Long term lets (over 1 month) Short-breaks (4 days or less) House-swap
Changeover day:
Flexible
Access:
Car advised Nearest amenities: 5 km
Notes:
Sorry - no pets allowed Suitable for children Not suitable for elderly or infirm No smoking at this property Self-catering
Home description
Set in beautiful countryside near the foothills of the Pyrenees, this attractive gite with its wonderful character and comfortable furnishings forms part of our traditional 200 year old farmhouse. It is fully self -contained, having its own entrance, full central heating and south facing garden and mountain views. It is furnished to a high standard and is attractively decorated throughout.
Whether you wish to spend your days quietly by the pool or explore the many places of interest nearby, Wagtail Cottage is an ideal choice. The property is perfectly situated for sight-seeing and is only a six minute drive from Lannemezan where there are shops, banks, restaurants, supermarkets and a fine 18 hole golf course. The A64 motorway can be accessed within 10-12 minutes.
Wagtail Cottage
Heated 10x5m Swimming pool
Garden
Living room
To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/56266
The Midi-Pyrenees / Hautes-Pyrenees region
Winter: From January onwards there are beautiful crisp, sunny winter days with temperatures rising as high as 20 degrees. It can drop to -5 on rare occasions with Nov. and Dec. being the least interesting and wettest months.
There is snow on the mountain peaks from November to May with skiing from New Year onwards. Several excellent resorts provide facilities for downhill and cross country skiing with beautiful trails for those wanting to try snowshoeing.
Spring... The air is still pristinely clear and the meadows and mountain pastures adorned with a rich tapestry of alpine plants and flowers.... a few showers in March and April are interspersed with lots of sunshine and warm days. Easter week-end marks the official opening for sites of touristic interest until the end of October.
Summer... The temperatures rise to the mid twenties and thirties. The long days are excellent for sightseeing or simply lazing by the pool. Spectacular electric storms can occur at the end of July/August but are short lived and followed by bright sunshine.
Autumn: The wooded valleys and hillsides with their mixed forests are a blaze of colour, temperatures are pleasant and the days still long. A lovely season for photography and long walks.
Exploring the region: The foothills of the Baronnies with their picture postcard views are only fifteen minutes away, setting for Tony Hawk's delightful novel "A Piano in the Pyrenees". The high mountains are just beyond with their beautiful valleys, tumbling waterfalls and rushing streams. There is an amazing variety of wildlife: red kites, eagles and vultures, marmot, izard, wild boar and deer, even the occasional bear!
There is no exotic nightlife. Instead, we have air that is pure, roads that are unconjested and night skies filled with stars.
Worth a visit are sites of international importance such as Lourdes, the great pilgrimage centre, the Cirque de Gavarnie, a world heritage site with Europe's highest waterfall and the National Park of the Pyrenees at Pont d'Espagne.
Also: - Pau with its castle,beautiful architecture and fine shopping. - Biarritz and San Sebastian - elegant and sophisticated with wonderful beaches. - The pretty ski resort of St. Lary. - St. Bertrand-de-Comminges, a lovely hilltop village with summer concerts, a fine cathedral and excellent restaurants. - Carcassonne - a beautiful medieval fortified town; and - Spain - just 45minutes drive away.
There are colourful local markets and countless festivals. Of special note is the Country and Western Festival at Mirande in July and the Jazz Festival at Marciac in August, both internationally renowned. There are spa resorts, pre-historic cave systems, castles and cable-cars, vineyards and relaxing hide aways. The opportunities are endless.
For the active, there is climbing, fishing, white water rafting, canyoning and para-gliding with instructors available for most of them.
There are many fine golf courses, with the oldest golf course in mainland Europe at Pau and the most beautiful at Bagnere de Bigorre.
The Tour de France comes here every year and this year, 2008 on July 16th we have the mountain stage from Lannemezan to Foix starting just six minutes drive away from the gite. The atmosphere is electric!
Lannemezan / Tarbes area
There are many good restaurants in the area to suit all tastes and pockets. The cuisine is typically Gascon, based heavily on meat and poultry with the most famous dishes being duck, foie gras, garbure [a local soup ], pates and salads. There are wonderful cheeses and excellent , inexpensive wines. A generous and typical lunchtime meal of three to four courses costs between 10 and 18 euros... wonderful value especially as it often includes the wine.
There is a large and colourful weekly market at Lannemezan on Wednesday mornings and busy cafes where friends catch up on the latest news. Shops are open from 9am-12noon and 2pm-7pm. Most are closed on Sundays.
Budget flights: Pau - Ryanair from Stansted and also Bristol [ commencing mid May 2008 ] Toulouse: Served by major airlines and budget operators from Gatwick, Heathrow, Stanstead, Dublin, Southampton, Birmingham, Manchester and Cardiff. Try Ryanair, Easyjet, Flybe and Aer Lingus.
All major car hire companies are represented at both airports but you must pay by credit card..cash is not accepted. ** Please remember to bring both parts of your driving licence **
If you are coming by train, there is a shuttle bus from Toulouse airport to the main railway station where there is a connection to Lannemezan.
