The Arles France Travel Guide (Provence)
arles
Where is Arles and Is Arles Worth Visiting
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when is the Best time to visit arles
Spring, Summer, Autumn - Photography Festival
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how much time to see arles
1-3 Days in Arles
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Things to do in arles
The Best Things to Do and See in Arles
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day trips from arles
How to Visit Other Provencal Destinations from Arles
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where to eat in arles
Where we Ate in Arles
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Where to stay in arles
Our Arlitan Airbnb
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How to get to arles
Taking the train from Paris to Arles and renting a car in Arles
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bonjour
If this is your first time on The Weithouse - welcome! My name is Taylor and I’m the girl behind the screen and camera bringing you resources to help you plan the trip of your dreams.
In January of 2022, my husband and I left our home in Atlanta, packed our bags and moved to Paris! Every day we wake up in disbelief that we get to call this incredible city our home, a city full of rich history, world-renowned food, and beauty hidden around every corner.
In this Arles Travel Guide, we’re sharing all of the details from our 2024 travels to the Provencal city of Arles in the South of France. We spent four days (three nights) exploring Arles and the surrounding region, while I was 7 months pregnant, and we’ve prepared a little guide below based on our experience.
arles, France
After having visited the Provence region of France a handful of times and living for a few years in Paris, I kept hearing and seeing things about the town of Arles in the South of France. I knew that Arles was larger than my usual preference for small, charming Provencal villages, but everything I heard about the city was positive and I quickly added it to my Provencal destination wish list.
Where is Arles
Arles is a mid-sized city in the Provence region of the South of France. Within the Provence region, Arles is located in the Bouches-du-Rhône portion of Provence (the section that reaches down to the Mediterranean) and the city sits in between the Chaîne des Alpilles (a small range of mountains in Provence) and the Camargue (a natural marshland that reaches the sea).
is arles worth visiting
When planning a trip to Provence, it can be incredibly overwhelming to determine which destinations are worth visiting on your itinerary, especially since there are several hundred towns within the larger region. When we first visited Provence, we focused on the Luberon region (located East of Arles), and spent our days enjoying the small picturesque villages in that region.
In fact, even our second and third times in Provence we were located in or near the Luberon region, as we simply couldn’t seem to get enough.
But when planning our most recent March trip to Provence, we wanted to accommodate the types of travelers that would be with us, and had less care about staying in the natural beauty of Provence since we were still a bit off-season in mid-March.
I found this a good opportunity to finally stay in and explore the town of Arles, a city I’d been interesting in exploring regardless of the weather.
If you are planning your first trip to Provence, I would still recommend prioritizing the Luberon region first. It is still, in my opinion, the most beautiful region in Provence and shouldn’t be missed.
If, however, you’re planning a road trip through the region, or are looking for more of a central base to soak in more cultural activities or stay somwhere with a bit more excitement, then Arles is the perfect spot.
Arles is still worth visiting, eventually, even if it’s not first on your Provence travel wish list, as its a city brimming with a huge art scene (largely driven by Van Gogh), Roman landmarks, one of the largest Provencal markets in the region, endless cultural activities and local places to enjoy delicious French and Provencal cuisine.
when is the Best time to visit arles
Winter in Arles
The great thing about Arles is that since it has so much to offer, you can really visit any time of year and have an enjoyable experience. This makes it different than many other destinations in the region that close for the “off-season” in the winter months. That being said, if visiting Arles in the Winter, although you might still find the town a bit sleepy there are plenty of things to do and see if you’re visiting for a short stay.
We visited Arles in mid-March and found that everything was open, with little to no crowds. The weather during our visit ended up being sunny and pleasant, but you are likely to have more rain and cooler days if visiting during the winter season.
Spring, summer or fall in arles
Although we haven’t personally visited Arles in any of these seasons, we have visited the Provence region during these seasons and they would be the best time to visit Arles.
In the Spring, normally on Easter weekend, the Provence region kicks off its season (which runs from Spring to Fall), meaning more restaurants opens, more visitors flock to the towns and more of the regional produce and greenery is in bloom.
If you want to visit Arles without as many other fellow travelers and sans mosquitos, opt for a trip in Spring.
Summer in Arles will bring the most beautiful of Provencal weather (and the best produce) and is also when the city hosts their annual photography festival from July to September.
Fall in Arles will bring dwindling crowds, the changing colors of vines and cooler temps before the sleepy winter season begins.
how much time to see arles
How much time to spend in Arles depends on the type of trip you are planning. Arles can easily be visited as a stop on your Provencal travels, either as a half-day or full-day destination. Arles can also be used as a base for your explorations or as a singular destination to plan a trip around.
half or full day in arles
If you’re visiting Arles as a half or full day stop, head to the visitors center to grab your city pass (that gives you access to the various monuments and museums in the city) and plan out what things you will have time for during your exploring.
