Published by Andrew on 21 November 2016
Richard Pearce stayed at the Au Relais de Chaussy B&B while cycling the Avenue Verte, the London to Paris cycle route. Here's what he thought of it.
Au Relais de Chaussy
4 Grande Rue, 95710 Chaussy (Val-d'Oise, Île-de-France)
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I've no hesitation in saying Au Relais de Chaussy is the best value and undoubtedly one of the best accommodation stops I have stayed in along the Avenue Verte London to Paris bike route. It's in the attractive village of Chaussy, just as the route enters the area known as the Vexin heading east to Paris. It is a very comfortable day's cycle if you are coming from Gournay in the morning (39 generally easy going miles).
5 things we liked
1) It's bang on the Avenue Verte; the Vexin doesn't have a wealth of accommodation, and even less cyclist-friendly accommodation as it is an area of small villages.
Au Relais de Chaussy would also make a great base for a few nights if you want to explore the interesting area of the Vexin itself (see here for more), a designated parc naturel régional. Nearby attractions in the parc include the lovely village of Théméricourt with its chateau cum information centre and the standout attraction of La Roche Guyon. See Mark Cramer's article here on trips accessible from Paris (it includes the area around Chaussy).
Using Eurostar and train links from Paris, Au Relais de Chassy and the gentle pleasures of the Vexin are only a short hop from London.
2) The food and drink! I was treated to a gorgeous meal of local confit duck followed by three types of cheese (including the local Neufchatel), a Vexinoise-produced beer and a home made chocolate desert and homemade banana cake.
The breakfast next morning was equally sumptuous and included a great choice of teas and host Gaëlle's organic and home-made yogurt, organic and home-made compote (banana and kiwi, for example), home-made cake, croissant, two different breads and organic cereals.
3) Beautifully decorated and furnished rooms. I was greeted with a lovely warm fire in the dining room, with its original beams once part of a coach house (Gaëlle explained that she wasn't sure of the exact history of the building as many of the papers relating to it were burned by French revolutionaries in the 18th century).
Each of the three bedrooms is named after a local beauty spot and the attention to detail and furnishings are wonderful. My own room, La Roche-Guyon, was incredibly spacious with beautifully made wooden furniture but it still had a light airy feel, even on a late November afternoon.
There was a drinks tray with a great choice of drinks and a luxurious ensuite with powerful warm shower, again tastefully decorated to a high standard. Full length windows opened out onto the spacious garden which looks like a treat to use in summer and it's also where Gaëlle grows some of the produce she uses in guests' meals. The free wifi also gave excellent reception in the room and there was a file full of helpful local info.
Next morning I was given a tour of the other rooms and they were of an equally high standard. Giverney would take three people and Villarceaux would take up to four, again both featured classy looking decor and ensuites to a very high standard.
Here is Gaëlle, my friendly host:
4) Bike-friendly. My bike was locked in a small but secure outhouse and the lovely courtyard is gated and locked in any case. Being an acceuil velo-accredited establishment, a pump and repair kit will be available. Gaëlle was also very helpful with suggestions for rides and had plenty of leaflets on local rides and the beauty spots and attractions along the way. She was also helpful about the track conditions along the Avenue Verte across the Vexin (the off-road sections can get very sticky after rain).
5) Incredible value. It was €65 for single occupancy of any of the rooms when I visited (November 2016) – which in itself is superb value but if you are group of two, you'll pay €75 in total and a group of three or four stating in the same room will pay €95 and €105 respectively – stunning value. The superb dinner is also good value at €20 a head plus drinks, though remember to book this in advance if you want to sample it.
Au Relais de Chaussy
4 Grande Rue, 95710 Chaussy (Val-d'Oise, Île-de-France)
Click here to book
ABOUT OUR REVIEWER
Richard Peace is co-author of the official guidebook to the Avenue Verte. He is author of Cycling Southern France (UK, US) and Cycling Northern France (UK, US), which includes parts of the Avenue Verte and other bike routes that link into it. See Richard's article here for more on the Avenue Verte.