Gascony - Picturesque, Secluded Vine-Clad Cottage close to the Central Pyrenees — Property 1324

Gascony - Picturesque, Secluded Vine-Clad Cottage close to the Central Pyrenees

A pretty, self-catering Gascony cottage peacefully set at the edge of a hamlet in beautiful south-west France. It stands alone at the end of a quiet country lane. Its location is secluded but handy for the autoroute (Toulouse and Pau airports are both about 1 hr.). Enjoy long views to the south-west over small vineyards, pastureland, woods and distant valleys to the snow-capped central Pyrénées. The gîte is attractively furnished and well-equipped, with many period features, beamed ceilings and comfortable fireside seating. To the front, there's a terrace and a pretty, lawned garden lined with mature trees and shrubs. Opportunities abound for enjoying nature, birdwatching, stargazing, sunsets, walking, riding, skiing, golf (Bagnères-de-Bigorre / Pau / Tarbes etc), wine tasting and other relaxing activities. Echoing Albert Camus, this beautiful region of the south-west is often described as the 'Tuscany of France'. This is a perfect base for active holidays - or a quiet holiday for 2.

Location Maubourguet - Trie sur Baise area < Hautes-Pyrenees < Midi-Pyrenees < France

Maubourguet - Trie sur Baise area < Hautes-Pyrenees < Midi-Pyrenees < France

 marks the location of this property in Maubourguet - Trie sur Baise area

Availability for the cottage in Midi-Pyrenees, France

Last updated on:

Monday, 01 September 2008

Changeover day:

Saturday

Normal availability

May to mid November. Winter lets by arrangement.

Rental rates for the cottage in Midi-Pyrenees, France

^*Please Note: The owner of this property accepts payment in the original currency specified, before use of conversion tool. The conversion tool is provided for your convenience only. The owner may accept other currencies if specifically agreed in advance.

Notes to the rental rates

• Please contact us for a booking form and booking conditions. To reserve your preferred dates, please book via email, phone or fax. To secure your booking, please post us a signed copy of the booking form with your booking deposit cheque (40% of rental). Formal confirmation follows upon clearance of your cheque.
  If booking within 6 weeks of the start date of your holiday, please enclose full payment with your signed booking form, including two separate cheques for the refundable breakages deposit (£300) and any chargeable expenses (see below).
  We regret that bookings can only be held provisionally for a few days.
  For non-UK bookings, please pay by international bank draft, bank transfer (please add £10 for UK charges and ensure foreign charges are paid by sender) or send cheque in British Pounds on a UK bank. For any other cheque, please add £15 (€20) for bank charges.
  Payment in euros is also accepted by arrangement.
  NB: Prices may be subject to change at the owner's discreti
  
• Discounts:
  5% discount for bookings of 3 weeks or more, and for repeat bookings.
  Special rates offered for long (winter) lets.
  Refundable breakage deposit:
  £250 (€400) / for long lets: £300 (payable by separate cheque).
  Chargeable expenses (payable by separate cheque):
  Cleaning:
  £20 (€35) per booking towards costs of cleaning between lets.
  Single week supplement:
  £12 (€16).
  Power/heating (mid Oct.- Apr.):
  from £15 to £45 pw (€15 - 70) depending on dates.
  Hire of bed linen and bath/hand towels is optional (by arrangement):
  double set £17 (€25), single set £12 (€16).
  Cot hire (incl. linen) £10 (€15).
  No charge for basic supply of tea towels, oven gloves, bath mats or use of high chair, baby bath and changing mat. No charge for incoming and local calls, TV, water, power (mid May to mid Oct.) or use of city bikes.
  You can hire mountain bikes (4) from us on a weekly basis.
  
• Non-refundable booking deposit:
  40% of total rental cost (payable on booking posted with signed copy of booking form).
  Balance (60%):
  due 6 weeks prior to start date of holiday, together with cheque for refundable breakages deposit (£300) plus separate cheque for chargeable expenses (see above).
  Rentals are Saturday to Saturday. We'll gladly try to accommodate other arrival and departure dates where possible, in off-peak periods.
  

