said.

The abandoned site had become covered with trees and thorny bushes over many years. Before the tunnel could be used again, he had to clear the land and rebuild access to the entrance.

Years of restoration 

Restoring the site became a major task for Mr Bertoletti. He had to rebuild the platform and install the necessary infrastructure.

“First, I had to get access to the tunnel and see what condition it was in. Then I had to bring in a tree cutter, clear everything and redo the whole platform,” he explained.

The work included installing water and electricity networks and bringing in around 200 tonnes of stone to prepare the ground.

“It was a huge amount of work. You know when you start, but you don’t know when it will finish.”

Because Mr Bertoletti lives around 250km away in Gers, the restoration took place gradually over several years.

“It took me about five or six years just to clean up the site,” he said.

At first, the project was simply a personal passion, but it changed when he discovered two old railway carriages on a farm.

The carriages had been abandoned and were being used as chicken coops. So he bought them and decided to transform one into accommodation beside the tunnel.

The railway carriage becomes a holiday home 

The carriage was completely restored by specialists before being transported to the site. At around eight tonnes, moving it into place required heavy machinery and careful planning.

“The moment I am most proud of is when I brought the carriage onto the site,” Mr Bertoletti said. “I was stressed because you have to lift an eight-tonne carriage. You are always worried something might break.”

Once installed, the carriage was converted into a holiday home, with insulation, electricity, water and modern facilities.

“It was restored properly, with everything needed. It has insulation and all the comfort,” he said.

Visitors can now stay in a former railway carriage beside an old tunnel.

“Someone could turn it into an Airbnb-style unusual accommodation. It would work because there is no competition,” he said.

He believes the location is one of the site’s biggest advantages. It is close to Sarlat while still offering a peaceful countryside setting, and the tunnel provides a naturally cool environment during the summer.

“Even some people from Sarlat did not know there was a tunnel there,” he said.

Passing on the project

The site also includes a second carriage, which has not yet been restored and could offer further possibilities for a future owner.

After years of work, however, Mr Bertoletti feels the time has come to move on.

“I went all the way with it, but now I have less energy than I had 15 years ago,” he said.

He is now looking for someone who can continue the story of this unusual piece of railway heritage.

“I am looking for someone with a good idea,” he said.

Mr Bertoletti has not published a price for the property. Given the unusual nature of the project and the different possibilities for its future use, he prefers to discuss it directly with potential buyers. 

Anyone interested can contact him at s.bertoletti32410@gmail.com