25% off Brittany Ferries crossings

Posted by Rosie

Updated for 2016

Eco-Gites of Lenault are now advertising with Brittany Ferries through their site Holiday France Direct.  We have joined on their Quick Book commission scheme where we don't pay to place our advert on the site, but Brittany Ferries charges us £29 for each booking made.  We then charge the remainder of the amount to the guest so they don't pay any more than if they booked direct with us.

25% off Ferry Crossings!

The great advantage for guests is that which each booking they will receive a money off voucher for their crossing with Brittany Ferries.  Normally this is 20% but for all bookings made before Oct 7th 2106 the voucher will be for 25%.  That's a BIG chunk of a saving especially if you are looking to travel in peak season next year.

Brittany Ferries Routes

Brittany Ferries sail from Cork, Plymouth, Poole and Portsmouth and arrive in France at Roscoff (4 hrs +), St Malo (1½hrs), Cherbourg (2 hrs), Caen (1hr) and Le Havre (1½hrs).  The figures in brackets show how far we are from each port with Caen being the closest and Roscoff the furthest.  Crossings into Le Havre are with the Brittany Ferries Economie sailings where the boats are a little more basic but the cost is lower.

To make a booking and claim your voucher you need to book via our listing here.  Chose your dates, book them with Brittany Ferries and pay them £29.  They will put you in contact with us to sort out the remainder of the payment and further details. We will then charge as normal i.e. a deposit to secure the booking and the balance 6 weeks before arrival.  Terms and Conditions apply as normal as do any additional charges such as dogs (€20/dog per week), TV and DVD rental (€25 per week/€40 per fortnight), first night supper, on arrival shopping etc.

The Betagne leaving Portsmouth

Travelling by ferry is a great way to start your holiday.  The boats are spacious with on-board entertainment, plenty of restaurants and shops and time to start your tan up on deck!

To take advantage of this offer, book your holiday with us before Oct 7th 2016 and reduce your ferry crossing by 25%.  We are already getting enquiries for 2017 and have a week in August booked.  Don't delay and risk missing out.  Book now for great savings!

PS - if you are not planning to use Brittany Ferries then please do book direct via our website - it costs you the same but saves us £29.  Also if you book direct before Dec 31st 2016 you'll get this special welcome hamper of Normandy goodies worth €25.

Couples Welcome at Eco-Gites of Lenault

Posted by Rosie

Many of the visitors who stay at Eco-Gites of Lenault come with children and we pride ourselves on being very family-friendly.  However the second most frequent visitor group here are couples.  If you and your loved one are thinking about a trip to France, here are 9 reasons why we think you might want to choose Eco-Gites of Lenault.

Cosy and Spacious

The gite manages to be both spacious and cosy - you won't feel like you are rattling round in huge mansion but you will have plenty of space as well!  Can't you just imagine yourself curled up in front of our wood burner with a glass of wine and a good book?

Wine in front of the romantic wood burner

Romantic

With the gorgeous wood-burner and traditional French furniture in the master bedroom, Eco-Gites makes a wonderfully romantic get-away location.  Snuggle up in front of the fire and then .... 

The master bedroom

A grown-up gite!

If you are visiting us without children we will move all the children's things out of sight.  The toys go up in to the mezzanine playroom, the high chair, fire guard, stair gates and suchlike are all packed away leaving the gite a "grown-up" place for your visit.

Peace and quiet

With the nearest road almost 300m away and besides us, no other neighbours, we are a truly quiet location where you can escape the hustle and bustle of busy lives and really relax and unwind.

The rural retreat that is Eco-Gites of Lenault

Entertainment

With no children in the play area you will have the area all to yourself and can challenge your partner to that quintessentially French game of Pétanque (Boules).  We supply the boules and will join you in a game if you want!

There are also a good range of games, puzzles and books for adults in the gite.

