Manche 

French Holiday Cottages – Manche Self Catering Cottages, Villas & Gites 

Search Rent-in-France for self catering Manche holiday cottages, gites and villas, France. Manche is a department in the Basse-Normandie region of France situated in the North West of France on the coast of the English Channel. Its name comes from the French saying La Manche (“the sleeve”) which in French refers to the English Channel. With around 350 km of beautiful coastline, three sides of the department are surrounded by the English Channel, the others by the neighbouring departments of  Orne, Mayenne, Calvados and Ille-et-Vilaine. Manche is also home to the islands of Chausey and it includes the Cotentin Peninsula. Manche inhabitants are known as Manchots or Manchois. Stay in a Self Catering Manche holiday home - the perfect retreat for a walking and cycling holiday or for simply sightseeing and enjoying the heritage of the area.

Places to visit in Manche, France 

Mont-St-Michel - Rent a Manche Holiday Cottage and visit this stunning town famed for its Romanesque and gothic buildings. Mont-St-Michel is a magnet for tourists and attracts around three million people every year to this wonderful town, known to some as the jewel in the crown for the region of Basse- Normandie. The impressive former Benedictine Abbey dominates the view of the town, once used as a jail after the French revolution and it is now classified as a historic building that is recognised as a pilgrim site. The Mont-St-Michel bay is known for its incredibly fast moving tides which are some of the biggest in Europe at a massive 17 metres.

Granville - Located high on a cliff, Granville is known to the French as the northern Monaco. This is mainly due to its wonderful architecture of beautiful white granite houses. The fishing and sailing port is situated below where you can also visit the lovely beach.

Coutances - Many believe the town Coutances to be the prettiest town in the whole of Normandy. The magnificent 11th to 13th century cathedral is the towns main attraction. Visit Coutances during you holiday rental in Manche and enjoy the extremely peaceful and relaxed atmosphere along with well kept gardens and safe streets. The town is also home to an art museum and botanical garden and is well known across France for its delicious cheese.

Saint- Lô - Nicknamed the capital of the ruins Saint- Lô is the capital of Manche. Its nickname comes from the fact that the town was almost totally destroyed during the Battle of Normandy in World War II. After a long debate whether to rebuild the town after its destruction or leave the ruins as a testimony of the bombings it was finally decided to rebuild the town and today it is regarded as a centre of French gastronomy. Visit the craggy wild granite coastline which makes way for a number of long sandy beaches and beautiful white cliffs.  

Cherbourg-Octeville - regarded as the biggest city in Manche and the second largest in the Basse-Normandie region, second only to Caen. Home to the largest artificial harbour in the world due to its rich maritime heritage. Located at the North end of the Cotentin Peninsula, the city was formed when the city of Cherbourg absorbed Octeville back in February 2000 and it was then officially renamed Cherbourg-Octeville.  

Manche has an oceanic climate. The mild winter months rarely see the temperature drop below zero and the summer months see the average temperatures reach around 25°C. There is often a sea breeze found along the coast which combined with the sea and the tides mean the temperature during a single day can change rather quickly. Rainfall is common during the autumn months and the coastal areas see a fair amount. sometimes all the way up to spring  The west coast of Manche benefits from the influence of the Gulf stream, this allows naturalisation of many Mediterranean and exotic plants such as mimosas, agaves and palms.

Getting to a self catering holiday rental in Manche, France is relatively easy to reach. Rennes airport in Brittany receives a number of direct flights from the UK which are provided by Flybe. There are also a number of airports in the region of Normandy with links to Paris. Although it’s not on the TGV route The region is well connected by rail to Paris, alternatively there is one TGV service that connects Le Havre and Cherbourg direct to the Channel Tunnel which is a rather cheap and relatively easy way to reach your holiday destination in Manche. Being between 200 and 300 km from Calais driving may be an option at a good price. Both passenger and car Ferries run from the south coast of England to Cherbourg, Le Havre, St Malo and Caen. 

Overall Manche offers you a beautiful natural environment with its fine agriculture being the main supporter of the local economy. A Rent-in-France self catering holiday rental in Manche will leave you impressed and inspired by the relaxed and natural way of life you will experience during your stay. Some say that there is nowhere better than Manche  to enjoy a relaxing French holiday experience with plenty of activities on offer, beautiful countryside, clean air and some stunning scenery!