Arles
House, 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath (Sleeps 4)
€700-€900/wk
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Guest: Sarah P
(Seattle)
Date of Stay: 03/27/12
Review Submitted: 04/18/12
This house was a fantastic place to stay. It was roomy and had all the ammenities you will need. Our daughter especially loved the bedroom on the top floor. The house is very close to everything in Arles and it was quite eassy to make day trips from here. Mireille and Rene (& their daughter) were wonderful hosts and actually went above and beyond their duties in helping us retreive a suitcase that we lost on the train. We can't say enough good things about them and their house.
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
Guest: Vic
(United States)
Date of Stay: 02/22/12
Review Submitted: 04/11/12
Easy train ride to Arles from Paris of 3.5 hrs. Super close walk from train station in Arles to this lovely home! The Hertz rental car office is midway between this home and the train station, being only a 10 minute walk to rent the car. We absolutely loved the quaint old charm and character of this well maintained and very centrally located home. It was an easy walk to everything in town! We had a wonderful four days there and would highly recommend this rental to anyone! The best restaurant that we found was just 1 block away, Le Criquet, only 6 tables and the best calamari we've ever!
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
Guest: Don
(Arnprior, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 10/02/11
Review Submitted: 10/22/11
My wife and I stayed at this wonderful rental property for two weeks-October 2/11 to October 16/11. The home is even more charming that the photos suggest and it is centrally located within the historic Roman Arles. It is literally walking distance minutes from the Roman Amphitheater and so many other historic sites, downtown and especially the Office of Tourisme. This Office is critical to planning day excursions and we would highly recommend a trip to the Les Alpilles, Les Saintes Maries de la Mer (Mediterranean sea side resort), Avignon, Tarascon. We walked everywhere and enjoyed the markets on Wednesday and Saturday. This is a must to experience. The property is spotless, well maintained and provides all the amenities one could want. There are so many cafe's and restaurants available in the area and all were very good. The owner of this property is very service focused and made our reservation, payment and accommodation needs including check-in and check out professional and efficient. The owner also provides a library of pamphlets for one's consideration in planning your holiday stay in Arles. I can't say enough about these property owners, especially since this was our first time in renting a property from the VRBO web site. We would highly recommend this property for all of the above reasons and especially because of it's geographic location in Arles and Provence. If you want to experience Provence this is the home to see it from.
Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
Guest: Don
(Racine, Wisconsin USA)
Date of Stay: 08/04/11
Review Submitted: 12/16/11
My family stayed for two weeks at this wonderful home in the historic center of Arles in August 2011. This home has everything that a tourist in Arles would want or need: easy access to the historic city by foot; plenty of fine restaurants, cafes, and shops nearby; and a well-stocked, comfortable home that represents the best of Provencal living. I loved walking to La Calendal (nearby hotel) each morning for a double-espresso and croissant on the veranda along with the free wi-fi. My wife loved the many shops--especially the ones with the beautiful Provencal fabrics. Our daughters (age 14 and 11) loved the bull races and, of course, the many, many glace' shops nearby. We wish to thank our warm and gracious hosts who made us feel right at home. In particular we thank them for their understanding and flexibilty as we dealt with an emergency situation at home during our stay. Provence is as beautiful as you can imagine, and our 2 weeks in this home was such a treat. We would recommend this without hesitation for anyone interested in a visit to Arles. (A final note: some commentors reported that they had a bad experience with the parking or the hot water. We had no such problems. We always found easy parking within 2 blocks of the house, and we never ran short on hot water, even with two teenage girls taking showers! I hope this information is helpful to you.)
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
Guest: Michael P.
(Weston, MA USA)
Date of Stay: 05/09/11
Review Submitted: 06/07/11
We were a party of five- grandmother, my 2 daughters, a son-in-law and my 20 month old grandson. We had taken the train to Arles after staying four days in Paris and were ready for a more relaxed location. Everything prior 5 star reviewers said about the house was absolutely true. It was fabulous for both comfort and location. However I do want to mention how extensive the hospitality of Mireille and Rene was . Months before our arrival we received this email information packet which made us feel like we were already there. We knew ahead of time what we wanted to do so planned accordingly. Two of the highlights were our jeep safari through the Camargue and a cooking class in this wonderful chef's kitchen within walking distance of #5. Having a playground almost at our back door was the frosting on the cake for my grandson.Thank you Mireille and Rene.
