The house

My wife and I spent a week at Nicole and Alain's cottage and we could not possibly have been more pleased.

To set the scene: we arrived about 11 pm on a Saturday night in the midst of a downpour. Alain was outside waiting with a flashlight to guide us into the driveway. Once inside the house we found waiting for us a wonderful salad and apple tart that Nicole had prepared, as well as bread, eggs, tapenade, confiture, bottled water, beer, and wine at our disposal. It was a wonderful welcome.

The cottage was surgical room-clean, and had everything we needed. The kitchen was stocked with all the essential utensils as well as coffee, tea, sugar, cream, olive oil, spices, etc. The appliances are modern, and the kitchen is open to a comfortable seating area. The whole place is tastefully decorated and very well designed. Upstairs is a modern bathroom and a large bedroom with kind sized bed and good linens. They have done a good job providing accurate pictures, but if anything the cottage was even better than we expected.

The exterior of the property is equally charming. The landscaping is immaculate, and Nicole has a host of fresh herbs growing around the property to which she generously allowed us access. They have a few rows of their own vines growing, and provided us with a very tasty bottle of their own rose'. There is a second bedroom suite next door to the cottage.

Nicole and Alain also provided us with several well organized binders containing brochures, maps, and other helpful details about the Loire Valley. In addition, they provided several personal recommendations, each of which proved to be excellent.

I would deem the location excellent... we were able to fill a week of visiting some of the most impressive sights in the valley without ever traveling more than 1.5 hours. As an added bonus, the nearby town of Chinon was gorgeous and had several excellent dining options.

If I had a niggling criticism it would be that the internet service is pretty spotty when inside the cottage. You have to sit in just the right place. You should also be aware that while the bathroom is of good size, it is a sit down shower. These were really very minor inconveniences, however.

We absolutely loved our stay in Thizay. It is a beautiful little cottage with gracious and inviting hosts. We would definitely stay there again, either ourselves or with another couple, and highly recommend it to anyone looking to visit the Loire Valley.

We were ecstatic when we found this place on the Internet as the couple we were traveling with like to cook. The kitchen here looked ideal and the overall look of the place exuded luxury. We were not disappointed!!

We received a warm welcome from Alan and Nicole. They first pointed out a large vegetable garden that was at our disposal. Waiting for us was a bottle of sparkling wine, some fruit, jam, tapenade and crackers. What a nice touch! There was also an array of seasonings which we gratefully used. The well equipped open kitchen was perfect for the gourmet dinners we prepared using produce from the garden.

The setup of the two houses was ideal for two couples traveling together as it allowed for each to have some space and the smaller house has a lovely patio just outside Alan is an architect and he designed and oversaw the restoration of the two houses which are both beautiful and well planned out. Nicole was the interior designer and you feel like you are in luxury home and not a vacation rental. Everything is top of the line with lots of little touches. The high end toiletries were lovely and unexpected. The shower in the small house was one of the best we have found in Europe!

The location was great to explore the Loire and convenient to the shops in Chinon. The fields and vineyards surrounding the property were stunning and the view of the big tree from the dining room window was breathtaking!

Nicole and Alan were gracious hosts and it was a pleasure dealing with them from the initial inquiry until they waved goodbye at the gate. We look forward to staying with them the next time we are visiting the Loire.

My wife and I travel a lot in France and England and have stayed in a number of different self-catering accommodations. We can easily say that the cottage of Le Hameau de Verrière is the nicest place that we have ever rented. The house is beautifully decorated and was immaculately clean when we arrived. At the end of a busy day of chateaux touring, it was a pleasure to return to the cottage, relax on the patio and walk around the gardens. The best part of our visit, though, was the gracious hospitality of the on-site owners of the cottage - Alain and Nicole. They were wonderful hosts and provided a number of extra treats that are not typical for a self-catering rental, like wine from their own vineyard; plums from their orchard; walnuts from the trees that line the road leading to their house; Nicole’s homemade tapenade and peach preserves; fresh garden vegetables; and the most delicious strawberries we have ever eaten. The ultimate was being served tea and biscuits one day on the patio by Alain.

Note that although internet access is provided, it is not available inside the cottage - only on the patio area behind the owner's house where you can sit at a table under an awning. Also, although there is a hand-held shower in the bathtub, due to the slope of the cottage roof in the bathroom, a person of normal height or greater is not able to stand while taking a shower. However, it is possible to sit on a tiled ledge next to the tub and shower sitting down - or just take a bath.

We would definitely recommend this property to a friend or relative.

Our favorite activities were chateaux touring and a visit to the nearby Fontevraud Abbey. We also enjoyed going to the local markets. We prepared our breakfasts and dinners in the cottage and had simple lunches, so we didn't sample any of the local restaurants.