Famille d'accueil à Thousand Oaks, chez Jacquie & Mike

Bedroom #1, Noelle's Room -(Red in the photos)offers

-a double bed that comfortably accommodates 2 people
-a single futon chair that opens to a bed for one additional person, occasionally or for a child.
-a large closet
-lots of bookcases
-a desk with chair
-a chest with drawers
-a tea table and a floor lamp
-art collected from around the world

A large window provides lots of light. The bathroom on the hall is shared with other guests, but not with the hosts.

There are lines for computer and internet, ample room for a large computer and stereo and wifi is available free of charge for your laptop computer. A computer could be provided for long term guests for an additional fee.

This room is suitable for 1 or 2 people for long term stays and for three people for short term stays.

Noelle's room is better suited for couples on long term stays than Scott's room because the double bed is larger. It is very suitable for a couple traveling with a small child if you use the convertible futon chair/bed.

We live along the El Camino Real, also known as Hwy 101 and very near the Pacific Coast Hwy (PCH) or Hwy 1. We are close to Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, in the foothills of the mountains on the back side of Malibu.

We are happy to pick guests up at the airport, or help backpackers access the train and bus system, which are not particularly easy to navigate, but are quite safe and affordable.

Our home is located in the suburbs of Ventura County (Thousand Oaks), about a 40 minute drive from Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. We are adjacent to the Santa Monica Mountains which are famous for hiking and mountain biking. From our house it is quite simple to hike to the top of the hill for a view of the ocean.

We provide international students and travelers with a safe, clean, affordable, home away from home for both short and extended stays. Because we have traveled a lot we understand the difficulties of living abroad are happy to provide a cultural perspective and help our guests acclimate to the community and differences in lifestyle and culture.

We are in our early 50s and 2 of our children are living in Europe where they attend universities in Paris and Cambridge. We love to travel and to entertain travelers, so we open our home to students and others.

Individuals coming to work in the United States, especially those on internship programs will find our home a welcoming way to get acclimated to living and working in California, and a convenient place to stay while they seek longer term accommodations in the greater Los Angles or Ventura County areas.

We live along the El Camino Real, also known as Hwy 101 and very near the Pacific Coast Hwy (PCH) or Hwy 1. We are close to Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, in the foothills of the mountains on the back side of Malibu.

We are happy to pick guest up at the airport, or help backpackers access the train and bus system, which are not particularly easy to navigate, but are quite safe and affordable.

-Airport Pick-up is free of charge for long term guests, we ask a contribution for gasoline for the return trip, 15 euros. Advance notice is necessary.

-Airport pick-up and return for short term guests available for 20 euro contribution for gasoline each way.

Los Angeles International Airport is 37 miles, about an hour's drive, from our home.
Private shuttles are available (see Super Shuttle)for approximately 32 euros each way.

Public buses and trains run from the airport and require about 4-6 hours to make the necessary transfers at various stations.

We encourage families with children to travel and provide a family friendly atmosphere for vacation travelers in our home.

The schools are excellent in this area, the community is well known for its low crime and excellent parks and community services. We are willing to help underage students who desire an academic exchange experience with the arrangements needed to study in our local schools. Newbury Park High School is the local public school, Oaks Christian High School is the local private high school. We highly recommend Newbury Park High School.

Our home is located in the suburbs of Ventura County (Thousand Oaks), about a 40 minute drive from Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. We are adjacent to the Santa Monica Mountains National Park which is famous for hiking and mountain biking. From our house it is quite simple to hike to the top of the hill for a view of the ocean.

BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR BOOKING -- it is IMPORTANT TO KNOW that the Los Angeles area is very large, and we live on the outskirts. Los Angeles is famous (perhaps infamous?) for the difficulty of getting trains from the outlying areas into the city center - which makes it difficult to see many places of interest. The trains rum to center city in the mornings only and return from center city in the evenings only - which limits your activities.

The California lifestyle centers around the automobile. Sadly, we need a car for almost everything here - even to get a loaf of bread. (20 minute walk to closest market.) This is what it is like to be an "Angeleno" in a Los Angeles Suburb.

Visitors who wish to see a lot of the tourist sites are best advised to consider renting a car - at least for part of the time they are here. California is an easy place to drive for most people. Booking a car in Europe before you depart offers the best rates, we are happy to offer advice about this, and help with learning to navigate the roads and becoming accustomed to the rules of traffic.

