Appartement de Charme 2 à 6 Pers Avec Jardin à Fontvieille au Coeur des Alpill

Our family of four stayed at Villa des Oliviers in Fontvieille for two weeks and used it as a base for exploring Provence. The apartment had everything that we needed - a modern and well-equipped kitchen and bathroom, two bedrooms with comfortable beds and plenty of storage, and the air conditioning was most welcome as the temperature outside ranged from 30 to 35 degrees. The apartment is in a very quiet location with good security (remote-controlled electric gates) and yet within walking distance (half a mile) of the village centre where there are boulangeries, supermarkets, two local produce markets a week as well as cafes and many good restaurants. Fontvieille is far less touristy/busy than many nearby towns (e.g. St Remy) and this suited us fine - we got the impression that the events they put on were for the benefit of the locals rather than for tourists. The owners were very kind to us and keen to ensure that all went smoothly (it makes things easier if you can speak French, though - a good chance to brush up my O-Level knowledge...). There are many worthwhile day trips or half-day trips that can be made, rarely over an hour's drive away from Fontvieille. We explored Arles, Pont du Gard aqueduct (early is better), Uzes, the Camargue (we saw horses and flamingos from a distance), Aigues-Mortes, St Remy (van Gogh walk, St Paul de Mausole), Les Baux (the castle and Carrieres de Lumieres - get there early to avoid the crowds), the Luberon (Apt, Oppedette, Roussillon), Seguret, Vaison-la-Romaine, Tarascon castle, Beaucaire, Camp des Milles Memorial (educational deportation camp), Aix-en-Provence (Cezanne's studio). It was very hot during the day (late July/early August), but we found many open-air public swimming pools for 10 Euros or less for a family of four. Our local favourite was at St Remy, although we found one with an Olympic pool and a spiral water slide at Carpentras (much cheaper and far less busy than the big water parks you'll see advertised). All in all, we recommend this property for any family looking for a secluded, well-equipped self-catering apartment in Provence within easy reach of the main sights.