Arles France

judy, I would highly recommend This Hotel in Arles. It's very close to the ancient Amphitheatre (where parts of the movie Ronin were filmed) and in a nice part of town. The Hotel is very comfortable and the staff are wonderful! It's not close to the river, so a Taxi would be a good idea when hauling luggage. Happy travels!

Judy - Fair Oaks? You must be near my area. Arles happens to be one of our favorite cities in France. It is not classically pretty, but for some reason has what we consider some of the best food in the country and a very convenient train station that can take you to other Provence destinations easily. They "hide" views of the river with a levee, I suppose because of the danger of high water, but the nice river walk makes up for it. As for accommodations, we have stayed near the Forum, which is convenient for the restaurants, and near the train station, which is convenient for catching a train. Maybe somewhere between the two would work for you, or chose which option best suits you. So I would suggest picking a location in Arles first. I would not stay in the southern part of the main town, near the Boulevard. Less interesting and too far away from the train.

Thanks so much for the info. Do you think 4 days would be too long a stay? Can I easily use train to get to nearby towns? If you do not mind me asking for more info, do you have favorite excursions from there? Have you ever used tour group?
Yes, we must live nearby

Hi Judy, are you in Fair Oaks, CA? We have a group of people from the Sacramento area that meet every month on the 3rd Saturday. It is a lot of fun and we exchange a lot of good information. If you would like to know more you can private message (PM) me. Have fun on your trip!

Judy - Four days for the Provence area are just about right. There is much to see in the area, but some of it is not all that accessible by train. You could consider a train/car package so you don't miss out. Avignon is very close by. Orange can be reached by train. Chateauneuf-du-pape is close, and we loved our visit to L'isle-sur-la-Sorgue. A car is also the only way to see the Luberon. We never use a tour group; we just go on our own. With GPS now available, driving is not as problematic as it once was. Arles is centrally located for much of the area, and it has some things to see while there as well. Cafe Nuit, made famous by Van Gogh, for instance, is still there.

Thanks for response. I am looking forward to this trip.

Judy: My wife and I stayed at the Hotel Regence, which is near the river a short walk from the train station. It is very very close to the spot where the weekly markets are held, and about a 10 minute walk from the place du Forum. It is airconditioned, very clean, and the owners are friendly (though they speak little English). You might want to check it out http://www.hotel-regence.com/us/index.php You will have no problem getting to & from Avignon by train, but the Pont du Gard will be tougher. You might consider renting a car at the rail station just for a day and doing Les Baux, St Remy, and the Pont du Gard before returning to Arles for the night.

Thanks for great idea!! WOW I am getting great help.

We stopped by Hotel du Forum on a recommendation to see the bar. We liked the hotel and friendly staff and will stay there if we return to Arles. A car will make your visit to the area much more rewarding. You could take a day trip into the Camargue, a beautiful area on the Rhone delta unlike any other place in France where you can see Aigues Mortes, a wonderful walled medieval town. The perched villages of the Luberon are exquisitely beautiful, but you need a car to get there.

I also recommend renting a car for a day (at least). Many of the best sites, like the Pont du Gard, aren't accessible by train. It would also be a shame not to see a bit of the countryside, and at least one of the many charming small hilltowns in the region.

We loved the Hotel de la Muette. Wonderful rooms, location, and staff. After seeing the morning bfast, we signed up for it. At $60/nite the room was an excellent value. Read the reviews in Trip Advisor

We stayed at Hotel D'Arlatan in Arles. Very nice. Good location.

We stayed at l'Hotel Amphitheatre in 2003 and absolutely loved it. Well located, affordable (at least at the time), and great accommodations for our family of four. Without a car, 4 nights will likely be enough. We had a car, stayed 5 nights, and drove out of town on one or two days of our stay. Enjoy!

I second the recommendation for Hotel Calendal! The people are so friendly & helpful. It is beautiful there. I second the opinion that you should rent a car at least for 1 or 2 days. There is so much to see close to Arles.