Stone Built Apartment , Charming and Real Les Baux De Provence

• Charming - An Authentic Village Experience

  Charming - An Authentic Village Experience

  • Guest caninden
  • Date of stay 10/06/12
  • Review Submitted 10/17/12
  We stayed one week in this very comfortable apartment in the little village of Paradou. Everything was very convenient - a mini grocery store, bakery and boucherie right down the street with more shopping choices in larger nearby villages. The bedroom is a good size, very comfortable mattress and double glazed windows. It was very quiet and we never heard street traffic. Parking was easy with the large lot in the park across the street. The living room was pleasant with a nice sofa to relax on at the end of a long day of touring. The kitchen was just the right size for making breakfasts and light dinners or preparing a picnic basket. All the utensils and dishes were in good shape. The bathroom was in good shape, nice hot shower and there was a drying rack available if you needed to wash anything out. The location was excellent. Very short drive to all the villages in the Alpilles - we daytripped to Arles, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, St-Remy de Provence, Les Baux, Mont Ventoux. Sophie was a great host and was able to come over quite early on the morning of our checkout so we could drive back to Avignon to catch our train. This was an excellent choice for a budget-conscious traveler.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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• Paradou Getaway

  Paradou Getaway

  • Guest David & Di
  • Date of stay 08/20/12
  • Review Submitted 09/28/12
  Our stay in Paradou was an experience we thoroughly enjoyed. Paradou was an excellent base from which to explore Provence as we anticipated it would be. All the major towns were within an easy drive. The accomodation was very clean and comfortable in the early French style, met all our needs and was accurately represented on the web site.The owner, Sophie, was friendly and helpful. We researched the area at length before we decided on Paradou and could not have been more pleased with our stay and choice of location. We would recommend this property to anyone seeking to embrace Provence. David & Di , Sydney Australia.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, sightseeing.

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• Carol

  Carol

  • Guest Carol
  • Date of stay 04/04/12
  • Review Submitted 04/14/12
  We enjoyed the apartment and it had plenty of space for two people. It was well furnished but could use a garlic press. The lighting in the bedroom and bathroom is pretty poor for shaving or makeup but there is a very good lamp in the livingroom so bring a hand mirror and use that. It is located in a small village but not far from many interesting sights. Most days we were gone all day "exploring" and enjoyed cooking most of our dinners in the apartment. There is a little grocery around the corner with the "basics" but the large grocery about 10 km south has much more variety and better prices. We enjoyed the little local bakery. The Thursday market in Mausanne next door to the village was fun. We stocked up there on cheese, olives, veggies, bread etc. One long day we went to Roussillon and some of the hill towns near it. It was a beautiful ride and the towns fun and interesting. I left a booklet in the apartment detailing some of that area with several different day trips. We loved exploring the castle ruins at Les Baux just 3 km north. Be sure to get there before 10:00 a.m. or it will be mobbed with tourists. Whatever you do, don't miss the "Carrieres de Lumieres" video and music production in the limestone cave just down the road from Les Baux. When you buy your ticket to the castle, ask for the combined ticket and it will include the "Carrieres de Lumieres" show. It was one of the most amazing productions we'd ever seen. If there is a school group going in at the time, wait until they come out or it could ruin your experience. Their little excited voices really echo and carry in there. We didn't especially care for Cassis. Perhaps because it was a Saturday and mobbed with people. It took most of a day for that trip. Take a walk around the village. You'll be surprised how many new housing developments there are tucked here and there. They blend so well with the old architecture that you really don't notice them when driving. Sophie is very personable, speaks good English and readily available for questions if you have any. It's a beautiful area and the perfect Provence experience. Carol

  Recommended for: Age 55+, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

• Cozy Apartment, Great Location

  Cozy Apartment, Great Location

  • Guest Elizabeth
  • 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.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

• Like Visiting a Relative Who Lives in a Really Great Place

  Like Visiting a Relative Who Lives in a Really Great Place

  • Guest Eileen65
  • 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: Girls getaway, age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• A fabulous stay!

  A fabulous stay!

  • Guest Courtney F.
  • 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: Age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, people with disabilities.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• We loved the location !

  We loved the location !

  • Guest Pat & Louise
  • 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: Adventure seekers, sightseeing, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Apartment in Paradou

  Apartment in Paradou

  • Guest john
  • 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.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Good Location

  Good Location

  • Guest Barb & Rick
  • 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.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, sightseeing.

  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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• A beautiful village!!

  A beautiful village!!

  • Guest Maz
  • 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: Age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing, families with teenagers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

High Season:   Jul-Aug ........€480/week or 100 euros/night short stay
Middle season, may, June , September,      €400/week or 100 /night for short stay
Low Season ................ .. €300/week OR €100/night for short stay
ARRIVAL DATE AND DEPARTURE  flexible all year round 
PAYPAL only for bookings from off europe , europe: bank transfer

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