Mayenne Holidays

18/07/2026

02/01/2026

A Change of Chapter – and Looking Ahead 💙

After a great deal of thought, discussion, spreadsheets, cups of coffee (and the occasional head-in-hands moment), we’ve taken the decision to withdraw from and formally close our gîte rental business.

This hasn’t been an easy choice. We’ve loved welcoming guests, sharing our homes, and seeing people fall in love with the Mayenne in the same way we did. Many of you have become familiar names, returning faces, and friends.

So why step away?

Quite simply, the balance has shifted.

Over recent years, more and more people and organisations have wanted an increasingly larger share of a very finite pot:
• Booking platforms have steadily increased their commissions, reducing what owners actually receive from each stay.
• Double taxation at commune level (CFE and taxe d’habitation applied to the same properties) has added a significant and unavoidable cost.
• Upcoming platform rules, e-invoicing requirements and compliance changes increasingly push small operators towards using third-party intermediaries, adding layers of cost, administration and complexity that are difficult to justify at a small scale.
• At the same time, guest expectations continue to rise—more space, more facilities, more flexibility—while there is a clear resistance to paying higher nightly rates.

In short: what guests want keeps increasing, what they are willing to pay is under pressure, and what remains after everyone else has taken their percentage continues to shrink.

Running a gîte well means doing it properly—maintaining standards, investing in comfort, complying with regulations, and being present for guests. When the financial and administrative reality no longer supports that properly, it’s time to be honest and step back.

What isn’t changing

While the rental chapter is closing, Mayenne Holidays is not going anywhere.

Our holiday information service will continue and expand, including:
• Sharing ideas for exploring the Mayenne and surrounding regions
• Highlighting markets, towns, walks, food, history and hidden corners
• Offering inspiration, practical guides and local insight for visitors and second-home owners
• Expanding the website with more in-depth, practical features on finding, buying and renovating your dream home in rural France, based on real experience rather than sales pitches

The heart of what we do—promoting this beautiful, quietly special part of France—remains exactly the same.

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has stayed with us, followed our journey, shared our posts, sent messages, and supported Mayenne Holidays over the years. This is not an ending, just a recalibration.

Thank you for being part of the story so far—and for staying with us as the next chapter unfolds.

J’❤️ La Mayenne
🌿 www.mayenneholidays.com
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07/12/2025

A Postcard from Mayenne – Winter Market Morning

Even in winter, the village markets of the Mayenne are full of life. Crates of bright apples, baskets of chestnuts, fat winter leeks and beautiful rounds of local cheese all jostle for space on the stalls.

You warm your hands around a hot coffee, listen to the easy chatter in French, and decide which treat will make it back to the holiday home for lunch… perhaps a little too much cheese.

Une carte postale de la Mayenne
Sur la place du village, les marchés d’hiver battent toujours leur plein : légumes de saison, produits locaux, sourires et bonjour à chaque coin d’étal. C’est la France de tous les jours, authentique et gourmande.

J’❤️La Mayenne…Come for the calm countryside – stay for the flavours.

www.mayenneholidays.com
Registered in France - SIRET: 877 559 179 00016
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06/12/2025

🎄 Decking the Halls…the Mayenne Way

If you’ve spent Christmas in the UK, you’ll know the drill: enough tinsel to wrap the dog, fairy lights that could guide aircraft, and at least one inflatable Santa threatening to take flight in the garden.

Here in the Mayenne, things are a little different… quieter… charmingly understated, and somehow even more magical.

✨ Natural greenery everywhere
French rural homes love a good branch, bunch, or hedgerow clipping. Holly, fir, ivy, and whatever looks festive (and doesn’t bite back) gets woven into wreaths and table decorations. No plastic holly in sight!

✨ The mantelpiece matters
With wood-burners working overtime, the mantel becomes the star of the show — candles, pinecones, and a decoration or two that’s probably older than the house. It’s cosy, warm, and wonderfully simple.

✨ Tasteful lights (the French are very proud of this)
Outdoor lighting tends to be gentle: warm whites, silhouettes of stars, maybe a glowing reindeer if someone is feeling rebellious. Think “romantic village postcard,” not “Las Vegas.”

✨ Decorations with stories
It’s common to see ornaments passed down through the generations — slightly faded, a little lopsided, but treasured. They carry decades of family Christmases in their tiny details.

