Maine et Loire 

Self catering Cottages France - Maine et Loire Holiday Rental Cottages & Gites

Search Rent in France for self catering holiday rental cottages and gites in Maine et Loire, France– Book direct with the owner. Part of the current region of Pays de la Loire, Maine et Loire is surrounded by the following neighbouring departments, Mayenne, Vienne, Vendee, Sarthe, Deux-Sevres, Loire-Atlantique, Indre et Loire and Ille et Vilaine. The department is home to a variety of landscapes, the forested hills in the north and south are separated by the valley of the Loire River with it’s rich orchards and vineyards, Coilline des Gardes at approximately 690 ft is the highest point. Stay in a Maine-et-Loire Holiday home and enjoy the meandering rivers in the centre or venture out to the rocky coastlines of the south. This agricultural department of Western France attracts over 2 million visitors each and every year. Maine et Loire is one of the largest departments in France with a population of approximately 750,000 inhabitants across and an area of around 7,166 sq/m.  The largest city in the department is the prefecture of Angers.

Places to visit during your self catering holiday rental in Maine et Loire, France

Angers With a population of around 157,00 inhabitants, the city traces its roots to the early Roman  times. The city is located on both banks of the Maine river which is spanned by six bridges. The areas along the river are home to some magnificent flourishing nurseries and market gardens. Take a French self catering holiday cottage and be sure to pay Angers a visit where you can find a large selection of freshly cut flowers and fresh produce available to purchase. 

Cholet Approximately 50km from Nantes and located on the right bank of the Maine river, Cholet used to be the capital of military Vendee. Access to Cholet used to be by a bridge that crossed the river constructed in the 15th century. The old castle is now the site of a magnificent public garden and many of the churches and public buildings are modern as they were only constructed in the 1930s. The textile museum is definitely worth a visit during your holiday in Maine et Loire where you can see the traditional machines that were once used to make the famous handkerchiefs that the town produced. 

Saumur A historic town which is located between the Thouet and Loire rivers. This elegant middle class town is home to a graceful chateau, the Chateau de Saumur which stands high above the town and there are a number of beautiful town houses that are spread out along the banks of the river below. Surrounding this wonderful town is a number of vineyards which produce some of France’s finest wines. 

Doue-la-Fontaine Located in the heart of Anjou, Doue la Fontaine is only a few kilometres away from the Loire Valley great Châteaux. 

Savennieres Famous for its particularly long lasting dry white wine and production of wine, Savennieres is situated near the Loire river approximately 10 miles south west of Angers. Surrounding the town there are over two hundred hectares of vineyards with around 50% still being in production today. 

There is never a bad time of year to take a self catering holiday rental in Maine et Loire due to its mild climate both in the summer and winter months. The summers often experience very hot days with the average temperature in the summer period hitting an impressive 26°C. The winters are relatively mild with the temperature remaining around  8°C. 

Getting to the Maine et Loire department from outside of France is relatively easy. The main airport is Angers Loire airport which receives flights from London City (BA/Flybe) and Edinburgh in Scotland through Flybe. Nantes is approximately 40 miles away and its major airport, Nantes Atlantique is connected to London’s Stansted airport and receives regular flights from Ryanair. Alternatively the department is well connected by rail, the TGV  high speed line means there is a service available that will get you from Paris to Angers is approximately 1 ½ hours.