Panic - need Gite in France late July - but needs to be in non-hilly area??!

[newjob2016]

Hope might get some helpful suggestions from experienced mumsnetters. We were hoping to drive to south of france but plan was to do lots of walking and in hill walking areas.

This has now changed. I have injured my knee and whilst I can walk I have a knee support and am taking lots of pain relief and am now experiencing some back issues (probably walking differently due to knee).

So - we need a gite - we really want a private one with a pool - not fussy where in France (getting desperate now) - but needs to be in area where I can reasonably walk.

I have spent hours and hours on various websites/air bnb/gites en france/cheznous - but am now feeling dizzy as I dont want to book the wrong place (and there isnt much left as we want to go end of july- little bit of flexibility from 23rd July onwards)

Any suggestions very welcome. thanks

No personal experience of France, unless you count Disneyland Paris! I assume the wine growingand cycling areas like the Loire are fairly flat though...they look pretty flat on google maps anyway!
Not sure on your budget or number of people, but what about something like these:
Petite Perriere
Cottage

How about in the Vendee region ?

This type of thing on a golf complex might suit. Paved roads- and flat ground.

Thanks. i looked at the links (not sure if our thing- although I might go back to them)

Vendee is a possible - but we have been there quite a few times. I really wanted somewhere we could wander into a traditional small town with restaurants and perhaps night markets.

I will look though. thank you

any more suggestions from french experts? I dont want somebody to find me a gite (although would be fab if you could). I am looking more for suggestions about areas that will be accessible.

main criteria
small village/town - flat walking - so i can stroll in and about

reasonably warm

traditional - somwhere there will be french markets.

We have been to Brittany/Normandy/Vendee/Alsace/Loire and Burgundy - so would prefer somewhere new to us

Merci

Dordogne? I've only been once a few years ago. beautiful towns and villages with markets and sights to see.

Maybe somewhere near Sarlat La Canada?
.

Mirepoix area was lovely - medieval town with good markets etc

Poitou Charente? Pretty flat, fairly reliably warm weather, but not as hot as the Dordogne or South. La Rochelle is lovely, as are Il de Re and the tiny car-free island (sorry, can't remember the name but it will be obvious -you can do day trips over on a boat). Or inland, Cognac (brandy!), Saintes (Roman amphitheatre), lots of Romanesque churches in small towns with markets.

The handy thing about Poitou Charente is that it's a really popular holiday destination with French people, so there's loads of accommodation, which should increase your chances of finding something at this late stage.

Good luck!

We stayed in the Jura region a few years back, near Lons le Saunier - made a nice change. Also the Auvergne region was unspoilt, & we like the Lot (like Dordogne but far fewer tourists!). Have you done the Canal du Midi area too?

You can't go too far wrong really?!

Jura is a bit hilly though.

Atlantic coast from Vendee all the way down to Spain is pretty flat.

Also SW France, along the Med coast from Spain (Roussillon). Argelès-sur-Mer is lovely

Collioure is delightful too

It's not dead flat but manageable I think

We went to a small town near Royan recently, it was v pleasant and pretty flat.

I think it was St Gilles les Bains or something similar

Avignon? We stay near L'isle sur la Sorgue and it's pretty flat. Let me see if I can find the link for where we stay.

levieuxmoulindecrillon.fr/index_en.html

What about the camargue, perhaps based near Arles? It's the Rhone delta, so pretty flat.

Agree about Poitou Charente. We found a great place last ear using Trip Advisor - seemed to have more properties

Il de Re?

The south west coast of France is quite flat - Gruissan near Narbonne is a flat seaside town unless you want to climb up the castle ruins.

Have you checked the Gites de France website, loads of availability. We always book online with Gites de France, haven't had a 'dud' yet.

The Camargue is very flat and in the south so good weather. You can also visit nice towns like Nimes and Avignon.

It's flat around Orleans to the south and around Bonneville which is douth of Charters. I was there in 13 and cycling and never climbed a hill in over 150 miles