Le Chèvrefeuille Bed & Breakfast for Families in France
Are you dreaming of a vacation in the French countryside? I have the ideal destination vacation spot for your family! Located in the Dordogne Region in southwest France, Le Chèvrefeuille Bed & Breakfast is the friendliest guesthouse I’ve ever encountered. Much more than a place to sleep, Le Chèvrefeuille provides a relaxing retreat for families. Plus, the welcoming Dordogne Region offers beautiful scenery and kid-pleasing activities. Read this review to discover why you’ll want to book a stay at Le Chèvrefeuille Inn & Gîte!
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Worth the Journey
The Dordogne is about 10 hours by car from our house in the Netherlands. My husband thought I was crazy to suggest such a long road trip with our three young children. But, mon Dieu, the long journey was worth it!
Our trip to France coincided with a summer heat streak and we drove without car air conditioning along the lengthy, hot, and dusty trek to the small village of Saint Cyprien, home to Le Chèvrefeuille Bed & Breakfast and Gîte. Our three young boys talked about one thing the whole way: swimming in the pool!
Welcome to Le Chèvrefeuille B&B
My husband and I were sweaty, tired, and crabby by the time we finally turned onto the drive at Le Chèvrefeuille in the heart of the Dordogne. All we could think about was cooling off. We looked around at the turreted roof towers above, horses to our right, and chicken scattered all around — and tried to figure out if we were in the correct place.
Sara, one of the inn’s owners, heard our approach via the gravel drive and met us on the terrace. She greeted us with a jovial, “Hello! Please, sit down. What can I bring you to drink?”
As our boys chased the hens and gaped at the huge courtyard fishpond, I knew immediately we had arrived at a place of open countryside perfection.
A Bed & Breakfast for Families in Dordogne
Sara and her husband bought their bed and breakfast in this perfect location from the property’s original farm descendants. The main house is over 400 years old, which the inn owners converted from the barn/house where the previous tenants slept together with their animals.
Eventually, the current owners added additional rooms for rental. If you’d like even more space, book one of the two gîtes (self-catering apartments) available on-site.
Accommodation Options
In total, there are five rooms and two self-catering apartments to choose from at Le Chèvrefeuille. A communal kitchenette makes simple snacks and meals a cinch. If traveling with young children, ask for equipment to make your stay easier and safer like a baby cot, highchair, bed guards, plug socket guards, or safety gate. Self-service laundry facilities with washing machine make this Dordogne b&b a great choice for families, too.
We stayed in the Family Suite, a large and airy space made from brick, with classic French wrought iron accents. Our suite provided plenty of space for two adults and three little kids. The private bath came equipped with a tub/shower, free toiletries, and plenty of storage space.
The inn offers neither air conditioning nor screens on the windows. However, it was 90+ degrees Fahrenheit during our stay and I can honestly say that our ceiling fan provided adequate relief from the heat and no bugs pestered us. (In winter, central heating keeps guests cozy and warm.)
Outdoor Swimming Pool
Our first order of business: jumping into the inn’s beautiful saltwater pool to cool off! Set upon a hill overlooking a rolling green valley, this was just what we had been dreaming of.
This cool, clean watery oasis was surrounded by lounge chairs and umbrellas for shade. There were even water wings, toys, and other flotation devices available. My boys are still talking about their fantastic vacation…to the swimming pool.
On-Site Activities
Beyond the swimming pool, there is plenty to keep kids occupied outdoors. Enjoy a petanque pit, free bicycle hire, a large meadow garden, table tennis, swings, and soccer equipment. Kids will love playing with the inn’s animals including rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, fish, and pigs.
Inside the main house, we found an entire children’s playroom filled with nearly every kind of toy imaginable, from Thomas the Tank Engine and board games to video games and books galore.
As an added bonus, other guests’ children provided a delightful diversion for our offspring. Although the kids spoke a menagerie of languages…French, Dutch, English…it made no difference. Children speak the international language of play.
Dining at Le Chèvrefeuille
Part of the joy of a stay at Le Chèvrefeuille Inn is the delicious French cuisine served by Sara and her gourmet chef husband, Ian. He studied at Le Talbooth restaurant in Essex, England, and loves sharing his passion for food with guests
Breakfast
Eat the first meal of the day at tables in the shaded garden or inside the dining room. Expect a plentiful breakfast of fresh pastries, boiled eggs, yogurt, cereals, cold cuts, cheese, and more. Wash it all down with fruit juice, coffee, or tea.
