This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.
8/10 Good
John S., Malvern, PA
Aug 18, 2017
Very convenient location; comfortable lodging, difficult to find
This upstairs apartment was quite adequate for the needs of the 2 of us and the proprietress was very friendly and helpful. Despite being close to the airport, it was very quiet - something we had worried needlessly about. Additional advantages: there is a sandy beach a mere 10 minutes north on Avenue de la Plage (close to the airport), as is a Base Nautique where you can rent windsurfers, paddleboards, etc. Marignane is centrally located so that we had short drives (~1 hour) to Arles, Avignon, Mirepoix, Cassis, etc. The Calanques at Cassis are a must; we worried about parking in Cassis, but that proved no problem even in mid-July. The proprietress keeps chickens, so hearing the cocks crow at 5 am added to the rustic charm of the place.
Contrary to the HomeAway description, the proprietress Antonia speaks little English and did not respond to our communications that weren't in French; Google Translate is your friend for this purpose. Finding the place was very difficult for various reasons. The house is on Rue de Beugons, but there are 6-8 of these "rues" with the same name in the neighborhood and Google Maps places her house (#103, she wrote) in the middle of an adjacent field. Worse, the number "103" corresponds to a different house than hers. Her "Rue de Beugons" is what we would call an alley, not a road, and dead-ends at a house with gate (our GPS thought the alley went through and tried to take us in from the south end, which you cannot do). Her Rue de Beugons is the first alley after passing the fields as you head west toward the Etang. On that alley, hers is the last house on the left before the gate and has no identifying number. Incidentally, bringing a GPS with maps for France is almost indispensable, especially finding your way through the maze of neighborhoods of Marignane.
The two air conditioning units were much appreciated in the heat of July. The patio was very pleasant in the cooler evening time. Contrary to a prior review, toilet paper was provided. The WiFi was pretty good, unlike many places. Thus, we can recommend Antonia's property, albeit with a few reservations.
John S.
Stayed 9 nights in Jul 2017
