We booked a week in Trelou Sur Marne, an idyllic working village slap bang in the middle of the Champagne region, close to a small town and within close proximity of Epernay, Chateau Thiery and Reims and within both driving and train distance of Paris.
Welcomed by the owner, whe left us a surprise bottle of her own Champagne, home-made jam and scrummy biscuits. She showed us around the house, with its three large bedrooms, well equipped kitchen and a superb bathroom with huge walk in shower. Despite the high temperatures outside, the house was comfortably cool during the day, with plenty of lounge space, a well-equipped utility room and a kitchen with everything you could possibly need. There is an open fire and I am sure it makes the house cosy and very toasty in winter.
Within the vicinity, there are plenty of 'tourist' opportunities, but we fully recommend the owner's own winery and, of course, her Champagne. If you're from the UK, the Champagne is about 50% cheaper than the UK, and a refreshing and fruity change from our 'big' brands.
The local boulangerie is very good, as are those in Dormans, some 2km away. Lidl and Leclerc can be found in Dormans too, as can the train station. Pizza van comes to the village square on a Monday night, and again, we tested it out and can report that it is fabulous.
There is parking directly opposite the Gite and the village is well worth a walk around.
Would we visit again? In a nutshell, yes. The area is lovely, the hostess is lovely, the gite is fantastic - what's not to like! More than highly recommended! If you're choosing somewhere in the Marne valley you will not do much better than book this Gite in Trelou sur Marne.