I know I'm thinking way too early because I don't know where I'm traveling to next year. But I met a lady from the Camargue region who does expos for tour groups not individuals. Our conversation peeked my interest in the area. I wonder if anyone has visited the Camargue. One of my travel options for next year depending who wants to travel with me or if I go solo is the RS Loire Valley tour which ends in Nice. It appears that Saintes Marie de la Mar is about a four hour train trip plus taxi, too long for a day trip. Is it worth it or not? My original plan if I go on that tour is to train it from Nice to Venice for several days, then fly home from Venice. The Camargue is the opposite direction which means backtracking.
As always, thanks for answering my many questions.
Kathy
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
784 posts
I have been to the Camargue twice, both times as a day trip and we had a car. I found it to be very interesting, especially the boat trip we took up the Rhone. IMO, without a car, you would need to do an
organized tour. If I were you, I would stick with the Venice plan and save the Camargue for another time.
Posted by
Granite Bay, CA
95 posts
I biked through the Camargue in June. Very pretty and unspoiled, but do put on LOTS of mosquito repellent.
Posted by
Washington DC
28082 posts
I didn't go to the Camargue, but I spent a night in Aigues-Mortes, an atmospheric walled town--but hyper-touristy. I agree that tackling that area on another trip might be better.
Posted by
OP
Phoenix🌵
3076 posts
Thank you all for your feedback. Mosquitos love me so I really hate them.
Posted by
Paris
7303 posts
Camargue is great, but not great enough to warrant the schlep from Nice. Especially without a car.
It is best visited during a trip to Provence.
Posted by
Portland, Maine
2916 posts
I'll agree with those who say to skip it on this trip. My wife and I did a day trip to the Camargue with a car. I found it moderately interesting, but not a place that I have a great desire to go back to.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14741 posts
I visited the Camargue in October on a Road Scholar trip. I thought it was interesting for the day trip we did from Arles but not more than that. I'm a birder and wanted to see Flamingoes and I did. We started in Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer in the morning, did a quick walk, saw the church there, had some free time and I walked out to the beach instead of poking in the many tourist shops in the city center. We stopped at the Parc Ornithologique de Pont de Gau for a couple of hours to view the birds and then had lunch at a ranch where they raise the Camargue bulls (their bull fights do not involve killing the bull at the end), white horses and rice. We were to have a tour of the ranch afterwards but it was literally bucketing rain. We had a short demo by one of the Camargue cowboys who used a long pole to herd the bulls but it was coming down so heavily we could barely see him which was disappointing.
Do a day trip if you visit Arles at some time in the future. I know this tour stays in Arles but you'll probably want to see the Pont du Gard on the full day you've got there. You "could" consider striking out on your own and doing the Camargue that day but I'd probably opt for the Pont du Gard.
I'd go with your original plan for Venice after the tour.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
We went there years ago, taking the bus from Arles. Rented bikes and rode along the sea for a bit; visited the chapel.
My take: One of Provence's interesting B-list sights. A decent day-trip from Arles; not from much further away.