Only 30 minutes drive from Carcassonne Airport, with very easy access to both Carcassonne City and the beautiful village of Trèbes, this spacious villa is situated on a large, secluded plot of 1000m2, with lots of secure car parking space, and a garage too. It is of open plan design, and has three large bedrooms, all of which have built in wardrobes. Two of the bedrooms contain double beds, and the other two single beds, with a cot also available. It is of modern construction and will comfortably accommodate 6 people (7 if you include the cot). Surrounded by vineyards and mountains, it has a large terrace where the breathtaking views can be enjoyed, not to mention a patio area, if sun-bathing is your desire.

If you'd like to avoid using the car, there are scenic walks to be had in the quaint village of Badens, where the villa is situated, and of course among the vineyards. The village has a patisserie, a post office, a hairdresser, a bar, and a wine producer, where you can sample the delightful local wines in the footsteps of Rick Stein. In fact, everything you need is in the village. There are two supermarkets within a short car journey, and some very good restaurants.

 

Languedoc-Roussilon is an area undiscovered by many. You have the history of Carcassonne City, the oldest medieval city in Europe, where you can soak up the atmosphere at the famous castle or enjoy the many shops and restaurants in the more modern part of the city, but also the beauty of the mountains, and the vineyards. One holidaymaker wrote in our comments book: 'Now I know where all the vineyards are!' You will travel through villages that are unsullied by 'progress' such as Rustiques, en route from the airport, and of course Badens. The climate is obviously warm and sunny, ideal conditions for growing all those grapes.

As well as the beach on the coast at Narbonne, there is also a lake-side beach on the outskirts of Carcassonne (le lac de la Cavayère), which is only a 20 minute drive away, where there is boating, swimming, fishing, beach volley-ball, crazy-golf, and even a pétanque area. This is a beautiful lake and well worth a visit and it's worth mentioning that the facilities here are very good too. Parking, and most of the activities, are free of charge.

A 25 minute drive in the opposite direction from the villa brings you to another wonderful lake with great facilities, including free car parking and entry, This lake is larger than 'le lac de la Cavayère' with wind-surfing and boating available here also. Situated next to the village of Homps, this one is called 'le lac de jouarres'. Both of the lakes mentioned have life-guards on hand, and observation towers, to ensure the safety of swimmers, together with clearly demarcated areas to ensure swimmers remain separate from other activities. Fresh drinks and food are available at both locations.

A one hour drive from the villa, will bring you to the wonderful town of Limoux, where I highly recommend that you sample a drop of 'Blanquette de Limoux', which is a very tasty alternative to champagne at a fraction of the cost. Less than a 40 minute drive from the villa is the historic village of Minerve, which is an absolute must see for it's beauty alone, as is Lagrasse, which is less than a 40 minute drive in the opposite direction.

 

Prices:

 

 

28/06/08 - 30/08/08 : £520 0r 650 euros

30/08/08 - 04/10/08 : £395 or 495 euros

04/10/08 - 03/01/09 : £295 or 370 euros

03/01/09 - 02/05/09 : £325 or 405 euros

02/05/09 - 16/05/09 : £365 or 455 euros

16/05/09 - 27/06/09 : £395 or 495 euros

27/06/09 - 18/07/09 : £495 or 620 euros

18/07/09 - 29/08/09 : £520 or 650 euros

29/08/09 - 03/10/09 : £405 or 505 euros

03/10/09 - 02/01/10 : £325 or 405 euros

 

To view the owners web-site, please visit www.maison-badens.com

 

There are numerous places to visit and activities for all the family. Badens itself is a village of real character, surrounded by vineyards. If you've seen 'Rick Stein's French Odyssey', you've already seen the village and the resident wine producer, featured in the edition with the Australian connoisseur (Peter Forrestal) who loved the fine wines of Badens. You can sample the same wines, with the same convivial wine producer.

As with all of the local shops and businesses, the village bar is within a very short walk of the villa. During a recent stay there, I visited it on several occasions, finding it to be a great opportunity to meet locals and to practice my French, and finding them all to be very friendly and accommodating. On discovering that they serve food, I naturally arranged to have a three course meal, which was delicious and very cheap. The great thing here is that if you fancy a lovely meal with one or two beverages, you don’t have to worry about driving afterwards. Just wander down to the bar and ask for Patrick, who is the owner and prepares the meals. In my case, the meal was a speciality of Lyon, the city of his birth. Children are welcome here too.

The village of Trèbes is a 10 minute drive away, which sits on the beautiful Canal du Midi (a World Heritage Site). Here there are fine restaurants and shops, but the real treat is a walk beside the canal, or a boat ride is available if you just want to rest and enjoy the view. You can even cycle along the banks of the canal, as bike hire is available next to the Tourist Information Centre.

