My husband and I just got back from Normandy, and we stayed one night in a truly magnificent…read morechateau called Chateau de la Pommeraye. Everything about our stay there was special, and you can't help but relax. There seem to be 8 rooms and they are very spacious and very tastefully decorated. It would be a great place to stay for a wedding party or family reunion-type gathering or just to hang out with a bunch of friends. But it is also nice for just 2 people who are looking for someplace peaceful and away from the larger cities. We we first arrived, the gardener was there cutting the lawn, but Alexandre (the owner) asked him to stop doing the yard work so that we wouldn't have to hear the noise from the garden equipment. I thought that was very considerate. The grounds of the chateau have plenty of areas to sit and read a book or have a glass of something and enjoy the quiet of the surrounding countryside. There is a very lovely sitting room adjacent to the dining room with a fire place. It was raining a little when we arrived, and we sat in front of the fire, drank sparkling wine, and listened to classical music. It was delightful. You definitely want to plan to have dinner at the chateau. We were served a 5-course meal for a very reasonable price (wine was extra, and they have a very nice wine list), and it was so nice to just come in to dinner from the sitting room, and not have to worry about driving somewhere to a restaurant (which might be difficult, because there didn't seem to be much else around there anyhow). The main course that evening was duck,which was phenomenal. All of the courses used fresh, organic ingredients, and the meal truly was one of the best I've ever had. The attention to detail in both the preparation and the presentation was better than anything you will see on Top Chef! Our lovely hostess Karine gets the credit for most of that! In the morning we were served a simple, yet delicious breakfast. Freshly baked bread (by the owner himself!), delicious French butter, local jams and honey, and fresh apple juice (which - when you're in Normandy - you must try!). Our only regret is that we didn't have more time here. We were on a tight schedule, but had I known then, what I know now, I would have booked more than one night, and really taken advantage of the tranquility of the chateau and its surroundings. This place is a gem.

One of my favorite stops ever, will definitely try to make it back someday. Huge rooms, large…read morecomfortable beds, excellent bathrooms, delicious breakfasts. The wonderful, friendly owners spent 8 years re-habing the building. All the original napoleonic character has been preserved and beautifully decorated throughout, while never getting cluttered. Very clean. 2 warnings: this is not a table d'hôte, their website host has closed and they cannot change this detail yet. They can provide some dinners with plenty of notice. If you see the size and location of the place run by 2 people, you'll see why they discontinued this. They are very helpful for booking reservations at excellent local eateries. There is a cow pasture across the road, you will see flies in your room, although the French flies are surprisingly considerate and do not bite or fly around at night and generally keep to themselves.

The city of Paris is a nice place to visit, but if you have a chance, rent a car and drive out to…read morethe Normandie region. I've always wanted to see the famous abbey Mont St. Michel, and Château de Boucéel, is located about 15 min from Mont. St. Michel. My friend Ken stayed here, and recommended this place. We made it a point to stay here. Its a magnificent property, an estate that dates back to the beginning of the twelfth century and well hidden from the main road. You will need GPS to find this place, especially at night! The owner is an actual Count, whose family owned the chateau for generations, and they even have artifacts all over the house belonging to his family. The photos on the wall aren't just any photos or museum looking pieces, but paintings of his actual ancestors! I stayed here a many years ago, and our bedroom used to belong to the Count's great grandparents. The property went on and on... there were animals, cottages and beautiful flowers. I posted a photo where you can see me poking my head from our bedroom window! You can stay in the chateau or in separate cottages, which used to belong to servants, such as the bakery, the gardener's house, etc. We asked the Count to recommend a non touristy place to eat. He directed us to a little cafe about 15 minutes from the Chateau with the directions "when you get to the only stop light in town, the restaurant is located on the left". Literally one stop light. The rates start at 175 euros and up, and includes breakfast.

We had the pleasure of staying at the beautiful Chateau de Bouceel, in Normandy France. It was…read moredefinitely a highlight of our trip, and made the last days of our French vacation doubly bittersweet as we simply did not want to leave. The hosts (Ian and Erica) were nothing short of welcoming and helpful, and honored us with the story of this incredible 200+ yr old chateau we got to call home for a few days. We were particularly smitten with the resident goose, Louis

We stayed in this house located approximately 10-15 minutes from Lisieux for two weeks. We had…read moresuch a wonderful stay. It is spacious and comfortable. It took us a while to figure out how to work the washer and dryer properly; however, once we did, they worked like a charm. There is a great outside area where you can sit or have a picnic. This was our meeting place in the morning and nights to regroup and rehash the day and night's events. The area around the house is lovely and quiet. Cows and their calves roam the fields in back of the house. This house is not handicap accessible. The bedrooms are upstairs, and the stairs are a bit tricky as they are old and partially spiraled. There is a shower upstairs, which was convenient. There is also a bath on the other side of the house- I don't know why baths don't have shower curtains in France!! It's such a mess. The accomodations are as follows: 2 rooms with double bed 1 room with 1-single bed 1 room with 2-single beds 1 room with 2-single beds and a double bed Beds were hard but comfy. The "master bedroom" has the oldest bed and probably could use a new mattress but we made do. Highly recommend! A perfect place for a family reunion. Enough space and adequate tools (oven, dish washer, plates, etc) to cook and eat meals here. Bring your own towels!! I'm sure you'll enjoy it if you are willing to step back from the hustle and bustle of the fast life and just take life in at a slower, more relaxed pace.

