Vacation Rentals by Owner

Duncan

Guest: Dunc (Frenchboro, Maine, USA)
Date of Stay: 03/03/12 Review Submitted: 04/10/12

We thought this was an especially beautiful rental; the building is lovely with very pleasant furnishings. We were renting in March so it was cold outside. The fireplace worked well and heated the living room well; the kitchen was too cold. There were several electric heaters which helped considerably. The place was very clean. The village was a wonderful place to walk around and had a good grocery store. The environs were beautiful; especially if you like vineyards; the whole area is a vineyard garden. I would rent there again , happily, and would recommend it to anyone.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Enjoyable Stay in Late October/Early November

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/29/11 Review Submitted: 11/15/11

We thoroughly enjoyed our Bastide-town stay with the opportunity to wander around the town anytime during the day or evening. Our previous accommodation was predominately rural so this was a nice change. The house was very comfortable and the heaters were quite welcome. We really liked the beds and linens. The weather was warm enough at times to have our coffee on the verandah, enjoying the view and the fall colour.

Recommended for:Age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Quaint French Village

Guest: Dianne (San Juan Capistrano, California, USA)
Date of Stay: 10/01/11 Review Submitted: 10/28/11

Three of us enjoyed the warm October days, and cool evenings in the tiny French village of Castelnau de Montmiral. Below the deck, where we sipped our local wine , villagers played petanque each evening. The Crepe lady fed us well at the local Tuesday market where we enjoyed shopping. The kitchen supplied all our needs to prepare the super produce we purchased. There are many wineries in the area to visit, as well as bastides. Galliac was our favorite place to go for coffee and bakeries, since we were less than impressed with the local bakery. The owner is extremely helpful and his local contact was warm and welcoming. We would love to return.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Most Amazing Experience

Guest: Traveler Extraordinaire (Los Angeles, CA)
Date of Stay: 09/16/11 Review Submitted: 02/18/12

We stayed in this quaint village town in the middle of some the most beautiful vineyards I have ever seen. There were plenty of winetasting locations everywhere we went. The people in the village were very nice. Dealing with the owners of the home proved to be a delight. They were very responsive, knowledgeable, and extremly helpful from the moment we began organizing our trip to the day we departed. The house itself was a joy. The views from the rooms and balcony were ones to melt your heart. Stepping out of the front door and wandering around a traditional French town sipping your coffee and sampling the local pastries could make anyone feel as though nothing else in the world mattered. I would absolutely recommend this house to anyone that is looking to have an amazing, relaxing, and flavorful experience in France. I will absolutely be coming back.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Quiet, Comfortable House, with Beautiful Views

Guest: Two Francophiles (Boston, MA area)
Date of Stay: 08/18/11 Review Submitted: 09/15/11

We stayed about 16 days at this very comfortable home, and it was perfect for us. The house has a very functional layout, with a central staircase. The rooms are all clean and bright and uncluttered. For us, the most attractive feature was the small balcony, where we took all our meals; it has a beautiful view over rolling farms and fields and hills that seemed to go on forever. The master bedroom has the same amazing views. The house has all the amenities you'd want, plus free Internet service and free phone calls to anywhere in the world. The English-speaking house manager lives right around the corner and is very helpful. Castelnau itself is charming and small, with a few basic services. Gaillac is only 15 minutes away for all your major shopping needs, and it has a terrific market on Friday mornings. We spent much of our vacation taking day trips to a dozen different towns and cities in the immediate vicinity -- there are many hill towns, some "beaux villages," the beautiful city of Albi, etc. -- and we were always delighted to return to "our" house. Castelnau is in farming country. You are surrounded by rolling fields of sunflowers, corn, and grapes. This makes for beautiful scenery wherever you go, and there are many opportunities (and maps) for very pleasant walks in the countryside. There is blessedly little traffic anywhere you go. We were two people, but the house could easily have accommodated more. If you're looking for a quiet, relaxing, get-away-from-it-all vacation in the French countryside, this house is the perfect place to stay. We had a wonderful time and are happy to recommend it with no reservations at all.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Terrific spot

Guest: walker (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 08/08/11 Review Submitted: 09/14/11

