Large 2 Bdrm Apartment in 16th C House Beautiful Medieval Town

• Living life in a small French town.

  Living life in a small French town.

  • Guest David and Nadine
  • Date of stay 06/02/12
  • Review Submitted 04/13/13
  We prefer to stay in non touristy towns to experience more of living life in France. La Charite-sur-Loire filled the bill. We spent 2 weeks in this comfortable, spacious, 2 storey apartment with its tower top sitting out area in the centre of town overlooking the cathedral and the main street. Lots of unlimited time parking was available off street a short walk away. This is a sensitive reno preserving lots of character while updating to modern. Attention has been given to details like the 450 year old terra cotta floor tiles . . tommettes, exposed stone walls and old wood beams, with the addition of some small opening skylights, and a quality HVAC unit. The top floor bedroom is what it must be like to sleep in a barn loft with old exposed beams. The bathrooms were modern with a good supply of nice towels. If you wanted to do a reno of an old house in France, Byron would be your man.We really enjoyed Byron’s very informative town tour. La Charite is a walkable town on the Loire River. The Saturday morning market on the town square is a ½ block away. Look for the lady with 5 levels of firmness of Crottin (goat cheese) . An excellent selection of small producer, local wines is found at Le Vin across the street from the Cathedral. Visit Cerre Artisan Charcuterie Traiteur on the main street for a wide range of tempting prepared foods. I even found a depot – vente/second hand clothes shop with nice quality, La Flanerie, on a side street parallel to, and one block back from the river. La Charite is well located for exploring the area. Highlights for us included Guedelon, a small castle being built using medieval techniques which we had seen on PBS, Loire wine country, Bourges, modern stained glass at Nevers cathedral, Pont Canal at Briare, the chant at Vezelay. Lots of literature in the apartment led us to more places to visit like the garden town of Apremont, with a disused round lock nearby, and the pyramid barn at Vailly sur Sauldre, NW of Sancerre. We happened upon Rogny and the now disused les-7-Ecluses, 7 locks like a grand staircase whose construction was started by Henry IV in 1605. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in the area. Kelly and Byron were good hosts who made us feel welcome.Merci Kelly and Byron.

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

  Owner response: We are delighted you enjoyed our Lucarne Suite and your holiday in our area of France. We hope to see you both here again soon!

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• Towering over the town

  Towering over the town

  • Guest Anonymous
  • Date of stay 07/21/12
  • Review Submitted 01/06/13
  My wife and I spent three weeks in the Lucarne apartment last July and August--and loved it. The place was wonderfully spacious yet cosy, charmingly antique yet well supplied with all the necessary modern conveniences, centrally located in town yet private. It was the perfect base from which to explore central France--Burgundy, the Loire, even the Massif Central. And it had a stone tower that loomed over the rooftops of La Charite. Every night we'd climb the winding staircase, lift the hatch, and eat our late supper at the little table up there, watching the pigeons roost in the cathedral perhaps 30 yards away, the swallows swoop at bugs we never felt, and the stars emerge. And discuss the day (usually begun in the excellent cheese shop and patisserie just outside our street door) and all the things we'd seen, many of which our superb hosts had first told us about. It was a magical stay, in a place I'd return to in an instant--and feel, in a sense, I've never left.

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

  Owner response: We are delighted you enjoyed your stay in our Lucarne Suite. We too feel that La Charité-sur-Loire is a very special place. We hope to see you both here again soon.

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• The Best Ever

  The Best Ever

  • Guest RJ&B
  • Date of stay 09/16/12
  • Review Submitted 10/01/12
  This was the 5th time we had used a VRBO listing and it was without doubt the best experience. Everything advertised was accurate and the attention by the owners was unbelievable - from picking us up at the train station to a welcoming aperitif at their home to a guided tour of La Charite. We enjoyed walking throughout La Charite and driving to Nevers, Apremont (the best village in France), Poully, and Sancerre. A visit to the Tourist Information Center in Pouilly offers an in house exhibit of wine making that is well worth the 6 Euro price. After the tour, lunch at the Relais de Pouilly is very enjoyable. In Sancerre lunch at the Hotel du Rampart offers good food and wine with a beautiful vieew of the countryside from the terrace dining area. And for petit dejeuner in La Charite you can get a great omlet at the Bar Olympia on Grand Ave (up the hill) - if Madam is on duty. We would recommend this property to anyone looking for a place to stay in La Charite s/Loire.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, sightseeing, adventure seekers.

  Owner response: We are delighted you enjoyed your stay in our Lucarne Suite. We hope to see you here again!

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• Wonderful Rental

  Wonderful Rental

  • Guest Lynne Martin L.
  • Date of stay 08/21/12
  • Review Submitted 08/30/12
  My husband and I travel full time, so we have stayed in many rental properties. The owners have done a beautiful job restoring an ancient building without destroying its character. We were comfortable and happy and had everything we needed right at hand. The view from the suite is breathtaking and it's worth the climb to have privacy and quiet in that pretty little town. We recommend this property with enthusiasm.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, romantic getaway.

  Owner response: We are delighted you enjoy your stay in our Lucarne Suite! We hope to see you back here soon.

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• A truly authentic French experience!

  A truly authentic French experience!

