Vacation Rentals by Owner

Perfect Vacation Home

Guest: Jim S. (Fiddletown, California, USA)
Date of Stay: 03/17/12 Review Submitted: 04/01/12

This lovely home exceeded our expectations. Two large bedrooms with very comfortable beds, each with a nice bathroom, and a well equipped kitchen made this an ideal place for us - two 55+ couples. Celine was exceptionally helpful, and made the rental process easy. She provided a lot of information about the home, the charming town of Quillan, and surrounding areas. The town has several nice places to eat and the breads and pastries made at local bakeries are out of the world. From this location you can explore chateaus, abbeys, prehistoric grottos, and many lovely little rural villages. Local village markets offer a wonderful variety of items from veggies to textiles. When done touring for the day, relax by the Aude River - just steps away from this home - and enjoy watching fisherman try their luck, and local children play. You can also enjoy a nice ride on the bikes provided by the owners. In short, this is a fabulous place to stay. We were so fortunate to have been able to spend two weeks here, and hope to return some day.

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The Perfect Place to Explore the Aude and Surrounding Areas

Guest: Jim S. (Fiddletown, California, USA)
Date of Stay: 03/17/12 Review Submitted: 04/01/12

My wife and I and friends thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this quaint village home in Quillan. The two bedrooms, each with bath, and the very well equipped kitchen made this a perfect place to stay. The beds were very comfortable! The location, just steps away from the Aude River was serene. We loved the view of the ancient chateau from our bedroom windows. Celine made the rental process easy. She shared a lot of helpful information about the town and local area. We were very lucky to be able to spend two weeks here. The location is a perfect place to explore Cathar country. After a day of exploring, it was nice to relax by the Aude, watch the fisherman and local children play by the river, and enjoy a glass of great local area wine. We highly recommend this home. We hope to return some day.

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

Great place to stay!

Guest: yface (dublin)
Date of Stay: 12/30/11 Review Submitted: 01/10/12

This is a lovely house right in the centre of Quillan. It had everything we could have needed for our week including bicycles and an i-pod full of great music. The bed is really comfy and there is a power shower full of hot water perfect after a days walking. We ate several nights in the Cafe du Fleuve on the square near the river which was excellent. It only serves local food and wine and the bill with 2 mains and a bottle of wine came to €40. We cooked at home several nights too and the kitchen which worked our really well. There is plenty of parking in the square in front of the house. I would recommend renting a car as getting around would be tricky otherwise. All in all, we had a great time and I will be returning again in the future.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

Quillan - Hidden Gem

Guest: worzleSydney (North Balgowlah, NSW, Australia)
Date of Stay: 09/10/11 Review Submitted: 10/14/11

The house is in a small quiet square, centrally located in Quillan-boulangerie, bars and restaurants all within walking distance. It is comfortable and well equipped with everything we required for our stay. Falling to sleep with the sound of the river in the background was delightful-we had great September weather warm and sunny so windows open. Quillan is a fantastic base for exploring the Cathar Country. If you enjoy markets then the Sunday market as Espezel and Wednesday market at Quillan are fun. We also had a memorable meal at Le Relais du Pays de Sault, Espezel - wild boar head on the wall! The owners were really helpfull and there was plenty of information at the house to help plan our days-one week was no where near long enough to explore everything or try out the bikes - next time!

Recommended for:Age 55+, sightseeing.

Great time in Quillan

Guest: Janell (Las Vegas)
Date of Stay: 09/07/11 Review Submitted: 09/30/11

We had a great time staying here in Quillan.It was very quiet and peaceful.I loved kind of just mingling with the neighbors and not crowded with tourists. There was plenty to see all around. Wish we could have had more time there.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Honeymoon Destination

Guest: Cait (Eugene, Oregon USA)
Date of Stay: 08/22/11 Review Submitted: 09/02/11

My husband and I had a fabulous time in Quillan. The home is well appointed and very comfortable. We loved falling asleep to the sound of the Aude each night in the large cozy bed. Upon arrival, we rented a car and Quillan proved to be a fabulous jumping off point from which to explore castles, wineries and even the beach! We hope to come back again to enjoy the relaxing ambiance of Quillan, the delicious food of the region, and the lovely hospitality of Celine and David. Thank you!