Dinner
Dinner is served to guests three nights per week so my husband and I decided to celebrate our anniversary here with a special evening meal. What a treat!
To start, we dined on a homemade tapenade served with fresh bread plus a tricolor salad of avocado, tomato, and one-day-old goat cheese with basil, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.
Our main course of duck confit with cherry sauce and market vegetables was as good as it sounds. To top it off, we savored a cheese plate, followed by berries with vanilla ice cream. This amazing array of fresh ingredients tasted as if it were grown and picked right on the farm.
Cooking Classes
You can even sign up for onsite cooking lessons for an extra fee. Chef Ian teaches full-day culinary courses on Tuesdays and Sundays. Kids can join the action on Thursdays during half-day, hands-on cookery courses. Learn how to make dishes with local ingredients like truffles, walnuts, duck, goat cheese, and more.
What to Do in Dordogne with Kids
Beyond relaxing, playing, and cooking at Le Chèvrefeuille Bed & Breakfast, there’s a seemingly endless list of things to do in the gorgeous Dordogne area. The inn owners are happy to share their knowledge of the area and provide tourist information, too.
Kid-Friendly Activities in Dordogne
- Explore the Grotte de Rouffignac prehistoric caves
- Learn about dinosaurs at Le Conquil Park in France’s prehistoric capital
- View sealife at Aquarium du Perigord Noir, the largest freshwater aquarium in Europe
- Visit Chateau de Castelnaud‘s medieval fortress and museum
- Splash and slide at Aux Etangs du Bois Water Park
- Discover the medieval villages and castles of Dordogne Valley
- Canoe or kayak along the Dordogne River and view three castles from the water
Book a Stay at Le Chevrefeuille Bed & Breakfast
A special warmth and relaxed feeling comes with a family bed & breakfast like Le Chèvrefeuille. These types of laidback holidays make the best memories.
If you’re interested in getting off the beaten track and visiting this inn, then be sure to reserve your room or apartment early. Le Chèvrefeuille is a popular vacation destination, with many families returning here year after year. I can see why!
Read more about Le Chèvrefeuille Guesthouse & Gîte and then book your stay via Booking.com!
Explore More of France
France is a beautiful country with much to explore! Not sure where to begin? Take a look at the best places in France for families.
For another amazing family-friendly place to stay in France, check out my review of the nature-focused CenterParcs Trois Fôrets.
Of course, Paris is a must for any first-time visit to France. Read tips for a Paris vacation with kids. Disney lovers will also want to read these Disneyland Paris tips.
Experience France and Germany rolled into one beautiful city with these things to do in Strasbourg.
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What do you think about staying at a bed and breakfast with children? Let us know in the comments below!
A Note from The Nomadic Travel Mama: My family stayed at Le Chèvrefeuille Bed & Breakfast at a discounted media rate. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
What a lovely place to stay – you’ve started me dreaming about a return trip to the south of France!
Tejashri – Wonderful! I hope you can squeeze a stay at Le Chèvrefeuille into your France itinerary!
Oh, this place sounds heavenly. That breakfast spread alone is worth adding this to my list. We love going to Provence and have found a couple of very special B and B’s there, but we haven’t yet been to Dordogne. I will definitely add this one to our list!
I could really enjoy this – even though we don’t have kids to travel with any more.
We stayed here 2 years ago for a week in the family suite and loved, loved it. And Rouffignac was my kids’ favorite cave out of the 3 we visited – a train ride always makes history more fun especially when you can’t understand a word of French…aah – I need to go back – where else can you scooter through sunflower fields?
We just booked our trip for next July! Can’t wait- we didn’t do that through the sunflowers- I need to know how to do that 🙂
What a lovely place to stay – you’ve started me dreaming about a return trip to the south of France!
We highly recommend it! It was our first time, and won’t be the last.
I’ve always wanted to visit the Dordogne. It looks like you were abel to combine the best of both worlds – a pool and lots of kid-friendly attractions for the wee-ones and a charming B&B with fab food for the parents. Well done!
It was so wonderful! We really hope to get back there again. By far my favorite trip of the summer.