Aigues-vives holiday cottage: Aigues Vives 11800

We stayed in the cottage as a family of five in early June 2009. The property was in excellent condition having been beautifully restored within the last few years. We had everything we needed and the cottage felt like a home away from home! The swimming pool was wonderful - our kids loved it - and it provided a great opportunity to cool down after a day of exploring the area in glorious sunshine. Alex and Pipa were very welcoming hosts and were on hand to offer tips for things to do in the locality, weather forecasts, etc. Carcassonne is a fantastic city. The old town (the Cite) is incredibly well preserved and looks like something out of a film set. The walk around the medieval walls offers stunning views of the surrounding area. We would also recommend a trip along the Midi Canal from Trebes and a day out at the lake near Homps. A car is a must as the property is in a small village about 20 minutes drive to the east of Carcassonne but we found it very easy to find the property following the directions provided with the booking confirmation. There is plenty of car parking opposite the main entrance to the Cite and also a large underground car park in Gambetta Square in the centre of the new town - good for exploring the shops, cafes, etc in Carcassonne town centre. All in all, we had a fab holiday and we would strongly recommend this property.

We booked this lovely cottage at short notice and we really loved the environs as a place for a weeks holiday.The cottage has all you need to comfortably relax which is nice after a long day walking or driving around the ever changing countryside.
I would recommend this place for anyone who wishes to explore during the day and relax in the evening in the comfort of a beautifully restored property,with some delicious wines to drink !
Trebes is the best option nearby for a bit to eat or drink as the village has little to offer in that regard.It suited myself and my partner as we like to drive around quite a bit, but it is worth bearing in mind that unless you willing to drive you would be isolated enough.Carcasonne is further but has a lot more options for dining and drinking.
Also they are quite a few supplies in the kitchen already when you arrive for cooking with, and we availed of the kind owners offer of herbs from their little garden beside the chateau.
Theres is loads to do around this area and a great beach in Narbonne if your a sun worshipper.I recommend La Cite and the tour is a must, also Minerve is a lovely visit the parking is scarce so make sure you bring 3 euro for the car park if they are spaces, particularly in peak tourist times.
The shower deserves a mention for being a joy to get into after a long day.Plenty of good dvds to watch if your in the mood and a nice pool to cool down in too.Overall I was very happy to have stayed there and the owners Pippa Alex and their children were very nice people indeed, and Pasha of course was also very friendly !

Location directions were excellent. First appearances in the rain were very good but the owner rushed us around the house and appliances in, what seemed, 5 minutes and didn't point out the basket filled with useful information flyers for the area. No welcome basket i.e. bread, milk etc.

When we arrived we were expected to use a "gentleman's" wardrobe in the 2nd bedroom so we asked for a garment rack we saw in the store room. After a few days a wardrobe arrived and the garment rack moved to the bathroom as there were no towel rails installed there! But the shower - it was like entering the Tardis! It was great - lots of hot water and pressure. We stayed Mid-March to mid-April with cold, wet and windy weather so this was ideal, and the electric central heating worked extremely well. The beds were very comfortable! But with no heavy curtains in the kitchen and lounge areas or bathroom one felt permanently on show at night when the lights were on!

The bikes were pretty well unusable, and because of the weather we were indoors mainly in the evenings having been out all day, but there is no satellite TV and the French TV reception is poor. Mobile telephone reception is extremely poor, we were unable to get British radio and the laptops were unusuable as there was no connection in the cottage, which we found extremely frustrating as we had booked a month to enable us to find a home! Many useful items were missing in the kitchen such as scissors, lids for saucepans, small bowls for snacks to go with the delicious wine and apperitifs. The wine grown by the landlord is excellent and is well worth purchasing (he gave us a bottle on arrival). We had to ask for fresh linen after two weeks. The property was adequately cleaned - we found used linen in the bathroom on arrival and the shower needed a complete scrub under the floor.

Trebes nearby (15 minutes) has many excellent restaurants and an internet in the tourist office, and Intermarche is a very good supermarket. And Carcassone (approx 30min) is very easy to reach with more restaurants and easy parking straight over the bridge and underground a main square. Ideal for wandering around.

In better weather I am sure the pool is very inviting and one would be out more in the evenings.

Be sure to arrive with food supplies if arriving later in the day as there are no shops open in the immediate vicinity.