Email: ot-arles@visitprovence.com
Mairie
Tel: 0490 49 36 36; Fax: 0490 49 36 79
Dates
Every Wed, Sat - Market day, Bvd des Lices
Every March - Carnaval - Bvd des Lices
Every Apr - La Feria Pascale: Corridas and events (Easter weekend)
Every May - Jazz in Arles, week of Jazz au Méjean; 21h
Every May - La Fête des Gardians; Election de la Reine d'Arles
Every June - Les Fetes d'Arles (June-July) - June 23, feux de la Saint Jean (fireworks)
1st half July - Les Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie - Evenings at the Theatre Antique (photos, dances, etc)
Every Sep - Bulls - Feria des Prémices du Riz (corridas, animations tauromachiques);
Corso (parade); Fêtes des Prémices du Riz (Rice festival)
Every Winter - International Salon des Santonniers (Dec-Jan)
Transportation Arles
Air
• The Arles-Camargue airport is only 20 km from the center, close to Nîmes.
• For the Marseille airport: Arles-Marseille train (1 hr); Marseille railway station and airport shuttle bus (20 min).
Bus
Arles, Nîmes Bus
Frequent service is available for the links Arles - Camargue Airport, and Carmargue Airport - Nîmes.
Arles, Tarascon, Avignon Bus
There are about 8 buses a day between Arles (gare SNCF), Tarascon (gare SNCF), Avignon (TGV station) and Avignon town (bus station - gare routière). The trip is 1 hour from Arles to Avignon.
Rail
• The TGV station at Nîmes (30 km) has direct trains to Paris.
• There is train service between the Arles railway station and the Marseille St Charles railway station; journey time: under an hour.
• Arles-Avignon train: travel time 1 hr.
Sports
Camping
Golf
Maeva latitudes Camargue
Location:
Quart Fourchon Mas de Véran
Tel: 0490 184 949
Hiking
Arles is surrounded by river, marshlands and the Camargue, and offers none of the typical Beyond hiking trails. Visiting the sites in and around Arles, including the many fine Roman locations, will give you hours of exercise. The "Camargue" map includes the area around Arles.
The GR 653 (Grande Randonnée) trail runs west from St Gilles, 16 km west of Arles. The Alpilles mountains, with the GR 6 trail is only 20 km northeast, and the Luberon mountains are about 50 km east-northeast of Arles.
Walking Tours
Three different self-guided walking tours are available for discovering Arles. Colored icons and arrows on the sidewalks direct you through the town: yellow for Van Gogh; green for Medieval; blue for Antique Arles.
Dining
We don't visit Arles every year, and don't get a chance to dine there often enough, so our tips for dining aren't kept up-to-date. This should, however, give you an idea of the choices available in this lovely old town.
L'Affenage
Location:
4 rue Molière
Closed: wed evening; sun (except during féria); 21 dec-3 jan; august
Tel: 0490 960 767; Fax: 04 90 96 56 13
Very popular with the "Arlésiennes". Menus vary with the market; self-serve buffet.
La Bistro Arlésien
An authentic bistro-café with a terrace on the Place Forum. We had a good lunch here on the last day of the millennium
La Bohème
Nice looking place with vaulted dining room; "Specialités de Provence"
Le Galoubet
hotel restaurant
L'Instand d'Aprés
Lovely decor, good service, food fair.
Lou Marquès
Location:
Bd des Lices
Closed: 12 nov-22 dec
Tel: 0490 934 320; Fax: 04 90 93 33 74
Also a hotel, with rooms around 150 € and suites.
Brasserie Nord Pinus
Location:
Place du forum
Closed: tue evening; wed off-season; february
Tel: 0490 930 232; Fax: 04 90 93 44 44
Provencal cuisine; great reputation (hotel restaurant)
La Paillotte
Cuisine de Tradition
Menus include Aioli Provencal and La Marmite du Pecheur
Poisson Banane
Location:
6 rue du Forum
Tel: 0490 960 258
Excellent quality-price. Interesting decor.
Les Saveurs Provencales
Location:
65 rue Amédée-Pichot
Closed: sun evening off-season; mon
Tel: 0490 961 332; Fax: 04 90 96 54 35
Near the Place Voltaire, by the Arena. Fairly small, about a dozen tables; excellent cuisine and service. We had an outstanding New Year's Eve and Millennium's Eve dinner here 31 Dec 1999.
Lodging - Hotels
Photo gallery of 6 photos for Arles
Arles was one of the richest urban centers in France during the Gallo-Roman period. In 102 BC, Marius started construction of the Fossae Marianae, a shipping canal paralleling the Grand Rhône from Arelate to the sea. In 46 BC, Roman legion veterans were settled here, in a large territory taken from the Salyen tribe and from Massalia. At this time, Arelate became Colonia sextanorum, and later Arles. Caesar used local shipyards for building warships to fight against Massalia in 49 BC. The port brought prosperity to Arles during the reign of Augustus, and by the time of Constantine (306-337) it was the second capital of the Empire. Ausonius called it "the little Rome of Gaul".
