Proche centre Amboise belle propriété familiale dans grand parc clos

Our stay chez Fauconnier was extraordinary! We could not have dreamed of a more desirable location and hosts. Upon arrival, we were met by Pia and Jean-Luc, who graciously welcomedus and gave us a tour of the house and property, including the chicken coop, which our little grandsons adored. The house is filled with their family memories and lovely artwork and furniture and easily accommodated us, our adult children/spouses, and 2 young grandsons. Everyone had plenty of room for relaxing, both privately and together. The beautiful house is a ten minute walk from a great boulangerie and butcher, and a few more minutes from a grocery store. 20 minutes on foot gets one to downtown, with great shopping, restaurants, cafés, the chateau, and much more. There is a farmers market a few minutes away on the Loire River to provide local color, as well as fresh produce, fish, cheese, breads, and every other item one would expect at such a market in France. If you want to feel like you just stepped into a French movie, plan a visit to Chez Fauconnier!

Our party of eight extended family members enjoyed our 5-night stay in this unique estate. It is an enormous house that dates back to the early 1800's. Our host, Jean-Luc, was very helpful arranging transportation to and from the train station (an 8 minute drive or a 40 minute walk) on our arrival and departure days. It is about a 10 minute walk to an excellent bakery. The kitchen is dated but well equipped with everything needed to feed a large group. We rented e-bikes and enjoyed four beautiful rides in the Loire Valley. We had some issues with the WiFi password but everything else was excellent.

We enjoyed our visit so much. It was a unique experience to stay in a grand house over a century old in a large compound, and we appreciated the gardens and cute chickens running around. There were two couples and one single person on our trip and there was plenty of room for all of us. We didn’t cook but spent a lot of time around the kitchen table for breakfast in the morning and wine and cheese in the evening. The location was ideal for us. The walk into town was about 20 minutes and easy to walk to Amboise’s chateaux, Clos de Luce, and multiple Michelin restaurants (we made reservations 5 weeks in advance). Less than ten minutes walk to a bakery and a small grocery. Only 30 minutes drive to Chenonceau, Tours, and wineries, and about 45 minutes drive to Blois. The hosts were very gracious on our arrival. We were happy to say hello when we passed the tenants on the property but the house itself and back garden were very quiet and private. It was a truly memorable experience.

We were 9 men (ages 55-81) on a cycling holiday who cook and do not go out to eat in restaurants- so the kitchen was crucial to a good stay for us. There was a lot of the owner’s personal items on display (ie family photos; ornaments; etc) on mantle pieces shelves etc which meant a degree of clutter and accidental breakage potential. Also the kitchen, in a sense, was over supplied with utensils plates etc - BUT - we soon got used to it all. The cooker range was brilliant. We were surprised we had to make our own beds on arrival and surprised we had to drive bootlegs/jars nearly a mile to the bottle bank. Also we could have done with a washing line. HOWEVER- we had a brilliant stay and seriously would be happy to stay again.

We spent five nights at this incredible property, our family had just left Paris and it was a much-needed change from the hustle and bustle of the city. Jean-Luc was a gracious host and gave us a detailed tour of his home and property. The house was so spacious and the family feel of the home was simply charming. We loved preparing dinner in the beautiful kitchen, and the location was perfect for exploring the Chateaus of the Loire Valley. We will be back!