If you’re going to be based in Aix-en-Provence, you can visit Arles and a few of the surrounding villages on this GetYourGuide tour.
using arles as a base
If you’re using Arles as a home base, I would still recommend getting the city pass first, and then identifying what things you want to make time for in Arles and what areas you want to explore surrounding the city (this is what we were doing).
if you’re only visiting arles
And finally, if you’re visiting Arles as a single destination, you can easily see it in 24-hours, two days or over a long weekend. The reason this option is more desirable for some is that you can take a direct train from Paris to Arles, meaning you don’t necessarily need to rent a car in order to enjoy the city (whereas many other villages in Provence require renting a car).
The train from Paris to Arles is a roughly four-hour journey, meaning it’s not really a feasible option to do as a day trip from Paris.
Things to do in arles
A Provencal city full of history and culture, you won’t run out of things to do in Arles over your long weekend visit. The UNESCO World Heritage city set within the heart of the Provence region has everything to offer travelers from Roman artifacts to Van Gogh dedicated museums.
City Pass
Once you arrive in Arles, I’d recommend heading straight towards the Arles Tourist Center to buy a City Pass. The City Pass allows you access to many of the famous landmarks and museums in Arles for a small price. We purchased the Pass Monuments Avantage for 19 euros, which allowed access to 6 monuments and 4 museums. The great thing about the pass is that if you can’t get to everything in this trip, the pass is valid for 6 months!
You can find all of the passes available in Arles on the city’s tourism site.
Arles Amphitheater (Colosseum)
Did you know you could find a Roman colosseum in the South of France? You can actually find more than one, and one of the most famous and beautiful examples of one can be discovered in Arles.
The Arles Amphitheater was built in 90 AD, was inspired by the Colosseum in Rome that had just been completed and according to Provence-Alpes-Cotedazur.com is the largest Roman monument in France.
You can visit the Arles Amphitheater with your Arles City Pass, and I recommend starting off your exploration of the city with this historic landmark.
Other Roman monuments to visit in Arles, that you can access with your city pass:
Roman Theatre (right next to the Arles Ampitheatre)
Les Alyscamps (a Roman necropolis)
Arles Cryptoporticous
arles market
When in Provence, a street market visit is a must and Arles has one to write home about. The market is one of the largest in Provence and is considered the “longest” with stands stretching for over a mile.
We’ve been to many Provencal markets from our travels to the region and what stood out to me about the Arles market was the sheer number and variety of food vendors. The clothing and souvenirs available weren’t our favorite (when compared to the market we love in little Lourmarin), but we enjoyed walking through all of the amazing produce, meat, and cheese stands and purchasing some items to make a Provencal picnic with.
La roquette neighborhood
During your explorations of Arles, be sure to go off the beaten path to explore the adorable neighborhood of La Roquette. It’s a residential section of Arles (where our Airbnb was) and is made up of adorable streets with tons of character. It’s an easy area to explore after you’ve finished your morning at the market, or if you’re just wanting more peace and quiet.
day trips from arles
It’s likely that during your visit to Arles, you’re going to do some venturing out to see other parts of the region. Arles is a wonderful base for accessing many of the subregions or famous villages in Provence, which we’ve listed below.
The Luberon Region
Whether you start your trip to Arles from the Aix en Provence TGV train station (like we did), or plan a day trip during your stay, the Luberon region of Provence is a doable (and must, in my opinion) day trip from Arles.
Most of the famous Luberon villages, like the ochre-colored village of Roussillon, the hilltop village of Gordes or the antique capital of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, are roughly an hour’s driving distance from Arles.
We love the Luberon for its hilltop villages, abundant agriculture, stunning landscapes and South of France charm.
Les Baux-de-Provence
A first for us on this trip was a visit to the breathtaking village of Les Baux-de-Provence. I’m not sure I’d even heard of this village prior to planning this trip to Arles (not sure how), but once seeing it with my own eyes it landed itself as one of the most beautiful places to visit in the region!
Roughly a 30-minute drive from Arles, Les Baux-de-Provence is a village set on top and amongst the rocks in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of Provence. The village not only offers breathtaking views of the region below, but is full of an amazing history.
We especially loved visiting the Château des Baux-de-Provence, a once medieval fortress that is now found in ruins at the top of the village. Despite its ruin, you can walk to the peaks of the chateau and learn the history of the royalty and community that once occupied this amazing piece of France.
