Dave123
10+ Posts
Villa La Ponote, Bandol
Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
This review was written shortly after our stay in 2015, and has been uploaded in March 2020 (with added headings).
Arising from concerns over added charges for renters by the rental platforms, the property owner has recently developed a web site to allow prospective renters to book directly.
www.villalaponote.com
www.facebook.com/Villa-La-Ponote-112390610276749/
A VERY PLEASANT HOLIDAY [4 stars]
My wife and I stayed at Villa la Ponote for 2 weeks in June 2015, and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. We stayed at Cassis a few years ago, and regret having not visited Bandol sooner !
* APARTMENT - The apartment was well-equipped and the main bed was comfortable. The retractable awning on the terrace was useful to protect us from the morning sun whilst taking breakfast. By suitably adjusting the windows/shutters, we found that the rooms could be adequately ventilated. There was little motorised traffic which used the adjacent road.
* LOCATION - Villa la Ponote is well-placed for access to services on foot: less than 10 minutes to the Bandol railway station, and only a few minutes to the supermarkets (8 à Huit on Rue des Écoles, and Casino on Rue de la République). There are nearby bread shops and the nearest newsagent is on Allée Jean Moulin. A good daily food market can be found nearby to the church square (St. François de Sales). The bus stop, 'Embarcadère', is close by, near to the Tourist Office on Allée Alfred Vivien.
* RESTAURANTS - There was a good choice of restaurants, and those that we enjoyed were:
- L'atelier du Gout (Rue Pons)
- La Brise (Boulevard Victor Hugo)
- Les Gourmands Disent (Rue de la Paroisse)
- Il Principe (Rue des Tonneliers; for pizzas)
- Hotel Delos (Île de Bendor; with a delightful view of the bay from the outdoor dining terrace; the 12 Euro ferry charge was waived to restaurant customers)
- La P'tite Cour in Sanary-sur-Mer (Rue Barthélemy de Don)
The Bandol rosé wine was generally too dry for our palate, but the Bandol vin rouge was enjoyable, e.g., Domaine du Gros'Noré.
* TRANSPORT/ACTIVITIES - We did not hire a car, but used public transport: by bus to La Seyne-sur-Mer (visiting the Napoleonic fort off Avenue Général Carmille) and Sanary-sur-Mer, and by rail to Cassis and Marseille. We cycled to the nearby Zoo & Jardin Exotique, Sanary/Bandol (good) and to Sanary-sur-Mer (picturesque). Regarding airport transfers: we were initially tempted to try the rail service between Marseille airport and Bandol, but finally decided on pre-booking a local taxi service, with the assistance of the local agent, which worked really well (just over an hour).
* OVERALL - We would be happy to stay here again and likewise to recommend the apartment to friends.
Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
This review was written shortly after our stay in 2015, and has been uploaded in March 2020 (with added headings).
Arising from concerns over added charges for renters by the rental platforms, the property owner has recently developed a web site to allow prospective renters to book directly.
www.villalaponote.com
www.facebook.com/Villa-La-Ponote-112390610276749/
A VERY PLEASANT HOLIDAY [4 stars]
My wife and I stayed at Villa la Ponote for 2 weeks in June 2015, and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. We stayed at Cassis a few years ago, and regret having not visited Bandol sooner !
* APARTMENT - The apartment was well-equipped and the main bed was comfortable. The retractable awning on the terrace was useful to protect us from the morning sun whilst taking breakfast. By suitably adjusting the windows/shutters, we found that the rooms could be adequately ventilated. There was little motorised traffic which used the adjacent road.
* LOCATION - Villa la Ponote is well-placed for access to services on foot: less than 10 minutes to the Bandol railway station, and only a few minutes to the supermarkets (8 à Huit on Rue des Écoles, and Casino on Rue de la République). There are nearby bread shops and the nearest newsagent is on Allée Jean Moulin. A good daily food market can be found nearby to the church square (St. François de Sales). The bus stop, 'Embarcadère', is close by, near to the Tourist Office on Allée Alfred Vivien.
* RESTAURANTS - There was a good choice of restaurants, and those that we enjoyed were:
- L'atelier du Gout (Rue Pons)
- La Brise (Boulevard Victor Hugo)
- Les Gourmands Disent (Rue de la Paroisse)
- Il Principe (Rue des Tonneliers; for pizzas)
- Hotel Delos (Île de Bendor; with a delightful view of the bay from the outdoor dining terrace; the 12 Euro ferry charge was waived to restaurant customers)
- La P'tite Cour in Sanary-sur-Mer (Rue Barthélemy de Don)
The Bandol rosé wine was generally too dry for our palate, but the Bandol vin rouge was enjoyable, e.g., Domaine du Gros'Noré.
* TRANSPORT/ACTIVITIES - We did not hire a car, but used public transport: by bus to La Seyne-sur-Mer (visiting the Napoleonic fort off Avenue Général Carmille) and Sanary-sur-Mer, and by rail to Cassis and Marseille. We cycled to the nearby Zoo & Jardin Exotique, Sanary/Bandol (good) and to Sanary-sur-Mer (picturesque). Regarding airport transfers: we were initially tempted to try the rail service between Marseille airport and Bandol, but finally decided on pre-booking a local taxi service, with the assistance of the local agent, which worked really well (just over an hour).
* OVERALL - We would be happy to stay here again and likewise to recommend the apartment to friends.