rural gîtes are popular with French families

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In the Dangeard family, there are parents, children, spouses, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Four generations, a lot of people for the holidays. So this year, for the first time, the family decided to rent a gîte in the Paris region. “As the family grows, we can no longer entertain at home and put everyone to bed, it is no longer possible.” explains Annie Dangerard.

In the kitchen, everything is planned. Everyone takes turns eating a meal. “This lunchtime, it’s chicken, curry, zucchini and spelled. You have to find things that everyone likes so it’s not always easy, but we managed“, confides Caroline Odiau-Lamiset.

15 people to accommodate, as well as dogs. To find the rare pearl, they had to do it in advance, with the difficulty of finding a place that suited everyone: those who live in Alsace, those arriving from Nantes (Loire-Atlantique), Angers (Maine-et-Loire) or Île-de-France. “It goes back and forth on Whatsapp groups. We started the search at the end of March, beginning of April, and I think we must have fixed the shelter at the end of April.” says Laurent Dangerard.

Rental price for three nights: 2,300 euros, or 150 euros per person. At this price, the Île-de-France gîte is fully booked for the holidays. “Families who wish to regroup by bringing children from different places in France often need a larger number of beds. And that, there are very few of us. And whether it is Christmas week or New Year’s week, (…) it is booked very well in advance”, confirms François Petit, the owner.

A large house in which to gather, the trend is confirmed. At the foot of the tree, for the gîtes in France, the occupancy rate is 85%, as well as in 2024. In Hauts-de-France, in the middle of the fields, Isabelle Lagarde, from the Gard, Françoise, her sister who arrived from the Paris region, meet with husbands and children in a four-room gîte. A convenient place for everyone, and the joy of spending a week together. “It’s about meeting up in a place, in fact, so that we have time, because when you’re with broken families all over the place, you don’t see each other that often. So, it’s when we see each other, at least, we settle down”she said.

Here too, the lodge has been booked for months. Budget: 900 euros per week, cheaper than a hotel. “It’s a bit like a gift, a rental. Afterwards, there are little gifts to open, but that’s the gift, the fact of renting something together. And I think it’s a gift for everyone“, she continues. Parties with family or friends, for a breather before reconnecting with the rhythm of everyday life.