Tourist Attractions

Le Mont St Michel

We may be in a quiet corner of Normandy but we are also extremely well placed for you to visit many great tourist attractions.  All the following are within easy driving distance of Eco-Gites of Lenault:- Bayeux, Caen, The D-Day Landing Beaches, Museums and Memorials, Suisse Normandie, Honfleur, Most St Michel and Falaise.  There are also exhibitions, street festivals and events throughout the year and daily markets close-by.

Click here for details of what to do in Normandy in September.

Daily local markets

Eat at home or in local restaurants

The gite has a large and well equipped kitchen so you can prepare your meals without any difficulty.  In fine weather the garden is lovely to sit in for meals. Should you wish to eat out there are large numbers of local restaurants of all types and to suit all pockets. We are happy to make a telephone reservation for you if you would like.  If you want to stay in but not cook we can prepare a simple meal for you, delivered hot and ready to eat. This is a popular option for guest's arrival night and takes the pressure off having to cook after the journey here.

Dinner cooked by us!

Shopping 

Why not spend some time in the local shops and stock up with wine, Calvados, cider or presents for friends, family and of course yourself?  There are plenty of small independent shops, caves selling wine and local cider and larger shopping complexes at Vire, Caen and other big towns.

Discounts

If just 2 people stay in the gite for a week between November and March we will take 15% off the normal price.  A reduction of between 5 and 10% is possible for stays of less than a week.  In both cases this offer still stands if you bring a cot sleeping infant.  Please note that some dates are excluded from this offer.

If you are travelling to France with Brittany Ferries we have a code that will give you 10% off your crossing.  Please ask us for the code when making your reservation.

Marian and Nev

The picture above is of Marian and Nev outside the gite in March.  Don't you think it would be great if it was you and your loved one who was standing there ...

For further information or to make a reservation please visit our website here or email us us here.  You can also telephone 0033 231 09 27 51 (up to 8pm UK/9pm French time please).

June Weeks Available at Discounted Price

Posted by Rosie

We are now offering a special discount to couples wishing to stay at Eco-Gites of Lenault this June.  If just 2 people stay at the gite we will reduce the price from £400 to £375 (and you can bring a cot sleeping infant and still be eligible for this offer!)

We also have a code giving 10% off crossings with Brittany Ferries.  Please ask for details 
 
The price includes electricity, gas, wood for the fire if needed, bed linen, a generous welcome box and vast amounts of baby and toddler stuff!  We can also provide a simple first night supper, on arrival shopping, BBQ packs, home-made cakes and jams and other produce from our smallholding. 

June is a wonderful time to visit Normandy - green fields, abundant flowers and so much quieter than before the rush of school holidays.  This year it is even more special as 2014 sees the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.  Throughout the summer and especially in June there are all sorts of events, exhibitions and ceremonies celebrating what ultimately was the beginning of the end of World War II. There are further details of events here and here.

Photo from Brittany Ferries

However of WWII is not of interest to you there are still masses of things to do around and about including open gardens, art exhibitions, horsemanship displays, music festivals, street art, Viking Festival and so on.  This page gives far more details than I could list here.

Short and week/longer bookings are possible in June.  For further information and to make a booking about the gite please click here.  You can email us by clicking here or telephone 0033 231 09 27 51 (Up to 8pm UK/9pm French time please).

A biêntot!

Thrill Seeking in Normandy!

Posted by Rosie

One of the things we most pride ourselves on here at Eco-Gites of Lenault is offering our guests peace and quite, time to relax and get away from it all for a while.  We have no immediate neighbours (if you don't count the animals) and the nearest road is 300m away .... and it is incredibly quiet anyway!

But what if you are looking for something a bit more exciting?  What if you want to get your heart racing?  Fear not, we can oblige.  Well, not us personally but around and about there is plenty to do that will get the adrenalin pumping thorough your veins.

Horse riding 

There are 2 local riding stables where you can walk, trot or canter round the local footpaths or why not head up to the beach at Ouistreham where you'll get to gallop along the beaches?  Guests last year said it was the most invigorating ride they had ever had!

