I would highly recommend this property as a holiday destination. It is the perfect location to relax in a peaceful and tranquil environment at the rivers edge. Sit with a morning coffee by the river and watch Kingfishers, heron, grebe and cormorant busily fishing on the river. Perfect. There is an easy bicycle path that leads to Jarnac and beyond that is perfect to walk or cycle by the river and have a little activity.
Our hosts, Allie & Brian made our stay comfortable and stress free and are very easy to talk to. My wife enjoyed the extra beauty treatments provided by Allie, whilst the boys and I enjoyed fishing, Kayaking and cycling.
There is lots to see and do around this area including visits to Jarnac, Cognac and the surrounding villages. We enjoyed visiting the independent Pineau de Charente/Cognac distillers in the area, as well as a super visit to the Le Tuffre chocolate factory where we had an afternoon making (and eating) chocolate.
All in all we would highly recommend a stay here and would not hesitate to return or lets friends & family know about this little piece of heaven in the Charentaise countryside.
Very clean and comfortable gĂźte. The owners are very friendly and helpful, nothing is too much trouble. Great location if you are looking for peace and tranquility. Great walks, possible to cycle or kayak. We took our dog who was also made very welcome.
We had 11 days here with our 2 dogs. Alison and Brian were great hosts and had paid attention to every little detail to give us a fantastic stay.
Well equipped and layed out to enable us to simply enjoy lazing around or getting out and about.
The location was brilliant with great walks and places to visit. Try Montignac-Charente for a great day by the river for families and dogs.
We loved the on site kayaks and made great use of them.
We were delighted to be invited to dinner by our hosts and we could almost become vegan ... well nearly perhaps đ
If you want stay here BOOK EARLY! Itâs very popular and with good reason. Thank you Alison and Brian (and Ayan and Humphrey)
We had a wonderful stay in this pretty cottage. It has direct access to the river and kayaks and we visited beautiful secret swimming spots. Also pretty local villages and Cognac nearby with excellent restaurants. Ally and Brian were very helpful, making table reservations for us and recommending sights. I also enjoyed lovely runs with Ally! We look forward to returning.
Fantastic location right on the river
Allie and Brian are wonderful hosts
Jill D.
8/10 Bien
Petra M., Leigh-on-Sea
15 sept. 2018
Relaxing peaceful break
We (2 adults and 2 children) have spent a lovely week at the riverside cottage. It is a peaceful spot but close to supermarkets, restaurants and towns. We particularly enjoyed the kayaks and local river beaches with the kids. Thanks Brian, Allie and Ayan
We had a lovely week in this comfortable and charming gite. The children had hours of fun in the splash pool and we enjoyed several meals overlooking the Charente. We all had fun exploring the Charente with the kayaks provided. The location is great - so peaceful yet close to many interesting places and loads to do. Allie and Brian were very friendly and helpful hosts.
A beautiful and peaceful location, amazing house and great hosts.
We had the pleasure of staying in the gite for one week with our 8 and 4 yr old sons, we had an amazing time and thoroughly recommend staying there. The gite is beautifully furnished and very comfortable to spend a week in, its obviously located on the river and we spent most evenings sitting admiring the views. There are plenty of Kingfishers flying around, fish and swans to feed whilst drinking the local produce! Its only about 5 minutes from Jarnac which we loved and spent a couple of afternoons playing in the river and enjoying the sunshine. The hosts, Allie and Brian, are amazing and so friendly and are always around if you need any advice or help...the kids also loved playing with their little dog Ayaan and he is a right charmer. If you are looking for some peace and relaxation then this is your place, you won't be disappointed.
Sehr freundliche Vermieter. Wohnung mit viel Geschmack und Stil hergerichtet
Tolle Lage mit grossem Harten direkt am Fluss.Leider ist das ganze Anwesen nicht sehr ordentlich und gepflegt. Provisorische Verdunkelung im Schlafraum so dass nicht mehr gelĂŒftet werden konnte, was bei Tagestemperaturen um 35 -40 grad zu unertrĂ€glicher Hitze im Schlafraum fĂŒhrte.
Der kleine Hund und das Kajak haben uns viel Freude bereitet.
Een mooi huisje, op een schitterende locatie! Brian en Allison geven je een echt 'thuis' gevoel.
Huisje is comfortabel, van alle gemakken voorzien en een goede uitvalbasis om de omgeving te verkennen.
Ook onze hond heeft genoten, tuin is afgesloten en je kunt prachtig wandelen langs de rivier!
Wij komen zeker nog eens terug!
Beautifully situated by the River Charente and a picturesque bridge.
Super for peace and quiet.
Owners Allie and Brian were extremely kind and helpful, well beyond what you might expect.
We decided to do without a car for the week and would have had to reverse that decision if it were not for Brian kindly taking us to a supermarket on two occasions.
Allie also offers a variety of treatments such as reflexology and massage, which my wife enjoyed.
Village of Bassac is a mile away with a nice boulangerie and two staggeringly good, but not staggeringly expensive, restaurants.
A quite different, but very relaxing holiday.
Second time we have stayed here, if you want a quiet,beautiful Gite in a very picturesque location away from city life this is the place. We just love it. Allie and Brian are the best hosts you could ever meet,and it is a honour we now class them as friends. The village of Bassac is just minutes away with two great restaurants but as the Gite has a great kitchen we like to cook and sit by the river watching the kingfishers eating our dinner. The garden is fully enclosed so very safe for young children and dogs which are made very welcome. We can't rate this place enough just love it. We will be back next year for sure.