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

Great base to explore the surrounding area

Guest: Angela (Ladysmith, B.C. Canada)
Date of Stay: 06/08/11 Review Submitted: 08/22/11

We spent a very enjoyable week in this house. It was bright, clean, comfortable, spacious and offered the extras all travellers appreciate, i.e. washing machine, iron, board, heated towel rails, good size bathroom and good detailed info sheets. There are so many interesting things to see and do in the area. After one week in Quillan we were beginning to feel very much at home and could have happily spent a further week. The house has steep stairs, so maybe not suitable for small children, but teenagers would love the upper bedroom (with its own bathroom). We would definitely recommend this house.

Owner response:So glad you enjoyed the house and area. We appreciate your business and look forward to your return for that second week!

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

Return to Cathar Country

Guest: Steve (Charlottesville, VA USA)
Date of Stay: 05/12/11 Review Submitted: 06/09/11

I passed through Quillan in 2004 and vowed to return to explore the many Cathar castles in the area. The house is a perfect base as most of the castles (yes, I know, they have all been rebuilt since Cathar times) are within a couple of hours drive. I was completely satisfied with the house. It's located on a pleasant square within walking distance of many restaurants AND the delightful Au Coin des Gourmets Patisserie that Celine recommended. Not only was the house well-maintained, but the kitchen had just been redone. But I rarely used it, preferring to partake of the wonderful restaurants in town. Of the three hotel restaurants in the neighborhood, I liked Canal the best but the other 2 were certainly worth a visit. Less formal but also good is Le Capio across the square from the patisserie. Celine was very responsive and helpful both with my initial questions about the house and then via email when I was staying in the house. I would love to return some day!!

Owner response:Totally amazed at how many castles these folks visited during their stay, but hope they missed a few so that they come back to stay again. Thanks for booking with us!

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

Comfortable and modern base in a 'Time Warp'

Guest: Couple from 'Down Under' (Melbourne Australia)
Date of Stay: 04/10/11 Review Submitted: 04/24/11

Coming all the way from Australia and dealing with all the renting details of this property over the internet one never knew quite how it would all work out. Well I can report all went well and we were delighted with the comfortable base this property afforded us to explore the region. What we liked was the fact you are 'embedded' in the village and after a few days feel like you are part of it. Quaint property in a quaint little village. If you are wanting the bright lights and shopping then you have the wrong location! If you want to explore the Cathar Fortresses, enjoy sampling the local wine or as we did love exploring the tiny mountain roads of the Pyrenees then you have got it spot on.Its also a great spot to launch a visit to Barcelona. We stayed in Barcelona one night and took in the sights and talented architecture of Gaudi. If you think the South of France could interest you..............book this charming house..you wont be disappointed!

Owner response:I very much enjoyed communicating with these folks before from down under, before, during and after their visit. Thanks for choosing us and we hope to have you as our guests again! Celine and David

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

Great place to stay!

Guest: M & T (Willis, MI USA)
Date of Stay: 03/19/11 Review Submitted: 04/08/11

My husband and I loved having two bathrooms and two bedrooms: he claimed one bedroom as his dressing room! The house has everything we needed for a very enjoyable self-catering stay. The village is lovely and the people pleasant. One neighbor even took me by the arm and introduced me to her hairdresser when I told her I needed a haircut! We had a great time exploring the area and visiting Cathar castles. Since we were here in March, we really had them to ourselves. I would recommend this accommodation to anyone looking for a comfortable place and an interesting area. The market in Experaza is well worth a visit.

Owner response:Thanks M and T for your lovely comment. It was great to have you as our guests and we hope you will return someday. Enjoy the remainder of your vacation! Celine and David

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

Guest: AJ & Lauri
Date of Stay: 03/07/11 Review Submitted: 03/11/11

Dropping you a quick note before we leave - wanted to thank you for allowing us to use your home. This week has been a great experience - Quillan has proved to be not only the perfect base to explore the southern areas but the weather finally changed from windy and slate overcast to bluebird skies!!!! We've enjoyed our stay - and all the day trips to the surrounding area. Your home is charming and worked well for us, couldn't ask for a better location.

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Perfect!

Guest: Catherine (Ireland)
Date of Stay: 01/16/11 Review Submitted: 01/26/11

Everything about the experience of renting this property was perfect. It is a town house in Quillan with easy parking outside and very close to a river - which is a wonderful background sound when the windows are open. It is close to all of the places I was interested in visiting, which is why I chose it, and also close to several supermarkets and shops. The house itself is very comfortable. The bedrooms are spacious, the bed I slept in was very comfortable, the heating efficient (I was there in winter), the bathrooms are modern, the kitchen / sitting room is very well equipped and ideal for long conversations around the dining table. Celine was extremely prompt, helpful and welcoming in all transactions; her notes on the house and surrounding area very handy. Overall I strongly recommend this house and will return.

