We were traveling back through France after a holiday and found ourselves in Loches at 6.00 pm with a broken down car and no accommodation booked!

Our first choice hotel was full (Hotel de France - looked excellent) but the very helpful manageress phoned round and found La Gironnette. She also used her phone to contact the car rescue service as my mobile would not work.

La Gironnette is a chambres d'hotes (Bed and Breakfast) but do not be put off. We were slightly dismayed when we saw the two rows of steep stairs to the suite but we had a very pleasant surprise. A large self contained room in the attic with a comfortable double bed, a sofabed, coffee table, chairs and two adjoining showers with two wash basins. Separate en suite toilet all very modern and spotlessly clean.

The owners were delightful and very helpful. Iane picked us up from where we had left our car and phoned the garage on our behalf. That evening we had a picnic meal in their lovely garden entertained by frogs and their three well behaved dogs!

Breakfast (French) is included in the cost of the room. We had this in their lovely dining room with five star extras.

We stayed for 2 nights until the car was fixed but this was no hardship as you can walk into Loches in ten minutes to explore this interesting mediaeval town.

At the end Iane took us in his own car to pick up our car at the garage some 20 minutes away. He would accept no additional payment.

Highly recommended for a short stay in the area but care needed on the stairs.