My little girl dream of living in a French country house on a gorgeous property with views of…read morerolling green pastures and a nearby river has finally come true! It only lasted three nights, but, hey, who's counting? After researching for nearly one month I finally chose to book our country cottage with Marie at her gorgeous chateau because our conversation on the phone was so incredibly natural and cool, as if chatting with a chic French aunt with perfect English who made everything about her region, her property, her services sound so lovely, accessible and totally made for us. Marie has been renting space in her chateau and surrounding cottages for a year now, but her place is still very much under the radar. It's probably because she's a bit of a drive from the famous chateaus in the Loire Valley. Her property, nestled in the quiet, dreamlike Indre "departement" is packed with medieval charm. Every couple of miles there's a turn off to visit one chateau or another, and there are many incredible Unesco-labeled villages that are worth visiting for their "frozen in time" architecture. Just ask Marie for the names, she knows the region like the back of her hand and will even give you daily recommendations for villages to visit, restaurants to try, festivals to see. Quite an amazing talent and patience for connecting her clients to the right place at the right time. I can't gush enough about Marie and her property. We felt totally at home and loved our little 2-story maison with a big garden out front for al fresco dining and playing at our leisure. Marie has around 4 different cottages on her property, most of them are a bit more modern that our rustic house was, and I'd love to try those out next time we come for a visit. Oh, she's also in the process of building a pool for the cottage guests (the bed and breakfast guests use the pool in front of the chateau, which was closed while were were there since the weather wasn't so warm). I highly recommend this spot for exploring a very quiet, green, chateau-filled region while living like a modern-day aristocrat at affordable prices. (we paid 350 for three nights). Distance to Paris is approx 3-4 hours by car, depending on traffic and whether you take the autoroute or the more bucolic routes. Enjoy!

Magical. Charming. My family rented one of the guest houses for a week last summer and I seriously…read morethought about renting my house out and coming here for a year. Marie has a true gift. My husband is an architect and can't fully relax most places because he's thinking about how to remodel/tweek the space but the Maison is a delight for the senses and every inch has been considered. It is a rare place of relaxation. Bring a book. If you expect to be waited on hand and foot go to a resort - here what they create is a beautiful space for you to unwind in. Can't wait to get back.

This was our first time visiting this region and looking for something different, I stumbled onto…read morethis incredible Bed & Breakfast. Run by Americans, Gloria & Bob Belknap, this 18th century mansion has been meticulously decorated & maintained. Everything from the grounds to the rooms are beautiful. We were fortunate to stay in 2 different rooms, the George Sand & Madam de Lafayette. Both rooms, were unique and beautiful with gorgeous antiques. I only have a few pics and they don't do this place justice. Go to the website, their pics depict the place much better. Upon check-in, Gloria takes the time to sit down and get to know you. And then, she makes FANTASTIC recommendations of what to see & eat. She DID NOT lead us in the wrong direction. In fact, her dinner recommendation is still hands down my favorite meal over the years in France (she even called the proprietor for us to make the reservations). But it doesn't end there! Gloria graduated from La Varenne cooking school in Paris, so you can imagine how wonderful breakfast was every morning. Breakfast is held in the back of the mansion in the Conservatory, overlooking the backyard garden. Even my husband still thinks about those breakfast meals. The only negative I had with this place, was it was so beautiful that I worried about breaking things. Haha! We'd love to go back!

You will not be disappointed in any way. Owner is an American woman of means and has created a…read morewelcoming, classical environment. Every comfort, excellence in design and culinary execution. Warm without being overbearing. We were given an excellent recommendation for local dining and tourism, as well. If I am ever returning to this area, I will be certain to call again.

I can't say enough good things about La Ruche B&B and hosts Jo and Robin. The rooms were beautiful,…read morethe backyard was lovely and they couldn't have been more welcoming and accommodating. I would go out of my way to stay here again, as we feel we have made real friends with the family. Our 5 year old daughter was so happy to make a friend with their son Edward, who shared his trampoline and kid pool. He even walked us around town in the afternoon and introduced us to his friends down at the swimming lake nearby. Jo was incredibly accommodating when we realized we did not have plans for dinner, and fed Charlotte like she was part of the family while serving us a lovely multi-course meal on the patio. Really, staying here was the highlight of our trip to France!

Cedre et Charme was the lovely bed and breakfast we enjoyed during our week in Loire Valley…read more Gorgeous manor house with rustic charm but all the modern luxuries. Super comfortable bed, memory-foam pillows, super-soft sheets. Bathrooms had huge, deep tub with massaging shower and heating towel rack. Strong Wifi signal. They have a very large lawn where there are tables and chairs for dinners, evening cocktail enjoyment or to lounge away the afternoon. They also have a large pool and fully equipped pool-house. Everything one could want for the ultimate relaxation to event planning Lovely continental breakfast served each morning with fresh baguettes, croissants, homemade jams and fruit; French-pressed coffee The couple who own & run the B&B are among the nicest people we've met. Lots of recommendations regarding the surrounding wine regions, castles and chateaux - we made our tour plans based on their guidance and were so pleasantly happy with our itinerary. The location is perfectly situated to visit the larger, surrounding area and get a wonderful overview and make the most of our stay in the region On our second night there, I encountered a very embarrassing bout of food poisoning from eating at 1 of the neighboring towns and ended up requiring antibiotics to combat. They were so very accommodating and gracious. I am eternally grateful! So if staying in the Loire Valley & needing to be treated royally, you can find it all at Cedre et Charme

From the owner: Chambres d hôtes de charme au pays du Futuroscoperead more

Having dinner here was one of the high points of our trip. It's a bed and breakfast located on a…read moreworking farm. We met Bruno the owner and fortunately my Wife speaks French so we were able to get some of the details about the farm and buildings before dinner. It has been a farm for over 1,000 years. The original waterwheel that powered the mill is still in use. The waterwheel was built in the year 1,006. It has been repaired a thousand times probably, but never replaced. Bruno, his Wife, family, and helpers did the cooking for what was a very busy dinner for them. It was perfect! I started with soup and then a wonderful salad with toasted goat's cheese. Then I had the beef stew. It was very good. My Wife had the quiche and loved it. We want to go back next trip and get a room for a couple of days. We enjoyed it that much.

How has nobody reviewed this amazing b&b yet?!? My boyfriend and I came to France for a little over…read morea week and spent time in Paris, Vouvray, Chinon, and Amboise. I know, we get around. At the end of the trip, we both agreed that we wish we had spent more time in Vouvray, and this was largely due to the hospitality of the Bertrands. Absolutely the most gracious hosts we have ever come across, more than we could ever hope for. We had gotten in a little fender bender before arriving in our rental car, and they were so kind that they actually came in with us when we dropped our car off to ensure proper communication (neither of us spoke French very well) and make sure everything was taken care of. Who does that? We were honestly blown away. Gorgeous, well-maintained house. The room that we stayed in was huge and came with a full sitting room and spa-quality bath. Breakfast was delicious, and they even made reservations for us to have dinner at a place they recommended in town, which was amazing. One of the bes meals we had in France. They looked after us as if we were close friends or even family, not just random strangers paying for a place to sleep. If all bed and breakfasts were so incredible, I swear I would never go home.