A great place to take your holiday is in one of a fantastic range of gites in Languedoc Roussillon. This region lies in the far south of France, up against the Spanish border, near Catalan. It is part of the wider Occitan area, and includes a long strip of golden sunny coastline along the Mediterranean Sea, on its eastern flank. To the west, it butts up against the Midi Pyrenees region, to the north sits the Auvergne, and to the north-east and east are the regions of the Rhone Alps and Provence.
This part of France shares some geography and culture with the Catalan region of Spain and is known for the untouched beauty of its coastline, which remains relatively undeveloped. Much of the land near the coast is part of a flat coastal plain, well endowed with vineyards, fruit trees and vegetable plots, as well as tourist resorts. In the far south, the Pyrenees pile up quickly to form a natural barrier for the border with Spain.
Many tourists coming to Languedoc Roussillon come here to take full advantage of the fine weather, and unspoilt beaches; and if that appeals to you, there are many excellent and comfortable villas and gites in Languedoc Roussillon, along the coastal strip. Wind surfing is a very popular sport in Gruissan; but as well as sun-bathing, swimming and other beach activities, the region has much to offer.
The cooler valleys of the Cevennes, with their aromatic Mediterranean woods and scrub land, are particularly attractive, especially when the weather is not. Carcassonne is worth a visit, for its well preserved ancient city walls, as is Nime, which has some excellent Roman ruins. Farther south, the foothills of the Pyrenees offer the walker great opportunities to explore - you can even amble on into Spain.
The best time to visit Languedoc Roussillon is May and June, before the French school holiday season kicks-in. This area is quite popular with the French and the roads and hotels are liable to be crowded in August and September. But one thing to bear in mind, if you are going to book your gites in Languedoc Roussillon at those off-season times, is that many restaurants, in the resort towns at least, close for the duration.
If you want to get to Languedoc Roussillon, the distance of travel from the UK is quite large, lying as it does against the Spanish border. Rail travel is definitely still a viable way to do this, with the travel time to Montpellier from London at seven hours or so. This is comparable to the total time needed to fly, which is possible to the airports at Carcassonne and Perpigna. One interesting option is to use the French Motorail service, which allows you to take you car down to Montpellier overnight. That way you avoid the extra hassle and expense of car rental and can easily get to whatever location you have chosen for your gites in Languedoc Roussillon.