The Station – Sleeps 6 People
(You can scroll for Quick view videos on our YouTube channel below this detail)
Welcome to la gare de Sos, your home for your summer holiday for folks who like railways. Opened in 1897 by the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer du Midi, a branch line from Nérac to Mont de Marsan and closing to goods traffic in 1969, with passengers being hoofed out of here in 1938. You can still follow the unsurfaced former track bed, walking or cycling to Poudenas or Mézin from your station door. Or set your sights a bit further and undertake a section of EuroVelo Route 3, La Scandibérique.
Back to the station – Madame Dupont, installed here during the 1950s, was the last Station Master to live in la gare de Sos, living up on the first floor. Your front shower room was her kitchen and she would draw well water for her cooking and washing; imagine hoicking pales of water up the oak staircase every day as well as running the goods station! Fortunately, you can take it at a far easier pace and enjoy a leisurely holiday here, with hot running water and everything! The beds are made up for you & towels provided. There are two double rooms and one twin room on the first floor along with two shower rooms, one has a bath with lovely views of the catalpa trees when having a long soak. You will find both the station kitchen and the outdoor BBQ kitchen well equipped for cooking indoors or out. Away from the hustle & bustle of busy working lives you can unwind at this old station, relax and just sit down a while. There’s an abundance of green, natural space around the station and plenty of spots to sit quietly or go explore, observe the natural wildlife or fall asleep in a warm spot. Take a dip, play ping pong, drink tea, sip wine, crack open a beer, grab a book, become aware of your free time. Enjoy your croissants and fig jam à la platform for breakfast, tear up a baguette with some a fresh brebis cheese for lunch with a chilled glass of rosé and get the poolside BBQ sizzling for evening dinner.
Quick view videos on our YouTube channel
The Station Exterior Details
Scroll through the station images to get an idea of the space available at la gare de Sos. There are 2 outdoor eating areas, one directly onto the former platform, perfect for breakfasts and evening star gazing and the other is down at the pool, our covered BBQ area. There’s a huge driveway, illuminated by two original railway lamps from England and plenty of gravelled parking space. The station is surrounded by greenery, huge plane trees at the front entrance and catalpa trees to the side. Where the original track used to run, there’s now a mowed grassy expanse of land and a swimming pool and poolhouse. Our garden railway project is a narrow gauge, up and down the garden, section of track at the rear of the station with turning loops at each end, and hopefully complete in 2026. If you look forward to sunbathing on your holiday we have plenty of patio space and sun loungers waiting. The pool is lovely for a refreshing dip when the temperatures rise and if the weather should turn we can close the glass cover and you can swim beneath the glass. See further down the page for pool photos.
The Station Interior Details
Have a look inside the station, redecorated in 2020. Note the original ticket hatch, now the kitchen, and look through into the open plan lounge, which was the former waiting room. If you are very interested in trains and railways then you will find plenty of holiday reading in the waiting room, in English & French, and a selection of railway dvds and a huge film collection on dvd too. The bedrooms and bathrooms are on the first floor, up the original oak staircase from the kitchen. The well equipped kitchen has an electric oven, a gas hob and a large fridge. A store cupboard off the waiting room houses a freezer for stocking up on icecreams and if you need more fridge or freezer space, you can load the pool house fridge freezer with wine & beer & icecream too. The dining table seats 12 comfortably and the crockery and cutlery can cater for large parties of several courses. All the bathrooms have showers and one has a bath with views of the intriguing catalpa trees. The bedrooms are flooded with natural light from the traditional tall station windows and the beds are made up for guests’ arrival. There is a log burner to keep you toasty when required and a collection of blankets for nights spent star gazing outside.
The Station Pool & Pool House Details
The pool photos show the pool before and after the arrival of the new pool cover which was fitted in October 2021. During the summer months the cover will be open providing the usual access to the pool. The new extended timber framed shelter provides a wonderful eating area, seating up to 12, with a gas barbeque and external sink area. Internally, the pool house has a toilet, shower, double sink, fridge freezer & summer kitchen utensils. Pool towels are provided and there is a washing line behind the pool house. The extended patio area and privacy wall enables relaxation all day on the loungers. “Time for a game of ping-pong anybody?” There is a table tennis table too – not just for youth clubs apparently.
Autumn swimming under glass
The Station Pets
We lost our beautiful Manchester Terrier Cross dog, Daphne, in 2025 and are currently on the look out for our next pooch. We also have a black station cat, Clarence. Our friendly neighbour, 200 metres away from us, has a beautiful, super sociable male dog called Pasha. Folks who have holidayed here before will know that the valley animals are very much part of this special place so they often pop round to have a nose at the station goings-on. Please consider any allergies or pet dislikes before booking your holiday here and it’s because of the station pet family that we do not accept pets on holiday in the Station. We have the former Pump House property, (available from Summer 2022) over the road from the Station and one small to medium size dog can be catered for here. (Additional charge applies) There is a third of an acre of grassy banks down to the river Gélise at the rear of the property.
We don’t want to remove these photos of Daphne because she was such a huge part of our French aadventure here and we want to look back at these when we’re old & stuck in our chairs! Rest in Peace little soul.
Historic Pictures of la gare de Sos
