Charming country house with garden near Fontainebleau

My husband and I wanted to spend an extended period of time in a small village close to a large city in France and experience the people and the lifestyle. We found what turned out to be this perfect cottage in the quaint village of Grez-sur-Loing, just 38 minutes south of Paris by train. I would highly recommend it for a short or long term rental!

We loved the location and spent six weeks there. We enjoyed taking short day trips to surrounding towns of Fontainebleu, Barbizon and others. We took walks or rode bikes every day and met great people in Grez, including a famous artist who lives there. We did not realize that this village has a lot of history and many famous artists have traveled there to paint and still do!

Mostly we shopped the market for fresh food and cooked at home each night. My husband is my chef in and the kitchen had everything he needed. He found it very easy for cooking. I guess it helped that the owners of the house actually had lived there and still come back frequently.

We also chose this house because we wanted room for my son's family to spend a week with us. The 3 bedrooms and 2 large modern bathrooms fit our needs perfectly. Our grandsons walked to the bakery with their grandfather every day to get fresh baguettes and croissants for breakfast.

One of my favorite memories was getting up each morning and opening the shutters downstairs to the fresh cool air and the beautiful private courtyard. There were always flowers blooming. Many times we took our tea and coffee to the table outside. In the evening we converted it to our wine and cheese table!

Not speaking French was a bit of an issue on a couple of occasions, but the owners had left the names and numbers of several friends who spoke English and we did enlist their services a few times, like when our French Open tickets came with directions in French.

The house is loaded with books (I counted 479), fiction, travel, cookbooks, and many books about France. I had downloaded books before I left the states but there was really no need. 1 ½ months is a long time to go without TV, but we wouldn't have understood it anyway. We did miss Wi-Fi but managed to find free places to download nearby. Other than that, I have nothing but fond memories of Grez-sur-Loing and the lovely cottage we called home for six weeks. We have other bucket-list items to check off but I am sure we will go back one day!

I've rented this house for a month while looking for a permanent home in the area for our family. This house is located about five minutes drive from Fontainebleau and is convenient to everywhere. I was there during the Spring of 2012 and especially appreciated the pretty garden and the quiet evenings. The kitchen is well equipped, the living room comfortable and with a decent-sized master bedroom, the smaller bedrooms are fine for single adults or children.

The owner has a maid that is available although we found that the house is easy to care for and we did all of our cleaning and ironing. People looking for modern electronics like a flat-screen TV and cable TV might reconsider but the owner has a VCR and a good collection of VCR tapes which gives the place a bit of retro charm.

Bathrooms in France are known to be lacking at best and catastrophic at worst, but the American owners have added on a large bathroom and laundry room on the lower level. This made the stay a great deal more comfortable than many of the other places I happened to see while searching for a place to stay. There is a bathroom on the upper level with a bathtub suitable for bathing children.

The town of Grez sur Loing has a bakery, restaurant and a small store. There are plenty of nearby walking paths and scenic spots along the river Loing. Bicycles are a big plus and there are designated paths and safe side roads. We did some tourism and getting to Paris is easy - a short drive to Bourron Marlotte (3 minutes) or to Avon adjacent to Fontainebleau (12 minutes) and the train to central Paris takes about 40 minutes. It's less time to central Paris from this house than it is from some places in central Paris in traffic. If you decide for this house, you should rent a car because it's difficult to get around otherwise.

All in all, a very charming and tidy country house with all of the charm of the French countryside. Two thumbs up!

Our two weeks at this charming cottage in Grez Sur Loing, France, were delightful. After we figured out the roundabout in Fontainebleau, finding the place was no problem--though the only French we knew was "merci". As we parked on the quiet street, we were hopeful this venture was going to be exactly what we were looking for. Unlocking the gate and stepping inside the walled front yard was like discovering our own "secret garden".

Once inside the house, the bustle of the flight and drive to get there began to fall away. Even though we had been given a lot of information from the owners, we were pleasantly surprised to see how much room there was, both downstairs and up. We found the kitchen, dining, and living rooms neat, clean and well-furnished. We liked the comfortable bedrooms that look down on the garden below. Being able to browse the interesting books throughout the house was an added plus. In short, the whole setting was even more than we had hoped for.

And Grez! What a charming little town. Not much choice of places to eat, but on our first walk we were surprised to be greeted in English by a local gentleman who graciously recommended some favorite restaurants in nearby towns. He then told us some of the facinating village history, pointing out the homes and studios of famous artists and writers. We learned they have an active Arts Group and recommend a visit to City Hall to view their collection.

Besides thoroughly enjoying our walks in picturesque Grez, we loved exploring the countryside. We visited Barbizon, Moret Sur Loing (several times!), the historic market and LaChapelle in Milly-la-Foret, and the church and market in Egreville, as well. The town of Fontainebleau, a short drive away, is famous for its fantastic chateau and gardens and also provides anything else you would want or need--shops, department stores, restaurants, internet cafes, etc. It was always a relief to arrive back at our very own cozy cottage after a tiring day of sightseeing and shopping.

This stone country home is a perfect spot for anyone who just wants to blend into the French countryside for awhile. We spent the next week in Paris, but our time in Grez Sur Loing will always be a fond, memorable part of our time in France.

If you have ever dreamed of staying in a beautiful cottage in a quintessential French village, then your dreams have been answered in this perfect French hideaway. We enjoyed strolling through the picturesque village and visiting the old ruins, the cathedral and of course the local bakery. It was also great to relax with coffee or wine in the home’s wonderful enclosed garden / yard. The house is beautiful with a modern kitchen and 2 baths. The bedrooms and living areas are nicely furnished, spacious and comfortable.

The property is ideally situated for exploring the local countryside, Fontainebleau, and day trips to Paris. Be sure to enjoy Fontainebleau’s luscious outdoor market filled with fresh produce and culinary delights and tour the Chateau.

We've stayed many times at this gorgeous home. Walled garden provides a wonderful spot to read in the afternoon. There's a lovely short walk to the center of the village to pick up a fresh baquette from the local baker every morning. Lots of history and charm in the village of Grez, including evening walks along the river - you can even rent a canoe! The house itself is charming, well-maintained and reflects a lovely combination of an historic structure with modern amenities. We can't recommend it highly enough as a wonderful vacation interlude before or after a visit to Paris. Lots of things to do nearby including the palace at Fontainebleau, Barbizon, and the Forest of Fontainebleau which provides hiking trails, biking and rock climbing possibilities.