Ales advice

Don't mean to sound snarky, but you would get more responses if you spelled the title correctly. Nobody knows where Ales is. Arles does have the appealing Roman ruins and many people do speak highly of it. But it's not high on my list of favorites in Provence. To me, Provence is villages. It would be a little like visiting Tuscany and only seeing Siena, which is hardly a knock on Siena, but... On the other hand, What the fiance wants, the fiance gets, right?

We did a day trip to the Pont du Gard and Les Beaux both of which were great. We stayed at the Hotel d'Amphithreatre, which was in Rick's book back in 2003 - great location. Parking is tough, have to buy a parking ticket with limited time during the day. I wish we had spent more time in the main square, it looked like a fun area but we barely made it there due to the day trips.

Arles is a place of interest for Van Gogh fan(atics); he lived there in 1888-1889. Unfortunately, the "Yellow House," where he lived and which he (famously) painted, was destroyed during WW2, but you can still see the building and railway overpass that are shown in that painting. Roman public buildings/places include the 1st century Amphitheatre/Arena, the (separate) Theatre Antique, and Les Alyscamps (the mausoleum).

Reading the title of your thread, I was all set to recommend some good Belgian ales...

Jonathan, First of all, congratulations! It's difficult to recommend something "really special" as your criteria may differ from mine. I stayed at This Hotel in Arles, and would most definitely recommend it! It's in a great location close to the Roman Amphitheatre (where the movie Ronin with Robert di Niro was partially filmed). Check the Hotel website for prices and to see if that's what you're looking for. I believe it's rated #2 on the Trip Advisor website. There are some good restaurants within a short walk from the Hotel. Happy travels!

Jonathan, IMO, Arles makes the best "home base" for that area. However there are lots of beautiful and interesting places to visit in that area. > Isle sur la Sorgue - a beautiful town with canals and water wheels, and does have some nice restaurants. However, it's a bit quieter in the evenings so may not be as interesting for some (depends on what you're looking for in a "vacation experience"). > Lex Baux de Provence - a great day trip! Some nice restaurants there also, and depending on what time and day you're there, you may be able to see one of the medieval Catapult demonstrations. > Pont du Gard - another nice day trip from Arles. > Nimes You may find it helpful to have a look at the France or Provence Guidebooks, as there's LOTS of information in there on the sights in that area. You'll also find good information on Hotels and restaurants, transportation, etc. You can easily download E-book versions if you have a Reader. Kindle Readers for PC or MAC are free - not sure about the other formats? Of course there will be a small charge for the books. Have a look at This List if you're interested. Again on the subject of Ronin, the local Guide that provided our walking tour of the city also worked with the movie producers during filming (as I recall, her name was Jacqueline, but I'd have to check my records). Cheers!

Ken, now I have to watch Ronan again, thats so cool. Has anyone visited the towns right around Arles?

Jonathan, Arles is the largest town/city in the area. There is a lot to see. But, I wouldn't say it is the most charming town in the area. Others that are pretty close are Isle-sur-le-Sorgue, Roussellon, and Gordes. If you stayed in any of these, it would be an easy drive to the others as well as Les Baux, St-Remy, and Pont du Gard. Having been into all of them except Gordes, I think I would choose Isle-sur-le-Sorgue as the prettiest village with what appear to be interesting places to stay and eat.

Sigh... I clicked on this hoping you were talking about beer.

Now dang it, Jonathan - I was ready to talk beer...REALLY ready. You really should edit the title of your thread; you're missing lots of info on Arles from people who know squat about ales ;-) I haven't had "great experiences" with Arles, but I have had great experiences with ales...

I see I am not the first to think the thread was about drinking...