Free afternoon in Arles

Good luck finding transportation. These two sites are extremely worthwhile to visit. Perhaps one or both of these sites may offer the information you want.

Maybe you’ll get direct information to your question on this Forum, but would the Rick Steves office be able yo give you transportation suggestions? Whether an actual taxi or maybe a private driving service, if one exists, I can imagine needing a single driver for the entire afternoon, who would wait while you visited each location. A price arranged ahead of tone would be better than a taxi with the clock running the whole time.

For the St. Paul Monastery Hospital, I was staying in Saint-Remy just down the road, so was able to walk there from our rented gite. In addition to the interior, with the room decorated as if Van Gogh was there, be sure to stroll the garden out back, where he also strolled for inspiration and to aid his recovery.

You might want to wait to make your plans because the show at the Carrières des Lumière for next May hasn't been posted. They just finished a show about Tintin, and unless you were a Tintin aficionado as a child, it could leave you wanting. I was going to take a grandchild in July, but it's a show about Pharaohs, and I had already taken her to a sound and light show on the subject a the National Geographic in DC.

With a private driver for the afternoon you could do both.

Or you might consider only doing one or the other and pairing with something else close by.

For example the St Paul monastery is next door to the city of Glanum Roman historical site. Or there is about a one mile walk from the monastery into the town of St Remy signposted with plaques of Van Gogh paintings noting the same views today.

Or the lumieres are just below the hilltown and castle of Les Baux. The castle ruins are great. On certain days they also offer demonstrations of things like catapult and cross bow. The little town is a bit touristy but easy to get off the main road and enjoy the church, art museum https://www.yvesbrayer.com/en/musee-des-baux-de-provence/le-musee/.

Enjoy the planning!

I would check with the RS office because when we did this tour last year, we did the Carrieres des. Lumieres show as a group activity.

Thanks, everyone, for your insights. They are very helpful. I appreciate them.

Reiko