Les Jardins d'Ulysse

We read mixed reviews about this place on tripadvisor about this place but thought, well, its the south coast of France, how bad can it be? If you get unit 109 it can be bad. And we werent on the ground floor like one reviewer did, so there must be more than one bad unit in this small complex. Think dirty,dreary, drab, old and barely furnished. Thankfully we had a car and time and we moved on to better places. I would feel bad for anyone stuck there. We understand from the manager that the unit also is exchanged through a resort exchange system. Those people must really feel ripped off. I am reviewing this because we really felt scammed.

Antibes has been recommended by our favorite travel author, Rick Steves, as the best French Rivera / Cote d'Azur city. There is less tourist impact. It has several beaches, one adjoining the main and wonderfully compact downtown. There are the Picasso museum, open markets, historic buildings / forts / stone walls, beaches, marina, bakeries, cafés, French and English bookstores, and a full array of shops (tourist and local). A typical day in Antibes for us might include a pastry on the way to the beach, a little sun and sand, a niçoise salad for lunch, then shopping the wonderful markets, an afternoon treat, and preparing a relaxing dinner back in our "home" in France.

The resort is better described as a fully equipped apartment building with pool and spaceous grounds (only 16 or so units). Studios are relatively generous, one and two bedroom units are quite large (especially by French standards), comfortable living rooms, complete kitchens (no spices) all with large terraces, some with sweeping views of the Mediterranean coastline up to Nice. The manager speaks exceptional English (as well as several other languages - but please try your French), is wonderfully helpful, and is available by cell phone most hours. There is no staffed front desk. An upscale spa is next door that offers a bar, café, some internet access, and a restaurant with sweeping views of the Mediterranean.

The local bus is 3 blocks, main buses are about 2/3 mile away. Main line busses travel up and down the coast (Nice (including the airport), Cannes, +) as well as the wonderful not to miss hill towns (Grasse - perfumes, Biot - glassblowing, and our favorites Vence & Saint Paul …). The local bus goes to several places in Antibes including the main bus transfer (other cities) and the main train station. There are high speed trains (Paris etc.) and the local ones. It is an easy day trip to ride a train up through Nice and around to Ventimiglia, Italy (nice market). There are numerous tunnels and beautiful ocean views along this route. We love the trains and busses and always take a Eurail Select Pass Saver with us (purchased in the US). For most people a car is recommended. This is especially true for those who don’t want to learn the array of public transportation options. A car gives you tremendous freedom to explore all the charming hill towns but with the challenge of new driving “customs”.

This is an amazing part of the world, rich in culture and sights to see - enjoy.