Accommodation and Facilities for the cottage in Midi-Pyrenees, France

Facilities:

Ideal for 2- 5. Built c.1820, the cottage is in typical Gascon farmhouse style. Accommodation upstairs: 2 double bedrooms (one with additional single bed); one single bed on the mezzanine; another single bed in a small adjoining passage room; WC, wash basin. On the ground floor there's a comfortable living/dining room with corner kitchen, fireplace, sat. TV, sofa, armchair, dining table & chairs; separate living room with sofa bed; bathroom; utility room; WC. Plenty of reading material and maps, guidebooks, games, garden furniture, BBQ, table-tennis, boules, free use of 4 (elderly) adult bikes. Our house file for visitors provides extensive information on local events & activities, music, theatre and jazz festivals, a list of recommended restaurants and places of cultural & historic interest. Excellent local farmers' markets (daily), supermarkets & hypermarkets (20 mins). Tranquil, rural location near a farm - there's no exotic night life or street bustle! Many repeat bookings.

Things to Do and See:

Explore hills, valleys and mountain peaks; see the Tour de France in July; visit spa towns, ancient castles and abbeys (Mauvezin, St. Sever, St. Bertrand de Comminges, Flaran) or historic sites like Montmaurin, Auch, Tillac and the famous astronomical observatory at the Pic du Midi de Bigorre. Go wine-tasting, sample local Gascon and Spanish cuisine. International summer festivals include Jazz in Marciac, Latin American music in Capvern-les-Bains, street theatre/mime in Bagnères-de-Bigorre, the 'Fête des Battages' in Burg, the 'Grande Pourcailhade' or Pig Festival in Trie and the Pyrénées piano festival in Barèges. Theatre, concerts & museums in Pau/Tarbes. Local facilities for golf, riding, stargazing, climbing, skiing, walking, water sports, coarse/fly fishing (holiday licences are sold locally June - Sept.). Lakes suitable for swimming/boating: Miélan (c.26 km), Lourdes (c.38 km), Marciac (c.45 km). Water-sports centres: Boulogne-sur-Gesse (c.35 km), St. Pé de Bigorre (c.48 km).

Travel Planning:

Access to the cottage is easy by road, rail and air. Several low-cost carriers now serve the area. Car-hire facilities are available at all the major arrival points. The nearest motorway exits are Capvern, Tournay (A 64). Nearest airports: Tarbes-Ossun-Lourdes (30 mins); Pau (40 mins, served by RyanAir); Toulouse (1 1/4 hrs, served by BA/AF/EasyJet/BMI); Carcassonne (2 hrs) and Biarritz (1 3/4 hrs, both served by RyanAir). Nearest Motorail stations: Tarbes, Toulouse. Nearest rail stations: Tournay, Lannemezan, Tarbes, Pau, Toulouse. Excellent TGV link to Bordeaux/Paris; TGV several times daily from/to Paris-Montparnasse / Tarbes-Lourdes (5 3/4 hrs). General Information: it's an easy drive to the mountains and Spain, to Béarn, Comminges, Madiran, Jurançon (important wine-producing areas) and Armagnac. Pays Basque c.60 mins; Atlantic coast (Bayonne, Biarritz, St. Jean de Luz) 1 3/4 hrs; San Sebastian 2 1/4 hrs; Narbonne and Med. coast c. 2 1/2 - 3 hrs.

Golf Information:

Golf enthusiasts can choose from local Championship courses within 1 hour's drive, some of them full of history as well as challenge: Bagnères-de-Bigorre (beautiful views); Pau (one of the most magnificent courses in France - the oldest course in Europe); Tarbes; Lannemezan; Lourdes; Masseube; and Ch?teau de Palanne, Tillac. Most of these are 18-hole courses. There are about 28 golf courses in the area. The greens and fairways are permanently green, the soil base of varying mixtures of rock, blue clay and sand all retain and trap the moisture throughout the year (unlike the regions of Provence and southern Spain which can be dry and arid), and most of the courses here are adjacent to the large rivers which flow through the departments. Many courses have electric buggies, club houses and putting greens. All are playable 52 weeks a year because of the mild climate, though after heavy rain they can get a bit muddy. There are courses for beginners, courses for long handicappers and challenging courses for the experienced golfer. Green fees have become reasonable in recent years. Most courses charge more at weekends and during the tourist season (July Aug.). The South West of France has a long tradition of golf playing, the course Pau - Bill?re being the oldest club in continental Europe, created for and by the British Army in 1856. Golf towns a little further away: Auch, Bayonne, Biarritz, Bidart, Eauze, Eug?nie-les-Bains, Fleurance; Mont de Marsan; St. Jean de Luz.