Beautiful location - right on the Charente and seconds from the heart of the Grand Champagne region for the Cognac lovers!!
Ideally situated - short drive (15 minutes) to Cognac and just over an hour to La Rochelle. All the local Cognac small houses can be visited by simply jumping on a bicycle. Two great restaurants in the local village of Bassac serving excellent food & wine plus an extensive Cognac menu!! Boulangerie in Bassac (10 minute walk) and for those emergencies an Alimentation in Gondeville (4 minute drive). Walks along the river are a must and in order to do this simply step out of the Gite and go.
The Gite - is gorgeous with such a comfortable bed. It has all the facilities that you will need inside and sheer beauty outside! Many an afternoon was spent down by the riverside reading a good book.
Dog friendly â actually our little Border Terrier has a new boyfriend in the form of Ted!! Whilst we were reading the two of them flirted together!
The owners â what can we sayâŠâŠâŠ..Allie & Brian made the stay for us. They provided us with quality recommendations and even organised tours to the local Cognac Small houses. On our arrival we were greeted like long lost friends, given a tour of the property and made to feel so welcome. Brian provided us with wood for the fire whilst Allie organised massage treatments for us (Highly recommended!!)
This was our second time in the Cognac area and was going to be our last but after staying here we will be returningâŠâŠâŠwhere?........no brainerâŠâŠwith Allie and Brian at The French Escape.
From the moment we arrived we feel in love with the Gite, Allie,Brian and Ellie are a lovely family and great hosts, they shown us around the gite which is stunning, the master bedroom is just like a room from a boutique hotel.Our two dogs love playing in the garden while we are catching the sun by the pool watching the boats and the kingfishers. Area is quiet and ideal if you just want peace and quiet and get away from it all, you are close to Jarnac which has a great market. and also close to the major road networks to get to La Rochelle and Bordeaux. The gite is very comfortable with all the comforts of home including British TV. if you can get out of a very very comfortable bed, there are great walks right on your door step. We love the place so much we have already booked again for 2016. Thank you Allie, Brian and Ellie, and also Harley's new best pal Ted, for a great holiday. x
We arrived to find the most wonderful setting for our holiday, right on the River Charente with your own direct access onto the river. The river became our dog's own personal pool, he could get in and out when he wanted. There are also lovely walks on your doorstep.
The gite is lovely, everything you could want for a holiday. It was as described and was well maintained.
Allie and Brian are lovely and really are great hosts, we met Ellie as well, it was great to hear how well she had done at school etc in France.
Would highly recommend La a Pont De Vinade to friends and family.
We did use the Auberge in Bassac for dinner, just a 10 minute walk away. We also went to a pizzeria in Jarnac, where the food was also very good.
We will definitely return.
The Riverside Gite was the perfect place to spend my holiday. The stylish environment provides you with everything you'd need during your stay and Ali and Brian could not be more welcoming. It also has amazingly comfy beds, perfect after a day exploring the French countryside or visiting the towns nearby, not forgetting to mention the adorable Betsy - a caravan in the garden, adorably decorated and still fitting a double bed! It's in an ideal location to drive to La Rochelle, Saintes and Bordeaux whilst still being able to spend a glorious amount of time relaxing in the garden next to the river. During my stay, I enjoyed spending my time in the pool, lounging in the garden or canoeing down the river, accessible right from the garden! We also felt particularly adventurous by trying water skiing that is situated very close by! The surrounding towns are filled with bakeries, cafes and restaurants as well as individual boutiques - where I enjoyed updating my wardrobe! It's the best place soak up the sunshine, surrounded by beautiful views. I can't recommend it highly enough.
We have booked again for 2014 which will make it our 4th consecutive year staying at what we like to now call call our holiday home! After many failed attempts at finding a gite that lived up to our expectations we are so happy to be coming back here each year.
Alli, Brian and Ellie are a lovely family and are not intrusive just there if you need them and nothing is too much trouble. The gite provides you with everything that you need, comfy sofas and beds, hot shower, large fridge/freezer, washing machine, dishwasher etc etc and decorated with a modern french twist! To be honest we would love to move in permanently.................we can dream.
We all spend hours relaxing in the garden trying to catch fish from the river/play boules/play football/read or cool off in the pool. We love to chill with a glass of wine or two under the gazebo over looking the river and watch the boats float by, or if we are feeling a little energetic then we launch the canoes from the jetty that is accessible from the garden.
Each morning my husband and son cycle the short distance to the local shop for bread and croissants and larger supermarkets are only a short drive away.
We are counting the days to July 2014, it can't come soon enough!
Qui vous reçoit ?
Vous ĂȘtes reçu par Allison and Brian
We are Allie and Brian and together we run La Rive. We pride ourselves on offering a personal service with quality accommodation, tastefully decorated in a stunning location.
We moved to France for a slower pace of life and we certainly found it. The Charente is truly stunning and we feel very lucky to have found such a wonderful house to share with our guests. We love the fact that we can launch a kayak or fish from the garden and just outside our gate are beautiful walks that can take you to a small beach at the weir in Gondeville or through the many surrounding vineyards and riverside cycle paths. Just a few minutes walk from the house is a boulangerie/shop, an amazing restaurant and a bar offering wonderful food and live music. We are situated opposite the new Flow Velo route, which is a resurfaced cycle path which follows the river and onwards into sleepy villages.
Its hard to imagine a house in a more beautiful area. Situated on the banks of the river, you can swim, fish and boat from the garden and because weâre opposite the famous Flow Velo, you can cycle into Jarnac, in less than half an hour, where youâll find supermarkets, a spacious indoor market and many restaurants and riverside bars.