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, sightseeing.
Guest: Mike and De
(East Boothbay, Maiane, USA)
Date of Stay: 03/20/11
Review Submitted: 04/01/11
We have just returned from a week in Arles and the enchanting home of Rene and Mirielle. I knew the moment we opened the blue door that it was going to be perfect ... and it was. A lot of thought and care has gone in to this home. The rusticity of the house, with is wood floors, stone walls, and beamed ceiling is in beautiful contrast to the lovely furnishings and Provence linens. The main bathroom is huge, has double sinks and a "rain" shower. There are also 2 half baths. The kitchen is adorable and very well equiped. The house is full of personality, exceptionally clean, and everything worked fine. The back windows overlook a sweet little neighbors garden and the front a quiet street. The house is perfectly located to sights, shops, cafes, and a not to be missed outdoor market on Wed. and Sat. You can walk to everything. Our car was only used for day trips out of Arles. We never had a problem parking. There are quirks in a home this old but that is so very much part of the charm. Rene and Mirielle have done a wonderful job of bringing as many luxuries and conviences in to the home as possible. There is a flat screen TV (which we never turned on), a fabulous gas stove, and that big bathroom is wonderful. We loved our bedroom. The queen bed was very comfortable. The sun shines through the yellow curtains in the morning bathing the room in gold. Every morning opening our eyes was magical. We hope to return there some day.
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
Guest: Phil
(Edinburgh)
Date of Stay: 02/27/11
Review Submitted: 03/04/11
Thank you so much for welcoming us into your lovely provencal house which has given us too perfect opportunity to sample the delights of Arles and greater Provence. We loved your beautiful stone house; the location was perfect and had every thing we needed. Our week was a bit cold but the house stayed very warm and cosy. Arles is centrally located which made it easy for us to visit nearby towns, Avignon, les Baux, St-Remy, Nimes, Uzes. We will certainly miss this place and hope to return soon.
Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
Guest: Dan and Ellie Pettee
(Grand Rapids, MI USA)
Date of Stay: 10/02/10
Review Submitted: 11/01/10
We stayed in this charming home for 8 nights. It was very clean, comfortable, and well maintained. Our main concerns were: no English speaking television, no Wi-Fi, and not the most comfortable furniture in the living room area. It was also very dark once you closed the window shutters. We found the driving in this area of Arles very stressful, and we constantly worried about finding a parking place. We also had trouble finding grocery stores and bakeries. In part, some of this could have been avoided if we'd had a better orientation on arrival - our greeter spoke no English!! But we loved Arles and did get to see a lot of Provence.
Owner response:We are very aware of any suggestion from the costumers but they have to be fair, well founded, and do not come from a lack of adaptation. Visitors have to be independent and autonomous. Visitor could be served by hospitality staff in the rental house in the case it is managed by an hotel. Never did this customer contact us at any moment by phone or mail to tell us any requires. Television : Most of the channels are French. There are very few English channels but we have some. This tourist did not use in the right way the remote control on which there are two positions although the handbook was available and he did not ask for any requires about it. Wifi: Not only is it written on VRBO there is not WIFI, but it is also written in the first mail after having made inquiries. Living room sofa and the armchairs : « The Mireille’s house » is a old house, typically “Arlésienne-Provençale” and it was furnished with real furniture typically Provençaux. That is what the tourists wish and look for. That is true that a real sofa from the 19th century is less comfortable than a modern sofa. But the decoration of the Provençal tradition do not allow to integrate a modern sofa. Nevertheless we take into account this detail from this tourist, so we have asked to our tapestry-maker to modify these sofa and armchairs in order that they are more comfortable. windows: There are window shutters to cover the windows. It is usually used the night and in any case there are four wall lamps and a big halogen lamp. Parking : There are around “The Mireille’s house” three parking whose one huge. Obviously as the parking are free, it is difficult to keep the same place but we are able to find one. On the other hand, if you want to use the same place all the time you have to use paying parking .Stores : we send by mail and give to the tourist a document named “useful information” . There is list of the best grocery stores close to the house (300 meters), bakeries, patisseries, cake shop, butcher’s stores, cheese stores, the days of markets in the Arles city centre and the best restaurants. It’s true that in the street where is the Mireille’s house there are no shops but it against part the street is quiet. Before their arrival, they were informed that our friend Danièle, who manages the house with us, will welcome them and that they could contact us for any requires at any time either by phone or by mail. Never did they contact us for any requires.
