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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

House in France good for little'uns...?

15 replies

NappiesGalore · 21/04/2006 09:10

anyone know of any really small child friendly villas or village houses in France somewhere for rent for a week or so sometime soon?? my kids are 3mths, 21mths and 34mths.

other half hates hotels (has stayed in far too many for business, now never wants to see one again) and i want some actual rest so we're thinking of taking a holiday nanny along (theremust be such a thing, surely??)... have learned from experience last year tho, that you need to make sure the place youre going is reasonabl;y child friendly or its a nightmare

ie:
-closed in garden or outside space they cant easily escape from
-if theres a pool, it needs to be fenced off
-preferably not a mile long staircase made of stone just waiting to crack a little skull open, and banisters at the top of said stairs they cant just walk through to their deaths
-possible to walk from house, with buggy. either to the beach or the village or even just for a walk somewhere pretty (so not halfway up a remote and v steep mountain then. seemed such a good idea at time of booking!)

any suggestions extremely gratefully recieved.

OP posts:
TravelFiend · 21/04/2006 10:14

Have you searched the baby friendly gites on the gitesdefrance site? Should fulfil your criteria.

www.gites-de-france.fr/eng/index.htm

BagelBird · 21/04/2006 10:23

I can recommend this one:

\link{http://www.frenchconnections.co.uk/for_holiday_makers/accommodation/4756.cfm\normandy self catering let}

hope the link works!

The owner is an english rector who owns this as a holiday home. It is beautiful, has a lovely orchard for children to play in, complete with hay barn. Quite idyllic. Lovely airy bedrooms. It is older so has staircases etc but don’t think it is that child unfriendly.

BagelBird · 21/04/2006 10:24

If you follow the link on my other post, click on the link to the owners website for better photos :)

Blu · 21/04/2006 10:32

Nappiesgalore - good to see you - I put a thread out for you a while back as you had been quoted in an article in the Observer! Search your posting name in thread titles - in In The news, I think!

I have just returned from a lovely child-friendly gite through gites-de-france (booked by a v clever fellow MN-er) ..not what you are looking for in terms of walk to beach, but excellent standards in terms of baby-friendliness. And really good value, too. I would very much recommend them. It was so easy, we went on the ferry, no long drive from ferry to gite....fantastic local shops, and if you can take a holiday nanny, it sounds as if it could be exactly what you need.

Original poster
NappiesGalore · 21/04/2006 13:14

hi Blu - wow, thanks for that. havnt checked it yet, but will attempt to in a bit (online banking etc to do first, snore)
yes, i havnt had time to get on here at all lately, so apologies for not noticing your call.

thanks everyone for your suggestions - will check it all out. (oooh, i am soooo looking forward to itSmile)

OP posts:
moondog · 21/04/2006 13:16

NG,I think all pools in holiday places in France have to be fenced off.Seem to recall a politician pushing for legislation after a friend's child was drowned.

I admire your bravery-those three sound like hard work!!

Heathcliffscathy · 21/04/2006 13:37

no brainer: go \link{http://www.toddlerholiday.com\here it is fantastic completely kitted out for toddlers and babies and free babysitting AND laundry and a kind of room service option too}

we've just got back, cannot recommend them highly enough, they should go straight to number 1 in the holiday for france options imo

moondog · 21/04/2006 13:40

That looks fantastic sophable.
Check that play barn!

ggglimpopo · 21/04/2006 13:41

mmondog - you are right - new French legsislation means that all pools, even private ones, have to be fenced to regulatory standards.

Rhubarb · 21/04/2006 13:42

No one does it though! Like most of French law, no-one actually seems to take a blind bit of notice!

Heathcliffscathy · 21/04/2006 13:45

normandy is gorgeous too...fabulous beaches, food markets (moondog!), beautiful countryside, lots of history....we fell in love with it....

moondog · 21/04/2006 13:46

I would be sorely tempted to visit en route to seeing my sister but she is moving to Martinique.
Grin

Heathcliffscathy · 21/04/2006 13:47

wow, you have an excuse for regular trips to martinique....lucky you!

moondog · 21/04/2006 13:48

Oh yesssssssss!
Am off to drink rum at Christmas until I fall over.

Blu · 21/04/2006 13:53

Rhubarb - not even if they are renting via gites-de-france or known holiday company? It all seemed v well regulated.

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