Live in an Unspoiled Village in Provence Carces Vacation Rental by Owner Listing 15118

Dining room - antique table seats 8-10

 

Location: Carces, Provence, France, Europe (45 min E of Aix-en-Provence - 90 min from Nice & Marseille)

Accommodations:  Provençal Winemaker's House, 4 Bedrooms + Convertible bed(s), 3 Baths (Sleeps 8-10)

GREAT rate for May 2009... 50% discount on normal rates.

Our charmingly renovated and furnished 200-year-old village house is perfect for self-catering holidays in non-peak seasons. Out the front door: the conveniences and vitality of a working French village -- including tractors down the main street(!); out the back, an unobstructed view of the countryside from the terrace (enhanced by the sound of a waterfall).

Four bedrooms sleep eight comfortably and privately, yet just two will feel cozy, as well. With its small pool and garden with lavender and grapevines, the holiday house, villa, vacation rental, ferienhaus or somerhaus--depending on your language--is an ideal gathering place for friends or family or an idyllic retreat for writers, artists, or academics on sabbatical. Three toilets and shower-rooms/bathrooms (one on each level); sinks in two bedrooms, ceiling fans, fuel-fired central heat (important for off-season holidays!).

The land behind the villa and its enclosed pool includes a small cottage garden. A communal path alongside the potager leads to the river's edge and a nearby waterfall. You will pass through the bountiful gardens maintained by villagers to the edge of the river.

The surrounding French countryside is filled with vineyards.... great biking, kayaking, walking, etc., are within steps. Listen to the waterfall when enjoying meals on the terrace. A local tennis club is available on a per-hour or membership basis to visitors, and horseback riding is available nearby.

You will be living in working village in rural France, not a tourist-crowded monument. Within steps are boulangeries, small shops, cafes, a sophisticated contemporary art gallery, small markets, pharmacies, butchers, banks, post office, five wineries (in town), a traditional Saturday market, and a charming village of around 2500 people who actually like having visitors in town.

You can be as isolated as you wish yet still stroll to the Presse to pick up the Herald-Tribune, then across the street to the café for coffee and a croissant. Daily fresh bread, of course, is right around the corner. Two small groceries and two fresh vegetable stores are steps away. On the outskirts of town is a larger supermarket if you feel the need for a stock-up. Even larger stores are in Brignoles, about 20 minutes away.

Carcès and other picturesque villages nearby offer lively, engaging cultural activities on a regular basis: music concerts in medieval buildings, art openings, flea markets in village squares, market days that have occurred in the same villages on the same days for hundreds of years. Within a few minutes' drive, you will find half a dozen restaurants ranging from local specialties to the highly recommended cuisine that makes the south of France so appealing.

Where in the world is Carcès? Carcès is an unspoiled village in the wine-producing region of Provence. Located in the south of France, half-way between Nice and Marseille just north of the A8 auto route, the village is about an hour and a half from Nice, Marseille, Arles, Avignon; an hour from St. Tropez and the beaches of the Cote d'Azur, to Toulon or Hyeres to the south, an hour from the dramatic Gorges du Verdon to the north.

In just 45 minutes, drive east to Aix-en-Provence to walk in the footsteps of Cezanne. Drive just two hours for lunch in Italy. Or, stay 'home.' Fishing out the back door; horseback riding down the road; biking in vineyards and through picturesque villages nearby; the Lac de Carcès is within hiking or biking distance. A great location for an ideal accommodation.

Vacation Rental Features

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• Amenities
  • Washer
  • Linens Provided
  • Garage
  • Covered Parking
  • Off Street Parking
  • Wood Fireplace
• Beds
  • Queen Bed
  • Double Bed
  • Twin/Single Bed (4)
  • Convertible Bed
  • Crib
• Entertainment
  • Cable/Satellite TV
  • DVD
  • VCR
  • CD Player
  • Stereo System
  • Music Library
  • Private Pool: The pool is small and open from May through September.
• Kitchen
  • Full Kitchen
  • Cooking Utensils Provided: Everything from food processor to grill pan.
  • Refrigerator
  • Dishwasher
  • Catering Available
• Outdoor Features
  • Charcoal BBQ Grill
  • Deck/Patio
  • Lanai
  • Gazebo
• Communications
  • Telephone
  • Broadband Internet
  • WiFi (Wireless Internet)
• Other Amenities
  • Fuel-fired central heat, ceiling fans, full kitchen (including dishwasher, convection oven, food processor, dishware, beaucoup de cooking utensils), linens, iron, ironing board. Please limit smoking to the outside, as we are allergic non-smokers
• Suitability
  • Pet Friendly
  • Kid Friendly
  • Minimum Age Limit for Renters
  • Smoking Not Allowed
• Activities (on site and nearby)
  • Golf
  • Tennis
  • Shopping
  • Sightseeing
  • Restaurants
  • Kayaking
  • Sailing
  • Boating
  • Swimming
  • Windsurfing
  • Biking
  • Cross Country Skiing
  • Downhill/Alpine Skiing
  • Hiking
  • Fishing
  • Hunting
  • Rock Climbing
  • Health/Beauty Spa
  • Antiquing
  • Live Theatre
  • Museums
  • Horseback Riding
• Other Activities
  • The Cote d'Azur, Petanque (Boules), Concerts, Sightseeing at Ancient Historical and Religious Sites, Art Openings, We can put you in touch with teachers for private French lessons, private French cooking lessons, You might even be interested in arriving to a home-cooked meal prepared fresh from ingredients purchased at the town's traditional market