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, tourists without a car.
Guest: Martin
(Adelaide, Australia)
Date of Stay: 09/18/10
Review Submitted: 10/27/10
The highlight of our holiday in France was by far our time spent in Arles & in the lovely Provencal house provided by Rene & Mirielle. Our hosts greeted us warmly upon arrival & spent considerable time showing us around & explaining various aspects of the town & region including parking arrangements, where to eat & shop etc. The house is so well set up & it was the perfect place for our family of 4 to relax at the end of a busy day. The kitchen is fantastic (if you prefer to eat in occasionally), the bedrooms are spacious & comfortable & the main bathroom has the 'wow' factor. The entire house is spotlessly clean & well cared for & is located in a perfectly quiet part of town, but literally only a minute or two's walk to some exceptional restaurants. This would have to rank among the best accommodations we have stayed in Europe. The kid's just loved it here. Thank you Rene & Mirielle for helping make our time is Provence so memorable.
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
Guest: Helena
(Bristol)
Date of Stay: 09/08/10
Review Submitted: 09/19/10
The house was perfect for our Provence holiday, very well, nice and cosy with convenience of modern living. The beds were so comfortable. Full of Provencal beauty with the decor it was magical. From a logistic point of view everything regarding the house worked without any problems. Mireille & Rene were delightful and informative. We loved the house and our visit in Arles. It was the perfect base for exploring Arles. What incredible city and we so enjoyed being able to stay right in the heart of it. We are blessed to have this experience represent our first trip in Provence as a whole family as we brought our 2 year old son and his grand mother. We will have to come again !
Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, sightseeing.
Guest: Barbara D
(Toronto, Canada)
Date of Stay: 08/19/10
Review Submitted: 10/21/10
I loved the solid granite farmstyle sink with brass faucet. Our girls, aged 10 and 14 loved their hideaway on the third floor. The location was very convenient for the farmers markets, the roman colisseum, restaurants and gift shops. Sometimes we made simple meals "at home". All of the rooms were very spacious. The building is 400 years old, which makes for some interesting observations on construction styles of that period. We felt like "locals" and not tourists. We parked nearby and made daytrips to the Camargue, to Nimes, Fontaine Vaucluse, Rousillon, Avignon, Pont du Gard, and other nearby attractions. I hope to return someday and stay at the Mireille House.
Recommended for:Families with young children, sightseeing.
Guest: John
(England, Cambridge)
Date of Stay: 07/28/10
Review Submitted: 08/26/10
We stayed with my two daughters (age 4 & 6) and my wife at Mireille's House. This ancient house is very beautiful, well renovated,in provencal decor, comfortable, very quiet and absolutly perfect. The owners Mireille and René have furnished the house with everything you could need. The house is an exceptional location. This is ideal for visiting Arles and other villages. The Saturday market in Arles is incredible. Mirelle and René are friendly and attentive hosts.
