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PRICES 2013
Booking starts Saturday in:
Jan/Feb £275
Mar-May £345
June-Sep £425
Oct-Dec £275
Life £100,000
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You're almost there - in an Area of Outstanding Beauty!

Book it for me!

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  • We had a wonderful time in France and loved the cottage. We quickly made friends with Bernard and Marie-Therese , enjoying cider and Calvados with them and they with us.
  • We much appreciated the space of the cottage, two bathrooms, decent cutlery and crockery, a decent cooker, etc, etc. and the situation was "trés douce, trés tranquille".
  • Your Gite is really very nice the beds are comfortable the two bathrooms great, very nice crockery and cutlery, and nicely furnished. It is so peaceful and the ducks were great. Eating out there was so good and so cheap, we couldnt believe how cheap.
  • We really appreciated the standard of furniture and white goods and felt the gite was very comfortable and homely. We also liked the crockery and especially the cutlery (Arthur Price no less!).
  • Everything was as good as you'd advertised. It is a most delightful setting. plenty of hot water and excellent shower. Great position, great location.
  • We got vegetables from the farm together with "Calva" and eggs to bring home and we spoke in French the whole time !! Discussions on Iraq and local politics were interesting to say the least !! Still you can be fluent in any language after a few glasses of the local brew !!
  • Had reservations, being a townie but it grew on us. In my minds eye I have moved in permanently! Love the peacefulness and the countryside. Been to the American cemetery, had lump in my throat. Had lovely time, gone too quick!
"Frogs by Rosbif" is my blog, mere musings not he French and their happy little ways.
Wizard Wonky is a great children's entertainer. Imagine a not-very-clever Wizard, hopeless at magic, brilliant at Balloon Animals and games. That's me - a real Wizard in gown and hat. Wherever there are children - and you wish there weren't - I'll keep them entertained!
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Using the ferries you'll probably arrive at Le Havre (hour and a half to us), Caen (an hour) or Cherbourg (hour and a half) with Brittany Ferries leaving via Portsmouth or Poole. Some are shorter drives but longer sea crossings. How to choose? It's more to do with the timing of your departure and arrival!
LD Lines are very cheap but travel only overnight from Portsmouth to Le Havre.
To the east of Britain you have more choices. That Channel Tunnel for one. But also many ferry crossings to France exist at all times and prices.
Remember...

  • Drive on the right. They nearly always do!
  • Traffic lights often jump from red to green
  • Pull right up to the lights - and watch the baby traffic lights on the post next to drivers window
  • A blinking amber means you can go, but so can all the others - so be careful!
  • Roundabouts. Turn right into them. But traffic entering a roundabout that has traffic lights has right of way over those already on it. You have to stop to let them come onto the roundabout when their lights go green!
  • Roads often have 2 numbers, they may be an N road and an E road for a bit.


Holiday France Direct - Save on Brittany Ferries when you book this property


And where are we? Please click here for a map!