Rate Details (In Euros)

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Personal Currency Assistant™

SEP, MAY: €1500/wk .. €4000/mo | OCT & MAR-APR: €850/wk .. €3000/mo
NOV, DEC: € 700/wk .. €2000/mo | Christmas/New Year Weeks: €1000/week
JAN, FEB: € 600/wk .. €1600/mo | 10% discount for 3 weeks; more for 1+ mo.
SUMMER: €1600/wk .. Wkly cleaning req'd: €45/wk + €12/person/wk
negotiable w/1+ mo; Damage deposit req. for long stays.
Booking Deposit: 1/2 total rent to confirm dates; 100% refundable less expenses if
booking is replaced. Balance, cleaning, damage deposit due 9 weeks before
arrival. Trip cancellation insurance highly recommmended.

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.

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Guest Comments (47)

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• 05/04/09
  Positive Rating
  Jack and Jane , Hilo, Hawaii, USA
  • Dear Betsy, We are so late in writing to tell you what an incredible time we had at your fabulous house in Carces...somehow we thought it was further out in the countryside. But when we discovered that the house is right in the middle of Carces, we were estatic. We drove into the garage and really felt like we were residents of the town. It took an hour to explore the house from the wine cellar to the third floor. We wished that our friends who had travelled down the Nievernais Canal with could join us. What a perfect house for a group. We loved the bright colors, completely supplied kitchen and fireplace. Did not get to enjoy the pool, but took walks in every direction. Loved the waterfall in the back of the house, through the garden, past grapes and olives growing. The view from the terrace is one that is burned in our memories...a picture of what we expected Provence to be. Merci Beaucoup. We will return someday.
• 04/22/09
  Positive Rating
  Sharon Reed-Miller , San Marcos TX
  • Where do I start to explain the pleasant experience of staying within the four walls known as Betsy & Ken's place in Provence? We were there January, February & March 2009. The house is extremely livable and comfortable, with a wonderful kitchen, and there was room to entertain guests. My favorite aspect, though, had to be the sunrises that we experienced most mornings through the master bedroom window. That alone, for me, was worth the rental price. And I would be remiss if I did not mention the bookshelves---many gems to enjoy and we read several while we were there. The village is charming & the locals extremely friendly and welcoming and not one made us feel inadequate because we spoke no French. This doesn't mean we didn't try with help from Google translate to, at least, use written notes. Another plus is that there are numerous wonderful day trips within range of the house. We have already recommended this rental to friends. It was a memorable experience to stay in this home and my husband can't stop talking about it. Thank you for sharing your lovely home.
• 11/07/08
  Positive Rating
  Nik O'Flynn , London, UK
  • What a lovely house! It was so refreshing to turn up somewhere that looks better than the pictures! And all the little homely touches, like tea bags, basic food and every spice imaginable in the kitchen, made life so much easier from the minute we got there. Having the towels provided and the beds pre-made was also great for us as we travelled with three children, so it saved bags of time when we got there. House was beautiful - we all fell in love with it. It was great to explore, decorated simlar to my own house(!) and had useful things like novels, French phrase books and games to play. Garden was great too. Only prob was the pool was unheated. Probably not a problem in the summer but very, very cold when we tried it out on on one unseasonably warm day during our stay in late October. Never mind, we weren't expecting the weather to be warm enough for us to use it anyway.
• 10/25/08
  Positive Rating
  juli davis , erie p[a
  • We had a wonderful time at your Carces home. it had everything we needed to make it our home away from home.Not to mention the view off the back porch was wonderful especially in the morning. One that I will not soon forget. the village was charming and so close to many wineries and other charming villages like Cotignac which we also loved. All I can say is thank you for helping us make this a trip of a life time. juli
• 09/24/08
  Positive Rating
  Jerry Lazar , Los Angeles, CA
