Full Terms and Conditions and Guest Manual below
Terms and Conditions for direct bookings
La Goderie Gites
Full Terms and Conditions
TERMS & CONDITIONS – Self Catering Gite Rental
Please take a moment to read the following terms and conditions before you send us your booking deposit.
Payment
To reserve and secure your dates a non-refundable deposit of €300/£250 per gite is payable. Following receipt of monies a confirmation e-mail will be sent to the e-mail address provided on the booking form.
The Balance is payable 6 weeks prior to your arrival. Should payment not be received by that date the booking is cancelled and deposit forfeit.
Reservations made within 6 weeks of the start of rental period require payment in full at the time of reservation.
Number of Guests / Maximum Occupancy
The maximum numbers to occupy each property are clearly stated on each property description on the website. The number of occupants must not exceed those stated on the booking form.
If the number of guests exceeds the accommodation capacity, the service provider may refuse to accept additional guests. In this case, any amendment to or breaking of the Contract will be considered to be the guests initiative.
Booking Information
The price for Rental of each Gite is per week and includes bed linen and bath towels.
The refundable Security / Damages deposit of €250/£200 per gite would be due at the of final payment in a separate transaction.
The Deposit will be returned in full, subject to identifying any damages either upon departure or with 24 hours of departure.
The rental is inclusive of water, electricity and full use of the facilities provided.
Rental Period
The rental period commences at 3pm on the first day and ends at 10am on the last day of your booking.
Cancellation
It is recommended that you take out Insurance against Cancellation, Medical, Lost baggage etc whilst abroad. Due to any unforeseen circumstance should we have to cancel your booking, then a full refund will be provided without question, but no further liability will fall upon the owners.
Should you cancel the deposit, and final payment are non refundable.
Check In / Check Out
Period of Rental commences at 3pm on day of arrival, and ends at 10am on the day of departure.
Alterations to arrival and departure times are by prior arrangement only. If you arrive early we can look after your luggage until your gite is ready for you, you can use the facilities during this time.
House Rules
No smoking inside the property.
Pool towels can be provided free of charge, please confirm if towels are required prior to arrival.
Linens and bathroom towels are for use inside the gite only, they must not be taken out of the gite for use around the pool.
A BBQ is provided on each private terrace, and there is also use of a larger bbq / seating area when both gites are booked together, please clean the bbq’s after use, and on departure please ensure the bbq is left as you found it, cleaning equipment is provided for you to use.
Cleaning is not included during your stay, however should you wish for cleaning to take place this can be done at a supplement.
If you require fresh towels / change of bedding during your stay then this can also be accommodated at a supplement, for stays of 2 weeks a change will be automatically offered after your first week and is complimentary.
The client agrees to be a considerate tenant and take good care of the gite and facilities provided. The client also agrees to leave the property in a clean and tidy condition at the end of the rental period. If this is not the case then a cleaning charge of €50 will be levied and deducted from the damage/security deposit.
Pets allowed by prior arrangement and consent only.
Swimming Pool
The swimming pool will be opened 10.30am and close at approximately 7.30pm daily during pool opening times. The pool is for seasonal use and is opened late May and closed during the month of September. Weather permitting the pool could open earlier and be closed later.
All children under the age of 16 years must be accompanied and supervised by a responsible adult in the pool and pool area.
No glasses or glass bottles are to be taken to the pool / pool area. Please use the plastic cups / glasses provided should you wish to take drinks to the pool.
In the event of any water restrictions imposed by the Government the pool opening and closing times may have to be altered.
The Owners shall not be liable to the Client :-
- For any temporary defect or stoppage of supply of public service to the property, nor in respect of any equipment, plant, machinery, or appliance in the property or garden
- For the loss or damage or injury, which is the result of adverse weather conditions, riot, war, strikes or other matters beyond the control of the Owner
- Car parking allocated and at vehicle owners risk
- It is the Clients responsibility to ensure all children are supervised , particularly in and around the terrace areas, pool and stairways
Please note that we live on site, so are here on hand for anything you may need.
