Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
if you need transportation, he can help arrange it (€35-70/person for half-day to full-day
tours, prices subject to minimum tour fees, see website for details, mobile 06 75 10 10 01,
www.wine-uncovered.com , olivier.hickman@wine-uncovered.com ) .
Tours du Rhône
American Doug Graves, who owns a small wine domaine in the Côtes du Rhône, shares his
passion for his adopted region, its people, and its wines on his guided tours of Châteauneuf-
du-Pape, the villages of the Côtes du Rhône, and the Luberon Valley (€100/person, 4-person
max, mobile 06 37 16 04 56, www.toursdurhone.com , doug@masdelalionne.com ) .
Visit Provence
This company runs day tours from Avignon and Arles. Tours from Avignon run year-round
and include a great variety of destinations; tours from Arles run April through September
only and are more limited (check their website for current destinations). While these tours
provide introductory commentary to what you'll see, there is no guiding at the actual sights.
They use eight-seat, air-conditioned minivans (about €60-80/half-day, €100-120/day; they'll
pick you up at your hotel in Avignon or at the main TI in Arles). Ask about their cheaper
big-bus excursions, or consider hiring a van and driver for your private use (plan on €220/
half-day, €490/day, tel. 04 90 14 70 00, www.provence-reservation.com ).
Arles
By helping Julius Caesar defeat Marseille, Arles (pronounced “arl”) earned the imperial nod
andwasmadeanimportantportcity.WiththefirstbridgeovertheRhôneRiver,Arleswasa
keystopontheRomanroadfromItalytoSpain,theViaDomitia(amodelofthisbridgeisat
the Ancient History Museum). After reigning as the seat of an important archbishop and as
a trading center for centuries, the city became a sleepy backwater of little importance in the
1700s. Vincent van Gogh settled here in the late 1800s, but left only a chunk of his ear (now
long gone). American bombers destroyed much of Arles in World War II as the townsfolk
hid out in its underground Roman galleries. But today Arles thrives again, with its evocative
Roman ruins, an eclectic assortment of museums, made-for-ice-cream pedestrian zones, and
squares that play hide-and-seek with visitors.
The city's unpolished streets and squares are not to everyone's taste. This workaday city
has not sold out to tourism, so you won't see dolled-up lanes and perfectly preserved build-
ings. But to me, that's part of its charm.
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