I stayed at Le Castel in April 2025. After an initial misunderstanding about payment method (they…read moredo not accept Amex), they reached out to me and we arranged to pay again with a Visa card. I subsequently discovered that my Visa card had been charged twice. Despite many attempts to contact them about this via email and phone, including having my sister who is fluent in French write to them several times, they have completely ignored me.

Stop reading and book now! The best breakfast buffet we ever had; a great location; wonderful…read morestaff; fair prices--get a room with a view of the cathedral!

4.5 stars. Excellent breakfast included. We two would stay here again. Our room was the Suite…read moreOcéane. It was on a top floor, but only required climbing one flight of stairs from street level (because this street was located on the "up-slope" side of the building). Note that the steps of the stairwell are quite narrow. Location was excellent, a five-minute walk down a gentle slope to most attractions, such as the market square, the Antoine Boudin museum, and the Vieux Bassin. ROOM: 4.0. Roomy with a kitchenette. Large shower, though it drained a bit slowly. Wood floor. The room below us was being refurbished, so this room might also be soon redone; after that it will probably merit a rating of "5". SERVICE: 5.0. Liliane and Maryse were extremely helpful, for example in helping us find a pharmacy that would provide the COVID-19 test we would need to return to the US. BREAKFAST: 5.0. Generous breakfast that included fluffy warm croissants. Lovely atmosphere. AMBIANCE: 5.0. The courtyard was pleasant to spend time in, as was the room used for breakfast. One day we brought in salads and bread from outside, having them as lunch at a table among the greenery of the inner courtyard. Very tranquil.

What a great find! Perfect for anyone with a car as access and private parking were easy. The…read moreon-site staff was very friendly and accommodating - especially Stephan! Breakfast was exceptional with many options. Our room was quite large with a window overlooking the garden and a huge bathroom.

This is the best calvados, pommeau, and cider ever! We stop here every year to grab some bottles to…read moretake home. Appears to be family owned and run. This year, we tried their new flavors of jus...framboise and cerise.

This is a beautiful farmhouse ciderie on your way to the D-Day Beaches (Omaha Beach) and the…read moreAmerican War Cemetery. This needs to be your short list for French cidre touring. This and Cave de Mirande are two world class farmhouse cider producers, 4.3 level and up with ciders that rival the best wines, Belgian geuze, and American sour ales. Incredible. Pro Tip: you can STAY HERE! It is a bed and breakfast or you can park your camper or just camp in a tent here. House and cider cellar room is beautiful, family run. Staff was hospitable but exceptionally friendly and made exceptions for us to come in after hours. We rang the doorbell and got the royal treatment even though they had been closed for half and hour. They also sell, per usual, Calvados, Pommeau, and other artisanal goodies. Their Pommeau was absolutely incredible. Overall an amazing experience. A MUST on your cider trip through Brittany and Normandy.

From the owner: Stéphanie et Bertrand vous accueillent en Anjou Bleu,dans leur demeure de caractère, chargée…read mored'histoire datant de la fin 15 ème siècle.Entourée d'un grand jardin ombragé et fleuri avec étang, cette ancienne ferme en schiste et tuffeau vous propose 3 chambres de style différent où vous passez d'agréables moments de calme et de sérénité. Venez déguster la table d'hôtes cuisinée à partir des ressources du jardin et des producteurs locaux. Aux beaux jours, venez découvrir sa piscine chauffée et sa terrasse.

An enjoyable rest, and a nice host. The food is good and tasty. the rooms are very clean. I really…read morelike this place.

What a wonderful few weeks we had at La Chatouillette Josie…read moreand Allan are wonderful hosts, who respect your privacy, but are always on hand to help out, offer advice about places to visit or lend books, games, etc. The accommodation is great - clean, comfortable and there was everything you could need. Our 16 year old daughter had a fab time here and has fond memories - especially of the wildlife she connected with and the fish she caught too! What a great induction to fishing. Talking of fishing - wow! The biggest fish we ever caught! It's also good to know that Josie and Allan take great care of the Carp fish. The surrounding garden and woods are beautiful. It's lovely to hear the birds singing and the stream bubbling away. We can't wait to return to this great haven in the French rural countryside. A definite must!