VéloGîtes › wp-content › uploads › 2020 › 02... · • Fishing—for the “pêcheurs” amongst us, the river Vienne is just five minutes from your holiday centre. Carp

Where the passion for cycling

can be combined with a perfect

family holiday.

www.velogites.com

VéloGîtes

Your holiday

________________ Welcome to VéloGîtes, based

in the glorious French depart-

ment of the Vienne, which is

blessed with a rolling

landscape of greenery. With

attractions for all the family,

your stay at VéloGîtes will be

unforgettable.

VéloGîtes is a gîte complex

set in 10 acres of land situated

on the slopes leading down to

the river Vienne. The 200

hundred year old converted

barn with oak beams has

been sympathetically

restored and offers 6 separate

gîtes, which can be rented

individually or as a unit,

offering accommodation for

up to 40 people. The business

was launched in August 2019

by the husband and wife team

of Graham and Kathy Glass

who have a clear objective to

provide an unrivalled holiday

experience for guests.

The vibrant village of Availles

-Limouzine is just a ten-

minute stroll from your front

door where you can collect

fresh croissants and bread to

start your day in a perfect

way.

Whilst VéloGîtes offers the

perfect location for cycling

holidays, guests who do not

wish to explore the local

roads on a bicycle can rest

assured that a stay at

VéloGîtes is first and

foremost a wonderful

family destination with

access to a petting zoo, a

gorgeous swimming pool and

lots of local activities.

Bookings are now being taken

for holidays from 4th April

2020, so reserve quickly in

order to get your chosen

dates.

January 2020 www.velogites.com : [email protected] : 00 33 (0) 604026915 2

Le Gîte de la Bussière - 4 bedrooms, max occupancy 10, 144m2

Le Gîte de la Nature - 3 bedrooms, max occupancy 5, reduced mobility suite, 103m2

Le Gîte du Pêcheur - 3 bedrooms, maximum occupancy 7, 132m2

Le Gîte de la Ferme - 2 bedrooms, maximum occupancy 5, 88m2

Le Vélo Gîte - 2 bedrooms, maximum occupancy 5, 88m2

Le Gîte Vignoble - 3 bedrooms, maximum occupancy 8, 149m2

The business was launched in August 2019

and improvements to the centre started

immediately. First on the list of important

works was to create a new 12m x 6m

swimming pool contained within a secure

fenced area of 550m2 which has stunning

views over the village.

The gîtes are all perfectly presented, a

makeover under the careful eye of Kathy has

seen them brought up to a very high standard

in time for our opening in April 2020. The

impressive foyer serves as a rendez-vous

point for all our guests and leads to the

individual entrances to the gîtes. On the

mezzanine in the foyer, there is a huge screen

and a ‘chill’ zone.

Up to 40 people can be accommodated within

the gîtes. Each gîte will have its own ‘theme’

and will be named appropriately.

VéloGîtes

________________


Emma-Jayne Sarahs

We have just returned from a wonderfully relaxing week at VéloGîtes. The location is absolutely

beautiful, so peaceful and calm with the feeling of being miles from anywhere yet only a 10 minute

walk to the village. A stroll down the private path takes you past the daily group of octogenarians

enjoying a game of pétanque, a children’s play park and walks along the beautiful riverside are just

nearby. The village bakery for freshly baked breakfast pastries is an absolute must along with a trip

to the local restaurant for a truly authentic evening along with the best burgers and pizzas in town

and all within easy walking distance. The locals are so welcoming, they don’t walk past you without a

smile and a ‘bonjour’. Within the grounds, there is a children’s play area, acres of beautiful space to

walk through, collecting conkers, looking for the wildlife, picking mushrooms and just enjoying the

tranquility. A short drive away there is plenty of activities with Kathy and Graham personally visiting

the attractions with their family so that can provide guests with genuine recommendations. The gîtes

are all so spacious, and individual with each having its own unique character. The hosts Kathy and

Graham are so welcoming and helpful, despite only having the gîtes a couple of months it is clear

that they are working hard putting in 100% making VéloGîtes the place to stay! We are looking for-

ward to visiting next year, especially to enjoy the new swimming pool and to see how the gîtes have

been transformed with Kathy’s artistic flair. Thank you for such a fabulous stay !

