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The Fédération Nationale des Gîtes de France was set up in the 1950s to promote country holidays. Today, it has more than 2,000 classified properties in Normandy, mostly rural cottages, and should be the first stop for anyone planning a self-catering holiday.

A UK-based tour operator of more than 30 years standing, VFB pioneered the rental of French gîtes in Britain. They also offer cross-channel travel deals.

The first UK specialist tour operator for the region has been in business for more than 20 years. Their brochure features 120 or so self-catering country houses and cottages, many near the sea and many half-timbered in typical rustic Norman style.

The properties offered by this 22-year-old UK company range from modern apartments to stone or timbered cottages, mostly French-owned.

This French website, where private owners advertise their homes for holiday rental, can be accessed in English. The emphasis is on quality, not quantity. The majority of the properties are handsome half-timbered Norman cottages or farmhouses.

Based in Lancashire in the UK, Welcome Cottages is a branch of Welcome Holidays Ltd. It offers a selection of properties, from modern bungalows to conversions of interesting old buildings. The user-friendly website features exterior and interior shots of each property, as well as detailed descriptions and location maps.

French Connections arranges special-interest holidays in France, such as painting, walking, climbing, horse riding, and language tuition. The majority of their houses in Normandy are owned by private individuals. The website carries full descriptions and photographs of each property, and, where possible, provides links with the owner’s own website.

An offshoot of the Holiday Cottages Group, cottages4you has an impressive selection throughout Normandy, details of which appear on its helpful website. With each cottage is a list of all its amenities, as well as a full description of the house and its environs.

This company lists cottages – more than 120 of them – near a variety of attractions: among others, the D-Day landing sites, golf courses, Mont-St-Michel and beaches. The web-site includes previous visitors’ comments. They will also make your travel arrangements, whether you’re going by ferry, train or plane, or want to hire a car.

As a sideline to their main business, Brittany Ferries arranges self-catering accommodation in a selection of gîtes . Although they can’t match the choice offered by some of the specialist companies, deals combining ferry travel and accommodation are certainly worth investigating.