  • Guest Doris
  • Date of stay 07/07/12
  • Review Submitted 08/01/12
  We were a group of five with 3 in the Lucarne Suite and the other couple in the Sanet Suite. We loved the fact that we could use the outside terrace of the Sanet Suite for "happy hour" with an amazing view of the ancient church, while after dinner we met in our spacious living room. The kitchen in the Lucarne Suite was also used easily for home cooked dinners and breakfast around the large table. Everything was spotless, comfortable and the bathrooms modern. The spiral stone staircase and low doorways took some getting used to but certainly added character to the place. Since we do not speak French, we were at first wondering how we would get along in such a quaint town but were pleasantly surprised at the effort made by all inhabitants to communicate. The cheese shop owner next door offered us his fully cooked pheasant and potatoes on our first night which we bought and augmented with fresh beans and salad from the market. The whole town is literally at your doorstep and easy to explore on foot. Byron and Kelly were amazing, warm and helpful hosts who made us feel most welcome. There is so much to see in the area that we all want to come back to complete our list. Our favourites were a picnic by the river in Apremont, dinner at Tours in Sancerre, singing of the monks and nuns in the basilica at Vezelay, market at Cosne, driving through the countryside and stopping at farms that displayed the "fromage" sign to sample and buy fresh cheese, and last but not least savouring the abundance of wineries and tastings. We would highly recommend this place for a truly authentic French experience!

  Recommended for: Tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing, romantic getaway, adventure seekers.

  Owner response: We are happy to hear your enjoyed your holiday in La Charité-sur-Loire and you want to come back! We hope to see you here again soon.

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• Stay at Lucerne Suite

  Stay at Lucerne Suite

  • Guest Notty
  • Date of stay 05/26/12
  • Review Submitted 06/25/12
  My husband together with my step-son and his partner recently stayed here and we would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who isinterested. Kelly & Byron were very helpful in advising us places to visit and lots of literature in the apartment. Charite-la-Suite is a good base for the chateaux and wineries. One day Kelly & Byron loaned us bikes and we all cycled along bythe river which was very easy to do.Also the town itself is lovely and people very friendly, lots of nice restaurants, thoroughy recommend the pizza place on the other side of the river. l

  Recommended for: Tourists without a car, sightseeing, families with young children.

  Owner response: We are delighted you enjoyed your stay in our Lucarne Suite. It was great meeting all of you!

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• A wonderful stay in a lovely, comfortable apartment.

  A wonderful stay in a lovely, comfortable apartment.

  • Guest Diann
  • Date of stay 09/03/11
  • Review Submitted 09/26/11
  We just returned from a stay in the Lucarne Suite and can easily say that it surpassed our expectations. The pictures on most vacation rental websites seem to have been taken with some kind of 'magic camera' because the pictures make the accommodations appear bigger, grander, etc. Not so, with the Lucarne Suite...the pictures depict the apartment perfectly. Upon our arrival, we found the apartment to be stocked with just about everything that we might need - plus it was spotlessly clean and tidy. The living room/dining room/kitchen were quite comfortable and large enough to allow the four of us to do a bit of cooking, lots of eating and plenty of space to share the day's experiences with our traveling companions. Both bathrooms were equipped with a shower (a real shower, not just a tub with a shower nozzle...and no shower curtain as we've found in lots of places) and with good water pressure. The bedrooms, as well as the living area, had individual air conditioning units which may not often be necessary but definitely a plus when the temperatures soar. It should be noted that the main floor bedroom; although quite charming, was not built for a person of 6'4". It didn't present a problem because my 'tall husband' and I took the upstairs bedroom while the other couple were happy to stay in the main floor bedroom...seeing that neither of them was over 6 feet tall. The beds, pillows and bed linens were of a very high standard and allowed four tired tourists a very pleasant night's sleep each night. The location was conducive to easily pop-out for a walk to a nearby shop or cafe. There were several bakeries, cheese shops, butcher shops, grocery stores, drug stores, etc. all within a block or two. The cafes/restaurants that we tried were all of top notch quality. We especially enjoyed the crepe shop but be prepared for crepes larger than you've seen elsewhere and at a very reasonable price. While my husband and I ventured out via rental car to several beautiful and interesting towns (Sancerre and Vezelay being our favorites), our more athletic (and younger) travel companions opted to use the rental bikes furnished at Lucarne Suite and explore the small towns along the river. We shared our experiences in the evening over a nice glass of wine and came to the conclusion that because this area is so beautiful, it would be hard not to find something enjoyable during any kind of an outing. The owners/hosts were very friendly, helpful and available

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

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• Beautiful Town, Awesome Apartment and great location!

  Beautiful Town, Awesome Apartment and great location!

  • Guest Family Travelers
  • Date of stay 08/13/11
  • Review Submitted 08/19/11
  We arrived in La Charite sur Loire on the 13th of August 2011 and it was well worth the drive. The town is lovely. We thought the apartment was huge by French standards, two huge bedrooms and two great bathrooms. The main living area is very nice and very comfortable. Bryon and Kelly are awesome hosts and think of all your needs. They installed a/c in every room so even in the humid summer you can feel comfortable Texas Style. We had a small shower issue and let Kelly know and she was awesome and took care of everything for us immediately. The owners live two minutes away so they are very helpful. The day we arrived they had a carnival in town and it was on the main street where the apartment was located it was so cool for my kids to get to go and enjoy it. The only negative we had was the fact that we didn't get to stay there longer, we truly felt at home there. Take Kelly and Bryons suggestions because they were spot on. We visited many places in the area and the surroundings are just amazing. The town is very easy to find and driving in France was pretty easy, not a lot of traffic at all outside of Paris. We will definitely do it again. We are very happy we chose to rent this apartment it was well worth the money.

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

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Low season  2013.. .350/week  /90 per night *min 3 nights
Mid season  2013...425/week /100 per night *min 3 nights
High season 2013...500/week  /120 per night *min 3 nights

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.