For us at France Just For You, it's very important that our travelers receive a warm welcome at the accommodation we book for them, and that we know they'll be well taken care of. This is why we choose to work mainly with premium Bed & Breakfasts across France, which we have tested ourselves and where we have gotten to know the hosts personally.
We also want our travelers to have the chance to meet and interact with local French people who speak some English. All the B&B hosts we work with speak some English and are very happy to share tips and stories about their region with guests.
Eric and Nathalie are two of our preferred B&B hosts in the Dordogne region. They have an absolutely beautiful old farm house, typical of the region and built with locally sourced stone. They also have a gorgeous garden with a pool and a hot tub available for guests to use after a long day exploring!
They have kindly agreed to answer some of our questions to help you get to know them better!
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France Just For You
What do you enjoy most about running a B&B?
Nathalie: I like traveling by staying at home - ‘armchair travel’ you might call it - and meeting people from all around the world. Up to now, we have hosted people from 23 countries. I love speaking English and German, which I was not used to doing in my former jobs.
We used to travel a lot, but we don't have time now. But when we received an Australian couple who told us that they could see the ferry going to the island of Tasmania from their house in the bay of Sydney… for me, it’s a perfect way to travel.
Eric: The job is very varied. You have to master a huge range of subjects, including marketing, communications, website development and referencing, and the various sales channels.
On top of all that, of course, you have to welcome guests and find solutions very quickly when there are technical problems, which always come up at the wrong time (power cuts, no hot water, water leaks, etc.). I also sometimes help out with guests' cars (punctured wheels, battery failure, etc.). To sum up, you really need to multitask.
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France Just For You
In your opinion, what are the advantages of staying at a B&B?
In France, B&Bs can only manage five rooms and welcome no more than 15 guests at a time. That means the owners manage everything: welcoming guests, making breakfast, cleaning, reservations… and thus are very close to their guests.
In France, nobody speaks about ‘customers’ in B&Bs; they are guests. We especially like to inform people about the best places to visit, hidden gems, nice restaurants and try to give good recommendations regarding people’s needs. B&B hosts are deeply involved in the running of the house.
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Eric & Nathalie
What do your guests say they like most about your B&B?
Our B&B is a typical old farm from Périgord, built with the particular yellow stones of the region. People do like these old stone buildings and also the quietness of our place.
In the morning or after a day's sightseeing, they love to relax in the hot-tub or around the pool.
In the afternoon, they love to enjoy a glass of Bergerac wine around the pool or in one of the many garden lounges. With a bit of luck, they can see the roe deer at the end of the park. And lots of people say that they love our warm welcome.
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Eric & Nathalie
Have you ever received any particularly interesting guests?
Up to now we haven’t received any very famous people, but some of our guests have shared some extraordinary stories.
For example, we welcomed an American oncology surgeon who said he traveled a lot to relieve stress. In France, he was following the tracks of his grandfather, who landed in Provence during World War II and then went to Germany to liberate the concentration camps.
That’s the type of thing people wouldn’t speak about with hotel staff. In a B&B, the guests and hosts are close enough to share very personal stories.
What are the most common interests among your guests?
Our guests are very interested in history, particularly prehistoric times and the famous Lascaux Cave, and also the Middle Ages with all our amazing castles and villages.
They are also very attracted by the gastronomy of Périgord. We have some very good restaurants close to the B&B that showcase the products of the region. We particularly recommend a restaurant run by a young chef from New Zealand, Le Petit Léon in Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère, who has just been awarded his first Michelin star.
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France Just For You
You offer cooking classes to your guests - can you tell us more about those?
We try to cook some Périgourdin specialities, such as duck confit and duck foie gras. Most of the products on the table or for breakfast are local and homemade. We cook vegetables in a tagine, which is a Moroccan dish, and add some duck confit. We also show them how to fry raw foie gras and make some small buns with an onion and apple chutney.
In fact, our cooking class is more a moment to share and enjoy a glass of wine together than a true cooking lesson.
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France Just For You
What is your favorite hidden gem in Dordogne?
We especially love the village of Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère. It’s a very charming place along the river Vézère, where there’s a nice 15th century manor, beautiful houses and lots of artcraft shops. And last but not least, there’s the best restaurant in the region, in our opinion, Le Petit Léon.
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We are very grateful to Eric and Nathalie for speaking to us for our blog and newsletter!
If you would like to explore the beautiful region of Dordogne by car, at your own pace, with a full itinerary of driving routes, recommended places and activities, and beautiful accommodation arranged by France Just For you, we warmly invite you to browse our Dordogne tours page.
If you have any questions about our tours, please don't hesitate to contact your expert trip planners Emilie, Laura & Clelia, and we'll get back to you shortly!