We provide bicycles free of charge to our guests, so that they can access the local markets, parks, cafes and cinemas. We provide daily shuttle service to and from the major train stations free of charge at 8:00am (outgoing) and 5:30pm (returning). Shuttles to other trains and at other times can be arranged on an individual basis, with the condition of contributions for gasoline expenses, when it is convenient for the hosts.

We expect that guests will care for their own rooms and refrain from cluttering the shared spaces, and we require that they clean up after themselves in the kitchen if they use it.

Our home:
We live on the outskirts of Los Angeles in a community known for good schools, clean air, hiking, biking and a quiet life.

Because we have traveled a lot we understand the difficulties of living abroad are happy to provide a cultural perspective and help our guests acclimate to the community and differences in lifestyle and culture.

Our prices are very reasonable for 2 reasons:
1) We are in the process of constructing a new wing of our home, so the outside of the house is not very pretty, and the garage is messy -- but the rooms inside are nice.
2) We like entertaining guests and hope to encourage people to travel, and learn about California.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE LIVE IN THE SUBURBS - WHICH IS HOW MOST SO. CALIFORNIANS LIVE. Los Angeles is a very large city and our trains and buses are inferior by European standards (they do not run often, and run in limited places).

5 Bedrooms
4 baths
large kitchen (available to guests and housemates)
dining room
salon with fireplace
salon with piano and home theater (for music and movies)
nice yard with patio and BBQ, mature trees and vegetable garden and a hot tub

We are constructing a new wing to our home with 2 new bedrooms which we are building ourselves. There are photos on our website.

Living in the house are:
~my husband, Mike, an Audio Engineer
~myself, Jacquie, I work for a boutique grocery market


during the winter holidays we are visited by:
~our daughter, Noelle, who attends Cambridge University
~our son, Scott, who attends Sorbonne Paris IV

This means that space is limited during the month of December.
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Bedroom #1 Noelle's Room -(Red in the photos)offers

-a double bed that comfortably accommodates 2 people
-a single futon chair that opens to a bed for one additional person, occasionally
-a large closet
-lots of bookcases
-a desk with chair
-a chest with drawers
-a tea table and a floor lamp
-art collected from around the world

A large window provides lots of light. The bathroom on the hall is shared with other guests, but not with the hosts.

There are lines for computer and internet, ample room for a large computer and stereo and wifi is available free of charge for your laptop computer. A computer could be provided for long term guests for an additional fee.

This room is suitable for 1 or 2 people for long term stays and for three people for short term stays.

Noelle's room is better suited for couples on long term stays than Scott's room because the double bed is larger. It is very suitable for a couple traveling with a small child if you use the convertible futon chair/bed.

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Bedroom #2 Scott's Room - (Orange in the photos)offers

-a twin bed
-a fold out double bed
-a large desk w/ chair
-a large closet
-lots of bookcases
-a chest of drawers
-a comfortable reading chair and
-art collected from around the world

A large window provides lots of light. The bathroom on the hall is shared with other guests, but not with the hosts.

There are lines for computer and internet, ample room for a large computer and wifi available free of charge for your laptop computer. A computer could be provided for long term guests for an additional fee.

This room is suitable for 1 or 2 people for long term stays and for 3 people for short term stays. The room is very cozy when the sofa folds out into a bed.

Scott's room is excellent for two friends who are traveling together in one room but do not wish to share a bed. This room is also very useful for a single person who is visiting to study or work in the room because of the large desk and sofa and chair in addition to the bed. The workspace is excellent for a single person.



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Bedroom #3 (Jason's Room) offers

-a private entrance to the back garden
-a private ensuite bathroom with large shower
-a double bed that comfortably accommodates 2 people
-a small closet
-lots of bookcases
-a desk with chair
-lots of drawers
-free wifi for your laptop

13 windows provide lots of light. A large shower in a new, private, modern bathroom ensuite.

There are lines for computer and internet, a computer could be provided for long term guests for an additional fee. This room is suitable for 1 or 2 people for long term stays. It is excellent for a couple who needs a workspace, and prefers a higher level of privacy.
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WE DO NOT SMOKE. Smoking is permitted outside the house in the patio area and garden. Smokers should please take care to not smoke in the patio if the hosts or other guests are present and should close windows and doors so that smoke does not enter the house.

We have a cat.

Our home is located in a California suburb which means that transportation is primarily by car. When under-aged students are our guest arrangements are made for their transportation to school and social events.

Fees for underage students on long term academic exchanges are slightly higher. If you are underage - please contact for details.