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The House
We have a two/three bedroom house capable of sleeping 6 to 8 people in the town of Bretignolles-sur-Mer in the heart of the sunny Vendee region on France's Western coast (the red bit on the map below). The property is ideally situated for French seaside holidays. Five minutes walk from the nearest beach and bars and 10 minutes walk from the shops and regular market, this 1930's property offers a large kitchen diner, a living room and/or additional bedroom with sofa's which convert into 3 single beds, two double bedrooms (one with en-suite sink and bidet) and a separate bathroom with toilet and bath/shower. Outside a good sized garden offers plenty of space for sunbathing and relaxation.
Kitchen/Diner Lounge/Bedroom3 Bedroom 1 Bedroom 2 Garden
Check Availability for Smashing Plates' French House to Let in Bretignolles-sur-Mer
Please contact us if you need more information or would like to check availability. If you provide us with your contact information, we will be able to reach you in case we have any questions.
Email Simon at shpritchard@ntlworld.com or call on 00 44 (0)1483 859298.
Bretignolles-sur-Mer
Boasting a choice of excellent beaches and plenty of good places to eat, Bretignolles-sur-Mer is ideally located between the northern Vendee's two main tourist resorts of St.Gilles Croix de Vie and Les Sable D'Olonne.
It offers the option of peace and quiet out of season and a lively bustling atmosphere during the summer months.
There are a number of good and reasonably priced restaurants within
walking distance of the house and a very friendly bar (The
PMU) 5 minutes walk away.
The nearest beach Paree Plage has plenty of fine sand also has rock pools.
There
is an extensive network of cycle trails including one that runs along the
coastline. There is a sailing centre, and cafe on La Normandalière beach and
large open air salt water swimming pool.
The Dunes beach is good for body boarding and also has some interesting rocks and pools at the northern end.
There is a good sized modern Supermarket in Bretignolles , but also plenty of small shops and a regular Thursday morning market selling fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, clothes and gifts.
Getting There
Bretignolles-sur-Mer is located on the Atlantic coast of France one and a quarter hours drive south from Nantes. It is situated between the towns of St. Gilles Croix de Vie to the North and Les Sables d'Olonne to the South.
Ferries - Bretignolles is just over two and a half hours drive from St.Malo, four from Caen and under five from Cherbourg. Channel crossings with Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth and Poole offer a chance to relax and unwind (weather permitting) and even sleep as you cross the channel. The fastcat takes under three hours from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. The conventional ferries are larger with restaurants, shops, children's entertainment and cinemas on board. A typical high season crossing is between £300 and £400.
The
excellent Angela Bird (author of the guidebook The Vendee) offers valuable
advice on navigation by road from channel ports http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~anjbird/routes.htm
(and a wealth of other useful information on things to do and places to eat in
the Vendee).
Flights - The nearest airport Nantes Atlantique is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes by car. British Airways and Air France both fly to Nantes from London Gatwick with flights starting from approximately £70 for a midweek return, including Taxes. To use the BA link to enquire on or book flights right click and choose 'Open in New Window' http://www.britishairways.com/travel/home/public/en_gb
Ryanair now also fly to Nantes from Nottingham and Stanstead from as little as £48 www.ryanair.com. They also fly to Poitier to the east, Dinard, near St.Malo in the North and La Rochelle to the South. Traveling times from these other airport will be longer, between 2 and 3 hours..
Car Hire - A basic car can be hired from the airport for approximately £140 per week.
http://www.auto-europe.co.uk/. For
more specialist requirements, e.g. MPV's, Europcar seem to be best value http://www.europcar.com.
Journey time from Nantes is approximately 1 hour 15
minutes and from Dinard and La Rochelle between 2 and 3 hours.
Things to do
Well of course beach based activities of all kinds including swimming,
surf/body boarding, sailing, fishing and kite flying. St. Gilles Croix de
Vie offers a very attractive harbor and plenty of good shops and restaurants and a cinema.
The nearby Parc d'Attractions des Dunes at Brem-sur-Mer is a must for anyone with children, who will adore the ball ponds, bouncy surfaces, slides, toboggans and pedal go-karts (open Easter to mid Sept).
Angela Birds site offer further advice on other activities including Go-Karting, Riding and Fishing. http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~anjbird/activities.htm
The town of
Les Sable D'Olonne is described as the chic resort of the Vendee.
It has a pristine sandy beach a brand new Casino and soon to be re-opened
swimming pool. It
is also host to the Vendee Globe yacht race which Ellen MacArthur brought to the
attention of the Great British public in 2000. The most recent edition which
ended in February 2005 was won by Vincent Riou of France with Britain's Mike
Golding in third. The next race starts in November 2008. http://www.vendeeglobe.org/uk
.
Further afield (approximatley 2 hours) is the Grand Parc http://www.puydufou.com/fr/ which offers the chance to step back in time and witness re-enactments of historical tableau as only the French could do. Spectacular staging makes up for the journey time and expense.
Golf
There are 5 Golf courses nearby http://www.francegolf.com/golf/francegolf.nsf/uk_guidegolf_resultat?openform&d=85. St. Jean de Monts in particular is a challenging course. Courses are accessible and friendly and offer an ideal environment for an enjoyable golfing break.
The house sleeps six grown up golfers fairly comfortably and a people carrier/mini bus can be hired form Nantes airport for under £200 for a long weekend. Air France flight times from Gatwick make three rounds in three days (two nights away) very achievable.
What to bring
We think the house is equipped with everything you need for an enjoyable holiday including, Garden Furniture, Barbeque, Body boards, Swingball, Football, Cricket Set, Golf Clubs, Kite, Buckets, Spades and Nets, Hairdryer, Ironing Board and Iron, Books and Games (just in case) and Bicycles and you are welcome to use these items at your own risk.
You will need to bring your own towels and bed linen/sleeping bags, and be prepared to clean up and turn off the water and electric before you leave. This is quite common in France and helps us to keep costs to an absolute minimum. We have two double bedrooms (one with an additional blow up airbed) and a lounge/third bedroom with sofa's that convert into three single beds. There are sufficient duvets and pillows for all these beds..
The Kitchen is fully equipped with Cooker and fridge, pots and pans etc. There is a good sized Super U (Supermarket), bakers and a selection of others shops in the town, within ten minutes walk.
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