Closest ferry is Portsmouth to Bilbao in Spain - approx. 3.30hrs drive from the property. [ why not stop and see the Gugenheim museum! ] Channel ports are a day's drive, [ between 8hrs30m and 10hrs depending on the port of entry ]. Motorway most of the way.
Nearest Travel Links
Airport:
Pau- 1hr ; Toulouse Blagnac - 1hr20mins
Railway:
Lannemezan - 10mins
Ferry:
Bilbao - Spain approx. 3hr30mins
Activities near Lannemezan
Sports: Tennis in town Horse Riding Golf within 30 mins drive Fishing
Great for: Walking holidays Rural / countryside retreats Cycling holidays
Facilities
Luxuries:
Log fire, DVD player
General:
Central heating, TV, Video player, CD player, Table tennis, Satellite TV
Further details indoors: On the ground floor the accommodation is bright and cheerful with a modern, fully equipped kitchen, cloakroom and a living/dining room with exposed beams and a log burning fireplace. French doors lead out to the pretty terrace, garden and swimming pool. From the living room a spiral staircase leads to a large, well furnished bedroom with a queen size bed and room for a cot and a further single.The views to the Pyrenees are breathtaking. Adjoining is a luxury bathroom with exposed beams, large bath, shower, bidet, wash hand basin and toilet.
A welcome pack containing basic groceries and a bottle of wine will be placed in the gite prior to your arrival at no extra charge.
A cleaning service can be provided at the end of your stay or by arrangement for a charge of £20.00 Although smoking is not allowed in the house, guests are permitted to smoke outdoors.
There is a small library in the gite [ both novels and non-fiction ] and a good selection of brochures for local sightseeing. There are also games and decks of cards.
Owners speak French, English, German and Spanish.
Further details outdoors: Outside the garden is laid to lawn with attractive flower beds and terraces surrounding a 10x5m heated swimming pool with roman steps.There is a beautiful area of parkland adjoining the main garden with seating beneath a wrought iron pagoda. At one end of the property is a lovely latticed open barn overlooking the pool and housing a covered barbecue area seating 12...perfect for dining on balmy summer evenings. There are sunloungers and parasols by the pool and table tennis, boules and bicycles for the more active. The house is situated at the end of a quiet country lane with pleasant walks nearby.
Guests may use the pool which has an approved security system, however, this will be entirely at their own risk .The owners cannot be held responsible for any accidents occuring in or around the pool. Use of the pool is dependent on the weather but is usually up and running from the end of May to the beginning of October.
"Manaoutou" is the owner's main residence and we look forward to welcoming you to our lovely home in this beautiful corner of France. Your happiness and welfare are important to us so if you have any special requests, please let us know in advance. We shall be discretely on hand to help unless the main house has been rented to other guests when we shall be nearby or contactable by telephone.
Transfers to and from airports can be arranged but car hire is strongly recommended as there is no local public transport.
Further details
Prices are per. week inclusive of towels, linen, electricity, fuel and T.V. We ask you to please provide your own swimming towels.
Rental dates are flexible but are usually from Saturday to Saturday, arrival after 4pm, departure before 10.30am. Alternative arrangements can be made with the owners.
Bed and Breakfast is also available at a cost of £45 per.night for a double room en-suite.
Please note that Wagtail Cottage can be booked together with" Manaoutou", the adjoining main house which is advertised here under property reference 56390. Rental for the main house with 3 bedrooms sleeping 8 is £800.00 per. week high season, £700.00 per.week mid season and £550.00 per.week low season. The main house is suitable for the elderly.
For special occasions and large family gatherings, both properties can be rented together for £1200.00 per week.
Rental rates
Rental prices originally quoted in: British £
Convert to:
Period
From
To
Weekly
Nightly rate
Minimum stay
Weekday
Weekend
May/Jun
1 May 08
1 Jul 08
375£ 375
4545
120120
Flexible
Jul/Aug
1 Jul 08
1 Sep 08
400£ 400
4545
120120
Flexible
Sep/Oct
1 Sep 08
1 Nov 08
375£ 375
4545
120120
Flexible
Nov/Dec
1 Nov 08
1 Jan 09
300£ 300
4545
120120
Flexible
Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr.
1 Jan 09
30 Apr 09
300£ 300
4545
120120
Flexible
41
The owner's weekend rates apply to: Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights
NB: Prices may be subject to change at the owner's discretion. Payment for rental may be in Pounds Sterling or Euros at the current exchange rate.We regret we do not have facilities to accept credit card payments.
A non-refundable deposit of 25% of the total amount due is required at the time of booking, the remaining balance to be paid 6 weeks before arrival. Bookings made less than 6 weeks prior to arrival must be paid in full and will be non-refundable unless the property can be re-let.
A refundable deposit of £150 will be required with your final payment against damage, loss or breakages during your stay. This will be returned in full following a satisfactory inspection of the property.
Guestbook
We look forward to welcoming you here during this, our first season and hope you will return home with many happy memories of the Hautes Pyrenees.
Availability notes
To see availability please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/56266
Click to view availability for this property.
Contact owner
To contact this owner please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/56266
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