Saint-Julien-Boutières Vacation Rentals

"If you want a break from busy cities and crowded streets, this house is perfect. The drive from Valence was two hours with plenty of switchbacks. Ludovic, the house’s co-owner, attentively answered questions and provided directions. (He even explained how to call French phone numbers both inside and outside France!) He doesn’t live close to the house but his father, Michel, does. When we arrived, Michel gave us an introductory tour to the house. We don’t speak much French and Michel isn’t fluent in English, but Google Translate came to the rescue! We also chatted with Ludovic on the phone.Michel is a friendly do-it-yourselfer, and he lent a hand when needed. When these two desert dwellers were cold, he showed us how to control the heated floor tiles. When the boiler went out, Michel quickly reset it.The house is comfortable and the view across to the Velay valley from the dining room is beautiful, especially early in the mornings when the valley fills with fog and clouds. We did a lot of driving around the countryside enjoying the fall leaves as well as grazing cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. We hiked Mount Signon. We took a day trip to Le Puy-en-Velay and climbed hundreds of stone steps up to the ancient cathedral. Two items you would expect to find in a rental are not available in this well-stocked house: a television and a microwave. There is a projector, speaker, and screen, but the sound kept cutting out. Instead we snuggled on the couch with an iPad. "

"Just a continental breakfast but plenty of it. Room quiet and comfortable. Nice bar and dining area. "

"An amazing property with heaps of character and charm with wonderful hosts! We were an extended family and loved the expansive space and back yard with a pleasureful daily walk for the essentials.Located at the edge of a great small town but with plenty of unique experiences a short bike or drive away - an excellent guide provided by the hosts.We really enjoyed the Velorail experience in Dunieres, the Parc Family Adventure, and Chateau de Polignac amongst our week of stay.Highly recommend!"

"We lived like locals in our three-week summer stay in this rural retreat. We made good use of the kitchen and ate all our meals outside in the shade, with views of the countryside and spacious garden. At night we spotted shooting stars and bats, while sipping wine in our deck chairs. The house was cool and comfortable enough, mostly well equipped for our needs. Some basics were lacking. There were no bin liners, washing tablets, spices, oil, salt, etc., but everything we asked for, such as towels and a stick blender, was provided straightaway by our kind host, and I feel that she would have provided anything we needed at any time. Carly truly made our visit exceptional. She is a friendly and knowledgeable professional guide who provided us with suggestions and itineraries perfectly suited to our interests. We had many unforgettable days out thanks to her. The site is not as private as described in the listing. Other guests stayed in a caravan and dome tucked away in the woods and occasionally passed through our space or knocked on our door looking for their host. This wasn’t a problem, and the two donkeys that arrived with hikers created mid-week amusement. Carly entertained each of her guests in turn, offering canapes and aperitifs in the garden. As we stayed longer than most – her first guests from England – we got to know her and her delightful dog, Kiwi, through our daily conversations. Any slight issues were more than compensated by Carly’s warm kindness. "