We loved your apartment
We have stayed in four different apartments in Plan de la Tour over the past 10 years – and yours is by far the best.
The view is of course fantastic and there were all the mod cons we could hope for. As well as new TV, good wifi, dishwasher and washing machine – it was the small touches that were great too – not having to buy dishwasher tabs or washing powder, enough toilet roll, plump pillows, towels for the pool and fans in every room. Sandra was also there to open the gate for us as we arrived! It is clear you have been doing this a long time.
But in the interests of some useful feedback there are two v minor things: firstly it took us a while to find the tennis racquets (we did not read your instructions for a day or two) so maybe you could leave them in a wardrobe (like the pétanque set) or in the balcony storage rather than above the bathroom accessed via a ladder; and we would have appreciated a slightly later checkout time than 10 – maybe 11. Getting sleepy teenagers moving can be a challenge! However neither are significant. Thanks so much for having us as guests. We are definitely keen to return in the next couple of years.
Best wishes – Bella – August 2019
The apartment was brilliant…
…nicely furnished, very clean and very well equipped. Location brilliant too with fantastic views across the town and up into the hills. Also with the short walk into the village with all we needed in terms of shops and boulangerie. It was great not having to rely on the car.
Sandra was wonderful and provided us with a walk book and local maps that kept us going.
Weather was good through to the weekend and then variable over the last couple of days. Very heavy thundery showers on the last day but by then we were heading back up to Nice.
John and Shelley – October 2018
Wir haben den Aufenthalt rundum genossen und werden wiederkommen
Die Ferienwohnung liegt absolut ruhig am oberen Ende der Domaine. Kein Verkehr da nur Zugangsstrasse. Nahe den 2015 renovierten Schwimmbecken und Tennisplatz. Trotzdem kein Lärm von dort. Parkplatz direkt vor der Haustür. Weg zu Fuß ins Dorf (Bäcker, Supermarkt, Restaurants) etwa sieben Minuten. Nächster schöner Strand „la Nartelle“ etwa 15 min mit dem Auto. Weitere verschiedenartige und teilweise sehr schöne Strände in etwa 30 min zu erreichen. An allen Stränden war Anfang September (keine französischen Schulferien mehr) problemlos ein Parkplatz zu finden.
Die Wohnung ist sehr gut ausgestattet. Sehr schöne geräumige Terrasse mit Blick über das Dorf in die Hügel (kein Meerblick). Markise, großer Schirm, Liegen, schöner Tisch und Stühle (keine Plastikmöbel). Hochwertig neu renoviertes Bad. Betten ebenfalls hochwertig, eher feste Matratzen. Moskitonetze in den Schlafzimmerfenstern.
Keine Klimaanlage, aber mehrere Standventilatoren. Die brauchten wir allerdings Anfang September nicht mehr und Mücken waren auch keine da.
Geräumiges Wohnzimmer mit amerikanischer Küche. Die Küche ist mit allem ausgestattet. Eigene Waschmaschine.
Nett sind die vielen Extras (Strandsonnenschirme, Strandstühle, Kühlboxen, CD und DVD Sammlung, Tennisschläger).
Le Plan de la Tour ist ein hübscher, relativ untouristischer provencalischer Ort mit intaktem Dorfleben. Man hat Zeit und grüßt sich. Mehrere gute Restaurants. Wenig nichtfranzösische Touristen. Riesenunterschied zum 15 min entfernten Saint Maxime.
Wir haben den Aufenthalt rundum genossen und werden wiederkommen..
Joachim – October 2018
Thank you…
… for letting us stay in your delightful apartment – we had a brilliant week, re-visiting some old places and discovering some new, in lovely sunny weather.
The apartment was exceptionally clean and well equipped, (often we stay in these places and start by buying things, usually a salad spinner and Kitchen roll holder – but they were already there!) It was helpful having all the bedding and towels supplied, even for the beach. We enjoyed sitting on the balcony for most of our meals, admiring the views, and swam in the pool on 5 days. It was nice being able to walk into the village nearby, especially for breakfast croissants, and we found people on the domaine were very friendly. We had some great lunches out; in Gassin, Frejus and St Tropez. All in all we had a lovely break.
Hilary & Don – October 2018
Perfect!
From the moment we arrived the place was enchanting! The first thing to hit you is the view from the balcony – the sienna and ochre roofs and buildings of the domaine with the quintessentially French shutters on every window, and the village with its church steeple stretching into the beautiful greenery of the mountains and the expanse of the sky beyond that, are simply stunning. It was a view of which we never tired, especially as it can change so dramatically depending on the time of day or the weather… from brilliant blue skies, to fabulously starry nights, to moody heavy clouds with spectacular lightening or double rainbows – never a dull moment! Pair this with some fresh produce from the extremely well-stocked village shops, the market on a Thursday or the impressive boulangerie belonging to Claudette and Phillippe, and breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or dinner becomes a 5* dining experience. Thanks to the extraordinarily complete kitchen (more plentiful in tableware, crockery and gadgets than mine at home,) we were able to buy items such as fresh courgette flowers, and create a deliciously light tempura, fill them with local goat’s cheese and thyme, drizzle them with honey from a nearby hive and enjoy a dining experience that one may not usually associate with a self-catering holiday. (Taking daughter whose culinary expertise is far more adventurous than my own was definitely a good move…) Having said that, there is no shortage of places to eat out a short walk away in the village. Le 19 was a particular favourite of ours – possibly a little pricy but heck! We’re on holiday! For something a little more family oriented or reasonable, there are more restaurants to choose from than you would be able to visit if you ate out for every meal in a week – and I was torn between wanting to eat my daughter’s culinary delights with the view, or sampling the fabulous food in the village… First World problems eh?
