Vacances en Campagne head of product Europe Deborah Chiverton weighs up thebenefits of a gite holiday
ONE of the pleasures of a holiday in rural France is dining on the fresh, home-grown produce, either cooked yourself after a trip to the market or served up in a local restaurant.
This, said Deborah Chiverton of Vacances en Campagne, is the main reason people choose a gite over another form of accommodation. All are situated in rural areas, most of which have a market at least once a week and plenty of options for eating out.
“Gites are for people who want to get down to the real France,” said Chiverton.
Rubbing shoulders with the locals over stalls of fruit and veg, cheeses and cuts of meat is what staying in the French countryside is all about.
“The market traders are used to foreigners and all you have to do is point to what you want. The markets can’t be beaten for quality and price.”
Eating out in France is cheaper than ever thanks to the strength of the pound, and Chiverton said this was a good option even for families with young children staying in gites.
“French restaurants have high chairs and bottle warmers and they are much better at catering for families than England is,” she said.
The word gite is generally used to describe self-catering properties in rural areas.
Chiverton stressed the standard of accommodation is not as basic as the name suggests. “People tend to think gites are down-market but this is not the case. Our programme ranges from small, homely properties for two people up to properties for 16 guests with tennis courts and pools.”
Gite life is not for everyone, and those who want to be waited on would be better off in a hotel, said Chiverton.
“Some of our more upmarket properties do have cleaners but if people want all their meals cooked, they might not want to stay in a gite.”