Sanary-sur-Mer (postcode = 83110) is a station balnéaire (seaside resort) located 56 kms east of Marseille, 10 kms west of Toulon, in the VAR department in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region of France (see a 9 October 2005 New York Times article). Rapid trains with connections in Marseille leave from Terminal 2, Level 2, Charles de Gaulle airport, Paris. [There is a inter-terminal train at the airport]. The trip to Sanary from CDG takes about half a day. Budget air service between Marseille and London (and other European cities) is provided by EasyJet and Ryan Air.
The major airport serving Sanary is Marseille-Provence (MRS). An airport express shuttle or navette runs every 20 minutes between the Marseille airport and train station. Its airport ticket office is located near the bus stop which is between the two major air terminals; the office at the rail station is in the long distance bus terminal. Toulon has a less frequently used airport, from which there is connecting bus service to the Toulon train station (Shuttles leave immediately after the arrivals of planes).
The train station closest to me is Ollioules-Sanary sur Mer; the local train (tortillard) from Marseilles, direction Toulon, takes about 40 minutes. There are about a dozen each day. Directions for walking from Ollioules/Sanary station: upon exiting the station, left for 100 meters, then at the T-junction, left onto the sidewalk of the major road (D11). Walk for 3 kms, around the round-about direction Centre Ville--Le Port. Take a right on the street bordering (in front of) the Grand Hotel des Bains, then a right at the Casino onto Bd. de L'Avenir, down to #13 (see map). Google Earth the flat: Lat: 43º6'57.62"N, Lon:5º48'8.65"E.
The town's information center, near the esplanade, provides maps and calendars of events. There are loads of restaurants .
My 2-bedroom, 75 sq m flat is located (see map detail) in the old town. Being in an old building, which was renovated and converted into four units in 1989, the flat has a few idiosyncrasies, with which visitors should acquaint themselves. Thus long stay visitors and exchanges should click on the "flat" link above as well as here for more detail, with some dos and don'ts.
If you arrive by car, click here for directions. Smartcars might be rented for 9.99 euros/day at Marseille airport through sixti. If you do drive, please note that a major source of city revenue is parking fines. It pays to read the street signs to determine if a spot is "payant." If so, find a dispensing machine, buy a ticket and display on the dashboard by the steering wheel. Some of the parking lots are free, especially off-season.
Internet access - Now closed there was once an internet cafe on rue Aine Layzet near Place de la Tour. You can buy a library card, which entitles you to a year's use of the computers in the public library, which is called the Mediatheque, located 10 minutes by foot, west of the flat. The Mediatheque provides Wi-Fi, free; some cafes also provide it.
My cell phone: (0)6 68 96 39 79
phone notes: (1) From outside France, dial 00 (for international calls) 33 (for France) 6 68 96 39 79; within France the '0' before '6' is required. (2) If my phone is not answered after several rings, voice-mail automatically kicks in. Leave a message after the announcement by a French operator. (3) If you fail to get through and receive an automated message that the number is not valid, this is NOT TRUE. Rather, there is a bad interface between the system (phonecard, cell phone, international link, etc.) that you are using and my service provider. In this case you must take another approach--try another type of phone card or cell phone. As a last restort use a live operator. (4) This is a cell phone which can receive SMS [text messages]. (5) If I am not in Europe, the cell phone is completely switched off and messages will not be picked up until I return. My Shenzhen number is 86 755 2570-1259. There is no voice mail.
2002: Peter/Betsy Agelasto; Madeleine/Michel Paulin, Philippe & Catherine Agelasto
2003:Peter & Betsy Agelasto; Li Haoxiong & Kerstin Bechtold
2004: Brigitte & Jean Pierre Daniel (SERVAS); Marcello & Angela Balbo; June--Parker Agelasto; Julia Dell'Armi & Sandra Fendrich (SERVAS);Françoise Buttier, Hassan & Madani Akhmim (SERVAS); Mr. Kulture, Mr. England & Mr. Mechanic (a/k/a Konrad Reinhold, Norman M; Martin Rosenbaum); Rod Morris & Denise Gudger (SERVAS); Jeff & Alexander Henderson; Michèle Langlade (SERVAS) & Marie-Claire Delemotte; Bernard & Michel Veuthey.
2005: the Lillards (Catherine, Elizabeth, Christy & Willis); Otakar Cervenka (SERVAS); Louise & Robert Friedman; Monique Prat (SERVAS); Fany Barba Gonzales & Liliana Ormono (SERVAS); Agnes & Klara Petrovics, Peter A. Rosztoczy, Miklos Kalman (SERVAS); Laura Unruh & Katie Wagner (SERVAS); Pierre & Hélene Gautier; Rod Morris & Denise Gudger (SERVAS); Kevin Haley.
2006: Peter & Betsy Agelasto; Giuliana Pellizzari (SERVAS); Li Yongmei & Yang Tao; Kataryna Winska & Marta Grundwald (SERVAS); Isabelle Arrondeau & Pascal Bidaud (SERVAS); Edith & Bernard Sigg (SERVAS).
2007: George Agelastos; Ugo Larcher & Giuliana Pellizzari (SERVAS); Marie-France Prin, Etienne Marx, Daïl, Félippe, Karen (SERVAS); Sålonger family: Jonny, Kristina, Gustav, Agnes & Hanna (SERVAS); Jeff Henderson; Turner/Pretzlav family: Janis P., David T., Scarlat/Madeleine T., Jill, Julia T, Veronica T, Alex Seeger; Jenny & David Anderson.
2008: Ivan & Nadine Wilson (SERVAS); Liedner family: Erik, Anna, Tora & Rabbe (SERVAS); Michael Sullivan (SERVAS); Hahn family: Hans-J Hahle, David & Ada (SERVAS); Michel, Martin & Vincent Lagleize (SERVAS).
2009: Henrik, Jens Ries and Kerstin Bechtold; Kerri & Liza Epps; Tony & Marisol Duff, Matthew & Gaby Duff; Stéphane, Emma & Nikos Theophanides; Dolores Tobin, Victoria Short, Daniel Weller, Susan Davis, Emelia Davis & Ronnie Davis; Siobhan McGinnis & Sarah Bull; Michel & Hélene Bracco (SERVAS).
2010: Kasia Catkowska, Roeland de Niet & Philip.
2011: Thibaut & Julie Begne; Philip and Bénédicte Morris; Roo & Zoe Hooshyar; Teresa Carosin/Goddard and Elizabeth Sinha; Mariantonia Navarro Babiloni & Gianfranco Peretti; Jeff Henderson & Ho Shuet Ying; Peter & Betsy Agelasto; Madeleine/Michel Paulin.
Michael arrives in Europe on 25 Apr 2012. He will be away from Sanary 29 May - 15 June (Greece); 5-19 July (London); 26 July - 11 September (USA); and returns to Shenzhen in October. The flat is occupied on a non-simultaneous exchange 2-20 August.
