Les Chalets de Gaillac

Les Chalets de Gaillac are set in a wooded park in the Avenue Guynemer district of Gaillac, in the Tarn, in the heart of the vineyards nicknamed the “Petite Toscane”. The historic centre is a quarter of an hour’s walk away. Albi is about 30 minutes by road, Toulouse one hour, and the leisure areas of Aiguelèze, Pratgraussals and Aquaval, in Lautrec, are easy day trips.

The estate is run by its owners, who live on site with their family. The offer comprises eight 27 m² chalets, designed for four to five people with two bedrooms, and a three-bedroom mobile home for six people. Each unit has a parking space and a covered terrace with garden furniture. The atmosphere is calm and family-friendly, with no organised entertainment.

As for opening, the property states that it welcomes travellers all year round, by the night (two nights minimum), the week or the month. Monthly rentals are offered from September to May, a useful option for a building site, an assignment of several weeks or a study stay. All units have reversible air conditioning that serves as heating in winter, which makes off-season stays comfortable.

The estate’s large pool, however, only opens from June to September. Pets are not accepted in the chalets.

Open-air market all year round in Gaillac, wine primeur in November, Christmas market from mid-December to early January, winegrowers' Saint-Vincent in January.

There is no restaurant or shop on site: the service lies in the comfort of the units and the welcome. Reception is open every day from 9am to 12pm and from 2pm to 7pm, with check-in to the chalets between 4pm and 8pm and check-out before 10am. Wi-Fi is free and covers the whole estate.

Each chalet has a fitted kitchen (microwave, two gas rings, fridge, coffee maker, kettle, toaster, utensils), a living room with sofa and television, a bedroom with a double bed and a room with three beds, plus a bathroom with shower and separate toilet, hairdryer included. The mobile home adds a third bedroom and a barbecue. The reversible air conditioning heats the units in winter. Bed linen and towels are not provided but can be rented on site, and a travel cot, high chair or pushchair can be requested when booking. End-of-stay cleaning is a compulsory option, with a flat rate for long stays.

A shared barbecue is available to guests, who must bring their own charcoal. The large pool, with sun loungers and parasols, is open from June to September only, and a playground is open to children. One chalet is equipped for guests with reduced mobility, with an adapted shower, washbasin and toilet and a shower seat on request. Finally, a renovated 50 m² room can be rented by the day or the month by wellness practitioners.

The campsite does not offer organised entertainment; it serves as a base for discovering the Tarn. Gaillac is labelled a Ville d’art et d’histoire and is home to three museums. Its open-air market takes place all year round, farmers’ markets are held on Tuesdays and a summer guinguette is open from Wednesday to Sunday. The vineyards offer estate visits, tastings and aperitif concerts at the winegrowers, not to mention the wine festival in August.

The area can be explored by bike or on foot through the vineyards of the Petite Toscane. The bastide towns of Cordes-sur-Ciel, Castelnau-de-Montmiral, Puycelsi and Bruniquel offer hilltop villages to explore, while Albi charms with its Unesco-listed episcopal city, the Palais de la Berbie and the Toulouse-Lautrec museum. Thrill-seekers head for the Aiguelèze leisure area, Cap Découverte or the Aquaval water park.

In autumn and winter, the town keeps a busy calendar: the travelling banquet Vignobles en scène in October, the Gaillac wine primeur in November, the Christmas market from mid-December to early January, the winegrowers’ Saint-Vincent evening in January and the carnival in spring. The owners are happy to recommend restaurants and places to visit.