Recommended for:Families with young children
Guest: JAW
(Flagstaff, AZ)
Date of Stay: 07/08/10
Review Submitted: 07/25/10
We just stayed in this home in Arles for 11 nights and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. The house has an absolutely fantastic location in the old section of Arles. It is steps away from the Roman arena and theater as well as many other sights and attractions. We stayed in the home with our two small children (ages 2 and 4), and found it to be perfect for our needs. The house is spread over three floors. The top floor has a very quiet bedroom (with two single beds) and half bath. The middle floor has a queen-size bed (very comfortable) and extremely spacious bathroom with shower. Access to the top floor requires a walk-through of the middle-floor bedroom. The ground floor has the living room, dining area and kitchen. As other reviewers have noted the stairs between levels are old and steep, but completely fitting with the old house. Our two-year old could handle them just fine. All floors have their own air conditioning units, all of which worked perfectly. The kitchen in the house is well equipped, including an impressive range/oven, toaster, and espresso maker. We did have a few critiques of the home. Like a previous reviewer, we had some trouble with a lack of hot water one day. The property managers were very attentive when we raised the concern, and described an "over-ride" button that causes the water to re-heat faster. After this, we had no problems. It was unfortunate that the operation of the water heater was not explained to us when we arrived, as we would have avoided the problem altogether. In fact, the house could use a basic guide to many of its appliances. The combination clothes washer/dryer is unlike anything I've ever seen and took quite a bit of trial and error to get to work properly. Similarly, the dishwasher worked well, but was non-intuitive to use. Our only other minor issue was that we found the traditional Provencal furniture in the living room a bit uncomfortable - after a day of sightseeing it would have been lovely to have a genuinely comfy chair or sofa to sink into! Arles is a great city to use as a base for many of the sights of the region. Parking our car was a bit challenging, but par for the course for living in the old city. Arles itself is chock full of sights and the owners provide a handy guide to local restaurants, patisseries, fromageries, etc. All in all, this is a great house in a fantastic location. We would definitely stay here again.
Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, sightseeing.
Guest: Denny 123
(Portland, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 05/17/10
Review Submitted: 05/28/10
I have just returned from France after spending 5 nights in Arles property number #184261 with my two daughters. The home was dellightful, well decorated in bright colors and in a great location. One does not need a car in Arles unless you want to do sighteeing outside the area. We had the Travel Bureau schedule our trip to the Camargue which was very satisfactory. Many fine restaurant, great shopping and the people very friendly. A small town was just what we wanted after six nights in Paris.
Recommended for:Families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
Guest: Visalia, CA
(Visalia, California)
Date of Stay: 05/06/10
Review Submitted: 06/03/10
The house is charming, authentically restored with modern conveniences added, and it is in a good location. We had delightful emails with the owners before our arrival in Arles. Unfortunately our stay was exasperating because we had no hot water, and the owners did not respond to our numerous pleas for help. When we called the owners on our cell phone, we realized that they had been able to write to us in English, but could not understand or speak English over the phone, so we sent text messages asking them to please fix the problem, which they never did. Due to the unacceptable conditions, we left a day early and forfeited the rent. When we returned to California on May 15, I emailed the owners to express our huge disappointment with the situation (stone cold showers, no hot water for dishwashing, etc.). On May 18, they replied to say they had looked into the problem on May 17 (more than 10 days after we first reported the problem) and had discovered that due to some public works project on the grid, electricity had been turned off during the day, so the electric water heater never had a chance to heat up. They said the problem was "exceptional and unforeseeable." No offer for even a partial refund or a free return trip. One other note: The house has three floors, which may not be convenient or safe for some families or groups due to the narrow concrete stairs.
