Short trips from Arles: Are there special train tickets

Warren,

You would take TER trains which are Regional trains for such short distances.
TER tickets are very inexpensive & you can purchase them the day of travel or a day (or two) before your planned day trip.

You can check train schedules here: http://www.sncf.com/en/passengers

There are also buses that can get you to some cities, towns, or villages, that may or may not have train access.

If you post a list of places you'll want to visit, I may be able to help you, as I'm also planning a trip to Provence for May/June.

Edit: You may want to look at this website; "The most beautiful villages in France": http://www.les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org/en

There's nothing like those German all-day regional tickets. You'll buy tickets specific to each destination and direction.

Just a warning - the machines that sell the short distance tickets (say, Arles to Avignon) take coins or chip and pin cards only. The machines that sell longer distance tickets (and also will sell short distance tickets) take chip and pin cards only, no cash. No machines take paper money. So, unless you have a C&P card or enough coins, you'll have to wait in line at the window - allow enough time for this. But I was very glad I waited in the line for at last one of my trips, as the ticket seller showed me a bus-train combo that got me in earlier than the all-train route I was planning to take.

The line at Arles was never too long, but the one hour line for tickets at Marseille (late at night, no less), was memorable.

thanks for information

On TER trains, you get a 25% discount if you are 60 or older, or 25 and under for off-peak travel times.