Vacation Rentals by Owner

Best Chicken Coop Ever!

Guest: viaducttravel (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
Date of Stay: 09/24/11 Review Submitted: 10/23/11

We (a couple in our 50's and my mother-in-law) stayed at Le Poulailler at the end of September, 2011. Rental was easy to set up; Philip is a native English speaker and very responsive via email. The cottage is very easy to find and detailed driving directions were provided. We met at the agreed upon time and very complete instructions were provided on where to find, and how to operate, everything (and a written copy is in the cottage). A bottle of local wine upon arrival was a very nice touch! The cottage is exactly as described and shown in the photos. A very charming renovation of an old stone outbuilding that retains the original character while offering a modern kitchen, bathroom and WiFi. We spent every day out touring chateaux and enjoying the restaurants of the area so did not make full use of the gardens, patio and pizza oven. We did use the extensive library of maps of the area provided and tried a couple of the restaurants recommended. Loches is an ideal base for touring the Loire Valley for a week, but I could imagine that simply staying at the cottage and enjoying the garden and walks in the area would be equally pleasurable. Just a few minor quibbles that potential renters might want to consider. There is nothing within a short walking distance; even a cup of coffee or the nearest boulangerie is ~2 km away. There are some minor maintenance issues (shower door meets the sloping roof so doesn't fully close, washing machine is outside in the shed, etc.) so it's not like staying at a 5-star hotel. And "adjoining bedrooms" means that anyone sleeping in the smaller bedroom actually walks through the master bedroom to reach the bathroom or to go downstairs. So this cottage would be ideal for a couple, or a family with younger kids, but not really workable for 2 couples. However, these are minor points and we would certainly stay again.

Owner response:Thank you Cindy/Ross/Macie for your well-written review, for the finely detailed, and frank appraisal. Philip

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

Le Poulailler

Guest: Andres and John
Date of Stay: 08/28/11 Review Submitted: 09/09/11

Very nice house and stunning surroundings. The hammock was nice and relaxing and the pizza oven was brilliant! We're going to start making our own pizzas now. Phil and Marie were both very welcoming and friendly. We really enjoyed our stay and had great weather, all week. Thanks for letting us stay in your house.

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Le Poulailler

Guest: Katie, Richard and Alex N. Essex
Date of Stay: 08/14/11 Review Submitted: 09/09/11

we've greatly enjoyed our fornight in the Loire valley & in the Loches area in particular. A very relaxing & peaceful break- just what was needed to recharge our batteries. For children we"d suggest the Beauval Zoo and for dining can recommend philip' suggestions of the "Moulin St Jean" and the "Pizzeria Mauvieres" Many Thanks

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Le Poulailler

Guest: Geoffrey, Anne, Margaret, and Joyce from West Yor
Date of Stay: 07/31/11 Review Submitted: 09/09/11

Enjoyed our first trip to the loire and especially our visit for the week at the "Poulailler" Ity was most comfortable with everything we could want provided. the area has some lovely places and we paid visits to many of them. Thank you very much

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Le Poulailler

Guest: Karen, George, Hannah from Nottinghamshire
Date of Stay: 07/07/11 Review Submitted: 09/09/11

Thank you for a very warm welcome and a very comfortable stay. The house is charming; we've thoroughly enjoyed experiencing french life in the country. The location is perfect and wer have been able to explore the region with ease. Loches is certainly our favorite place; wde can definetely recommend the menu du jour at the Gerbe D'Or! Merci beaucoup encore,

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Le Poulailler

Guest: James, Mary, Geo and Harry (Ireland)
Date of Stay: 06/25/11 Review Submitted: 07/07/11

A wonderful time of year to enjoy this beautiful home surrounded by fields of "gold", -harvest in progress- and sunflowers gbursting forth. After this we return to our own harvest-hope we get some of this gorgeous weather! If you enjoy a good walk there are many routes mapped out through the forest and countryside. We also saw a red squirrel by the river and a deer nbear the river. Thank you,

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Guest: John and Josephine (West Sussex)
Date of Stay: 06/11/11 Review Submitted: 06/14/11

What a charming,quirky, characterful, cosy, cottage~ I could go on and on! It has the atmosphere of a home because it is a home, albeit Phil's; a brilliant transformation from a hen house. Castles, countryside, churches, restaurants, old old towns all a delight. PS We saw a red squirrel in the cherry tree at breakfast one morning~what a treat! Haven't seen one in England for 30 years!

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Guest: Lyn and David, Sydney, Australia
Date of Stay: 05/14/11 Review Submitted: 05/19/11

A great 2 weeks in the Loire and the "Poulailler"! So much to see which leaves you wanting to come back again to keep exploring. Very easy to manage the house and especially sitting in the garden in the sun lookingat the magnifcent roses and enjoying a glass of wine!