Dominic Palmeri

We stayed in gîte 9 brilliant accommodation lovely views; his and hers sink in the bathroom. We

cooked one night and everything was there to make any dinners you want. They even have a

Washing machine for your clothes and a dishwasher so you don’t have wash up. These are the most

spacious gîtes I have ever stayed in.

There is a nice short cut to walk into the village and the views over the Vienne river are fantastic,

only wish I had my coarse fishing gear with me. This would also be an excellent place for a group of

fisherman to use as a base and explore all the area has to offer.

We cant wait to return, highly recommended!

Pete le Grange

So I booked this as a short break before starting my Skiing season and lucky I did.. Graham was very

knowledgeable on the area & very welcoming, as was the accommodation.

Really enjoyed the stay, can’t wait for the new Pool to get finished as I’ve already booked next year’s

trip for the Summer.

Ps: the village is a short walk if you fancy a couple of drinks but be sure to take your torch along for

your return if you are going at night. Best of luck with the rest of your refurbishment & be seeing you.

Reviews

________________


Cycling ________________

The search for VéloGîtes’

perfect location took over

eighteen months with a list of

important criteria:

1) Accessible to all—we are

just 4 hours from St. Malo,

Caen and Paris.

2) Terrain—cyclists want

varied terrain, flat roads can

be dull, but mountains can be

off-putting.

3) Scenery— part of the joy of

cycling in a different region is

experiencing a variety of

sights from riding through

forests, tree-lined roads, past

sunflower fields and visiting

historic villages.

4) Road quality and traffic —

We are amazed by the local

roads, they are in a great

condition and traffic is very

light.

VéloGîtes has all of this and

we have created Strava routes

to explore our region, each

ride has a different quality.

We grade each route for Dis-

tance, Hills, Scenery and

Road Quality with an overall

rating given. The route notes

have been saved in a PDF for-

mat and can be downloaded

on to smartphones.

An example of a route is

included in this brochure.

Mountain bike riders are also

well-catered for, with the first

route just 50 meters from our

doorstep.

A wash station for bikes is

available to keep your pride

and joy in tip-top condition

and bike storage is also

catered for.

We also have an equipped

workshop for onsite repairs.


Tour de France “special”

________________

The Tour de France is the most iconic bike race in the word. VéloGîtes offers you the possibility

now of booking your holiday with us from April 2020 and we are delighted to announce that the

Tour de France will be passing nearby, not just once, but twice!

On 15th October 2019, the route was announced and we have truly lucked out. Stage 11 AND 12

will be thundering past within easy striking distance of us, so book now to be sure of getting a

place!

What better way to spend the second week in July; watch Le Tour; cycle stunning routes, chill

out around the pool, book some fantastic adventures and of course, have some refreshing

drinks as you watch the sun set over the magnificent view from your gîte at VéloGîtes!

The bookings for this week are flexible, with availability starting on 5th July for 5 of the gîtes

and the full complex is available from the 6th July. For more details including the

accommodation options and layouts, please visit our website www.velogites.com or call

00 33 60 40 26 915.


VéloGîtes

________________


All gîtes offer the following: -

· A fantastic welcome pack for stays in

excess of three days;

· Sunflower oil, salt, pepper, instant

coffee, tea, sugar, washing up liquid;

· Hairdryer;

· Bath, hand and pool towels;

· An electric fan;

· ADSL internet access;

· BBQ;

· Outdoor table and chairs;

· Bed linen is included and all beds are made

up on arrival;

· Travel cots, highchairs and changing-mats,

are available;

· Combined smoke and carbon monoxide

alarm.

VéloGîtes

________________


• Fishing—for the “pêcheurs” amongst us, the

river Vienne is just five minutes from your

holiday centre. Carp weighing up to 40lbs

are regularly caught and the village hosts an

international carp fishing contest every year.

Close by is the Lac de Villedon where the

“Beast”, a carp of nearly 80lbs awaits some

lucky fishermen!

