To be perfectly honest, I love Southern France..  This was my second trip here and the 3rd will be next May for a new photography exhibition in Arles.

Transfers from the airport to the center (or St. Charles Station) are extremely easy and inexpensive.  There is a bus that runs about every 15 – 20 minutes and costs 9 Euros..  There is also a shuttle to the train that is free but you must have a train ticket to board.  The biggest problem I encountered was that the ticket booth for the train did not take cash. Again, it needed a credit card with the microchip. Common in Europe…not so much from the USA.  

St. Charles – The main station in Marseille

Since Arles was my first stop on this leg of the journey, I needed a train ticket from the airport to Arles. I was told that you can buy a ticket from the attendant on the train as he comes to check tickets. This actually proved to be the case and I was able to purchase my ticket as the train pulled into Gare de Arles.. That’s right..I did not have a ticket TO Arles but I was able to buy one as I left the train IN Arles.. 

Gare de Arles – Train Station

Arles is a quiet little town on the Rhone in southern France. It has a long history and was very important in the days of the Roamn empire, as both a seat of government and a supply point for the Roman armies. The Arles Coliseium, second only to the Colisieum in Rome, is a major attraction.

Inside the Coliseum

Empty Morning Streets

I, personally, like it more for the quiet side streets and cafes.. the open markets on the weekends and the laid back artist commune atmosphere.

Avoiding the Crowds

Weekend Market

Since this trip was planned late and Arles is busy during the first week of July, I wound up staying across the river in the town of Forques. A nice little 20 minute walk along the river, past rice fields and cottages, and you will find yourself looking across the river to Arles.  The veiw of the left bank of the Rhone is especially dramatic in the evening as the sun sets and paints the town in red and gold.

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