Group gîtes in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: 8 gîtes

The moment you came across a photo of Mont Blanc and the Aiguille du Midi, you knew your next break would be in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

You like the region but you're still not sure. There will be at least 12 of you, and you're wondering whether you'll find suitable accommodation in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

If so, you probably haven't come across group gîtes yet.

What is a group gîte?

A group gîte is a furnished rental designed to sleep between 12 and 50 people.

Closer to a guest house than a hotel, a group gîte is about spending time together. The bedrooms are anything but clinical, and the house is laid out so that people get to know each other. You'll find them in each of the 12 departments of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region:

• Ain (01);
• Allier (03);
• Ardèche (07);
• Cantal (15);
• Drôme (26);
• Isère (38);
• Loire (42);
• Haute-Loire (43);
• Puy-de-Dôme (63);
• Rhône (69);
• Savoie (73);
• Haute-Savoie (74).

It might be a big family house where you wake up to the smell of warm bread, or a chalet tucked away in the woods that smells of the forest. Some group gîtes are architect-designed houses, too.

Either way, the venue has a lot to do with how you'll remember your stay in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is also well placed. It borders five other administrative regions: Bourgogne-Franche-Comté to the north, Centre-Val de Loire to the north-west, Nouvelle-Aquitaine to the west, Occitanie to the south-west and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur to the south-east. That's handy when participants are coming from different parts of France.

What kind of occasion suits a stay in a group gîte in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes?

There's more than one good reason to book one. Cosy and often unusual, group gîtes in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes work for very different kinds of stay.

Hosting a family celebration

Birthdays, weddings, christenings… Families never run short of reasons to get together. Why not use one of them to get away from everyday life for a few days by renting a group gîte in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes?

You could enjoy the cool waters of the Lac du Bourget at Aix-les-Bains. Or take the family to see the Palais du facteur Cheval, a postman's palace at Hauterives. Ferdinand Cheval built it on his own, working on it every day for 33 years. It is now a listed historic monument.

Running a seminar or workshop

Are you a coach looking for a venue to run a session?

Here again, group gîtes in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes are worth a look. The well-located ones are quiet, which is what you need to get work done. And since these houses are built for large numbers, you'll also have room for your workshops.

You'll find large rooms for yoga sessions or music therapy, and open spaces you can set up however you like.

Taking time for yourself

When did you last really take the time to be with the people close to you? Between work and screens, it's hard to remember.

Get away together for a few days in a group gîte in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. A weekend out in the countryside is often all it takes to get your priorities straight again.

Out there, work can wait, and nobody's leaning on their horn at two in the morning. It's just you, the countryside and the people you care about.

If you're reading this page, the idea has probably been on your mind for a while. All that's left is to pick your dates.