Cozy Apartment, Great Location

Guest: Elizabeth (Manchester, Maine)
Date of Stay: 11/27/11 Review Submitted: 12/22/11

My husband and three year old stayed in this apartment in December. We had a lovely time - Sophie was very helpful and responsive. Paradou is a charming town - by the end of the week we had built relationships with the shop owners in town, all of whom were very welcoming. From Paradou it was an easy drive to Les Baux, St. Remy de Provence, Arles, Avignon etc. There were also a suprising number of Michlelin Red Guide rated restaurants in close proximity. Our winter visit allowed us to take advantage of the wonderful fireplace in the apartment. It was a good value for the money.

Recommended for:Sightseeing.

Like Visiting a Relative Who Lives in a Really Great Place

Guest: Eileen65 (Kutztown, PA)
Date of Stay: 10/04/11 Review Submitted: 10/10/11

My husband and I had a great time during our week in Provence, and a lot of that pleasure came thanks to our apartment in Le Paradou and our hostess, Sophie. My husband was reading Emile Zola that week, and the carefully refitted but still ancient-seeming apartment fit in nicely; the walls were thick and stone, the floors were lovely and worn tile, but, of course, the food was better and more available, which meant that nobody starved to death like in the novel. Everything we expected to find in the large apartment was there; it was clean and working well, and there was plenty of equipment in the kitchen to allow us to cook for ourselves, which is always a looked-forward to part of our vacations. Staying in Sophie's apartment was like visiting a relative who has a great place in a wonderful part of the world. But unlike in those sometimes problematic situations, she was glad to have us and did whatever she could to ensure that we'd have a great time. After explaining the ins and outs of the apartment and its equipment, she asked us about our plans for the week, pushing us for some detail. When we told her what we'd arranged, she applauded what seemed good to her and, with great good humor, gave the razzberries to the rest. As she did so, she hauled out her sense of humor and a stack of brochures and maps and reworked our plans. She told us which of the towns we'd read about were best seen from a distance and which ones would reward much closer inspectation. She made sure we had proper and up-to-date information on the region's market days and confirmed our long-held belief that such days are the best introductions to most places. Best of all, she told us to lay off Marseille for our one trip to the coast and suggested instead Cassis, a seaside town that turned out to be one of the highlights of our week. Had she not spoken up, we wouldn't have had the chance to watch a painter work in her lovely seaside studio/restaurant and would have missed the hand-made placemats being sold by their creator in the village's central square on market day. When you go, be sure to have the local white wine, It's got a lot of character and a great spicy taste. Maybe best of all, Sophie suggested that since we had just a short time in the region, we should specialize in its smaller, near by towns, a bit of advice that proved invaluable. We had more than enough time to see the villages we chose in our week, and we didn't spend a lot of time driving to them.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+.

A fabulous stay!

Guest: Courtney F. (San Francisco, California )
Date of Stay: 06/04/11 Review Submitted: 06/28/11

We had a wonderful time at this vacation rental. The owner, Sophie, was incredibly knowledgable about the area. We also appreciated her attention to detail. For example, there are several sets of dishes as well as all the cookware you might need. The apartment is fashionably decorated, which did not surprise me as the owners are from Paris. Those Parisians sure know style! :-) The location is perfect.... You are a short drive to all of the best sights. Finally, I read the review about supposed inadequate lighting in the apartment and must disagree with that person. Although the nature of Provencal architecture creates for dimmer living spaces, this flat has plenty of lights and big windows.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, people with disabilities, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children.

We loved the location !

Guest: Pat & Louise (San Clemente, CA)
Date of Stay: 05/16/11 Review Submitted: 05/31/11

We loved the location. There was so much to see and do. Sophie was so welcoming and very helpful. She told us about the best markets to visit and the best restaurants to eat at. The bed was very comfortable and we had everything we needed. We had a wonderful time. Thank you Sophie, Pat & Louise

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with young children.

