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. 
 
Getting 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. 
 
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. (Visited for the 4th week in 2007). 
 
'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. 
 
For further information on the villa and area, please visit our web-site at www.villa-badens-france.com

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