It sounded like the perfect bed and breakfast in the perfect little French village ... until I heard the sound of the not-so-perfect non-stop barking dogs.
Looking for hotels online can be a great way to find a good place to stay. Travel agents can also find places that you might otherwise not have known about. But before you pay a deposit or otherwise commit yourself, I do encourage you to make a phone call - especially if you plan to spend more than a day or so at the place and/or will be spending quite a bit of money. I was looking for a quiet place where I could catch up on some travel writing - ideally in or near a small, quiet village in the country with a couple of nice restaurants, a bakery and scenic bike riding opportunities.
Sure enough, I came across a clipping of a BB I'd put aside a few years ago.
"Ensuite bathroom, swimming pool, friendly dog; two good restaurants, a bakery; rental bikes available." Just perfect, I thought, and the TripAdvisor ratings were almost all "excellent." So I fired off an email and when I received a reply I followed up with a phone call via Skype. I told the woman that I wanted a quiet place to do some writing and that's when she mentioned the neighbours' dogs - "you can hear them barking now," she said, and indeed
I could: non-stop barking the whole time we were on the phone.
It turned out the barking had become so bad at one point she'd complained to the local council - "and while it's better now, there are times when they do bark for quite a while."
I like dogs, but not non-stop barking dogs. The woman was most helpful and suggested other accommodation possibilities in the village - invaluable local knowledge. And eventually I found a place.
Most travellers don't phone, so as well as gaining important information when you call you also build a stronger connection if you do indeed end up staying there - definitely a win-win.
