Karen J. Stayed August 2011.
"We were so glad we chose Vine Cottage"
Myself, my partner and 2 children together with my parents stayed at Vine Cottage for one week in August 2011 before travelling to visit family in the South West of France for the second week of our holiday. All I can say is that I am so glad we chose Vine Cottage. On arriving the owners George and Yvette warmly welcomed us with open arms to show us around the cottage which they did so with enthusiasm and passion for this gem of a holiday rental.
They left us a welcome gift of wine and the reassurance that they were on hand on site in their farmhouse if there were any queries or anything we wanted. On settling in to the cottage after a long ferry crossing we easily felt at home as the accommodation was large and spacious with a homely feel. The weather was warm and we were soon captivated by the peace and tranquillity of the gardens with endless views of fields and agricultural land. George and Yvette pointed out the fruit trees including apple, plum and blackberry bushes and told us to help ourselves as there was plenty. The apple trees were laden with fruit so it wasn't long before my mother was picking for one of her famous apple pies!
The kitchen was a lovely size and well equipped with everything you needed to prepare any meal you wished. George and Yvette also explained that there were bicycles in the shed for our use if we so wished and yes, for the first time in about 30 years I decided to give it a go, and its right what they say you never forget! Even my 73 year old father gave it a go and enjoyed cycling around the quiet country lanes. My daughter who is 18 and my son 13 also enjoyed the holiday in their own way as my daughter is a keen young artist and she spent a lot of time relaxing in the gardens painting and my son making full use of the pool, swings and generally the freedom of the vast outdoor space.
So as you can tell from my review this holiday kept everyone in my family happy, including myself and my partner who are perfectly happy to sit of an evening with a lovely bottle of wine, French bread and a plate of cheese. Life can't get any better than that! So if you are looking for a peaceful and totally relaxing holiday in a beautiful setting this is for you. George and Yvette are lovely and make really wonderful hosts, nothing is too much trouble for them as they are passionate about what they do. We will definitely be going back next year to do it all again.
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"We were so glad we chose Vine Cottage"
Myself, my partner and 2 children together with my parents stayed at Vine Cottage for one week in August 2011 before travelling to visit family in the South West of France for the second week of our holiday. All I can say is that I am so glad we chose Vine Cottage. On arriving the owners George and Yvette warmly welcomed us with open arms to show us around the cottage which they did so with enthusiasm and passion for this gem of a holiday rental.
They left us a welcome gift of wine and the reassurance that they were on hand on site in their farmhouse if there were any queries or anything we wanted. On settling in to the cottage after a long ferry crossing we easily felt at home as the accommodation was large and spacious with a homely feel. The weather was warm and we were soon captivated by the peace and tranquillity of the gardens with endless views of fields and agricultural land. George and Yvette pointed out the fruit trees including apple, plum and blackberry bushes and told us to help ourselves as there was plenty. The apple trees were laden with fruit so it wasn't long before my mother was picking for one of her famous apple pies!
The kitchen was a lovely size and well equipped with everything you needed to prepare any meal you wished. George and Yvette also explained that there were bicycles in the shed for our use if we so wished and yes, for the first time in about 30 years I decided to give it a go, and its right what they say you never forget! Even my 73 year old father gave it a go and enjoyed cycling around the quiet country lanes. My daughter who is 18 and my son 13 also enjoyed the holiday in their own way as my daughter is a keen young artist and she spent a lot of time relaxing in the gardens painting and my son making full use of the pool, swings and generally the freedom of the vast outdoor space.
So as you can tell from my review this holiday kept everyone in my family happy, including myself and my partner who are perfectly happy to sit of an evening with a lovely bottle of wine, French bread and a plate of cheese. Life can't get any better than that! So if you are looking for a peaceful and totally relaxing holiday in a beautiful setting this is for you. George and Yvette are lovely and make really wonderful hosts, nothing is too much trouble for them as they are passionate about what they do. We will definitely be going back next year to do it all again.
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Karen S. Stayed August 2011.
"Like a home away from home"
I'd never stayed at a gite before having a baby, so wasn't sure what to expect. I was thinking country cottage, peace and quiet, pretty countryside, a place to relax. And Honeysuckle Cottage has all of that in bucketloads - it's set in the middle of the tranquil Mayenne countryside, with gorgeous views across the fields, a great big garden to relax in and some excellent country walks round the neighbouring villages. The local towns are fab too - places like Bagnoles De l'Orne, Domfront and Alençon are historical, beautiful and stuffed with things to do.