Owner response:We are very in shock about this comment. This version of the fact is wrong and harmful. At the start, these 3 girls behaved like capricious starlets, demanding fanciful or useless things all the time, so much so that we were at the house every day to meet them. Capricious starlets have to go to luxury hotels and not to the Mireille’s house.Otherwise the neighboring told us that there been many noises and eccentricity in the evening during their stay. At the Mireille’s house, the house is very quiet because the neighborhood are very quiet, so the visitors, also, must don’t disturb their quietness. About hot water : We called and answered to Karen by phone and messages phone a lot and our friend Claudette who manage the Mireille’s house with us went on the spot in every request. There was hot water every morning but more in the evening. A few days after we learnt that it had exceptional public works on the electricity network and that the electricity had undergone the power cuts.Nobody knew in the district because these cuts were intermittents. However it has unusual consumption of hot water because the water-heater has capacity for 6 people whereas the house is rented for a maximum of 4 people. It should not have needed to be reactivated itself if it had had abnormal consumption of hot water. When we ask karen : " At what time exactly don't you have hot water and how many shower and hand wash do you have made in the same day ?.. We get any answer: EXPLANATION :In France in the majority of houses the hot water is produced by water-heater. The water-heater produces some hot water at night for all day. If there is overconsumption of hot water the water-heater is planned to reactivate at noon automatically and make again some hot water. About stairs : Their comment is absolutely false and fanciful. In France if staircases, windows, doors are not in accordance with safety standards you have neither planning permission, nor permission of works, nor licence of reception of works, you cannot be assured and you cannot consequently rent a house. With regard to us and furthermore the works were controlled by the Buildings of France French Department, the house being in the Historic Monuments protected perimeter. Finally we received in this house a lot of visitors among them, many people of 80 years old and more years old and small children. Nobody was complained about these staircases since we rented this house.Only three 30-year-old girls. Curious thing !
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Guest: Marie-Claude Heath
(Vancouver/BC)
Date of Stay: 07/12/09
Review Submitted: 07/12/09
You have a great place that is ideal for vacationers; you have created a friendly space with a modern kitchen and bath room that is easy to live in and easy to keep organized.We enjoyed being in the centre of Arles, within minutes of the Arena, the patisseries, cafes and many of the other attractions.We especially enjoyed the neighbours on our street; we came to know them and their pets as when we passed each other in the street. We loved Genouille, the dog across from your home.The Calendal Hotel, which is minutes from your home is a great place to meet other English-speaking folks, have a great café au lait and hook up to their wireless internet.We divided our time roughly equally between lazy days spent in and around Arles and other days exploring the Roman Heritage Sites, Marseille, Avignon and the Camargue.We loved the local street markets that take place in Arles on Wednesdays and Saturdays.Thanks to Claudette’s helpful hints and your coaching on what to do in the area, we had a most enjoyable holiday that we will always remember; we will be back!
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Guest: Victoria LeMair
(Paris)
Date of Stay: 06/30/09
Review Submitted: 06/29/09
Look no further. Arles is the perfect town to launch your Provence vacation and this is the perfect home from which to do it. Rene and Mireille have furnished and stocked their home with everything you could want. It is beautifully decorated, charming beyond description, and incredibly comfortable as well -- all in a quiet, central location. You won't want to leave!
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Guest: Leslie Fitzgerald and family
(Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
Date of Stay: 05/07/09
Review Submitted: 05/07/09
Our family of four spent a memorable week during March at Rene and Mireille's lovely home in Arles. Their historic town-house is ideally situated, beautifully appointed and well maintained. It was the perfect location for day trips within this region of provence, such as Avignon, Les Baux-de-Provence, Gordes, Pont du Gard, and the Camarque. The ancient town of Arles is at your doorstep and you can walk to a wide variety of restaurants. Groceries are also convenient. Thank-you for this authentic experience.
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Guest: Alllison, Patrick and Ella Bright
(Amsterdam, NL (expats from NYC))
Date of Stay: 01/11/09
Review Submitted: 01/11/09
We stayed at Rene and Mireille's house over the Christmas holiday. The house was absolutely perfect. Rene and Mireille were such accommodating hosts and we would recommend the house and the city of Arles to anyone exploring Provence. It was a wonderful holiday and one that we will never forget.
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Guest: Phil and Joan Berman
(Oak Park ILlinois USA)
Date of Stay: 12/04/08
Review Submitted: 12/04/08
Rene and Mireille are perfect hosts. If you need them they are immediately attentive..otherwise they leave you completely alone. The house is lovely and comfortable and very quiet...there are no major streets within hearing distance. Both the kitchen and master bath are exceptional. One could not ask for a better location...steps from the Roman arena and other ancient sites, from the twice weekly markets (the Saturday market is incredible), from an excellent internet cafe and from many restaurants, the best of which was Lou Caleu. Our visit was thoroughly enjoyable.
