Francofilly

Can anyone provide a recommendation for a gite centrally located in Provence? I have been searching through various web sites that I have seen mentioned in this forum, but would love a personal recommendation. It's tough to figure out from the small pictures which gites are the truly charming ones!

Cluny

There are so many variables to this that it's hard to reply--how many will be staying, do you want to be in the country or in a town or village, do you want to be by yourselves or do you crave company, do you want a pool, what creature comforts are important to you, how much do you want to pay? What constitutes charm for you? The place that is our favourite so far might seem terribly austere to someone else. And how flexible are you? In one house that we liked a lot, the guest book had complaints about the garden and loose knobs on the saucepans.

I use sites like Holiday Rentals or French Connections that have lots of pictures, and I do a cross-reference search when I see one I like. Since we like to sit and read in the evenings, a comfortable living room is important. We love to cook, so I eliminate any that don't have pictures of the kitchen, and since buying the morning baguette and visiting the butcher are part of our daily ritual, we have to be in a village big enough to have shops (even better a weekly market). But in a town or village parking becomes an issue (we've rented a few places that involved daily games of musical parking spaces).

Actually, for me, finding a place (or places) to rent is one of the pleasures of the trip--except when what seems to be the absolutely best place isn't available and I have to start searching again.

Francofilly

Thank you so much for your reply! You are right; there are many variables. First, the gite needs to be fairly small, as it is only my husband and I who will be staying in it. Second, we too like to cook, so the idea of a kitchen, at least minimally equipped, is important. We also want to be in a village with easy access to bread, produce, and coffee. No need for a pool for us. For us, charm might be a stone cottage, furnished simply. Or, it could be a nicely done apartment in a good loation. From my research, it appears that a good central area is near Rousillon, Apt, or Saignan. If you have a particular gite that you have stayed in that you would recommend based on these additional comments, we would love to hear about it. Oh, and the price? We are hoping to pay somewhere between $400-$700 for the week.

grandmere

My family and I stayed at a gite near Gordes that was part of the Gites de France program; wonderful place, but too large for your needs.
Someone (Betty1, maybe?) on here recommended www.coquelicot.com for rural houses of varying sizes. I thought the pictures and descriptions sounded great and would not hesitate to book one.

Perhaps you have stayed at a gite before and already know this, but we thought it was a great way to explore Provence. Nothing is that far away, and it's so nice to have a whole house to relax in after a day of sightseeing.

Cluny

The only times we've rented a place for just the two of us was in Nyons (which is a bit out of the way for you) and Languedoc. We always seem to need an extra room for friends/family. You might have a look at http://www.2poppies.com/. It's based in Uzes, which is actually in Gard, but only a half-hour from Avignon, and it is a magical place. We're renting a two-bedroom townhouse there from the owners, but I noticed that it was listed by Poppies and at the same price. That's unusual. Some agencies slap on a huge fee.

Francofilly

Thank you, Grandmere and Cluny, for your replies. I liked all the web sites you mentioned, and reserved a place from www.coquelicot.com mainly because I liked their locations and their pictures.

grandmere

Francofilly, please let us know how you like the coquelicot gite; they look and sound charming on the website.

Have fun; when do you go?

Bailey

Grandmere,
Thanks for the Coquelicot web-site address!! Just added it to my FAVORITES list!

jmw

me too! merci beaucoup!

Betty1

Hello, Francofilly! I have been away from my computer for a few days and have just now seen this thread. Grandmere is correct in thinking I was the one who originally (as far as I know) recommended the Coquelicot Agency. I am happy to see that you found something you liked with them. I do want to tell you, though, that some of their properties are a bit "spartan." For example, in one we rented, there was very little furniture in the bedrooms - no place to hang or store clothes. And there were only two burners on the stove. As in any rental, don't assume anything is there unless it's specifically stated. Ask questions about anything that you want that is not mentioned. On the other hand, if you don't require a lot of amenities, I don't think you can beat their prices. Would you mind telling me which of their properties you have reserved (location or code no.)? I feel a little responsible since I recommended the agency based on our experience in 2000. I probably don't know anything about the specific property but might be able to tell you something about where it is located.

Francofilly

Hello, Betty1! Thanks for asking. We are going to be at 340-JOU for a week this September.

The idea of staying in a converted chapel intruiged us!

We'll see how it all works out...

Betty1

Looks like a really neat place, Francofilly. I spent some time driving around the Luberon in August, 2002 and must have driven past if not through Joucas, but I can't say I remember anything about it if I did. It is very well situated, sort of between Gordes and Roussillon, which will be convenient. In case you haven't found much about it, here is a site with a little info and a couple of pictures. Looks and sounds very charming.

http://www.provencebeyond.com/villages/joucas.html

Please post when you return to tell how you liked the property and the location. Bon voyage!