Product reviews

We have just returned from our 4th visit to the self catering gites at La Garenne and would highly recommend for parents with children. Dorte, Richard, Oscar and Oliver will give you a great welcome and cannot be more accommodating. They have 5 lovely gites available which have been kitted out to a high standard to include dishwashers. They provide a babysitting service, kids club (Dorte is qualified in childcare), cots, stair gates, bed barriers, highchairs. If you don't want to cook, 3-course French meals can be brought to your gite 3 times a week and there is a welcome BBQ on a Sunday. The facilities also include an enclosed (safe!) swimming pool, slides, swings and trampoline. The location is about an hour away from the airport at La Rochelle (RyanAir fly there very cheaply), Bordeaux or Poitiers airport are also within 1.5 hours or it's 6 hours by car from Calais. It is a lovely rural setting and the freedom you can give your kids in this safe area is remarkable. We would say that it can get really hot in July and August - if you have babies and toddlers we would suggest going in June or September when it is still plenty warm enough to use the pool but easier with the really small kids (our kids are aged 2 and 3). Finally, all we can say is we have already booked for next year, it is truly fabulous.