In order to maintain the pool and gardens and keep them all looking beautiful during your stay we may need to use gardening equipment but we will try not to disturb you for very long.
**Remember to check your and your children’s passports to make sure they are in date**
This contract shall be governed by French law
Guest Manual
Welcome to La Goderie Gites
Your Accomodation
La Grande Cheminee and Hirondelle
Your cottage has been converted from a traditional set of farm buildings which would have included a farm house and a collection of animal and storage barns. We are fortunate to have found such a beautiful building. There are many quirky handmade features including staircases, bookcases, and other carved furnishings. Please ask children especially to be careful of running their hands along the wood in case they get splinters. Please also be careful on the staircases as they may not be quite as flat and predictable as those you have at home.
Toilets and Septic Tank
Please do not flush anything down the toilet other than the toilet paper provided. We have very recently had new fosse septic tanks fitted, please do not cause blockages by putting anything down the toilet other than the fosse septic toilet paper provided.
Heating
Your cottage is heated by a wood/log burner with additional electric heaters upstairs.
Logs will be provided outside of peak season, additional logs can be purchased at a supplement.
Hot Water
There is nothing quite like a hot bath or shower. Your cottage/gite will be provided with a supply of hot water via a boiler and hot water storage system. Please do not alter the settings as it may interrupt your hot water supply. The water supply at La Goderie is both powerful and very hot. Please be careful running taps as the water is very hot. When using the shower or taps please ensure the cold water is run first and turned off last to prevent any scalding.
Smoking
There is a strict no smoking policy in the cottages/gites. An ashtray is provided and smoking only permitted outside. We respect your personal choice and will respect your wishes if you are alone, however, should you be using a communal area such as the barbeque, or swimming pool then we would greatly appreciate your consideration of others.
Things that you may need late at night on your first evening
We will prepare a fire for you, you will just need to light the firelighters and keep an eye on it, and add logs once the fire is hot, of course if we are around then we will get the fire lit for your arrival. Once the fire is lit the wood burner will become very hot, please warn and instruct your children not to touch the log burner to prevent any burns. Extra blankets are also provided . We will always provide you refreshments for you arrival so you can enjoy either a cold wine, beer or a hot tea or coffee.
Wood burner/Log burner
Your cottage is heated primarily by the wood burning stove so please, if you are cold, light a fire. It seems obvious but because of the physical nature of burning wood some people are worried about the cost. We are happy to supply a daily amount of wood, additional wood can be provided at a supplement.
Please keep firelighters and matches out of the reach of children.
Fires benefit from an ash base, so do not clean the ash out from the bottom of the fire, before lighting the wood, open the vents at the top and bottom of the doors, leave the ones at the top open.
At night or when you go out, close the vents at the top and bottom of the doors.
Please ensure the fire doors are locked whilst the fire is lit. This is an important safety feature.
CARE – the stove, doors and handles will get very hot, please use the spanner shaped handle to open the doors should you need to tend to the fire. Please do not let children near the fire.
Some further points
- Please close windows when you go out
- Please turn off lights when you are no longer using them
- Please swept and clean food waste regularly. We live in the countryside and, by keeping food waste to a minimum, we also discourage mice, flies, moles and other unwanted visitors.
La Goderie Maintenance
As you will see when you arrive, La Goderie is a large and complex property which takes a great deal of looking after and maintenance, this means that we will be working daily around the property to keep it looking as good as it can be.
Rubbish and re-cycling
The collection for rubbish and recycling is in Colombiers du Plessis. Turn right out of La Goderie, drive down to the village, turn right at the T junction (just passed the Mairie) and then left, it is very pretty, the bins are all signposted with what goes where.
The Garden
Please feel free to explore the garden. Please take care on the trampoline, it should only be used by one person at a time and can be dangerous if this advice is not followed. Please ensure children are careful when playing on the crazy/mini golf, clubs whether wooden or metal can really hurt someone if they unfortunately get struck with a club.