Apartment in Paradou

Guest: john (London)
Date of Stay: 04/16/11 Review Submitted: 05/11/11

We were a little late in arriving but having anticipated this possibility we exchanged mobile telephone numbers with the owner Sophie. Sophie's english is such that it was easy to fine tune our arrival and departure needs. As for the property clearly if you want a huge place with swimming pool and facilities to entertain al fresco this is not the place for you. However the owner does not claim such attributes for this gite and we found the brochure description fair. There are many more grand places in Provence but they come at a price. On the other hand if you are after a small modest and modestly priced base for 2 (plus 2 small children at a pinch) from which to easily access most of the key places to visit in this part of the world this gite is worth a try for a short break or weeks stay. There were copies of guides to the area in the gite but I expect most people reseach the internet and come prepared as we did. We had booked the opera at Avignon and Marseille both about an hours drive. The Wednedsay market at St Remy is always a joy and lunch after at La Cabro D'Or for 52 Euros including 2 glasses of wine is great value at a beatifully appointed fine dining restaurant. It is a short walk from the gite to Le Bistro du Paradou and the set dinner menu including a bottle of a good quality cote du rhone is super value at about 45 Euros (only choice of starter so not for the fussy eater). The ambiance is very nice with lots of locals and regulars. We also booked via "the fork" dinner at Du cotes des Olivades about a 5 minute drive in the direction of Mausanne and got a 20% discount. The food and service was very good quality but I think we would have found the evening a little expensive if not for the discount. It is a short drive (and a pleasant enough walk - 1.5 km - on a nice day) into Mausanne which has a selection of restaurants of which most have al fresco dining with a basic set daily lunch eg starter, steak frites and desert for under 20 Euros). It also has other shops but the grocery shop (same chain but smaller than the one in Mausanne), butcher and baker literally around the corner from the Gite provides all that anyone looking to prepare their own meal would need (though as noted above in my opinion this is not a gite to consider self catering on a grand scale).

Recommended for:Sightseeing.

Good Location

Guest: Barb & Rick (Alberta, Canada)
Date of Stay: 04/10/11 Review Submitted: 04/21/11

The apartment was in a very good location with good parking (accross the street) . We felt that Sophie could have had better information (written down and with a map) of where certain grocery stores and places of interest where located. We had to phone her when we arrived at the meeting place but the phone only took phone cards purchased in Europe- thank goodness that the neighbour was home to asssist us - she should have indicated that to us in her final email to us (especially coming from America where we can use Visa cards.) We also found the place to be dark - especially the bathroom. More lighting would definitely help. This apartment had a more rustic feel than the pictures show.

Owner response:I could nt imagine that people travelling to france without a cell phone didn't look on guides how to phone from france!!!!!! Please forget this review and see the others!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! all plans are in for a while, the shops are at the corner of the street, probably the renters made a confusion with another rental during their trip. Considering the darkness of the house , again I must explain mainly for US visitors: that is an ancient house and there are no large windows, the plain trees offer a pleasant shadow and this apartment is very pleasant to keep fresh in summer ...But means also a bit dark

Recommended for:Sightseeing, age 55+.

A beautiful village!!

Guest: Maz (Australia)
Date of Stay: 10/16/10 Review Submitted: 12/05/10

My husband and I stayed in La Paradou during the month of October. Sophie made us feel very welcome and assisted us with travel information. The cottage was beautiful, clean and very cosy. We were located very centrally to many wonderful sites and places to visit in Provence. We had a wonderful stay and would highly recommend it to visitors.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Provence Apartment

Guest: Karen (Metairie, LA USA)
Date of Stay: 06/07/10 Review Submitted: 07/09/10

