Welcome to Holidays-Normandy!

We’re delighted to welcome you to our peaceful corner of Normandy. Whether you're here for a family holiday, a nature escape, or a relaxing break with friends, we hope you feel at home from the moment you arrive. This guide is here to help you settle in and enjoy your stay. 💚

🏡 Welcome from Your Hosts

Hello! We’re Sam & Lee; we are your hosts here at Holidays-Normandy. We live on the property with Sam’s mum Kay, and our rescued animals (including our llamas 🦙) and are always happy to help if you need anything during your stay.* This gîte is our family dream – and we’re so excited to share it with you!

*Sam is very quick to respond on WhatsApp messages +33(0)7 67 55 45 14

📋 Quick Reference

  • 🛜 Wi-Fi: Network name and password can be found in the kitchen
  • 👋 Check-out: by 10:00am on your departure day.
  • 🛒 Nearest supermarket: Carrefour Market Rue de la Planche Maurice 50200 Coutances – 5 minutes by car.
  • ⚕️ Nearest pharmacy: Coutances centre – We recommend Pharmacie du Parvis, 1 Pl. du Parvis Notre Dame, 50200 Coutances (you can park for free in the Pl. du Parvis Notre Dame, in front of the beautiful Cathedral car park)
  • 🗑️♻️ Bin & recycling: Please separate and use the bins provided (yellow for general rubbish, green for paper, plastics and metals, blue for glass including bottles). Please only use the bin bags provided!! (If you run out, just let us know)
  • 🏛️ Tourist tax: Already included or payable on arrival.
  • 🆘 In an emergency: Call 112 (emergency services EU-wide).
    • Emergency medical call 15 - SAMU
    • Centre Hospitalier de Coutances: services des urgences (register a medical emergency with SAMU) - 02 33 47 40 00
    • Police call 17 - Police / Gendarmerie
    • Brigade de gendarmerie (to follow up from 17 call if needed) - Coutances - 0 800 112 112
    • Fire Department call 18 – Pompiers
  • 🐾 Vets (if needed for animals): We use (and are very happy with) Clinique Vétérinaire de La Sienne - 5 Rue des Entrepreneurs, 50450 Gavray-sur-Sienne (15 minutes drive) - 02 33 61 40 43

🔐 House Info & Rules

  • 🚭 No smoking indoors please 🚭 – Ashtrays are provided in the outside spaces
  • 🤫 Quiet hours start at midnight
  • 🐾 Pets are welcome, but please clean up after them
  • 📃 Appliance guides are in the (huge!) folder by the sink:
    • TV Pass code (if needed): 1234
    • There is a Netflix guest account available for your use on the television, no password required
    • The internet radio allows Bluetooth, Spotify connectivity, USB input etc. Some radio stations are pre-programmed
    • There is a Bluetooth speaker for your use in the kitchen, can be taken to the pool area (30-hour battery life when fully charged), please do not remove it from the property
  • Please let us know if anything breaks or needs replacement
  • 👟 Please remove shoes in the gîte – there is a shoe rack by the front door
  • 🧻 Please only use toilet paper that is suitable for septic tanks, and please do not overload the toilet with paper
  • When buying toilet paper, you will need to search for: “convient pour les fosse septiques” (see separate section later)
  • Only put this toilet paper down the toilet, for anything else (sanitary products, face wipes etc. please use the bin provided in the bathroom)
  • ⚠️ Do not unplug the plugged-in items in the bedroom on the ground floor! This is the internet connection and the heat pump for the hot water (and heating)
  • Please use the coasters provided for glasses or cups

📍 Directions & Access

  • The Ursula gîte has what3words assigned that can be used to locate it what3words: ///nabab.flûtiste.maximal Follow this link and you will get the exact location using your preferred navigation tool – This will also be included in your pre-arrival email
  • 🅿️ Secure parking is available just behind the gîte in the drive of the main house “La Ruche” – Please ensure the entrance gate is properly shut so the resident dog Brien (very friendly but sometimes noisy as he is deaf) doesn’t go wandering.
  • 💡 There is a light at the front of the gîte we can leave on if you arrive after dark (let us know your ETA in the Pre-Arrival form)
  • 🔐 Key code will be provided in your pre-arrival email