Camargue
Did you know you can see flamingos in France? It’s 100% true and they have claimed the Camargue region as their homebase. The Camargue is a nature reserve on the coast of France, just south of Arles. In the region, you can indeed find flamingos, as well as beautiful white horses known as Camargue horses, Camargue bulls, and a wide variety of birds, all living within a stunning marshland.
When visiting, many people take the opportunity to explore on horseback (which we opted out of due to my being 7 months pregnant). We simply drove through the region which is an under 20-minute drive from Arles by routing ourselves to the small coastal town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.
If you want to see nature up-close in the Camargue region, you can visit the Camargue Regional Nature Park. We also opted out of this due to timing and mosquito risk.
If you’re interested in learning more about the region, you can book a guided tour from Arles like this highly rated one from GetYourGuide.
Saint-Remy-de-Provence
Another easy day trip from Arles is a visit to the lovely Provencal town of Saint-Remy-de-Provence. Saint-Remy-de-Provence is roughly a 30-minute drive from Arles and sits within the Alpilles mountains. It’s most famous for being the backdrop to some of Vincent Van Gogh’s most famous works (such as Starry Night), when he was a patient at St. Paul’s Mausoleum. You can spend the day wandering through the village and its shops, and also take a quick tour through the Mausoleum.
Where to Eat in arles
Like any good French city, Arles has no shortage of delicious foods to try, regardless of your budget. Below is a short list of the restaurants in Arles we had time to try during our stay.
Mazette!: A cute coffee shop that also offers brunch options.
Peach: A cute bakery / coffee shop that we visited each morning of our trip for our coffee and pastry needs.
Saveurs et Terroirs: Located at the base of the Coliseum, quick and affordable sandwiches for after or before your tour.
Tonton Sam: We stopped in here our first evening in search of an easy dinner and had the most delicious (and cheap) burgers.
Le Criquet: A small, Provençal restaurant for nicer evenings.
La Galoubet: A charming, cozy restaurant (we sat next to the fireplace), perfect for trying different French infused dishes.
Market lunch: If you visit on market day, be sure to grab goods for a picnic lunch for your trip.
Where to stay in arles
When visiting Provence, we love to stay in or near a village or town to have access to the grocery stores and markets. During our trip to Arles, we opted to stay in Arles itself, as there was so much to see within Arles.
Anywhere in central Arles is going to be enjoyable and a central way to access the city. We personally stayed in an Airbnb in the more residential La Roquette neighborhood of Arles, which was absolutely charming.
Below is the Airbnb we booked in Arles, and here are a few other hotels in Arles we loved finding during our research:
where we stayed in arles
We booked the adorable Airbnb linked and photographed below for our three night stay in Arles. It’s located in the La Roquette neighborhood of Arles, which is a bit off of the beaten path, but still close enough to all of the action. We especially loved this area due to its charm and authenticity. The Airbnb sleeps 4 guests (with two bedrooms) and has one bathroom with a separate room for the toilet.
How to get to arles
how to take the train from paris to arles
From Paris there are a limited number of direct trains to Arles. The journey takes roughly four hours and leaves from the Paris Gare de Lyon station. Taking the direct train from Paris allows for Arles to be a rental car free trip if you don’t feel like taking the effort to rent a car.
If you’re planning on using Arles as a base for a larger Provencal trip, you can also take the train from Paris to either Aix en Provence or Avignon and then rent a car from one of those train stations.
For this trip, we took the train from Paris to Aix en Provence, picked up our rental car at the Aix en Provence TGV station, visited a few of the Luberon villages and then made our way to Arles.
The direct train from Paris to Aix en Provence takes three hours. Book your tickets from Paris to Aix en Provence.
Book your tickets from Paris to Avignon.
Flying to Arles
If visiting Arles is part of a larger South of France itinerary from somewhere other than Paris, you can access the city by flying into either of the airports listed below and then renting a car from there.
Marseille (MRS): Marseille Provence Airport is a short 1-hr drive to Arles. There is also a direct train from Marseilles to Arles that takes an hour.
Nice (NCE): Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is an over two-hour drive to Arles, however, if you’re planning to visit both the French Riviera and Provence during your travels, it is the perfect access point to the region.
Planning for Provence
If you are planning a larger trip through the Provencal region of France, you can find all of the details of how to spend your time in our Provence Travel Guide (Luberon) or check out any of our helpful guides below.
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Provence is a region of wild grasses, rolling hills of lavender, Neolithic and Roman villages perched on hilltops and stone building façades covered in jasmine and ivy. In this Provence travel guide, you’ll find all of the lodging, logistics, itinerary and budget tips needed to plan your trip to this stunning region in the South of France.