Perfect for our quiet getaway without the kids, tho we plan to bring them next time, so if you're thinking about it, book now before we take it again. Avoid the fete weekend (mid-August), but other than that, this is a lovely spot in a lovely town in a lovely part of France, great food, great people, great towns to tour. Highly recommend. We'll definitely go back.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Five spend a week in the Tarn

Guest: TheFamousFive (Newbury, UK)
Date of Stay: 07/30/11 Review Submitted: 09/13/11

Our stay in this beautiful house exceeded our expectations in every way! The house was more spacious and atmospheric than we imagined, wonderfully clean and comfortable, very well equipped and with stunning views at every turn. The free wi-fi was also a nice touch. The village was more ancient and "authentic" than we had expected. We had never imagined that we would feel comfortable in sending our daughters (junior school age) out to fetch croissants every morning but the beautiful cobbled streets were virtually pedestrianised and very safe and the owner of the patisserie very patient with their french! The other amenities in the town (pharmacy, post office, grocery shop) were also very good; we especially enjoyed eating at the bar in the Place where we were made to feel very welcome. Lastly, the "caretaker" could not have been more welcoming or helpful. We really enjoyed meeting her! All in all - a fantastic stay. We would definitely love to come back some day. PS The number of stairs might make this difficult for those with mobility problems. Otherwise we would be coming back with the grandparents!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Canadian/American couple--who had two new friends join us for 3 days

Guest: therev (Marina del Rey, California and Vancouver, BC, )
Date of Stay: 07/21/11 Review Submitted: 08/02/11

After 10 wonderful days in Paris, my wife and I rented a car and drove to Castelnau-de-Montmiral. We arrived about 10:30pm--and should have gone straight through the town roundabout and THEN turned right and followed the town wall. We arrived without a flashlight, but a lady walking her dog helped us find the house--fourth from the end of the street--with a door mat! Location, location, location. What a view. Free local and international phone service was great. Internet worked fine. A few CD's helped provide a little music. Stove, oven, coffee pot were well used by us--we ate most of our meals in--shopping at the various markets in nearby cities. Lots of plates, glasses and silverware. Beds were comfortable. House was clean. Loved walking in the town, and loved the stairs in the house--got some exercise! Pictures and posters made it feel like home away from home. The Gaillac area (in which Castelnau is located) is a "hidden gem" We thought we'd travel for hours to visit well known wine areas, etc. but local wines here were excellent and reasonable. We brought 11 bottles home with us!! The farthest we travelled was about 65 kilometers in one day--saved a lot on gas because the countryside was beautiful, wineries (we didn't visit all 128 of them) were welcoming. Travelled to Albi one day to tour the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum--what a treat. Bought a poster of his lithographs (like one on the wall in the Castelnau house). Were able to visit a church in Vieux (only open 6 hours per week)--the front door is from the year 200! Views of the river gorge nearby (where people can kayak and canoe) were lovely. Ordered a BBQ chicken from the local store in Castelnau on Sunday... We had two other Canadians join us for 3 of our 7 nights--and they stayed on 2 days after we left. The local manager (and her husband) for the house are Canadian, and the 6 of us got together for dinner (we hosted) one night, and for appetizers and wine another night. Our dinner at the hotel in the town square was outstanding (the best meal our 2 guests had had in their 2 months in Europe!). Thank you for sharing your unique house with us. We will definitely recommend it to friends.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Charming town, beautiful home

Guest: From Buffalo NY (Buffalo NY USA)
Date of Stay: 07/09/11 Review Submitted: 07/26/11

We were lucky enough to be at this wonderful home when the Tour de France came through the town. The house is perfect for sharing with another couple as the bedrooms and full bathrooms are on different floors. The view from the balcony is amazing, and the house is really special. Yvonne, the contact in Castelnau is helpful and very nice. I already want to go back!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Sue and Bob Anderson Australia

