MAYBE OKAY FOR SUMMER, BUT AVOID IN WINTER, December 28, 2005
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Anonymous
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We stayed there for 2 nights in December. No hot water for the shower, which needed cleaning. We were charged 80 euros for 5 persons. No breakfast is included, though there is free coffee and hot chocolate. The floor was so cold it caused physical pain to our feet! It did have excellent kitchen supplies, a good library and games. We found that it would take 15 to 20 minutes to drive to La Cité in Carcasson plus parking time. I would try the hostel(s?) in Carcasson next time, especially in winter.
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(Review ID: 8035)
Fantastic! No review can do this place proper justice, June 25, 2005
Reviewer:
nikisun
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So you really do have to stay there and find out for yourself.And by place I more accurately mean Jan - who is fantastic, friendly, helpful, nice (i could go on). She made mine and my friends stay. Recommended places to go, things to see, made sure we were comfortable and sorted. (George the dog help too - especially to find the post box)The hostel itsself is set in a lovely village with great views, it is clean, spacious and comfortable. The kitchen is a great size. The bedroom we stayed in was large and the beds were so so nice, slept like logs. I will definately be going back to stay at some point.The only negative is that because it is outside of carcassonne you really need to stay for two or more nights to see everything but thats not really a negative because you will want to stay for much longer anyway.Oh and if you can afford to splash out a bit there is a lovely restaurant in the village (please admire Jan's translations of the menu) and the goose and the profiteroles come highly recommended.
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(Review ID: 8036)
wow. i need to go back here, June 9, 2005
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renagel
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Wow. Wow. Wow.This place was paradise. I was questioning my decision not to sleep at the hostel in the Cite but when i arrived at the retreat, i knew i made the right decision. This is a small place with four cabins - very new - 2 cabins of 4 for hostellers. 2 beds inside the main building. The main building is a former wine processing plant. There are only 10 hostel beds. There are also 2 cabins for a families.room: Slept in a 4 bed cabin. Quite comfortable. It was May and France had a bad May this year so it was chilly. Blankets, sheets, pillow were provided. The room had a gas heater but we didn't use it because of the fumes. I thought this was a great place.bathrooms: one set in an outside cabin - toilets, showers, sinks, and a sink for washing clothes. Also bathroom facilities in the main building. Soap! Toilet seats! facilities/maintenance: very clean. clothes hanging thing for drying laundry. couches, full kitchen, internet for 2 euros and hour, in the main building. board games, a book exchange. Jan (and a book made by her with local all you need to know about sight seeing, transportation connections) is very helpful about where to go. She set up one family with a guided tour of the region by calling one of her friends. Picnic tables outside to lounge. Great country living. Also, if you are willing to stay a week or more, you can stay for free by doing 3 hours of work around the hostel. Bike rentals available for 8 euros a day.location: In Preixan, 10 minute drive from Carcassonne:There's a restaurant and a bakery here. The Sidsmums bus will drive you into town each morning at 930 and you hop on the local bus back into Preixan at 3,4,5,6 pm from Carcassonne. The location isn't as convenient as the hostel in the Cite but you are in the Languedoc country side surrounded by nobody - no bloody tourists bothering you except the handful of friendly travellers at the retreat and the villagers of Preixan whom you might see as you get off the bus. Castles and hiking in the area are really only accessible by car. breakfast: none included. bring your own - shopping in Carcassonne, there is a grocery nearby in the village or the next one (3km) or the bakery in the village.I would stay here again. Rick Steves hasn't found out about this place yet - when he does, you won't be able to book this place without advance planning.
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(Review ID: 8037)
Outstanding place, May 29, 2005
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Anonymous
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Extremely nice place, with very friendly people. Although situated some way outside of Carcassonne (you'll have to take 2 buses to get there), it is definitely worth a stay. Very clean, well kept, with a very charming atmosphere. The countryside around the hostel itself is beautiful and worth a hike around the vineyards - take a picnic. My only regret is not having stayed for more than the 3 nights I was there.
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(Review ID: 8038)
All time favorite hostel!, May 3, 2003
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Mike
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After a month of travel through Europe, my brother and I were looking for some much needed relaxation in the south of France. We found exactly what we were looking for, and then some, in Sidsmums. I have never felt more welcome at a hostel. The facilities are great and the location are fantastic, but what makes this hostel a real gem is Jan and Sid, the owners. Incredibly friendly, and a wealth of information on the area, they made our stay fun and interesting. Reserve ahead though.. they've got only a few beds, and as word gets out I'm sure they'll fill quickly! Truely a home away from home, and definatly one of my fondest memories of the trip!
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(Review ID: 8039)
Like home, but warmer!, September 12, 2002
Reviewer:
Gabby
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I stayed here with my boyfriend, and had a wonderful time in Preixan, Carcassonne and the surrounding country which was for a large part down to Jan and Sid.They are mines of really useful local information, about where they have been and what others have recommended, and of course the best places to eat (I gained half a stone. Yum! :-)).More than anything else though, they both made us feel relaxed and at home from the moment we met them. I can't speak highly enough of Sidsmums, and neither can my bloke, who has done the backpacking thing more than I have, and assures me that I have been thoroughly spoilt for other hostels by the energy and attention they have for their guests.Oh, and if you need an escort to the bakers', Georges the dog is always available!
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(Review ID: 8040)
My favorite part of my trip, April 13, 2002
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Anonymous
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If you´re in the region, you must stay here. Not only is the surrounding area beautiful and interesting, but this hostel was the cleanest, friendliest, and smallest I´ve ever been to (which, in my experience, is better). Jan and Sid were wonderful, and made every effort to make my stay more enjoyable. I stayed longer than I´d planned, and now can´t wait to go back. Beds are clean and comfortable, there´s no lockout, there´s a good patisserie up the street for baguettes and pains au chocolat, and you can spend the day and night lounging on the deck outside or in the cool, spacious common room inside. By any standard, this hostel is superior.
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(Review ID: 8041)
One of the best places I've stayed at, April 11, 2002
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Anonymous
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Without getting to carried away, this was one of the best hostels around. Jan and Sid have come up with an oasis in an already sparkling part of the world. Jan went out of her way to make me comfortable, taking me on walks, offering travel advice, and giving me a ride to and from the hostel on the way to my other travel connections. I originally intended to stay for two weeks and wound up staying for the better part of a week. My only advice would be to get there while you still can. Sooner or later everyone else is going to discover this place, and I think in the not too distant future it's going to be very hard to get a bed here. This place is absolutely a home away from home. And then some.
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(Review ID: 8042)
Not so much a hostel as a home., February 7, 2002
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Ade.
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The hostel was clean, friendly and spacious. There is room for your beer and food in the fridges and loads of preparation space. You can shower in privacy and lounge outside on the sun-deck or in the garden. Loads of walks and local points of interest. Can't fault it.
