Charming Dordogne cottage with private terrace, valley views & village amenities

Lovely place to stay and enjoy visiting the area. Clean, comfortable and well equipped. The terrace is a plus to relax and enjoy. Despite the heat wave, we had a great time there!

Lets begin with the good things: a lovely terrace with a great view and enough space inside for a small family. A few minor points however: the house was not clean when we arrived, there was no television (and I love the Tour the France so i had appreciated it if the landlords had told us), there was no wifi (we knew that beforehand) and the matrasses in the two-beds bedroom were below minimum level. So, all in all, we were a bit disappointed.

The property is lovely. It had everything you could possibly want including games , books, bbq along with, every conceivable kitchen utensil. The owners provided very detailed instructions as to how to get there,how to get in, how to operate the appliances. It was brilliant. The property is in a gorgeous little village just a few metres along the road. We were also able to use the local campsite facilities too which was lovely.

I was slightly anxious on arriving in Villefranche after a long car journey across France from Caen but I need not have worried - everything was exactly as we'd been promised in the brochure. Trouble-free access to the key soon gave us entry to the property that was absolutely spotless and clearly well-maintained. We soon discovered that Le Coustalou was indeed a 'home from home'. The next morning on our initial sortie into the village for fresh-baked bread, it became clear that Villefranche was simply perfect for our needs : an ideal retreat from the hustle and bustle of working life and offering a splendid centre from which to discover some of the hidden corners of the Dordogne. Shopping was no problem, though it must be acknowledged that large supermarkets were at a fair distance - but the journey was a small price to pay for the benefits of being in such a charming village - besides, the local shops offered most of what we wanted. For one of our party, the highlight was the relative proximity to Perigueux and the closing stage of the Tour de France but for most of us, the best times came from the chance to explore the wonderful hill-top castles and 'bastides' and enjoy the excellent local food and wine. There are superb opportunities for walking and exploring the local area, and for those wanting more energetic activity, much is available within a short radius of the village. A word must be given to the local restaurants which were so welcoming and thoroughly merit the stars they have earned! In fact the warmth of the locals is something that will stay in our memories - the friendly toleration of neighbours and shopkeepers who struggled to understand the manic efforts of our Australian brother-in-law as he manfully tried to resurrect his schoolboy French of 50 years ago was a sheer delight to behold! That warmth and friendliness was felt from the very outset with our contact with owners, Rachel and David: their service was simply the best - prompt accurate information came our way and the financial arrangements were just as well organised (including the meticulous deposit refund). I could not fault it in any way. I sit now on a damp grey October evening thinking back over a wonderfully relaxing holiday, and in my imagination can still feel the warmth of the evening sun as I sit on the terrace of le Coustalou nursing a chilled glass of rose - Villefranche has worked its charm on me and I shall look back to returning at some point in the future

This was the perfect location for a relaxing holiday in rural France. The village is well placed for lots of sightseeing in the Dordogne area. The terrace is excellent for wining and dining and the views are superb. The village is exceptionally quiet and traditional, as is the property. An excellent and relaxing stay. Many Thanks.

Everything was "just right" about this old-style house on the edge of the village. We could sit on our balcony and stare out over the hills in the twilight pretending we were alone or in minutes walk to the center of a thriving small town. Our young teenagers loved the proximity of the campground, where we were able to arrange use of the pool in exchange for buying a few drinks. The auberge at the top of the hill affords a delicious meal - though you should get there by 8:30 if you don't want to incur a grump from Madame. All the beauties of the region are within an easy drive.

We have had a fantastic holiday at this lovely gite. We loved being so close to the village with all the amenities on our doorstep and took full advantage of all the community activities that were taking place during our stay in the market place. We enjoyed using the local campsite pool which was very good value for the price of an ice-cream or 2. The owners of the campsite were very friendly and welcoming. There were so many lovely places to visit and we enjoyed doing some of the local circular walks. We also enjoyed meals and sitting reading on the sunny terrace, with beautiful views over the countryside and even watching shooting stars late at night. Having been to many gites in France, this was by far the best- clean, well equipped and ideally located. Although there was no dishwasher, we did not find this a problem and even found we enjoyed sharing the washing up! The owners have been very helpful at every stage in the process of booking, providing detailed information and prompt responses to queries. We would definitely recommend this gite and hope to return again soon.