Hotel Bonaparte is situated opposite a square on a busy road. The reception when you walk in is very small and first impressions aren't great. We had a room on the second floor which faced the back of the hotel over the rooftops, not a pretty view though. The room itself was very small with little room for manouvre. It had a flatscreen TV and remote but no English speaking channels. The bathroom was nice enough and modern although the shower wasn't that big. 2 coat hangers were provided in the wardrobe but there was a good bit of shelf space available. We went in early October and the weather was really good, 3 days of none stop sunshine and temps in the 80's so the room did get hot, there is no AC but a standard fan was provided and get the room cool.
Breakfast was continental style, plenty of different, bread and croissants, jams, yoghurts, fruit and different juices, I have to say the breakfast table was well stocked and looked impressive. There are only 2 tables in the dining room though, so by good luck rather than judgement we never had to wait. There is no lift in the hotel and the staircase is winding and its a bit uneven having become worn over the years. It may be difficult for older people above the 1st floor.
The staff were friendly and helpful and I managed to get myself understood with my very limited French. On checkout we were charged a tax of approx 1 euro per room per night, so keep a few euros on checkout.
On arrival we got a bus from the airport to Toulon for approx 2 euros, they don't run often but was timed just right for our flight. Coming back the flight was early and we could'nt get a bus to coincide so had to pay 55 euros for a taxi. The airport is in Hyeres which is a nice beach resort approx 18 kms from Toulon, so a better idea would have been to get the bus back to Hyeres and spend the last night there, thus avoiding a 55 euro charge. People we met did exactly this and walked to the airport from the hotel, approx. a 10 minute walk.
Toulon is a good place to stay for a few nights and the daily foodmarket (except Monday) is a joy to behold it stretches along a number of streets and the produce is very good value with every fruit, veg spice and herb you can think of being on sale.
The restaurants along the harbour provide decent food and although there are plenty of eating options in the old town, most of the action was around the port. Food prices are similar to England but more seafood options are available and mussels are very popular as they are farmed in the bay of Toulon. Alcoholic drinks are expensive, beer is a approx 5 to six euros for 500 ml, even coffee and soft drinks can be expensive. We had carafes of house wine with the meal which worked out cheap at 5 or 6 euros for 500ml, it was ok as well. If you just want to sit down and have a drink somewher check it's ok because alot of the cafes, etc expect you to buy food as well.
Things to do:
Get the number 40 bus from the harbour to the cable car station (telepherique) and got to the top of mount Fallon (buy your tickets from the the tourist information office, the ticket gets you the bus, cable car and ferry ride for approx 6 euros, great value). Its hairy but well worth it for the views over the bay. Ferries from the harbour (near restaurants will take you over to the other side of the bay were there are nice little harbours and beaches. approx 2 euros each way on a bus will take you to San Tropez, we didn't do it because it takes approx 2 hours each way
Safety
No problems encountered, just take the normal cautious tourist precautions, dont show your cash around etc.
- Bonaparte Hotel Toulon
