Hello, all--My wife and I are taking a river cruise from Arles to Lyon in July. It includes a tour of Arles. We are going to arrive two days before the cruise begins and were wondering how best to spend that time and not duplicate the walking tour excursion of Arles offered by the cruise. Is there a tour company that would take us deeper into Provence or is there another town to visit by train (not along the river) that would give us a richer appreciation for the region? Thank you, as always! Paul
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6713 posts
My suggestions would be the Camargue, Lex Baux+St-Remy, or Nimes. There's bus service from Arles to Ste-Maries-de-la-Mer in the Camargue. Also buses from Arles to Les Baux and on to St-Remy. Trains run to Nimes. Each of these destinations would give you a different picture of Provence, and each is less than an hour away. Avignon is also convenient but your cruise will probably stop there.
Posted by
Denver, CO
796 posts
I enjoyed a day trip from Arles to Nimes last month. It's only a 20 minute train ride and you can visit the Amphitheatre, La Maison Carree, and the Jardins de la Fontaine. In Arles itself there are some nice museums as well. Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10621 posts
Although I like Nîmes, and have been many times, including two weeks ago, I'd head toward the Camargue on my one day. It's a unique place that goes beyond wild-life sight seeing which is what all the short guided visits tend to do.
Instead try to visit a Manade, which is a bull ranch. I looked to see if there were any ads in English for Manade tours, but found only French. So you could ask your hotel and the Tourism Office.
The culture in the Camargue is different from any other place in France. If you can get a tour to a Manade, there should be a short show on horseback by the ranch hands of how they handle the bulls, maybe a ride around the ranch, and if there's a meal, they'll probably serve Gardianne, a delicious red-wine sauce bull stew with wonderful Camargue rice. There should be music, too. Be ready to sing, or at least hum along and move your feet.
If you can't get a tour into the Camargue and to a ranch, you can still go to Chico's restaurant, one of the original Gipsy Kings. just outside Arles. There will be music, his family, and maybe even Chico. https://www.gipsybeach-restaurant-arles.fr/
Note: July is hot; air conditioning is not the same. The flamingos have finished mating and have flown elsewhere. Bring bug repellent. I wear linen from late June into much of September. We don't worry about wrinkles in the heat.
Posted by
OP
27 posts
What great suggestions--thank you all!