Guest: Sue A. (NSW Australia)
Date of Stay: 05/21/11 Review Submitted: 07/14/11

Loved the house and the village. We stayed with 2 friends but it was large enough and comfortable enough for 8. We had a floor of 2 double bedrooms and bathroom to ourselves and our friends had a separate floor of 2 double bedrooms and bathroom for their own use. Fantastic country views from balcony and we particularly enjoyed looking down from the balcony to the local village boules games every afternoon at 3pm for a douple of hours. Have already recommended this place to friends planning a trip and have no hesitation recommending it to anyone.Very clean and well equipped.Very generous free wifi and worldwide phone calls. Loved it! Thankyou

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Sue and Bob Anderson Australia

Guest: Sue A. (NSW Australia)
Date of Stay: 05/21/11 Review Submitted: 07/14/11

Loved the house and the village. We stayed with 2 friends but it was large enough and comfortable enough for 8. We had a floor of 2 double bedrooms and bathroom to ourselves and our friends had a separate floor of 2 double bedrooms and bathroom for their own use. Fantastic country views from balcony and we particularly enjoyed looking down from the balcony to the local village boules games every afternoon at 3pm for a douple of hours. Have already recommended this place to friends planning a trip and have no hesitation recommending it to anyone.Very clean and well equipped.Very generous free wifi and worldwide phone calls. Loved it! Thankyou

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Comfortable house in fantastic village in beautiful Tarn

Guest: denise (Seattle, WA, USA)
Date of Stay: 04/12/11 Review Submitted: 04/21/11

Our party of seven Seven of us stayed at this house in early April. The surroundings are lush rolling hills dotted with charming farms and vineyards, very picturesque and beautiful. The Village is well-situated, not too far from Gaillac, and incredibly charming, unspoiled, and beautiful, with two very nice restaurants. The house is also very charming, while at the same time being comfortable. We had everything we needed: fast internet, plenty of hot water, comfortable beds, a very well-equipped kitchen, plenty of linens, and every feature well well-functioning and in good repair. We have stayed at many vacation rentals, and this was one of the most comfortable and well-equipped we have seen. We did need the space heaters because the weather was cool, but they worked just as well as everything else. I would definitely stay at this house again. The house and village are even more charming in real life than the photos on the internet. Thank you for this lovely retreat.stayed at this house in April. The surroundings are verdant, bootiful

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Not an autoroute or shopping center could be seen from the balcony

Guest: harry (Carmel CA)
Date of Stay: 09/01/10 Review Submitted: 10/25/10

Can’t say enough good things about this home in Southern France. The four bedrooms comfortably held our whole family and a few friends too. The quietness made for a really great holiday. Not an autoroute or shopping center could be seen from the balcony. Only miles and miles of farms and vineyards. Yet it was close enough to village markets and supermarkets in the next town that we could easily find anything we needed. (And the wifi kept us in touch with home.) Toulous was just far enough away to make for a “big trip to the city.” We only left once in a month to have a few days of beach time in the Med. It was a great pleasure to “return home” after our big adventure.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Comfortable house in a lovely bastide town

Guest: Painters (UK)
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 11/03/10

Lovely old house with beautiful views from the balcony, situated in a quiet road in a pretty bastide town. Comfortable beds, fluffy towels. Clean and well maintained accommodation, though the cooker was a bit temperamental :) The owner was very helpful beforehand with any questions we had. Good restaurant and bar up in the main town square in easy walking distance. Easy to get by car to many lovely villages and towns nearby, e.g. Puycelci, Bruniquel, Gaillac, Albi. Would certainly recommend to others wanting a good value place to stay. There is obviously no pool but there are several public swimming facilities nearby.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Michael & Pam Serisawa (-)
Date of Stay: 06/13/09 Review Submitted: 06/13/09

My wife and I loved this delightful and historic house with a magnificent view. Southern France in May '09, before the start of the "high" season, was perfect, weather included.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/08 Review Submitted: 06/30/08

We stayed here with another couple for a wonderful week in the fall..mid October. The house is charming and comfortable and well appointed. Much more appealing than the photos indicate. The village is perfect and the surrounding area is captivating. There are two restaurants in the village, both good, and a bar and a bakery/newspaper shop. We took long walks in the area, bought fois gras from a local farm, visited wineries, bought soup ingredients at the farmer's market and croissants from the local bakery. It was pretty cold to eat on the balcony but the fireplace was huge and cozy. I would say it was one of the best vacation weeks we've spent and the happy memories linger.

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