🛒 Local Shops & Essentials

  • Supermarkets:
    • Carrefour Market Coutances – Rue de la Planche Maurice (ATM inside)
    • Intermarché Coutances – Av. Division Leclerc (ATM inside)
    • Lidl Coutances – 41 Av. Division Leclerc
    • Leclerc Coutances – 9027 Av. Division Leclerc (ATM inside)
  • 💶 ATMs also available at all major banks in Coutances centre
  • 🥖 Boulangerie: La Gourmandise – 5 Av. de Verdun, Coutances
  • 🧺 Market Days:
    • Coutances – Thursday morning
    • Gavray – Wednesday/Saturday mornings
    • Parking for these will be limited close by so following are recommended:
    • Coutances Parking Duhamel, Bd Legentil de la Galaisière, 50200 Coutances, France – 5 minute stroll up to the cathedral
    • Gavray – park on entrance road to the vets - ) Clinique Vétérinaire de La Sienne - 5 Rue des Entrepreneurs, 50450 Gavray-sur-Sienne, it’s a 5 minute stroll into the village
  • ⚕️ Pharmacie Centrale – Coutances
  • ⛽ Total Access petrol station – 2 Av. de Verdun, Coutances

🔌 🚗 Electric Vehicle Charge Points

  • There are no electric charger points at the gîte, here are the recommended local chargers:
    • Carrefour Contact – Rue de la Planche Maurice
    • Lidl – 41 Av. Division Leclerc (fastest option)

🍽️ Places to Eat

You are in the meat and dairy capital of France (the seafood isn’t bad either 😉mussels moules, oysters huîtres are the local recommendation for seafood, and sea bass bar), so if you have any dietary requirements, always check menus or call in advance, all are ready to feed you so will accommodate you with a fair warning. (We can help with this if needed)

  • Auberge de Brothelande – Our local bar-restaurant – FABULOUS food (meat cooked on the fire in front of you, veggie options available) and wonderful owners (booking advised ☎️ 0233457495) 3 Rue du Bourg, 50200 Nicorps – Open daily every morning for coffee and basics, and open for lunch daily. Evening meals only served Friday/Saturday evenings. Facebook | Tourism Link
  • La Cale – This place is a MUST visit for seafood fans! No booking possible unless you are a group of 10+, get there early to guarantee a space (lamb on the fire and simple veggie options also available – this is a seafood restaurant, so the veggie options are limited but tasty) La Plage, 50560 Blainville-sur-Mer. Tourism Link | Article
  • La Pergola (pizzeria) – Great pizzas (and other similar things!), great prices and good quality (booking recommended ☎️ 0233767272) 6 Rue Vauban, Coutances. Website
  • La Taverne du Parvis – A nice little place which offers you a view of our lovely local Cathedral. Lots of good options (including veggie) – 18 Pl. du Parvis Notre Dame, Coutances – Website
  • La Baratte – If you fancy a treat this is worth a visit, Michelin recognised restaurant with good veggie options (booking recommended ☎️ 0233454549) Website
  • The Presbytère – Another Michelin recognised restaurant for a treat (and the very talented English born chef Edward, offers a superior English style Sunday lunch with Yorkshire puddings the size of your head, which the French ADORE) (booking recommended ☎️ 0233465393 – excellent veggie options are available but we recommend this is confirmed when booking). Website
  • Dynastie Wok – A nice Chinese buffet, with option to have food cooked separately at the Wok counter, good veggie options, great for a very tasty budget meal – 50 Av. de la République, Coutances – ☎️ 0233173781

