Where the passion for cycling
can be combined with a perfect
family holiday.
www.velogites.com
VéloGîtes
Your holiday
________________ Welcome to VéloGîtes, based
in the glorious French depart-
ment of the Vienne, which is
blessed with a rolling
landscape of greenery. With
attractions for all the family,
your stay at VéloGîtes will be
unforgettable.
VéloGîtes is a gîte complex
set in 10 acres of land situated
on the slopes leading down to
the river Vienne. The 200
hundred year old converted
barn with oak beams has
been sympathetically
restored and offers 6 separate
gîtes, which can be rented
individually or as a unit,
offering accommodation for
up to 40 people. The business
was launched in August 2019
by the husband and wife team
of Graham and Kathy Glass
who have a clear objective to
provide an unrivalled holiday
experience for guests.
The vibrant village of Availles
-Limouzine is just a ten-
minute stroll from your front
door where you can collect
fresh croissants and bread to
start your day in a perfect
way.
Whilst VéloGîtes offers the
perfect location for cycling
holidays, guests who do not
wish to explore the local
roads on a bicycle can rest
assured that a stay at
VéloGîtes is first and
foremost a wonderful
family destination with
access to a petting zoo, a
gorgeous swimming pool and
lots of local activities.
Bookings are now being taken
for holidays from 4th April
2020, so reserve quickly in
order to get your chosen
dates.
January 2020 www.velogites.com : [email protected] : 00 33 (0) 604026915 2
Le Gîte de la Bussière - 4 bedrooms, max occupancy 10, 144m2
Le Gîte de la Nature - 3 bedrooms, max occupancy 5, reduced mobility suite, 103m2
Le Gîte du Pêcheur - 3 bedrooms, maximum occupancy 7, 132m2
Le Gîte de la Ferme - 2 bedrooms, maximum occupancy 5, 88m2
Le Vélo Gîte - 2 bedrooms, maximum occupancy 5, 88m2
Le Gîte Vignoble - 3 bedrooms, maximum occupancy 8, 149m2
The business was launched in August 2019
and improvements to the centre started
immediately. First on the list of important
works was to create a new 12m x 6m
swimming pool contained within a secure
fenced area of 550m2 which has stunning
views over the village.
The gîtes are all perfectly presented, a
makeover under the careful eye of Kathy has
seen them brought up to a very high standard
in time for our opening in April 2020. The
impressive foyer serves as a rendez-vous
point for all our guests and leads to the
individual entrances to the gîtes. On the
mezzanine in the foyer, there is a huge screen
and a ‘chill’ zone.
Up to 40 people can be accommodated within
the gîtes. Each gîte will have its own ‘theme’
and will be named appropriately.
VéloGîtes
________________
January 2020 www.velogites.com : [email protected] : 00 33 (0) 604026915 3
Emma-Jayne Sarahs
We have just returned from a wonderfully relaxing week at VéloGîtes. The location is absolutely
beautiful, so peaceful and calm with the feeling of being miles from anywhere yet only a 10 minute
walk to the village. A stroll down the private path takes you past the daily group of octogenarians
enjoying a game of pétanque, a children’s play park and walks along the beautiful riverside are just
nearby. The village bakery for freshly baked breakfast pastries is an absolute must along with a trip
to the local restaurant for a truly authentic evening along with the best burgers and pizzas in town
and all within easy walking distance. The locals are so welcoming, they don’t walk past you without a
smile and a ‘bonjour’. Within the grounds, there is a children’s play area, acres of beautiful space to
walk through, collecting conkers, looking for the wildlife, picking mushrooms and just enjoying the
tranquility. A short drive away there is plenty of activities with Kathy and Graham personally visiting
the attractions with their family so that can provide guests with genuine recommendations. The gîtes
are all so spacious, and individual with each having its own unique character. The hosts Kathy and
Graham are so welcoming and helpful, despite only having the gîtes a couple of months it is clear
that they are working hard putting in 100% making VéloGîtes the place to stay! We are looking for-
ward to visiting next year, especially to enjoy the new swimming pool and to see how the gîtes have
been transformed with Kathy’s artistic flair. Thank you for such a fabulous stay !
Dominic Palmeri
We stayed in gîte 9 brilliant accommodation lovely views; his and hers sink in the bathroom. We
cooked one night and everything was there to make any dinners you want. They even have a
Washing machine for your clothes and a dishwasher so you don’t have wash up. These are the most
spacious gîtes I have ever stayed in.
There is a nice short cut to walk into the village and the views over the Vienne river are fantastic,
only wish I had my coarse fishing gear with me. This would also be an excellent place for a group of
fisherman to use as a base and explore all the area has to offer.
