We offer luxury holiday accommodation in the Vendée region of France, especially designed for families holidaying with young children.
We have two properties on the same site: Les Chardonnerets, a converted barn sleeping nine plus two infants and La Maison du Blé, a house sleeping eleven plus three infants. Being adjacent, the two properties can be rented together for parties of up to twenty. The swimming pool and children?s play area are shared, though both properties benefit from private areas.

Located on the edge of a village in the South Vendée, set in mature gardens and bordered by farmland, our properties are peaceful without being isolated.

The fabulous, crystal clear, swimming pool is perfect for the whole family. At 12 by 6 metres, and ranging from 1m to 2m in depth it is ideal for either serious swimming or serious splashing alike. To one side we have built a specially designed paddling area of about 8 square meters but only 30cm deep that is perfect for toddlers and younger children. The pool is heated and fully fenced. It uses a saline sterilisation system that is said to be kinder on the skin and eyes than the more traditional chlorine. The swimming pool is bordered by a large sun terrace well stocked with loungers and parasols. The pool is available from the begining of May to the end of September (and sometimes outside of this period, subject to weather conditions).

In addition there is a well-equipped children's play area (climbing frame, sandpit, and Wendy house) and a large grassed area for outdoor games. This area, shared by the two properties, is also fully fenced.

Local facilities in the village include a bakery, bar / restaurant, and general store. The attractive Renaissance town of Fontenay-le-Comte is a short drive away, and this has a wide range of shops, supermarkets and restaurants, as well as playing host to an excellent market every Saturday morning. The beautiful port of La Rochelle is 35 minutes away with its plentiful shops, restaurants and museums.

The South Vendée enjoys one of the sunniest climates in France (only the Côte d'Azur averages more sunshine hours) and the proximity of the sea moderates the climate to an extent, avoiding the harsh extremes of heat and dryness that can be found elsewhere in France. The sublime beaches of the Vendée are within easy reach (40 minutes), and are some of the best in Europe. Clean, with shallow, gently sloping seas, these are particularly suitable for families.

Travel to the Vendée is convenient, with road links to the Channel ports improved by new motorways in recent years. St Malo is only 3 hours away. In addition, the airport at La Rochelle (35 minutes) is served by two airlines from the UK (Ryanair and BE) and the larger airport a Nantes (1 hour) is part of the networks of both British Airways and Air France.

As well as bed linen (freshly pressed), towels (including pool / beach towels), our service includes a welcome pack (bread, wine, cheese, eggs - home produced from pampered hens, coffee, etc). All utilities and cleaning are included in the price. Equipment such as sterilisers, bottle warmers and baby listeners are available at no extra charge.

The owners are resident in France (our home is about 4km away) and we are on hand to provide any assistance you might need.

Babysitting and a meals service are available upon request.

Please note that during peak season we only accept bookings from parties that include children. We offer special packages for Christmas and New Year weeks. Please see the calendar for availability and our website (follow link at the top of this page) for more details and pricing.