Our family of 4 (2 adults, 2 teenagers) had a lovely stay at the apartment in Le Paradou. It is conveniently located around the corner from a small grocery and a short walk to a fantastic bakery and meat market. The apartment is a short drive to Maussane where we had a memorable dinner outdoors in the quaint square. The famous Provence towns are nearby....We visited Les Baux in the evening, St. Remy, Arles, Avignon, and the incredible market in Tarascon. The apartment is nicely furnished on the main floor of a historic building. There was some traffic during the day but this didn't bother us since we were mostly gone sightseeing. We hope to return soon and cycle to these lovely towns and visit the olive orchards and wineries!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Perfect apartment for our needs

Guest: Jason and Kelly (Philadelphia, PA USA)
Date of Stay: 06/21/10 Review Submitted: 07/01/10

This apartment was perfect for what we needed during our exploration of Provence. We took a different day trip everyday and the apartment was a convenient starting point. The village was peaceful and quiet during the evenings, with restaurants and bars the next village over. The village has a convenience store, boulangerie and charcuterie, and the closest supermarket was about 15 minutes away by car. Plenty of parking was provided a short way up the street by the apartment. The apartment was well equipped for cooking meals there, although we preferred to eat out to enjoy the local cuisine. Bed was comfortable, and bathroom updated with plenty of hot water. Fridge was a good size, with a small freezer in the top. Coffee maker, toaster, microwave, electric stove top and "oven" as part of the microwave, silverware and other culinary tools, plates/glasses, as well as tupperware provided. Hangers in a small closet and dresser were helpful in the room. Temperature wise it was very comfortable with no need for A/C since it is an old stone house that stays cool. May be a bit small for 2 couples, but cozy for a family of four (a pullout couch is available in the living room). Our only suggestion would be to have an iron w/ironing board since our clothes were wrinkly from our suitcases! Sophie was extremely kind and helpful, and was a great host. We would highly recommend the apartment for anyone considering it!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, families with young children.

A perfect base for exploring Provence

Guest: Kip and Charlie (Annandale, NJ, USA)
Date of Stay: 05/29/10 Review Submitted: 06/15/10

We recently returned from a wonderful week in Provence, thanks to the convenience and comfort of the apartment and the hospitality of its owner, Sophie Kayzak. The apartment is in the center of the village of Le Paradou, less than 2 minutes walk to a bakery, butcher and small grocery, which means fresh croissants or baguettes every morning for breakfast! Le Paradou is convenient to Les Baux (10 minutes), St. Remy (15 minutes), Arles (20 minutes) and Avignon (45 minutes). In addition, if you like to walk, the GR-6 wends its way through les Alpilles and the section near Les Baux has wonderful vistas. The apartment was clean, well equipped and very comfortable for two people. It might be a little small for 2 couples for a full week. Sophie was very accommodating, responding quickly to any requests we had, and gave us good suggestions for places to eat and things to see. In particular, ask for directions to the pizza place in Maussane. It's worth a visit just to meet Collette! We especially enjoyed the Antiquities Museum in Arles, Les Baux in the evening after most of the tourists had left, eating dinner at L'Aile ou la Cuisse in St. Remy and lunch in Eygalieres on market day. There is significant traffic through the village in the morning and late afternoon. This was not a problem for us, but could be if you are looking for silence. (Sophie has promised to put in double-glazed windows.) Also the apartment is somewhat dark in the daytime, but this probably will help keep it cool. We would enthusiastically recommend this property to anyone looking for a comfortable and convenient base from which to explore Provence.

Owner response:The apartment is a bit dark in summer, considering the shadow of the plain trees, this is a typicall village house and the ancient provence buildings had little windows ,effectivly to protect against the heat of the summer season, we also put curtains for the privacy of the house facing the street. This street has some traffic during the day and is in the center of the village ....but the shops are on foot distance.....So so the road will become a one way road in the next monthes, I expect this will be voted soon.And we also intend to change for double glassed windows. Thanks for Charlie's and every future guest comment and review,we enjoy reading you , and we are involved to make you enjoy your stay, and we consider your opinion , very important

Recommended for:Sightseeing, age 55+.