Trèbes also has a municipal swimming pool that you can enjoy. En route to Trèbes, why not stop and look around the village of Rustiques, which is an award winner in the village / ville fleuri competition of France? A look at the beautiful floral displays and the park in this old-world village justifies this prestigious award. A 45 minute drive to the east brings you to Narbonne, a wonderful city with beautiful beaches, great markets, historical buildings at the end of cobbled streets, many shops and cafés, and leisure activities, such as a boat trip along the canal. In fact, there are activities and places to visit too numerous to list, in this region of France, which is why there are so many brochures and leaflets at the villa.

 

How to get there:

 

Carcassonne is the nearest airport (30 minutes drive) and is served by Ryanair from the following airports:
Stansted, East midlands, Liverpool, Cork, and Shannon.
Ryanair also fly from Stansted to Perpignan.

Bmi baby fly from Manchester to Perpignan.
Flybe fly from Southampton to Perpignan.
Easyjet fly from Gatwick and Bristol to Toulouse.
BA fly from Gatwick to Toulouse.

If you're hoping to fly from Scotland, you can fly with Ryanair from Glasgow or Edinburgh to Marseilles, which is only a 3 hour drive from the villa, on a very beautiful route. You can also fly with Jet2.com from Edinburgh to Toulouse, which is around 1 hour 15 minutes drive from the villa.

I recommend Hertz or Europcar for car hire.
If you are driving all the way, the A75 is now completed, and will take you from Paris to Pezenas (close to Badens). This drive takes in some marvellous views, especially the spectacular bridge at Millau.

 

Further details indoors:
The villa contains a very well equipped, American style kitchen, with everything you could possibly need during your stay. It has tiled floors throughout, to keep you cool on those hot summer days, a ceiling fan in the lounge, and 3 upright fans are also provided, one in each bedroom. The villa also has three sets of French Doors, which allow a breeze to pass through the villa when it's very hot outside. A selection of DVD's, CD's, games, and books, as well as Satellite Television, are available for your entertainment, should you decide to have an evening in. The decor throughout is very homely, and many people have commented that it feels like a home from home.

In the garage, are situated a washing machine and a tumble dryer. There is even a spare washing machine, in case of any problems with the installed one.

The bathroom / shower-room is spacious, with a walk-in shower and a sunken bath. This is another feature that we receive a lot of positive feedback about.

Further details outdoors:
There are sunloungers for use on the terrace and patio, a drinks trolley, a patio table with 6 chairs, and two BBQ's.
There's even a petanque set, so that you can relax as the French do, with a game in the garden, which is more than large enough to enjoy a game.

 

Further details:

 

The preferred change-over day is Saturday, although some flexibility is possible on this depending on the circumstances.

Bed-linen and towels are provided free of charge.

On receipt of a deposit, an information pack is sent to the customer, which details directions, entry to the house, shop opening times, the letting contract, etc. Instructions for all utilities are provided at the villa.

A brochure, with more details about the property, is available on request to the owner.

 

Please contact the owner for details of breaks of less than one week.

For each additional week booked, over one week, a £25 reduction in the price applies.

The preferred methods of payment are by cheque or bank transfer. All of the prices shown are all inclusive, avoiding any hidden charges for electricity, towels & linen, cleaning, etc.

 

Previous customer comments:

 

'A beautiful villa in a fantastic setting. Breathtaking view from the terrace.' Mr. & Mrs. Hoskin, Suffolk.

'In 20 years of regular holidaying in France, Kirby Jade rates among the best villas we have found.' Mr & Mrs. Gardner. Durham.

'The villa was clean and tidy, a credit to you. Many thanks for letting us rent it and being able to have a restful break'. Richard and Kath Barnes, Kent.

'Fantastic weather, fantastic place, fantastic all round in fact.' Mr & Mrs Tewson. Tasmania. Australia.

'The villa was so well equipped, it was a pleasure to stay there. We will definitely recommend it to our friends too! Thanks for excellent accommodation, advice and instructions!' The Grimes Family. Co. Galway. Ireland.

'Julian and family, you really do have a superb villa here, and in a beautiful part of France.' Andy Ling. Suffolk.

Availability: Check Availability
Price: GBP £295 - 520 per wk
Price: EUR €370 - 650 par semaine
Property Type: Villas
Department: 11 Aude
Sleeps: 6
Facilities:

• Linen
• Towels
• Kitchen
• Washing Machine
• Dishwasher
• Bath
• Shower

Near:

• Airport
• Beach
• Fishing
• Golf
• Railway Station
• Restaurants
• Shops
• Skiing

Extras:

• Barbeque
• Television
• DVD Player

Website: http://www.maison-badens.com
Telephone: 00 44 (0) 15 02 51 13 86
Fax: 00 44 (0) 15 02 51 13 86
Rental Conditions: A £100 deposit (for each week) is due at the time of booking, with the balance due any time up until two months before the commencement of the holiday, unless other arrangements have been agreed with the owner. A £150 Security Deposit is payable with the final balance settlement for the holiday. This is refunded within two weeks of departure from the property, following a satisfactory inspection. For more information and photographs, please visit www.maison-badens.com