From Caen
The nearest port to us is Caen - about 50 km. You dock at Ouistreham and get straight onto the ring road round Caen. Follow it round - you are heading initially for Cherbourg/Rennes (not Paris/Liseux), then Rennes but very soon there is a turn off for Vire. And after a bit you turn off that road for Vire again. When you get to Vire you arrive at a roundabout … now you need to jump down to read the "From Vire" bit.
From Le Havre
Head for Caen (about 75 km) - tricky if it's dark and raining, lots of underpasses. There are 3 tollgates between le Havre and Caen taking a few euros each. usually the gate on the right takes cash. When you get to Vire you arrive at a roundabout … now you need to jump to read the "From Vire" bit.
From Cherbourg
It's about 120km (80 miles) to our gite, mostly fast and empty roads.
When you come off the ship at Cherbourg they take you in a big sweep round to the left. As you leave the port area you reach a roundabout. You do not turn right to go into Cherbourg itself. If you need petrol go round to the ESSO garage first. Otherwise ...
Go for Lo
... go straight over this roundabout for Caen/St Lo. St Lo is the sign to watch for because it splits after half an hour and we don't want to follow the Caen signs then.
So. You now go along a causeway by the sea, there's another roundabout and turn for...Caen/St Lo. You are on the N13/E3. It is the E3 you are following, however!
Once through Tourlaville (which is really part of Cherbourg) you go up a long hill to the top.
At the roundabout there you can go straight over and after a few hundred metres turn into Auchan. A big cheap supermarket with other shops and a cafe. Not a bad place to stock up with provisions for your first day.
Or you round to the 3rd exit (that's left) and head off for St Lo. Go past the turnings for Valognes, Ste Maire Eglise (where the WW2 parachutist hung from the church tower). You're 50km from Cherbourg now. Turn for St Lo.
Notice Vire-sur-this and That-sur-Vire and other types of Vire! You want VIRE! As I write this they are beginning to join up various sections of new motorway but basically - follow signs for Vire.
When you get to Vire you arrive at a roundabout … now you need to jump down to read the "From Vire" bit.
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From Vire to our gite
So, you're at this roundabout (it has a hotel called Campanile on the north side of it). You go south and drop down and up into Vire itself. You go past the trading estates and superstores. Watch the lanes here, they seem to want you in the right lane, then the left lane - all for going straight on up the hill.
Then over the main roundabout in the center of Vire. Straight over the roundabout, down the hill, through the lights at the bottom of the hill and up out of town on the D577 for 10 km (6 miles). Down and up three times - the last time is up and then up again. Look for the sign to Chateau Chaulieu (pictured on the left) and the village of Chaulieu at the top of the hill and...
Not much left

... turn left on the D39. After 3km (2 miles) you reach a crossroads... ... turn left (your second nearest Bar/Tabac/Boulangerie is on this crossroads) on the D498 for 1km (0.7 miles). Then ... ... turn left at the Chateau sign for 2km (1.5 miles).
Each road has got progressively narrower!
All the while you've been following signs for Chateau Chaulieu. You'll see the Chateau on your left after a kilometre, and we're a kilometre further on. You come to a hamlet (Bernard lives here on the left and we're just across the little valley), the road swings right - look over to your left and there's our cottage. The road then swings left in a semicircle, you go along 20 metres and you turn left down our drive.
Right?
Or...
Try this way for an alternative route in and out of the cottage via Maisoncelles. It is also the quick route to the supermarkets, Caen, Bayeaux and all points north west.
As you drop out of Vire, through the lights at the bottom of the hill. Then only about 250m after the lights, turn left and then right. There is a signpost for Maisoncelles up on the wall. You drive along the side of the Vire, though a tiny suburb called Vaudry (remember Vaudeville started here!).
Keep going til you reach Maisoncelles la Jourdan. Note the cafe/bar and shop. Go through the village and after about 1km turn right. Then go over the little crossroads (where the rubbish bags are put on Sunday night) and keep going til you see the cottage.
You'll arrive from behind our cottage, so it wont be easily visible as it is set back on the right. You should notice the sign 'Le Bisson' and see our neighbours farm first, then the drive that drops to our cottage. If you see a sign for Les Mesleries (our neighbours in front - Bernard) or even see the Chateau, you've gone well past it.
If you come at night there isn't a lot more I can do short of daubing the cottage in luminous paint. A good map (the link on our front page is here too!) and these instructions will get you there. Be sure to get to the road with the Chateau on it and you'll be alright.
More pictures, so you'll recognise the entrance etc are on the At Gite page.
Incidentally
When returning to Cherbourg don't follow the Car signs for the ferry. For some unknown reason they take you into the left of the town and you have to go right across Cherbourg. It's busy enough at the best of times, but at ferry time - and it may be rush hour too...
Follow the Truck signs instead. It'll take you in exactly the same way that you came out. Far quicker.
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PRICES 2013
Booking starts Saturday in:
Jan/Feb £275
Mar-May £345
June-Sep £425
Oct-Dec £275
Life £100,000