Owner response:It was a pleasure having Catherine as our guest and we look forward to hosting her again! Celine and David

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

An "Old World" Comment

Guest: wolfgang (Hamburg, Germany)
Date of Stay: 09/03/10 Review Submitted: 09/23/10

Being a 75+couple with a 30-year experience travelling in France, we very much appreciated this particular spot of the country. The house is very conveniently situated in a quiet square within walking distance of anything one might need. It has two beautiful bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms. The kitchen is not a highly polished, high tech item, but what the French would certainly call “rustique”. We loved it and did a lot of cooking in it. What we missed a bit, was a little garden, or balcony. We compensated this taking our Pastis on the terrace of “Le Palace” listening to the murmur of the river Aude. One can hear a lot of English there and the “Café Fleuve” just across the street offers even Shepherds Pie now and then. Quillan itself is not very touristy, but the surroundings are really impressive. It is preferable to have a car at hand; the public transport is near to non-existing. But be aware that the roads in the Pyrenees are not American-Highway-Style. Power steering and gearbox will have a hard time there. But it is worth it. And one should have a certain degree of fitness to visit all the Cathar Castles. There is a lot of rough terrain and many steep slopes to overcome. We loved the place very much and can only recommend it. Many thanks to you Celine! Friedel and Wolfgang Schwarz, Hamburg, Germany

Owner response:It was a pleasure having Wolfgang and Friedel and I very much enjoyed their sense of humor during our email "conversations." The kitchen is currently "rustique" but moving a bit more high tech next year when we go over to continue our property improvements. For those of you who are familiar with AARP magazine (targeting our 50+ age group), the Languedoc-Rousillon is listed as one of the five best places to retire!

Recommended for:Age 55+, sightseeing.

Very enjoyable

Guest: Mark (British Columbia, Canada)
Date of Stay: 08/21/10 Review Submitted: 09/03/10

Great place in a charming village in the French Pyrenees. Our 9 year-old spend the day biking around the town and playing soccer with the local kids on an artificial turf field right behind the house. Andorra is two hours away, the beach is 1.5 hours, and Barcelona is 3.5 hours by car. Highly recommended.

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great base for exploring the Pyrenees and Cathar trail

Guest: petal (Martinborough, New Zealand)
Date of Stay: 08/14/10 Review Submitted: 08/28/10

Loved Quillan's vibe, and all the local markets. And it really is handy to so much like Carcassonne and Perpignan. And of course the Cathar trail and Pyrenees. Adventure tourism is there, so is cycling (thankks for the bikes!) and walking. Heaps of culture too. Traditional, religious and just plain old French fun. Highlights of the property were the bedrooms and bathrooms - luxurious. Found ground floor a little dark but that's fine - nicely cool! Wanted for nothing, well equipped, lots of helpful info to enhance our stay. Improvements - smaller keyring (lock box tricky), local contact needs cellphone, easier internet. fon. com too hard for us! Thanks Celine and David.

Owner response:We meet such nice folks renting our village house! Thanks for the suggestions. Our goal is to continue improving the property and we will strive to make the improvements noted. A new front door with partial glass is on the list to make it brighter downstairs and we will work on the rest. Internet seems to be somewhat trickier than in the U.S. Fon.com seems to work for most, but will check out options during our next trip. It was a pleasure having you both as our guests!

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

Exceptional House and Location

Guest: John and Peg (Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, USA)
Date of Stay: 06/24/10 Review Submitted: 07/16/10

We used Quillan as a base for a week's exploration of the Languedoc-Roussillon area. The house was exactly as described with old world charm and all modern conveniences. The food, scenery, history, and people of the area are worthy of a return visit.

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

Guestbook Review

Guest: barb (Phoenix Arizona)
Date of Stay: 05/18/10 Review Submitted: 06/21/10

We spent several weeks in Provence before we arrived in the Aude Valley. It was a nice change to find an area much less touristy and built up in comparison with Provence. We spent a wonderful week touring the beautiful countryside, Cathar castles and charming small towns like Limoux. The house was exactly as described; what a luxury to find ensuite, modern bathrooms with each bedroom. The only issue might be the steep stairs with people who have trouble with stairs. Quillan is a small town with no great single attraction but at the end of the week, we felt like townsfolks who visited the bakery and grocery every day. Everyone was helpful. We finished our week drinking blanquette (local champagne) at the Brasserie by the Aude River!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing.