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Guest: the Bonszak family ( Reims France)
Date of Stay: 04/23/11 Review Submitted: 05/19/11

We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the "Poulailler". This cosy cottage in the woods has been an ideal base camp from which to explore the wonderful chateaux and domains of the Loire Valley!

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Guest: Noel and Judith (two Aussies)
Date of Stay: 10/16/10 Review Submitted: 03/31/11

what a perfect spot to base our visit to the Loire valley."Le Poulailler" has been a "nice" home to come back to each night. We enjoyed golf, and loved visiting chateau de Chennonceaux, "Sleeping Beauty" in Ussé, Loches, Chinon and the wine caves. But our highlifght was the hot air balloon from Amboise! thanks for sharing your house in the forest!

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Guest: A1li and Steven
Date of Stay: 09/18/10 Review Submitted: 03/31/11

We have had a lovely week here in this gorgeous cottage! The weather has been fantastic and we have enjoyed relaxing in the beautiful garden as well as visiting the sights of the Loire. Many thanks to Annick and her husband for their warm welcome and the beautiful flowers from their garaden. Thanks too for the wine on arrival hich was much appreciated after a long journey!

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Guest: John and Caroline
Date of Stay: 09/11/10 Review Submitted: 03/31/11

We have enjoyed our stay in Loches and the cozy surroundings of the Poulailler. We have found the people locally very friendly and helpful. The walks have been very pleasant and also very interesting. Weatherwas a bit mixed but not unpleasant. It was fun trying out the pizza oven too. Many thanks

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Guest: Andrea and James
Date of Stay: 08/28/10 Review Submitted: 03/31/11

Very nice house and stunning surroundings. The hammock was nice and relaxing and the pizza oven was brilliant! W'ere going to start making our own pizzas now! Phil and Marie were both very welcoming and friendly. We really enjoyed our stay and had great weathger all week. Thanks for letting us stay in your lovely house.

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Guest: Kathie, Richard and Alex
Date of Stay: 08/14/10 Review Submitted: 03/31/11

We've greatly enjoyed our fortnight in the Loire valley in the Loches area in particular. A very relaxing & peaceful brerak. Just what was needed to recharge our batteries. For children we'd suggest Beauval Zoo and for dining can recomend Philip's suggestions of Le Moulin St Jean and the pizzeria Mauvieres! Many thanks

Recommended for:

Guest: Geoffrey, Anne and Margaret, Joyce
Date of Stay: 07/31/10 Review Submitted: 03/31/11

Enjoyed our first trip to the Loire and especially our visit for the week to "le poulailler". It was most comfortable with everything we could want provided. The area has some movely places and we paid visits to many of them. Thank you very much!

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Le Poulailler

Guest: Penny and John from Sydney, Australia
Date of Stay: 05/01/10 Review Submitted: 09/09/11

Thye only regret we have is not staying longer; one week was not enough! We love your home and feel lucky you allowed us to share it with you.

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The Fair Ladies

Guest: The Fair Ladies (Pennsylvania, USA)
Date of Stay: 05/01/10 Review Submitted: 07/10/10

Four retired women traveling together stayed at Le Poulailler the first week in May 2010. We found the cottage charming with beautiful stone exterior walls and the beginning of a flower garden. The cottage is secluded but not very far from towns. All the major chateaux are within 30 to 45 minutes drive. Loches is a marvelous town and has many things to offer. Make sure that you get directions to the cottage because it is very difficult to find. Via Michelin guide that we printed miss marked a major road out of Loches so we could not fine the numbered route. (It did not exist as it turned out) The cottage itself is very nicely renovated. The living room has a wood burning stove and comfortable sofa and chairs. The beds are comfortable also and the bathroom up stairs is great with a powder room on the first floor. The kitchen is well equipped with dishwasher, microwave and a 5 burner stove. We enjoyed meals in the evening at the cottage while eating lunch as we toured the Loire Valley. The landlord did not have any booklet of information for renters, so you need to do your homework before you arrive. Other VRO places had nice information booklets giving instruction on operating the appliances etc. Nothing was in Le Poulailler. However, we were there when the weather turned cold – 6 degrees Celsius – and the landlord turned off the heat. He told us he always turns the central heat off April 1 and uses the wood stove to heat the cottage. Yes, that does work when you feed the fire but it was rather chilly in the morning when we woke up. The cottage became very damp. We finally asked him to turn the heat back on and he did so but told us he would charge us extra for the fuel we used. Please note that none of this information was on the VRO site. Be sure to clarify the heat situation with the landlord if your stay is during a period of cold weather. It was a shame that the weather turned so cold just when we were there. We would have probably enjoyed the nice garden with the patio table and chairs. As it was we were too busy gathering wood and keeping the wood stove going. In the heat of the summer, this cottage would certainly seem naturally air conditioned.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/11/08 Review Submitted: 04/10/08

As owner and recent adherent to this site, I'm happy to report that for the past year of activity, all 13 guests were delighted with "le Poulailler"'s comfort, location,and charm!

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