But it also has something more special - it's like a home away from home. The gite itself is really lovely, with a kitchen, pretty living and dining areas and good sized bedrooms. The owners, a British couple, were so welcoming and lovely, researching and recommending places to visit, laying on bikes so we could look around the area, taking the time to say hello every day and sorting out a couple of small issues (e.g. a sticky window lock) efficiently.
My husband is a cyclist and got very excited about the cycling terrain around the gite - next time, we're taking bikes!
All in all, highly recommended.
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"Like a home away from home"
I'd never stayed at a gite before having a baby, so wasn't sure what to expect. I was thinking country cottage, peace and quiet, pretty countryside, a place to relax. And Honeysuckle Cottage has all of that in bucketloads - it's set in the middle of the tranquil Mayenne countryside, with gorgeous views across the fields, a great big garden to relax in and some excellent country walks round the neighbouring villages. The local towns are fab too - places like Bagnoles De l'Orne, Domfront and Alençon are historical, beautiful and stuffed with things to do.
But it also has something more special - it's like a home away from home. The gite itself is really lovely, with a kitchen, pretty living and dining areas and good sized bedrooms. The owners, a British couple, were so welcoming and lovely, researching and recommending places to visit, laying on bikes so we could look around the area, taking the time to say hello every day and sorting out a couple of small issues (e.g. a sticky window lock) efficiently.
My husband is a cyclist and got very excited about the cycling terrain around the gite - next time, we're taking bikes!
All in all, highly recommended.
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Martin J. Stayed September 2011.
"This gem of a holiday retreat"
My wife and I stayed in 'Meadow View' in October for a week. We had a delightful time enjoying the cosiness of the gite and the wonderful hospitality of the owners Yvette and George. The gite itself had everything we needed for a very comfortable stay - the well equipped kitchen, spacious lounge and the bathroom with a brand new shower (most welcome after a long day's cycling).
Yvette and George couldn't do enough for us - they made very helpful suggestions on places to visit (whatever the weather) and fantastic places to eat. They told us about good routes for cycling, local walks and nearby places of interest such as the cider museum in nearby Lassay and the motor museum in Le Mans. One of their recommendations was the restaurant 'Au Saint-Aignan' which was an easy 30 minute cycle ride from the gite along quiet country lanes. We had a fantastic lunch from the prix fixe menu (10.50 euros) including wine. All the desserts are made by Thierry and are really delicious! Another great suggestion we tried for a relaxing Sunday lunch was La Potiniere du Lac in Bagnoles de l'Orne. Bagnoles de l'Orne (a spa town) is a great place for wandering around following a meal and picking up some gifts to take home.
The gite is in a really undiscovered part of France and if you want peace and tranquillity, good food and wonderful scenery, it is hard to beat in our experience. The gite is in a beautiful setting with lots of space and views over green, rolling countryside to nearby villages. We had a special experience on one of our walks where we looked into an old derelict barn and were greeted by an enormous barn owl swooping down from the rafters! Again, it was Yvette and George who said that we might find the owl there. We will definitely be returning to this gem of a holiday retreat to discover yet more of this wonderful place.
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"This gem of a holiday retreat"
My wife and I stayed in 'Meadow View' in October for a week. We had a delightful time enjoying the cosiness of the gite and the wonderful hospitality of the owners Yvette and George. The gite itself had everything we needed for a very comfortable stay - the well equipped kitchen, spacious lounge and the bathroom with a brand new shower (most welcome after a long day's cycling).
Yvette and George couldn't do enough for us - they made very helpful suggestions on places to visit (whatever the weather) and fantastic places to eat. They told us about good routes for cycling, local walks and nearby places of interest such as the cider museum in nearby Lassay and the motor museum in Le Mans. One of their recommendations was the restaurant 'Au Saint-Aignan' which was an easy 30 minute cycle ride from the gite along quiet country lanes. We had a fantastic lunch from the prix fixe menu (10.50 euros) including wine. All the desserts are made by Thierry and are really delicious! Another great suggestion we tried for a relaxing Sunday lunch was La Potiniere du Lac in Bagnoles de l'Orne. Bagnoles de l'Orne (a spa town) is a great place for wandering around following a meal and picking up some gifts to take home.
