Arles, Provence in the south of France
We are taking you to the beautiful city of Arles, in Provence in the south of France. Arles is most famous for its Roman amphitheater, still intact, and its connections with Van Gogh, who spent one of his final years here painting 200 canvases. Its real appeal, however, is found in the lovely pedestrian promenades, the historic landmarks, museums and tranquil plazas, all of which make Arles one of the most charming places in Europe.
Click to Subscribe
There's a lot of these narrow streets in Arles, there is a small pedestrian zone, there's the various squares and the cafés around it, of course, and historic sites. And we will be showing you those highlights coming up right now as we take a walk through Arles.
The old town of Arles is comfortably small. It's about a square mile. So it's very easy to see the whole thing on foot. You might consider spending a couple of days here.
Or you could visit as a daytrip for example from Avignon which is just 20 miles away and only takes 20 minutes by train to get here. In this program we will show you how you can do everything in one day but certainly if you want to spend more time you decide for yourself. To help you plan your visit we will also present more detailed suggestions about how you could spend a night or two here and still find lots to do.
This is part of a series we’re presenting showing how Avignon makes a very good home base for visiting out to other destinations like Pont du Gard, and St Remy and Nimes along with Aix and Marseille, and especially Arles, the wonderful city of van Gogh and the ancient Romans, with narrow pedestrian lanes weaving throughout the center
The main attractions are the arena, the pedestrian zone and a historic museum. We will show you a good walking route on the map. Of course you can walk anywhere you want, it’s small enough, but this route will take you right through the center and then back to the train station, a route just over 2 miles, or about 3 kilometers, you can do in several hours. But you should also see the history museum while you're here, with its fine collection from the ancient Roman days, an easy detour. So let's assume you're coming in from Avignon on a day trip and you want to see everything.
France: Provence & the French Riviera
In this travel class, Steve Smith describes Provence, with its romantic hill towns, dynamic cities, and Roman ruins; and the French Riviera, with bustling Nice, world-class modern art, fine beaches, scenic drives, and glitzy Monaco. Visit for more European travel information.
Avignon, France - pedestrian zone
Continuing our visit to Provence, France. We're going to take you on an extended walk through the pedestrian zone and narrow streets on the east side of downtown Avignon, in the south of France, an area filled with shops, people and historic buildings. The only way to see this part of town is by walking. Old town is a charming neighborhood of shopping lanes and narrow residential streets with little back alleys, perfect for strolling.
Some of these routes are exclusively for pedestrians, no cars allowed, especially in the shopping center just southeast of the Place de l’Horloge. It's like one big shopping mall. And this historic center can easily be seen on foot in one day, for it is a compact zone about 1/2 mile wide and about 1/2 mile long.
Click to Subscribe
Mediterranean Cruise Ports
Rick Steves European Travel Talk | In this travel class, Rick Steves guidebook co-author Cameron Hewitt shares a port-by-port rundown of the top Mediterranean cruise destinations, covering tips and strategies for making the most of your limited time on land for Barcelona, the French Riviera, Florence, Rome, Venice, Dubrovnik, Athens, the Greek Isles, and Istanbul. Download the PDF handout for this class:
Subscribe at for more new travel talks!
(Disclaimer: Any special promotions mentioned are no longer valid.)