A gîte near Toulouse, deep in the countryside.

Where the gîte actually is

Montaut has the postcode 31410, in the Haute-Garonne, about thirty kilometres south of Toulouse. The postcode matters: four French villages are called Montaut, and the other three are in the Dordogne, the Landes and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. This one is the Toulouse one.

The village lies between Carbonne and the Lèze valley, on the first low hills that announce the Pyrenean foothills. La Grange is a farm property at the end of a lane. The gîte occupies a converted outbuilding a few steps from Alix and Pierre's house, with its own entrance, garden and terrace.

Getting here

By car, allow around thirty minutes from central Toulouse, and roughly the same from Toulouse-Blagnac airport. The A64 motorway runs a few minutes from the village, putting Saint-Gaudens under an hour away and the Spanish border at two and a half hours.

By train, Longages-Noé station is six kilometres away, on the line into Toulouse-Matabiau. Coming without a car works well for a quiet stay, rather less so if you plan to explore the region.

There are no shops in Montaut itself. Groceries are done in Carbonne, nine kilometres away, where the market is held on Thursday mornings.

Who it suits

The gîte sleeps four guests across two bedrooms. The mezzanine offers extra sleeping space counted within those four places, not an additional one.

It works as well for two as for four. Many stays are couples here for a weekend, because the place is quiet and there is nothing to do but be in it. Families tend to come for a week, in summer.

Pets are welcome. One thing worth knowing before you book: the garden is large, but it is not fenced.

What is around

Carbonne and its market nine kilometres away, Rieux-Volvestre and its cathedral at fourteen, Saint-Sulpice-sur-Lèze and its narrow streets a little further. Muret, Martres-Tolosane and its earthenware workshops, and the lac des Bonnets for swimming in summer.

The Camino de Santiago passes two kilometres away. This is the Via Garona, running down from Toulouse to Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges before crossing into Spain. Walkers stop here every year.

Toulouse stays close enough for a full day out: the Cité de l'Espace, the banks of the Garonne, the Musée des Augustins. You leave in the morning and come back for a quiet dinner.

The gîte in a few lines

Seventy square metres over two levels: a living room open to the kitchen, two bedrooms, a bathroom, a separate WC, a fully equipped utility room. Outside, a terrace and a garden.

The gîte holds a three-ear Gîtes de France rating and has been approved by them since 2005. Alix and Pierre live on the property, a few steps away, which means they can let you in whenever you arrive and tell you where to eat.