🥾 Explore & Discover

  • Mont-Saint-Michel – 1hr30 drive, best early or late in the day. Lots of parking available on-site. It’s a 20 minute stroll from parking to le mont, or there are free buses. You can also take a horse and cart (for a fee)!
    Official Tourism Site
    Mont-Saint-Michel Visitor Info
  • D-Day Beaches – Utah Beach and Omaha Beach are most popular. We also recommend the British Normandy memorial which often has the “Standing with Giants” installation – Very moving.
    D-Day Overview
    British Normandy Memorial
    Omaha Beach Memorial
    American Cemetery
    Battle of Normandy Museum
    Caen Memorial
  • Hambye Abbey – a quiet gem just 20 mins away
    Visit Hambye Abbey
  • Granville – harbour town, Dior’s childhood home and lovely boutiques
    Granville Guide
  • Llama spotting times: Speak with Sam & Lee, but the llamas are in their paddock after breakfast 🦙 and see your Welcome Pack for our llama guide 😊
  • Bayeux – Just 45 minutes-drive from the gîte, Bayeux is a beautiful historic town famous for its preserved medieval charm and the world-famous Bayeux Tapestry – a 70-metre embroidery telling the story of William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings.
    Visit Bayeux
    Bayeux-Bessin Tourism
    Bayeux Museum
  • Local Beaches: Our local beaches are fabulous and clean (including the sea). The closer you get to the bigger towns the busier they get. We recommend Hauteville-sur-mer, a lovely village with eateries and bars and white sand (take the road to la plage when you get to the village!). The sea when out is out for a long time, so if you want to have a swim, it’s worth checking the local tide-times.
    Montmartin-sur-mer is just next door to Hauteville, and you can check tide charts here:
    Tide Charts

🌧️ Rainy Day Ideas

  • Bowling Le Yéti - 2 Carrières Saint Michel - Route de Granville, 50200 Saint Pierre de Coutances
    Normandy Tourism
    Le Yéti Website
  • Cinema le Long-Court - 24 Rue Saint-Maur, 50200 Coutances
    Cinema Website
  • Indoor market & tea rooms – Villedieu-les-Poêles

💚 Staying Eco-Friendly

  • Please return the welcome basket (hopefully by now all used up by you 😊), glass bottles and any reusable containers
  • Switch off lights and heaters when you’re out
  • Use the labelled bins for sorting recycling – bins: yellow for general rubbish, green for paper, plastics and metals, blue for glass including bottles
  • Local produce & refillable soaps used throughout

🧹 Before You Leave

  • Check-out is by 10:00am
  • Please strip used beds and leave towels in the bath
  • Glass bottles and kitchen items can be left on the table
  • Return any furniture to its original place and bring in any indoor items that you have had outside
  • Let us know if anything needs attention for the next guest

👀 Things to Consider…

  • You are in the Normandy countryside, so things do not open late (and often not on Mondays at all!):
    • Supermarkets close between 19h00 and 20h00 (check their websites for horaires)
    • Restaurants welcome last bookings at no later than 21h00 (check their websites for horaires)
    • Bars in Coutances will close between 20h00 and 23h00 (check their websites for horaires)
  • 🔦 There are no streetlights unless in villages/towns, and these often turn off after midnight. We have provided a rechargeable torch for you to borrow if needed (under the sink in the kitchen). Let us know if you’re arriving late and we’ll leave a light on outside the gîte.
  • There may be the occasional animal noise (Roger the cockerel 🐔, Barn Owls 🦉 hunting at night)
  • 🐷There may be the occasional animal smell (we live near cows, horses, and pigs)
  • 🐛You may find bugs or insects:
    • Mosquito nets on the mezzanine windows (to stop birds too!)
    • Fly swats are around the gîte
    • Mosquito repellent is under the kitchen sink (let us know if it runs out)
    • Hornet spray (outside use only) – If needed, use cautiously or call us. European hornets are large and noisy; they’re attracted to light so keep blinds shut at night

🚽🧻 Septic Tank Friendly Toilet Paper

For toilet paper, here are some examples of septic tank friendly toilet paper that you can buy in any supermarket. We are also showing the label so you can see what to look for:

💬 Guestbook & Loyalty Perks

We’d love to hear from you – leave us a message in the guestbook online!
Returning guests who leave a review on both Google and our website get an exclusive loyalty discount. See promotions page for the loyalty discount for when you leave us 2 positive reviews 🎁

Thank you for staying with us and supporting small, family-run accommodation. We wish you a restful and memorable stay at Holidays-Normandy 💚