The gite is in a really undiscovered part of France and if you want peace and tranquillity, good food and wonderful scenery, it is hard to beat in our experience. The gite is in a beautiful setting with lots of space and views over green, rolling countryside to nearby villages. We had a special experience on one of our walks where we looked into an old derelict barn and were greeted by an enormous barn owl swooping down from the rafters! Again, it was Yvette and George who said that we might find the owl there. We will definitely be returning to this gem of a holiday retreat to discover yet more of this wonderful place.
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Andy G. Stayed Aug/Sept 2011.
"More expensive hotels do not come close to the quality here"
We were looking for an escape from the city and we couldn't have found a more perfect location than La Maison Neuve. It took us just over four hours drive from Calais, however the French autoroutes put the British motorways to shame and the drive was a pleasure through beautiful countryside with no hold ups (or roadworks!).
On arrival we were met by George and Yvette, a lovely couple who have recently taken over the set of three gites. We rented the smallest one bedroom property, however we had more space than we needed with a large ensuite double bedroom upstairs, good sized lounge and very well equipped kitchen, all of which was immaculate on arrival. We have stayed in far more expensive hotels that would not come close to the quality that we found here.
The gites all share a pool and communal garden area, and if you take kids there is a playing field with goalposts and badminton/volleyball net located adjacent to this. There is also a selection of bikes available to borrow for exploring the surrounding area.
Our top finds where Bagnoles de l'Orne which is a lovely town, we had a fantastic evening meal by the lake there. We also discovered the velo rail in another town, which is basically bikes on railway lines. Very bizarre but we had a hilarious couple of hours clunking our way through the french country side. One other little find was the Eco Musée which is just outside Madré and about 15 mins ride on a bike from the gite, a couple of euros each had us entralled by our French guide. He spoke a little English and with our little French he took us around a traditional French farm that has been preserved. Fascinating stuff and a free French lesson thrown in.
Overall , this was a very affordable trip with lots of little surprises to be discovered. We will definitely return.
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"More expensive hotels do not come close to the quality here"
We were looking for an escape from the city and we couldn't have found a more perfect location than La Maison Neuve. It took us just over four hours drive from Calais, however the French autoroutes put the British motorways to shame and the drive was a pleasure through beautiful countryside with no hold ups (or roadworks!).
On arrival we were met by George and Yvette, a lovely couple who have recently taken over the set of three gites. We rented the smallest one bedroom property, however we had more space than we needed with a large ensuite double bedroom upstairs, good sized lounge and very well equipped kitchen, all of which was immaculate on arrival. We have stayed in far more expensive hotels that would not come close to the quality that we found here.
The gites all share a pool and communal garden area, and if you take kids there is a playing field with goalposts and badminton/volleyball net located adjacent to this. There is also a selection of bikes available to borrow for exploring the surrounding area.
Our top finds where Bagnoles de l'Orne which is a lovely town, we had a fantastic evening meal by the lake there. We also discovered the velo rail in another town, which is basically bikes on railway lines. Very bizarre but we had a hilarious couple of hours clunking our way through the french country side. One other little find was the Eco Musée which is just outside Madré and about 15 mins ride on a bike from the gite, a couple of euros each had us entralled by our French guide. He spoke a little English and with our little French he took us around a traditional French farm that has been preserved. Fascinating stuff and a free French lesson thrown in.
Overall , this was a very affordable trip with lots of little surprises to be discovered. We will definitely return.
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Kath E. Stayed August 2011.
"We loved this area and can't wait to return"
This lovely gite is perfect if you want peace and tranquillity in rural France. It is the middle property of three gites which George and Yvette, the friendly, hospitable owners let out; they live in the adjoining property. The gite is clean, well furnished and kitted out. There is an extensive shared garden for sunbathing and relaxing, as well as a private terrace with table and chairs for outside dining. There is a small pool shared with the occupants of the other two gites. George and Yvette are lovely, friendly people who are on hand to advise and recommend places to vist and eat. As keen cyclists, runners and walkers we loved this area and can't wait to return next year.
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"We loved this area and can't wait to return"
This lovely gite is perfect if you want peace and tranquillity in rural France. It is the middle property of three gites which George and Yvette, the friendly, hospitable owners let out; they live in the adjoining property. The gite is clean, well furnished and kitted out. There is an extensive shared garden for sunbathing and relaxing, as well as a private terrace with table and chairs for outside dining. There is a small pool shared with the occupants of the other two gites. George and Yvette are lovely, friendly people who are on hand to advise and recommend places to vist and eat. As keen cyclists, runners and walkers we loved this area and can't wait to return next year.
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