We cant wait to return, highly recommended!
Pete le Grange
So I booked this as a short break before starting my Skiing season and lucky I did.. Graham was very
knowledgeable on the area & very welcoming, as was the accommodation.
Really enjoyed the stay, can’t wait for the new Pool to get finished as I’ve already booked next year’s
trip for the Summer.
Ps: the village is a short walk if you fancy a couple of drinks but be sure to take your torch along for
your return if you are going at night. Best of luck with the rest of your refurbishment & be seeing you.
Reviews
________________
January 2020 www.velogites.com : [email protected] : 00 33 (0) 604026915 4
Cycling ________________
The search for VéloGîtes’
perfect location took over
eighteen months with a list of
important criteria:
1) Accessible to all—we are
just 4 hours from St. Malo,
Caen and Paris.
2) Terrain—cyclists want
varied terrain, flat roads can
be dull, but mountains can be
off-putting.
3) Scenery— part of the joy of
cycling in a different region is
experiencing a variety of
sights from riding through
forests, tree-lined roads, past
sunflower fields and visiting
historic villages.
4) Road quality and traffic —
We are amazed by the local
roads, they are in a great
condition and traffic is very
light.
VéloGîtes has all of this and
we have created Strava routes
to explore our region, each
ride has a different quality.
We grade each route for Dis-
tance, Hills, Scenery and
Road Quality with an overall
rating given. The route notes
have been saved in a PDF for-
mat and can be downloaded
on to smartphones.
An example of a route is
included in this brochure.
Mountain bike riders are also
well-catered for, with the first
route just 50 meters from our
doorstep.
A wash station for bikes is
available to keep your pride
and joy in tip-top condition
and bike storage is also
catered for.
We also have an equipped
workshop for onsite repairs.
January 2020 www.velogites.com : [email protected] : 00 33 (0) 604026915 5
Tour de France “special”
________________
The Tour de France is the most iconic bike race in the word. VéloGîtes offers you the possibility
now of booking your holiday with us from April 2020 and we are delighted to announce that the
Tour de France will be passing nearby, not just once, but twice!
On 15th October 2019, the route was announced and we have truly lucked out. Stage 11 AND 12
will be thundering past within easy striking distance of us, so book now to be sure of getting a
place!
What better way to spend the second week in July; watch Le Tour; cycle stunning routes, chill
out around the pool, book some fantastic adventures and of course, have some refreshing
drinks as you watch the sun set over the magnificent view from your gîte at VéloGîtes!
The bookings for this week are flexible, with availability starting on 5th July for 5 of the gîtes
and the full complex is available from the 6th July. For more details including the
accommodation options and layouts, please visit our website www.velogites.com or call
00 33 60 40 26 915.
January 2020 www.velogites.com : [email protected] : 00 33 (0) 604026915 6
VéloGîtes
________________
January 2020 www.velogites.com : [email protected] : 00 33 (0) 604026915 7
All gîtes offer the following: -
· A fantastic welcome pack for stays in
excess of three days;
· Sunflower oil, salt, pepper, instant
coffee, tea, sugar, washing up liquid;
· Hairdryer;
· Bath, hand and pool towels;
· An electric fan;
· ADSL internet access;
· BBQ;
· Outdoor table and chairs;
· Bed linen is included and all beds are made
up on arrival;
· Travel cots, highchairs and changing-mats,
are available;
· Combined smoke and carbon monoxide
alarm.
VéloGîtes
________________
January 2020 www.velogites.com : [email protected] : 00 33 (0) 604026915 7
• Fishing—for the “pêcheurs” amongst us, the
river Vienne is just five minutes from your
holiday centre. Carp weighing up to 40lbs
are regularly caught and the village hosts an
international carp fishing contest every year.
Close by is the Lac de Villedon where the
“Beast”, a carp of nearly 80lbs awaits some
lucky fishermen!
