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Voykit pocket guide · France
Arles
Give Arles 2 nights: one full day for the Roman sites and the arena, one for the Camargue or the Alpilles. Skip it as a day trip from Avignon if you want the market.
Arles is a small Provençal city on the Rhône with a Roman amphitheatre, a Roman theatre and a UNESCO-listed old town that fits in a walk of under 20 minutes. Van Gogh painted here but no Van Gogh hangs here. Two nights covers the monuments, the Saturday market and one nature day south into the Camargue; one night is enough if you only want the Roman core.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and crowds), and the mistral in winter
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–95 excl. bed · Mid €95–160 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a café | €1.50–3 |
| Sandwich or fougasse from the market | €4–8 |
| Lunch menu (plat du jour) | €14–22 |
| Dinner, mid-range restaurant | €25–45 |
| Glass of local wine or pastis | €4–8 |
| Museum or monument entry | €5–9 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MRS · Marseille Provence
- About 1 h by car or shuttle-train link to Arles; check current connections
- NCE · Nice Côte d'Azur
- About 3 h by car; train via Marseille, check timetables
- AVN · Avignon
- Small airport, seasonal routes; about 45 min by car
Typical fares
- Train Arles → Avignon
- about 20–25 min
- Train Arles → Marseille
- about 50 min–1 h
- Bike rental, full day
- about €10–13
Get around
The historic centre is walkable end to end in about 20 minutes; you do not need a car inside Arles. Bicycles are the practical way to reach Alyscamps, Montmajour and the Camargue edge; rentals sit in front of the station. Local buses and taxis cover the rest, and Zou! regional buses link the Bouches-du-Rhône towns.
See and do
Known for
- Roman amphitheatre (Arènes)
- Roman theatre and cryptoporticos
- UNESCO World Heritage old town
- Van Gogh's Arles years
- Saturday market and Camargue gateway
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Camargue and Réserve des Marais du Vigueirat | Car or bike south from Arles; about 20–30 km to the delta edgeCar or bike south from Arles; about 12–19 mi to the delta edge | Half to full day |
| Abbaye de Montmajour | Bike or car, a few km northeast of Arles | About 2–3 h round trip |
| Saint-Rémy-de-Provence | Bus or car, about 25 km eastBus or car, about 16 mi east | Half day |
| Avignon | Train from Gare d'Arles, about 20–25 min | About 1 h |
| Aix-en-Provence | Train or bus, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Marseille | Train from Gare d'Arles, about 50 min–1 h | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Inside the old town (La Roquette, Hauts de Arles)
- Walk to every Roman site and the market; book early for festival weeks.
- Around Boulevard des Lices and the tourist office
- Central, flat, close to cafés and the arena; easiest for a short stay.
- Near the train station (Avenue Paulin Talabot)
- Cheapest and best for early departures; 10–15 min walk to the centre.
- Camargue edge and Mas de Veran area
- Car needed; good for families and nature days, mosquitoes in summer.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day | Bonjourbon-zhoor |
| Thank you | Mercimair-see |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-byen |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-syon seel voo pleh |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-yay par kart |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twa-let |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- Summer heat: plan monuments before 11:00 and after 17:00; the arena has almost no shade.
- Mosquitoes around the Rhône, the marshes and campsites from June to September.
- The mistral can drop temperatures and close outdoor terraces; bring a windproof layer.
- Some restaurants close one or two days a week and in January; check the door before you plan around them.
- Zou! buses may not take cards: carry cash for the driver.
Arles is a safe small city; the real risks are summer heat, mosquitoes near the marshes, bicycles in the old lanes and pickpockets around the market and the arena on event days.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Arles yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Roman amphitheatre (Arènes)
- Roman theatre and cryptoporticos
- UNESCO World Heritage old town
- Van Gogh's Arles years
- Saturday market and Camargue gateway
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Arles tourist office: www.arlestourisme.com/
- Zou! regional buses (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur): zou.maregionsud.fr/
- Wikivoyage: Arles, revision 5336265 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5336265
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Arles
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Arles; the US consulate-general is in Marseille, and most other countries keep embassies in Paris (check addresses).
Tourist office: Boulevard des Lices; hours vary by season, check before you go.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/arles). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.