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Guest: Bob and Christine Deagle
(Near Vancouver, Canada)
Date of Stay: 12/03/08
Review Submitted: 12/03/08
This ancient house has been beautifully and sensitively restored, and owners Mireille and Rene have added all possible modern comforts for their guests to use. There is even a shopping bag to take to the market or local shops when slipping out in the morning to pick up one's breakfast baguette or croissant. The location is quiet, and ideal for walking around the beautiful town of Arles as well as for car travel to the many other historic and interesting towns and villages in Provence. As well as those places mentioned by other visitors, we enjoyed the wonderful Theatre Antique in Orange and wine tasting in Chateauneuf du Pape. Mireille and Rene are friendly and generous hosts, and we would like to thank them for a comfortable and enjoyable stay at their lovely house.
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Guest: Charles and Cecilia Miller
(Atlanta, Georgia)
Date of Stay: 11/24/08
Review Submitted: 11/24/08
We stayed in the house of Mireille and Rene' the first week of August. It was outstanding. The location was quiet and convenient. Arles is an excellent location for visiting other villages, cities and especially other markets in Provence. The Saturday market in Arles may be the best of all in Provence. The house is exceptional with recent renovation. The furnishings are new and fitting for the area. There were excellent restaurants within minutes by walking. We highly recommend a stay in this house. You will not be disappointed.
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Guest: Peter & Mei Lawson
(Melbourne, Australia)
Date of Stay: 11/22/08
Review Submitted: 11/22/08
25-Sep-08A big thanks for our wonderful week. We really enjoyed wandering through the town soaking up the Roman and Mediaeval history. The food you recommended was inspirational – we bought a Provencal cookbook! Restaurant L’Escaladou just around the corner & Jardin Des Arts on Rue de la Republique were particular favourites.Your welcoming house with its décor artistically decorated (by Mireille?) in the Provencal style added to the atmosphere of our stay.Thank you for ensuring we were settled and checking all was well throughout our stay. Our girls enhanced their language skills by watching French TV, it gave them confidence to converse with the Arlesians!Best regards, Peter, Mei, Louise & Claire
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Guest: Kit and Edna Handyside
(Perth Western Australia)
Date of Stay: 11/21/08
Review Submitted: 11/21/08
We stayed in the house of Mireille & René in late September. It is located in a quiet street with very little one-way traffic close to the Roman arena, theatre, restaurants and internet cafe. It was a very quiet location - and lacked nothing. Beautifully presented, clean, clean linen, towels, etc. - all modern cons eg. airconditioning (we didn't need to use). It was extremely comfortable and we enjoyed walking right out into the street and turning around the corner into the medieval city. We were able to park our car nearby which was very convenient for touring. We walked everywhere in this wonderful old walled town, replete with Roman ruins & history, located on the banks of the Rhone. We stocked up or food supplies in the Saturday market which went forever (at least 2 kilometres)and sold everthing. It proved a terrificly central location from which to explore The Camargue, Les Baux-Provence is stunning with its ruined chateau, remains of Roman Aqueducts still in the fields. One of the best for us in our many visits to France. Don't miss a visit to Aigues-Mortes - the day we visited they had a bullfight (no deaths!) and the gardiens (cowboys) of The Camargue took over the cobbled streets on their beautiful horses - it was quite a spectacle. Sete is another wonderful visit.
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Guest: Shari and Scott Brown
(Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 08/06/08
Review Submitted: 08/06/08
Rene and Mirielle were very gracious hosts. The house is beautifully renovated in Provencal decor. Our family of 4 was very comfortable here. The location is excellent, only 2 blocks from the Roman Arena. 15 minute walk to the train station. We found it easy to walk anywhere in the city. We would recommend the restaurant " A Cote" - excellent food at reasonable price. We travelled to Pont du Gard (40 minutes by car), Les Baux (20 mintues by car) and St. Marie de la Mer (less than 1 hour through La Camargue). Highly recommended to see that region of Provence.
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