Photo from Calvados Tourism

Mountain biking 

Bring your own bike or you can hire them in Clécy and enjoy the ups and downs of our beautiful Normandy countryside.

Kayaking and Canoeing 

If water sports is your thing you can canoe or kayak on both rivers and lakes locally.  For children under 8 you can take the more gentle route of pédalos, rowing or even electric boats! 

Rock climbing

On the cliffs above Clécy there are a number of marked ascents you can do - bring your ropes etc and up you go!

Via Ferrata cliff walk and zip wire 

If you don't have your own climbing gear then why not do the cliff-side walk also at Clécy - climb up narrow ladders set into the cliff and then across the cliff face on a series of rope and plank walk getting back to ground level via a 250m zip wire.  It sets my heart racing just thinking about it but the boys, friends and Simon all had a go last Summer and said it was fantastic!

Tree top walks 

For more high walking what about a treetop walk?  There are various locations locally where routes have been set high up in the tops of the trees and those a bit lower down for younger children, so you can to feel like our ancestors up in the tree tops (with the added benefit of ropes to clip you safely on!).  A great family outing for those who like heights!

Viaduct de Souleuvre 

Here things are a bit more serious!  For everyone there is a giant toboggan run - 1km long where you can reach speeds of up to 42kms per hour.  For the more daring souls what about the 2 giant swings over 60m above the ground where you can swing from 0-120 km/phr in 3.5 seconds?  However possibly the biggest attraction at Souleuvre is bungee jumping.  For those foolish brave enough you can throw yourself off the Viaduct down to the river blow with nothing more than a giant piece of knicker elastic to save you! Would you do it?

Photo from AJ Hackett

Paragliding

Or what about what may be the ultimate thrill and what one of our guests this weekend did - paragliding at Saint Omer!  This is possibly the world's most appallingly edited video but I think you'll get an idea of what you could be doing if you had a go.  Are you brave enough to try?

If thrill seeking is what you are after then there is plenty to do in Normandy.  Some of these activities have age restrictions and others are for adults only but a lot (riding, biking, tree top walks, boating and the giant toboggan) are possible even with very young children.

Do you enjoy thrill seeking?  Have you set your heart racing doing any of these activities?  Please do let us know!  

And to book a holiday at Eco-Gites of Lenault head over to our Gite website right now!! http://www.eco-gites.eu/

Flower Power

Posted by Rosie

Spring Flowers in Normandy

OK, so it was -3ºC when I took Tom to the bus stop this morning but the sun is now shining and it will soon warm up (she writes hopefully), after all it is March and Spring and there are wild flowers EVERYWHERE.

One of the things that I love about living in Normandy is the fact there are so many wild flowers.  The year starts with the snowdrops; quiet and unassuming, braving the cold and acting as the warm-up act for the bigger show to follow.  One day a bit later you notice something yellow, the first brave primrose.  And then suddenly all the roadside verges, footpaths and field edges are bursting with flowers of so many varieties.  I was driving home last week and I just had to stop the car and take a closer look at all the flowers.  Luckily I had my camera so I could share this Magic Moment with you - isn't it stunning?

Spring flowers near Eco-Gites Of Lenault, Normandy, France

Throughout Spring we will be delighted with smiling anemones and celendines, trumpeting wild daffodils, shrinking violets, quivering cowslips, upright orchids, nodding bluebells and pungent wild garlic to name but a few.  Each flower a marvel of nature and each a beauty in their own right.  And with them comes the butterflies and the bees.  Oh and I haven't even mentioned the blossom that is all on the cusp of flowering.  Without a doubt, Spring is definitely here in Normandy!

Bluebell and friend

Purple spotted orchid

Spring flowers at our back gate - Eco-Gites of Lenault

Orchids, bluebells and cowslips

Apple blossom

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If you would like to come and enjoy our flowers we have availability in the gite through to early May and including Easter week.  And over the last week-end April 26th we are offering a discount if your stay includes Saturday 26th April.  Details are on our Facebook page.  For further details about booking a holiday here at Eco-Gites of Lenault please visit our website or you can telephone 0033 231 09 27 51 (up to 8pm UK time please).