• Guests who enjoy a faster pace of life will be

extremely happy that the Val de Vienne race-

track is only a ten minute drive from Availles

-Limouzine. Track days can be booked and a

full calendar of events are scheduled for 2020

including the Ferrari weekend where up to

500 of Pinarello’s finest creations will be

racing against each other (4th June to 7th

June 2020) www.circuitvaldevienne.com/

• Adrenaline junkies; don’t worry, we’ve got

that covered as well! A 15 minute drive from

VéloGîtes and you will arrive at L’Isle

Jourdain and its 130ft viaduct. You can

Bungee from the top or take a 1,500ft zipline

through its arches. After that, why not « go

Ape » with tree-top courses set for all

abilities. www.oxygene40.com/

• Another adrenaline rush is the « Gliss-Up »

water slide parc 40 minutes from us. It

consists of different tracks, comparable to

ski-slopes from beginner, advanced and up

to expert. A ramp at the end of the slope will

throw you up in to the air, landing in the

water below. The park is open to those aged

4 and above! www.gliss-up.fr/

Things to do

________________ Whilst cyclists are extremely well catered for at VéloGîtes, we are delighted to offer

guests a huge amount of other family-orientated activities: -


• Futuroscope, world famous and one of

France’s biggest attractions is only 1 hour

from our doors. Futuroscope is a theme park

based upon multimedia, cinematographic

futuroscope and audio-visual techniques. It

has several 3D cinemas and a few 4D

cinemas, along with other attractions and

shows, some of which are the only examples

in the world. http://en.futuroscope.com

• Vallée des Singes is a fantastic sanctuary for

apes and monkeys where the key feature is

that you are literally surrounded by them!

(Although not the gorillas and chimpanzees

which are kept at a safe distance!) The park

was the first free-roaming primate park in

the world. www.la-vallee-des-singes.fr

• Planète Crocodile is another animal based

attraction where over 200 reptiles can be

seen—are you brave enough to view them

from the elevated walkway above the

centre!! The centre also has snakes, lizards

and turtles; a great way to spend a few hours,

especially if it is raining!

http://planete-crocodiles.net/

Things to do

________________ Of course, our region isn’t just famous for the wide variety of sporting and adrenaline

fueled activities, there are plenty more activities for guests to enjoy:-

On-site facilities include a children's play-area with trampolines and climbing frames,

a pétanque court, table tennis, table football and 10 acres in which to take a stroll!

There are also so many other family activities within a short distance from VéloGîtes.

Guests can walk down to the village of Availles-Limouzine (roughly 1,500 steps for

those interested!) and wander along the gorgeous river banks of the Vienne. Nearby

villages of Saint Germain with its 12th century château and Confolens make an ideal

day-trip for visitors. Please contact us if you would like more information on things to

do in our region.


La Châtellenie - a fantastic boutique hotel

in the centre of the village offering “haute

cuisine” food created by head chef

Thomas. The food is a subtle blend of

seasonal and local produce and their

menu is refreshed weekly.

www.lachatellenie.fr

Chez Cécile - another restaurant in the

centre of Availles-Limouzine. This is a

must visit when you stay at Vélogîtes. A

burger / steak / pizza lovers delight;

Cécile is married to the town butcher so

you can be assured that the meat is only

the best quality.

Laitgendaire - This café is located in the

former tourist office in the center of the

village. It serves quality coffee and re-

freshments along with farm fresh home-

made crepes, waffles, ice cream, cream

teas, soup, toasted sandwiches,

homemade pies and baguettes.

www.laitgendaire.com

Restaurants

________________

Availles-Limouzine is a fantastic village full of hustle and bustle! From Spring onwards

it comes alive with visitors who take advantage of the many places to eat in the village

and surrounding towns. Our highlights in Availles-Limouzine are: -

All of these restaurants are located within easy walking distance of VéloGîtes but

there are plenty more to chose from just a short drive away, even Fish and Chips in

Confolens! Please contact us for more recommendations.


Your hosts

________________ Graham is a keen cyclist who recently

completed a 1,150km ride from St Malo to

Amsterdam and who, after doing

extensive research, realised that it was

almost impossible to fuel a passion for

Cycling, whilst taking a family holiday

where other members may want to just

chill out around the pool or explore the

local areas.

Kathy has been involved with the service

sector for her entire career and loves

nothing more than providing a warm

welcome for all our guests. She was

awarded a Guernsey customer service

award voted for by her clients and has a

passion for interior design which is

reflected in the renovated gites.


Contact us

Address VéloGîtes

Lieu de la Bussière

86460

Availles-Limouzine

France

Telephone +33 (0) 604026915

Email [email protected]


Example route

________________

January 2020 www.velogites.com : [email protected] : 00 33 (0) 604026915

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VéloGîtes › wp-content › uploads › 2020 › 02... · • Fishing—for the “pêcheurs” amongst us, the river Vienne is just five minutes from your holiday centre. Carp