✨ The DIY touch
Children (and enthusiastic adults) often make paper stars, straw ornaments, or salt-dough shapes. Rural France loves a bit of handmade charm — even if a few decorations appear to have been creatively influenced by too much chocolat chaud.

All together, it creates a Christmas atmosphere that is warm, gentle, and deeply rooted in local tradition — the kind of festive season where you feel less rushed, more connected, and surrounded by calm countryside magic.

J’❤️La Mayenne…because Christmas in the Mayenne has its own charming flair

www.mayenneholidays.com
Registered in France - SIRET: 87755917900016
Unwind. Explore. Repeat.

05/12/2025

Food on Friday: Slow-Cooked Comforts for Cold Evenings in the Mayenne.

As December settles over the Mayenne and the mornings take on that crisp, frosty sparkle, the kitchens of rural France begin to hum with a familiar rhythm: slow pots simmering, windows steaming, and the gentle perfume of winter comfort food drifting through old stone houses.

This is the season when locals start preparing those hearty, make-ahead dishes that keep everyone well-fed during the bustling run-up to Christmas.

Pot-au-Feu with Mayenne Beef
A true winter classic. Locally raised beef, carrots, leeks, turnips, and a handful of peppercorns gently simmer for hours until the broth becomes golden and rich. It’s simple, deeply nourishing, and perfect for reheating after a day at the marchés de Noël.

Lentils & Sausages – Country Cooking at Its Best
A warming pot of lentilles du Puy cooked slowly with garlic, herbs, and a rustic Mayenne sausage is pure comfort. It’s the kind of dish you start at lunchtime and return to in the evening, when the flavours have settled into something magical.

Beef Braised in Local Cider
Mayenne cider turns a humble braise into something festive. Slow-cooked with onions, thyme, and a little mustard, the meat becomes unbelievably tender, with a gently sweet, wintry sauce. Serve with mashed potatoes and you’ll have a quiet moment of Christmas calm at the table.

Why These Dishes Matter
In December, these slow-cooked meals do more than fill the kitchen with warmth—they buy time. Time to finish preparations, to wrap gifts, to light the fire, to visit friends… and to simply enjoy the gentle pace of life in the countryside.

J’❤️La Mayenne…simple ingredients, slow cooking, and moments shared in the glow of winter evenings.

www.mayenneholidays.com
Registered in France - SIRET: 87755917900016
Unwind. Explore. Repeat.

30/11/2025

🎄 A Postcard from Mayenne – Advent Windows & Village Lights

As November slips into December, little signs of Christmas begin to sparkle across the Mayenne. A glowing star in a farmhouse window, fairy lights around a village balcony, candles flickering behind lace curtains – nothing flashy, just simple warmth.
Advent here feels like an invitation to slow down: a stroll past the church, a wave to neighbours, and the promise of vin chaud waiting at home.
Une carte postale de la Mayenne

Dans nos petits villages, les premières lumières de l’Avent s’allument doucement. Une étoile à la fenêtre, quelques guirlandes autour d’une porte… tout en simplicité, mais avec beaucoup de cœur.

J’❤️La Mayenne … traditional Christmas charm far from the crowds.

www.mayenneholidays.com
Registered in France - SIRET: 877 559 179 00016
Unwind. Explore. Repeat.

29/11/2025

🎄Let the Lights Begin — Christmas in the Mayenne ✨

From late November, France begins to sparkle.
The first Christmas markets open in Laval (with its magical light show), Fougères, and Domfront.
Follow the scent of vin chaud and roasted chestnuts, listen to carols drifting through the streets, and pick up a handmade ornament or local jam.
It’s the perfect way to start the festive season — gently, warmly, and very French.

J’❤️La Mayenne…Le Marché de Noël — la magie commence ici! 🎅

www.mayenneholidays.com
Registered in France – SIRET: 87755917900016
Unwind. Explore. Repeat.

28/11/2025

🕯️ Food on Friday – Candlelight Suppers in the Mayenne

As darkness settles early over the fields, there’s a special kind of calm in the French countryside.
A roasted duck with creamy potatoes, fresh greens from the local market, and a simple apple tart for dessert - the perfect November supper.
Add a glass of Calvados or Mayenne cider, light a candle, and let the world slow down for a while.
Because good food always shines brighter on dark nights.

J’❤️La Mayenne...Because good food shines brighter on dark nights.

🌐 www.mayenneholidays.com
📜 Registered in France – SIRET: 87755917900016
✨ Unwind. Explore. Repeat.