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I'm joining in with 2 blog links today - Magic Moments from The Oliver's Madhouse and What's the Story from Podcast, Grappling with a Box of Frogs.  Why don't you click on the links and see what other stories bloggers are sharing today.

Large Discounts available for remaining full weeks this Summer

Posted by Rosie

Due to the cancellation we currently have an extra week available in July. We are now offering this, and all other remaining full weeks during this summer at BIG reductions.  It's your chance to grab a bargain.  If you can't make it maybe you know someone else who could so please do spread the word!

All remaining full June weeks 20% off making a week just £304 instead of £380

All remaining full weeks in July 15% off making a week just £408 instead of £480

We can also give you a code to use with Brittany Ferries that will give you 10% of any crossings with them.

Our Frog band will be there to greet you

Our Frog band will be there to greet you and you could soon be enjoying all that Normandy has to offer.  Mont St Michel, the beaches (D-Day Landing beaches), castles and stately homes, beautiful countryside, French markets and all that lovely food.  The children will wear themselves out in the play area whilst you relax in the garden and our menagerie of animals will try their best to keep you entertained!  Come and meet, amongst others, Boris the pig, Dolly and Doris the sheep and a cat called Fumée who thinks she is a chicken ... 

Fumée the chicken?

This photo was taken by our last guests. Perhaps the comment they left in our Visitor Book will help tempt you to book a holiday with us:

"A wonderful holiday, thank you. The gite is comfortable, well equipped and in such a beautiful situation.
Rosie, Simon, Tom and Ben are just such lovely hosts, and Rosie's cooking is superb! Dorothy wanted lasagne and pavlova every day! So much to do and see but had such a relaxing time too! I feel very well rested and revived ... and just little bit heavier!!! Thank you so much, we will see you again xx"

Thank you Jenny for both the photo and the comment.

For further details about Eco-Gites of Lenault please visit our website here and our Facebook page here
To contact by email us please click here or telephone 0033 231 09 27 51

Winter Couple's Offer

Posted by Rosie

Whilst Eco-Gites of Lenault is great for families with children it is just as welcoming for a couple. For that reason we are once again running our Winter Offer for Couples. If just 2 people book the gite between now and the end of March (excluding Feb half term) we will give you 15% off the price. 

So warm and cosy

• Think: bracing walks around the beautiful Normandy countryside.
• Think: curling up in front of the wood burner with a good book and a glass of wine.
• Think: stocking up on all that cheap wine and smelly cheese you can get over here.
• Think: all the best visitor attractions and no queues to get in - Le Mont St Muichel, The Bayeux Tapestry, Falaise Castle to name a few.

All that at 15% off our normal price making a week at Eco-Gites just £255. Short breaks of at least 2 nights are also possible during the time of the offer.

Oh and if you are crossing with Brittany Ferries we can offer all visitors a code to give you 10% off your crossing.

So go on, treat yourself and some-one special to a week at Eco-Gites.  Visit the website now and book that discounted break.

20% off for Couples This Winter

Posted by Rosie

• The gite, with it's wood-burner and high level of insulation is wonderfully cosy whatever the weather is doing outside. 
• With a myriad of footpaths leading straight from the back gate there is some wonderful walking to enjoy right from our doorstep.
• With animals and birds galore, the area is great for wildlife enthusiasts and birdwatchers.
• Plenty of the tourist attractions are open throughout the winter and can be enjoyed crowd-free.  Some even have cheaper entrance fees.

Four excellent reasons to visit Calvados out of season and to make a visit in Winter even more attractive we are offering a 20% discount if the gite is let to a single couple.  This offer applies from November 2nd 2011 to March 31st 2012 (excluding Christmas/New Year and the Sat 11th to Sat 18th February 2012).