Pool Rules
All guests at La Goderie are required to sign a pool rules contract stating that they will properly supervise children under 16 – this is a law in France and is non negotiable, no matter how well children can swim.
The outdoor pool is open late May through to mid September, and is heated during this time.
The pool is open daily from 10.30am and closes at 8pm. The pool may periodically close 12 (midday) til 2pm for routine maintenance. Please use the pool towels provided, bathroom towels are not to be used around the pool area, and are for internal use only.
Covers
A summer cover will be provided for the pool, use of the cover will keep the water warmer and prevent dust and leaves falling into the water.
Some further tips to help you enjoy your stay
Inflatables, arm bands and other toys are not provided for guests due to insurance reasons. On occasion our family members may leave items around the pool, if they do, then you are welcome to use them but please do so at your own risk, you can also use your own inflatables, again the use of any inflatable would be at your own risk.
Please use the pool shower to clean yourselves off before using the pool.
Please use the pool equipment provided to remove fallen leaves from the pool if we are not present.
If you have an infectious or communicable disease, please avoid swimming.
Please do not take food or drink into the pool, plastic cups have been provided for use around the pool.
Running is not permitted around the pool
The Outdoor pool is 1.2 metres deep, as such is not deep enough for jumping or diving
Round and about
The nearest main centre is Mayenne which can be reached by vehicle in 25 minutes.
Laval is a larger centre and can be reached by vehicle in 35 minutes.
Both of these towns have hospitals, major shopping centres, many restaurants and bars and other eating establishments such as Burger King and McDonalds.
Locally there is Gorron, which can be reached by vehicle in 5 minutes. Here you will find 2 supermarkets, 2 petrol fillings stations, pharmacy, doctor, dentist, cinema, indoor swimming pool, DIY store, sports centre, football and tennis facilities, bars and restaurants. There is also a small fresh produce market every Wednesday 9 am until 1pm where you can purchase fresh bread, fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and cheeses
Colombiers-du-Plessis has a bar/restaurant O Village.....the village also has a botanical garden, they have a maise maze which is available June through until October, great fun for all the family.
Carelles is just 2 minutes away. There is a local shop, bar, tabac and restaurant all in the same establishment.
Ernee is a 15 minutes drive away, it is a larger town than Gorron but offers similar facilities.
Brece, just 10 minutes way has a Carp day fishing facility.
Change has a 9, 18 and 27 hole Golf courses - 35 minutes away.
Mont St Michel is 1 hr by vehicle, a must see during your stay !!
There are many pretty idyllic villages all within a 15/20 minute commute.
Ambrieres and St Frambault are just 15 minutes away both have water sport facilities.
Gorron, just 5 minutes away also offers a water sports facilities, paint balling, laser games, golf and Zipwires (Go Ape), fun for all the family!!
There is also a Riding School just 20 mins away.
Other Places of Interest
La Ferte Mace man made beach is well worth a visit in the summer. There is a cafe, toilets, parking and plenty of shade.
6 km from Bagnoles de l'Orne, a lake of 28 ha: lifeguard (July-August), Introduction to sailing, windsurfing, optimist boats, fishing, electric boats, pedal boats, kayaking, horse riding, climbing, mini-golf, rental of Bump, go-kart, picnic area, swing golf, restaurant, cottages.
Fougeres has a wonderful castle and has a huge market every Saturday until 1pm
Bagnoles de L’Orne is a beautiful Spa town, well worth a visit and just 45 minutes away
Domfront, is a medieval village with historical buildings, and just 30 minutes away
The Cascades in Le Neufbourgh, 35 minutes by car and is a fun day out, there is a Grande and also a petite cascade for all the family to enjoy (amazing to see after a rain fall).
In the event of an Emergency call 112
Our full address is La Goderie, 53120, Columbiers du Plessis
We are situated on the Route de Carelles (D504).
The Pharmacy in Gorron have English speaking staff, all staff are very helpful
Thankyou for choosing to stay with us at La Goderie
We live on site so are on hand most of the time for all your needs or queries.
Please enjoy your stay
Debbie and Guy x