The apartment itself is absolutely perfect for up to 4 people. As mentioned the kitchen provides everything one could possibly wish for, including dishwasher and washing machine, coffee maker and the ubiquitous baguette drawer. Picnics are easy as there is a range of cool boxes and sealable bowls to take out for the day. There is a plethora of plates, glasses, serving dishes and cookware for any occasion. The dining area is convenient should you want to eat or play cards inside for some reason, and the living room is cosy and comfortable with an open fire should you be there in winter. A pile of DVDs are great for a night in and there is something there to suit everyone’s tastes. The sideboard is full of some great books to read (I thoroughly recommend ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’) and there are also some great table games for all the family (although we never got beyond an extraordinarily competitive game of cards that lasted the whole week.) In the outside trunk we were delighted to find inflatable pool stuff and snorkels and masks which came in very useful on our trips to the beach a short 10 minute drive away in Sainte Maxime. The bedrooms are cool in the evening and restfully decorated and having the ensuite loo and basin was very useful. Fans are provided in each bedroom and the living room should you suffer the same heat that we experienced all week (we were there at the end of July,) and one great tip is to leave the terrace doors and the front door open to create a cooling through-draught (remember to tie the French doors back though!). The balcony has a huge umbrella and an awning which was an absolute relief to lie under on the sunbeds when it was simply too hot to move! The swimming pool is but a few short steps away which is great for an early morning swim, a quick cool off or a more lengthy sunbathe and there is also a tennis court should you desire something a little more strenuous. The great thing about both these facilities is that there seems to be only a handful of properties in the domaine that have access to them so they are never crowded – but you do have to remember to take the key with you. At the bottom of the domaine there is a pétanque court under some shady trees, and it is a delight to join some of the locals in the evening for a quick game (boules set provided in the apartment.) Even just to sit and watch others play as the evening cools and the cicadas start their evening chorus is such a different pace of life that it feels idyllic.
A little further afield there is also plenty to keep you occupied. We spent a morning exploring the shops in Sainte Maxime – nice, but definitely catering for tourists – and took the ferry from there over to Saint Tropez (a far better option than sitting for hours in the inevitable traffic that builds up on the coast road round the bay.) Once in Sainte Maxime we discovered we could go Scuba Diving (I can totally recommend H2O who looked after us brilliantly and provided all the gear as the only things we had with us were our PADI cards) and also found that despite not having a boat license, we could hire a small RIB for the day from Espace Bleu, and chug around the Bay of St. Tropez mooring up at beaches, stopping for lunch at Les Graniers (book in advance or you’ll be lucky to get a table and be prepared to spend a pretty penny, but totally worth it,) or negotiating the back waters of Port Grimauld. Granted we were absolutely bottom of the food chain when it came to nautical vessels, but we had such fun it didn’t matter! If you prefer keeping your feet dry, there is a stables just outside Le Plan de la Tour where you can go for a tour on horseback to experience the local countryside, or simply stick to two legs and go for a walk. There are so many fascinating properties off the beaten track, we ended up wanting to buy a place! Actually we ended up wanting to buy the apartment which has the best views in the village, but unfortunately it wasn’t for sale!
Watch out for events in the village, some of which are weekly, some of which you will find are one-offs. While we were there, there was the weekly market from 8am to 1pm on a Thursday, the Sunday lunch get together at the Cave des Vins with live music, incredible seafood, and plenty of booze, a free concert in the local church one evening with two talented young cellists, and an exhibition of local artists in the town hall, which the villagers were extremely pleased to welcome us in to. Keep your eyes peeled for posters around the village, as there is bound to be something going on which is worth a visit.
All in all, a most delightful holiday! A real unexpected little gem of an apartment in a village that makes you feel as if you are on the set of ‘Chocolat’ (without the misery) and a week spent relaxing and ‘getting away from it all’ in an idyllic setting.
Rachel – July 2018
Your apartment or house is an ideal place to spend holidays at the Cote d’Azur. It is not too far from the coast but guarantees also silence and quietness.
In the apartment itself everything was there and nothing was missing.
When spending our holidays in Europe, we prefer not to stay in hotels and so we have also made our experiences with apartments in Italy, France, Austria, Switzerland and GB. Your apartment is by far the best equipped one we have ever met and we can therefore highly recommend it.
We have spent two wonderful weeks and like to thank you very much for your confidence.
Marcel and Katharina – July 2018
Unexpectedly wonderful
Score 5/5
What a delightful apartment, light, airy, fresh and clean. Sitting on the balcony after a day out is extremely relaxing, exactly what you want on a holiday. There are plenty of sights to explore and Sainte Maxime and St Tropez are a short journey away. The swimming pool and tennis court just a few steps away make waking up a delight. Going to be recommending it to my friends.
Greg – Tonbridge – July 17
A perfect holiday residence