• Guests who enjoy a faster pace of life will be
extremely happy that the Val de Vienne race-
track is only a ten minute drive from Availles
-Limouzine. Track days can be booked and a
full calendar of events are scheduled for 2020
including the Ferrari weekend where up to
500 of Pinarello’s finest creations will be
racing against each other (4th June to 7th
June 2020) www.circuitvaldevienne.com/
• Adrenaline junkies; don’t worry, we’ve got
that covered as well! A 15 minute drive from
VéloGîtes and you will arrive at L’Isle
Jourdain and its 130ft viaduct. You can
Bungee from the top or take a 1,500ft zipline
through its arches. After that, why not « go
Ape » with tree-top courses set for all
abilities. www.oxygene40.com/
• Another adrenaline rush is the « Gliss-Up »
water slide parc 40 minutes from us. It
consists of different tracks, comparable to
ski-slopes from beginner, advanced and up
to expert. A ramp at the end of the slope will
throw you up in to the air, landing in the
water below. The park is open to those aged
4 and above! www.gliss-up.fr/
Things to do
________________ Whilst cyclists are extremely well catered for at VéloGîtes, we are delighted to offer
guests a huge amount of other family-orientated activities: -
January 2020 www.velogites.com : [email protected] : 00 33 (0) 604026915 8
• Futuroscope, world famous and one of
France’s biggest attractions is only 1 hour
from our doors. Futuroscope is a theme park
based upon multimedia, cinematographic
futuroscope and audio-visual techniques. It
has several 3D cinemas and a few 4D
cinemas, along with other attractions and
shows, some of which are the only examples
in the world. http://en.futuroscope.com
• Vallée des Singes is a fantastic sanctuary for
apes and monkeys where the key feature is
that you are literally surrounded by them!
(Although not the gorillas and chimpanzees
which are kept at a safe distance!) The park
was the first free-roaming primate park in
the world. www.la-vallee-des-singes.fr
• Planète Crocodile is another animal based
attraction where over 200 reptiles can be
seen—are you brave enough to view them
from the elevated walkway above the
centre!! The centre also has snakes, lizards
and turtles; a great way to spend a few hours,
especially if it is raining!
http://planete-crocodiles.net/
Things to do
________________ Of course, our region isn’t just famous for the wide variety of sporting and adrenaline
fueled activities, there are plenty more activities for guests to enjoy:-
On-site facilities include a children's play-area with trampolines and climbing frames,
a pétanque court, table tennis, table football and 10 acres in which to take a stroll!
There are also so many other family activities within a short distance from VéloGîtes.
Guests can walk down to the village of Availles-Limouzine (roughly 1,500 steps for
those interested!) and wander along the gorgeous river banks of the Vienne. Nearby
villages of Saint Germain with its 12th century château and Confolens make an ideal
day-trip for visitors. Please contact us if you would like more information on things to
do in our region.
January 2020 www.velogites.com : [email protected] : 00 33 (0) 604026915 9
La Châtellenie - a fantastic boutique hotel
in the centre of the village offering “haute
cuisine” food created by head chef
Thomas. The food is a subtle blend of
seasonal and local produce and their
menu is refreshed weekly.
www.lachatellenie.fr
Chez Cécile - another restaurant in the
centre of Availles-Limouzine. This is a
must visit when you stay at Vélogîtes. A
burger / steak / pizza lovers delight;
Cécile is married to the town butcher so
you can be assured that the meat is only
the best quality.
Laitgendaire - This café is located in the
former tourist office in the center of the
village. It serves quality coffee and re-
freshments along with farm fresh home-
made crepes, waffles, ice cream, cream
teas, soup, toasted sandwiches,
homemade pies and baguettes.
www.laitgendaire.com
Restaurants
________________
Availles-Limouzine is a fantastic village full of hustle and bustle! From Spring onwards
it comes alive with visitors who take advantage of the many places to eat in the village
and surrounding towns. Our highlights in Availles-Limouzine are: -
All of these restaurants are located within easy walking distance of VéloGîtes but
there are plenty more to chose from just a short drive away, even Fish and Chips in
Confolens! Please contact us for more recommendations.
January 2020 www.velogites.com : [email protected] : 00 33 (0) 604026915 10
Your hosts
________________ Graham is a keen cyclist who recently
completed a 1,150km ride from St Malo to
Amsterdam and who, after doing
extensive research, realised that it was
almost impossible to fuel a passion for
Cycling, whilst taking a family holiday
where other members may want to just
chill out around the pool or explore the
local areas.
Kathy has been involved with the service
sector for her entire career and loves
nothing more than providing a warm
welcome for all our guests. She was
awarded a Guernsey customer service
award voted for by her clients and has a
passion for interior design which is
reflected in the renovated gites.
January 2020 www.velogites.com : [email protected] : 00 33 (0) 604026915 11
Contact us
Address VéloGîtes
Lieu de la Bussière
86460
Availles-Limouzine
France
Telephone +33 (0) 604026915
Email [email protected]
January 2020 www.velogites.com : [email protected] : 00 33 (0) 604026915 12
Example route
________________
January 2020 www.velogites.com : [email protected] : 00 33 (0) 604026915