  • Wow, what a wonderful two weeks! Where to begin? My son (11) and I found this delightful house to be the perfect location for pleasures near and very near. It's around the corner from Carces' quaint main street, where you can shop for all your produce and baked goods. (We even got our hair cut there, tout en francais!) The local residents are helpful and friendly. There's so much to see and do on foot in this quiet, charming village -- visit wineries and medieval castles, watch or play boule (petanque), enjoy street markets (and even a street carnival while we were there). It's a short pleasant drive to tour castles and abbeys, paddleboat and swim at the Gorge du Verdon, go hiking and kayaking, explore scenic waterfalls, and so much more. Don't miss the street markets and splendor of neighboring towns (Contignac, Entrecasteaux, Mustier). You're centrally located between the amazing cities of Aix and Nice (each a day trip), and we managed to squeeze in the port city of Marseilles (world's best bouillabaisse), and the fabled town and exquisite beach of St. Tropez (where my son got his first opportunity to observe how men and women air their differences). And still we had time for leisurely strolls, and lounging in cafes while sipping citroen presses or eating glacees, and soaking up the entire incomparable Var experience. We are grateful that we had such an amazing house to come home to every day -- big and spacious and centrally located. It is beautifully decorated, extremely comfortable, and completely equipped with all modern conveniences. We especially loved dining in the afternoons on the lovely backyard terrace next to the canal, and evenings on the balcony with an incredible view. All in all, an extraordinary experience and magnificent vacation. We're sorry we didn't have time to visit Arles -- but we had to leave something for next trip!
• 09/12/08
  Positive Rating
  Mark Spiegel and Faith Rafkind , Cambridge, MA
  • Betsy, A belated write-up of our wonderful time at your house. As you know we enjoyed staying there so much that extended our stay by four days when we found there was an ”opening.” The house and garden were magical. The month we spent was occupied with trips to the surrounding villages all around, including some longer excursions. We found your house a perfect base of operations and when we did not feel like venturing forth, we had the lovely sitting areas inside and outside of the house to relax in. All in all, we would return in a minute and recommend the house to others.
• 09/09/08
  Positive Rating
  Maev Kennedy , London
  • Our complicated family group, ranging in age from 12 to 83, converged from London, Dublin and Barcelona: the beautiful house, garden, village and pool suited each one of us to perfection, after a summer when only the Barcelona Two had seen a glimmer of sunshine. We alternated days of travelling and sight seeing - only the 13 year old and the 54 year old climbed up inside the cliff to visit the caves at Cotignac, but found it thrillingly terrifying, particularly the day after a spectacular firework display had caused lots of new crumbly rock patches - with days of doing almost nothing except trotting around the local shops, and lazing in the garden. We didn't read the visitor's book before eating on the first night in the only place open, le Tex Mex. We should have. Every paradise has to have a serpent to make you appreciate the rest.
• 05/05/08
  Positive Rating
  Niya Christine , Sonoma, California
  • The smells of wood smoke and bread baking in the morning. Hints of the med. in the evenings...a four dollar bottle of Cote du Rhone (tasted amazing) painting at the large table in the afternoons, shopping for food, gifts, shoes, etc. in the mornings, chatting it up with the woman with pink hair at the bar, duck fondue in the village, local hikes, a drive here and there to Marseille, Provence, Le Val... Nah...I didn't have a good time at all. (Yeah right)... More like, I almost cried while packing to get on the plane. --Niya Sisk
• 05/03/08
  Positive Rating
  Mike Doyle , Portsmouth, RI
  • We had a wonderful week. Your home is perfect – just what a French village house should be. It is also a perfect location from which to explore Provence. Thank you for sharing.
• 04/28/08
  Positive Rating
  Sandra Keller , Bedford, New Hampshire
  • We had a lovely stay and enjoyed the house, location, and the people of the villages all around. Your garden is wonderful -- the purple irises were in full bloom and have spread such that the little gate on the garden will not close. When we arrived all the trees were starting to flower, the vines just sprouting, and when we left the trees and grape vines and roses were in full leaf. We did experience the Mistral -- cold and windy for 3 days and then up in the seventies with sunshine. Everything in the house was fine. Our cell phones worked well, your kitchen was great, and the beds most comfortable. What you say in your handbook was very useful and helpful. We did not have the TV on and did not miss it. All the shop keepers were great, and while painting around town it was the villagers now in their 80s and the children who stopped and talked-fun! My French is not fluent and French Canadian to boot as I grew up in Montreal and am still a Canadian at heart! But given more time I was beginning to be able to hold a conversation. So Betsy we were 100% satisfied with your artistic house in Provence and cannot wait to return to France.

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