Gîtes are cottages that, in this context, are used for holiday rentals. They are an extremely popular choice of self-catering accommodation all over France. Traditionally, a gîte was a farm-workers cottage or servants quarters. Nowadays, the term is also used for any property given over to holiday accommodation.

This will depend greatly on the Gîte. Originally, they were a very basic form of accommodation, but nowadays clients are more sophisticated and thus expect a higher standard of equipment. Our gîtes are completely self-contained with comfortable beds, televisions and kitchens equipped with cookers, microwave ovens and refrigerators.

Again, it can vary widely from establishment to establishment. Maison de la Famille offers a swimming pool, a games area (containing table tennis, table football and a snooker table) and a secluded peaceful garden. Barbecues are also freely available. We also have plenty of books and games for those of you who really want to relax!

Most gîtes are supplied without towels or linen so you'd normally have to bring your own. We do offer these items for hire and should you wish to take advantage of this service, please state clearly on the booking form. Other than that, bring yourselves, your holiday clothes, swimming costume and sun-tan lotion!

Our gîtes are equipped with DVD players so you might like to bring a few discs with you - although most French DVDs also include English as a language option, so you can always buy them over here.

Self-catering does mean that you will have to provide your own food and drink as well as toiletries. We can supply a welcome pack to help you settle in and of course, if you have any special needs or requirements, simply let us know in advance - we'll always do our best to help.

A working knowledge of the language is certainly useful. But even if you can only manage "Bonjour, Monsieur" you'll still enjoy yourself. In general, the more of the language you know, the quicker you'll meet and make french friends. If you've never been to France before, we believe you'll be pleasantly surprised at how friendly everyone is.