La Peniche - Bed And Bicycle - Vienne

We had all five rooms for the weekend, and it was a fantastic stay. The rooms were clean and nicely finished, and the boat had great views and a fantastic shared area. It's in a good spot, just a short walk from the centre of Vienne. The accommodation is unique, and I think it's probably better when hired exclusively. I'd definitely recommend it.

The views are fantastic, and the place is well located and very bicycle friendly. The kitchen doesn't have many food supplies or utensils, and the high-tech setup may not suit Luddites.

The boat was a fantastic experience, with thoughtful design, a great vibe, and lovely music and smells. The Rhone views are stunning, and the cabins and bathrooms are a good size, with comfortable beds. The river was mostly calm, and I could only feel slight movement unless other boats passed. I did wake once at night when the boat moved. This would be great to hire as a whole five-bed boat with friends. Our cabin, number 4, had a very dirty window and problems with the wall. Those should have been fixed before it was offered again, and that was disappointing. All the windows need cleaning, especially in the cabins, where there were lots of spiders and cobwebs. The access email may land in junk, so check there. Four different automatic emails made everything confusing, especially since we couldn't view the messages properly on an iPhone. The system is fairly simple but annoying: you have to find the right email, wait for it to find your booking, and then connect to the QR codes. A single, more personal email with everything together would help. The app's messaging service didn't seem to work, and I couldn't share the access codes with my husband. There are cameras in the shared spaces inside the boat. The rules say that if you don't book the whole boat, you can't bring food or drinks, have a party, or use the kitchen. The coffee machine was nice. It would've been good to have a bottle of water or some ice. The nearest parking is a five-minute walk away, and we couldn't find a space. You have to reach the boat on foot because there's a bollard for residents' access only. There's a trolley in the container for luggage. We didn't want to leave anything in the car. The area is residential and not particularly pretty. We weren't given any information about bike rental.

The peaceful feel by the water in the evening was lovely, and the houseboat's elegant decor and calm atmosphere made us feel at home right away. It's a real treasure, with a beautiful setting and a cozy, refined feel that's very comfortable. I didn't use the provided bicycles, but the location is ideal for pleasant rides around Vienne and enjoying the area. An original, relaxing stay that I wholeheartedly recommend.