Normal Price per Week - £250 (290€) -
*** Couples Discount Price - £200 (232€) ***
For short breaks - £36 (44€) per night (minimum stay 3 nights).

Click here to go to our website and to download a booking form

These prices include the rent plus electricity, logs for the fire, bed linen (but not towels) and a welcome pack. All other terms and conditions apply and can be read here.

April Rally Special Offer

Posted by Rosie

Fancy a short break in France?

Enjoy car rallies?

 Then Eco-Gites may have the answer.  

We have a short week available from Friday 15th April to Thursday 21st April 2011 which is when the Annual Suisse Normandie Rally takes place directly on our doorstep.  On Sunday 17th April our road is closed for all but the rally cars which hurtle through trying very hard not to be the first car .... in the ditch.  3 other race tracks are set out on local roads over the whole week-end making travelling across country a bit more fun than usual but giving plenty of opportunities to watch the rally action.

With travel thus slightly disrupted we are happy to offer lettings during this week at the following reduced rates:

2 nights - £75

3 nights - £110

4 nights - £140

5 nights - £165

6 nights - £190
 
Click here to go to our website

However, please note that we cannot do a change-over on Sunday 17th April unless you can get to us either before 8am or after 5pm when the road is re-opened.

Offer subject to availability and terms and conditions.

May Special Offers

Posted by Rosie

During May 2011 we are able to offer guests coming to the gite midweek change-over days and thus the chance to benefit from cheaper Channel crossings if you are coming from the UK or Ireland. This also includes the week after Easter, over the May Bank Holiday.

The following dates are available:

The week after Easter:
Change-over days available - Monday 25th April, Tuesday 26th April, Wednesday 27th April.
Price for the week - £325/€390

May
Change-over days available:
2nd Week of May - Wednesday 11th May, Thursday 12th May, Friday 13th May
Price for the week - £325/€390
3rd Week of May - Wednesday 18th May, Thursday 19th May, Friday 20th May.
Price for the week - £325/€390
(Saturday change-overs are also available in May but exclude the extra special offer below)

EXTRA SPECIAL OFFER:

If you book any of the above weeks, get an extra night totally free of charge - 8 nights for the price of 7 or 9 nights for the price of 8.
Prices for the week - £325/€390 for 7 or 8 nights
and £375/€445 for 8 or 9 nights.
Offer subject to availability.

Click here to go to our website

April/May is a wonderful time to visit Calvados. On the many local footpaths the wild flowers are at their most magnificent, the swallows and cuckoos arrive in May and generally the weather is very pleasant. Here at Eco-Gites there should be plenty of young animals to see: last year we had chicks on the 14th May and ducklings on the 21st My. If the weather is kind between now and then there should be fresh organically grown vegetables coming from the garden. For entertainment you can take advantage of shorter queues, less crowds at all the local attractions and the fact that France has a lot of Bank Holidays through May so there are extra events and activities to go to.

Don't forget our other earlier special offer - Special Winter Offer for Couples visiting between now and the first week of April. Click on the link for further details.

Special Winter Offer for Couples

Posted by Rosie

Eco-gites of Lénault comfortably sleeps 5 people but is equally cosy for a couple wishing to have a quiet country get-away in the beautiful Calvados countryside. As Simon said in his previous post, the wood-burner and high level of insulation keeps it beautifully warm and what could be better than a country ramble along one of the many footpaths that start at our back gate before heading back back for a glass of mulled wine/cider and slice of home-made cake. To make your winter break even more appealing we are offering a special Winter offer for couples from now through to the first week in April (excluding Feb 19th - 26th 2011). Any couple booking the gite for 3 nights or more will be eligible for the following discount:

Normal Price per week - £225 (270€) -
*** Couples Discount Price - £180 (215€) ***
For short breaks - £32 (40€) per night (minimum stay 3 nights).

Click here to go to our website

These prices include the rent plus electricity up to 8kw/day, logs for the fire, bed linen (but not towels) and a welcome pack. All other terms and conditions apply and can be read here.