Guestbook Comment

Guest: barb (Phoenix Arizona)
Date of Stay: 05/18/10 Review Submitted: 06/18/10

We arrived in the Aude Valley after having spent several weeks in Provence. This area is much less built up and less touristy than the famous towns of Provence. It was a delight to explore the gorgeous countryside, small towns like Limoux and the Cathar castles. The house was exactly as described and worked well for a couple and single person - quite a luxury to have a modern ensuite bathroom for each bedroom! The stairs are quite steep so that would be something in mind for anyone limited in climbing stairs. We enjoyed Quillan, a small town with no great attractions, but the services like bakery and food store are first rate. After a week we started to feel like one of the townspeople. We finished our week drinking blanquette in the Brasserie by the Aude River.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing.

Guest: Ann & Ben Gardner (Goshen, KY)
Date of Stay: 09/15/09 Review Submitted: 09/15/09

If you want to experience true French village life in a quaint comfortable home you cannot do better than this lovely French home. The home radiates a feeling of comfort and homeiness, just the thing after a full day exploring the Pyrenees countryside. You are in the center of Quillan, just a few doors from the rushing Aude River with restaurants, bakeries and the Tourist Office just steps away. We loved market day, the surrounding French villages and the very friendly people who tolerated my very limited French with a smile. We can't wait to return!

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Guest: Janet Stewart (Perth, Western Australia)
Date of Stay: 08/11/09 Review Submitted: 08/11/09

It was a lovely place to stay. The house is charming and well equipped, the beds and pillows were comfy (a real treat!), the bathrooms new and spotless. The very pretty village has good bakeries and other shops in easy walking distance, plus fresh food markets twice a week, making self-catering a pleasure. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone else - unless they had problems climbing stairs, as the bedrooms are on the second and third floors. We would have liked to stay longer!

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Guest: Roxanne and Jim (El Granada, CA)
Date of Stay: 08/03/09 Review Submitted: 08/03/09

The owner was wonderfully responsive and helpful as we prepared for our trip, and our time in Quillan. A lot of care is evident in the house--comfortable furnishings and very clean. A special treat in this rural village was the town's pre-celebration of July 14th. From our window, we were treated to amazing fireworks over the old ruins. We were astounded that the fireworks were so extensive and beautiful, given the size of the town. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the understated Canal Restaurant!

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Guest: Lily Fox (Langley Wa)
Date of Stay: 06/04/09 Review Submitted: 06/04/09

Our stay in Quillan was fabulous! Located in the beautiful Pyrenees mountains, ancient hiking trails that lead into the surrounding foothills are easily accessible from the front door. Also only a few blocks away is the store, post office, laundrymatt, and many restaurants. The house itself is beautiful. Celine and David have done an amazing job remodeling. The house has great amenities and was very comfortable. Additionally, for those of us who could not afford to eat out every night, the kitchen is perfect, everything you need to cook a full meal is there!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/01/08 Review Submitted: 08/31/08

Lovely old house in a great location in the village centre (the square was once the site of an old monastery). The house is very comfortable and is ideally situated close to restaurants and bars. It is also very close to the River Aude, which you can hear rushing past as you lie in bed having probably consumed too much foie gras, cassoulet and the excellent local wine. all in all a fantastic place to visit.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/01/08 Review Submitted: 08/10/08

What a wonderful experience, and a great house. We really felt like part of the community. People were nice to us and even put up with our mangling of their language (but we tried to speak it, that goes a long way). The house was beside the river and only two streets away from the best patio/bar in the village "Le Palace" beside the river. We loved Market day, the Jazz festival (free) and just being able to shop, and explore all the way around the valley. We even went to Spain one day for lunch, the coast road is astonishing. We couldn't have asked for a more wonderful experience and after the bustle of Paris it was most welcome. Thanks to Kelly, Celine and David for their kindness and warm welcome.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/08 Review Submitted: 07/21/08

I have traveled to Europe before, but have never had an opportunity like this to really experience the culture. Listening to the church bells and meeting the wonderful citizens of Quillan will be a memory we will cherish forever. The home was comfortable and modern. It was like a home away from home. Quillan was a great place to be staying because it has the comforts of a larger village and allows you to explore all the sites of the majestic valley. Thanks David and Celine for a wonderful experience!

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