Arles France is a small picturesque town in the Provence region in the South of France along the Rhône River. This town brings Roman history to the land of the French but also was Vincent Van Gogh's artistry inspiration. If you are planning to explore France outside of Paris, add Arles to your list! Keep reading to learn everything you need to know before you go to Arles France!
Travel to Arles France
If you are flying into France to cities such as Paris or Nice, the best way to get to Arles is by train. The train will take you right into the city. The train station in Arles France is about 5-10 minutes away walking from the "Downtown" area. Taking the train will save you time and money and it is more environmentally friendly. You may book train tickets with SNCF.
Where to Stay in Arles
Fortunately for me, Arles France is where I started my river cruise with AmaWaterways and therefore, I didn't need to worry about stay accommodations. But if you do want to stay the night in Arles instead of continuing onward, check out this list of hotel recommendations from TripAdvisor (not sponsored).
**Please be sure to do your own research on any hotel in Arles. This list is just a start and not a recommendation by me.
Things You Must Do in Arles France
If you enjoy religious architecture, especially those protected by UNESCO, you will want to check out Le Cloître Saint-Trophime. Le Cloître Saint-Trophime is known for its sculpted columns and capitals depicting the Old and New Testaments. It is a great place to take photos and learn some history of Arles France. And what is great is that you can buy a pass to visit museums and monuments while in Arles. I bought my pass same day and in person at Le Cloître Saint-Trophime or can look at ticketing online with Arles Tourism.
The next place you need to visit with your Arles pass is Le Théâtre Antique. Le Théâtre Antique is a 1st-century Roman theatre, built during the reign of Caesar Augustus. This is also listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Right around the corner from Le Théâtre Antique is L'Amphithéâtre. It is like a miniature Colosseum as you would find in Rome Italy. L'Amphithéâtre is yet another structure in Arles on the UNESCO World Heritage List and it was built around 80-90 AD. This is another fun place to take photos (if you are a photographer). You can visit L'Amphithéâtre on the Arles tourism pass as well.
If you are into art, you will want to go check out Le Musée Réattu. This museum houses paintings from Arles born artist Jacques Réattu. But you will also find an exhibit with work from Picasso. You can visit Le Musée Réattu on the Arles tourism pass.
Lastly, if you are into the work of Vincent Van Gogh, you must follow his footsteps in Arles. You may follow the pedestrian path of Van Gogh to see where he lived, where he was inspired and where he needed medical treatment all while in Arles. Learn more about the pedestrian path and the Van Gogh foundation in Arles here.
Where to Eat in Arles France
As I started my river cruise in Arles, I wasn't able to eat much in Arles but I did stop at this one place for lunch before checking into my cruise:
Brasserie Pizzeria le France is near the train station and near the boat dock. Great service and pretty tasty food! See additional details on Google.
See Inside Arles France
If you would like a visual of Arles France, check out this video from my travel to Arles.