PROVENCE - France 2014 - page 950

2.5-3.75hours,mostwithtransferinNîmesorNarbonne,directtrainsmayrequirereserva-
tions), Beaune (10/day, 4.5-5 hours, 9 with transfer in Lyon and Nîmes or Avignon), Nice
(11/day, 3.75-4.5 hours, most require transfer in Marseille), Barcelona (2/day, 6 hours,
transfer in Montpellier), Italy (3/day, transfer in Marseille and Nice; from Arles, it's 4.5-5
hours to Ventimiglia on the border, 8 hours to Milan, 9.5 hours to Cinque Terre, 11-12
hours to Florence, and 13 hours to Venice or Rome).
By Bus
The bus station is at 16-24 Boulevard Georges Clemenceau (2 blocks below main TI, next
to Café le Wilson). Cartreize buses to St-Rémy, Les Baux, and the Camargue depart from
the train station and from the downtown bus station. The downtown station is labeled
on schedules as Rue Georges Clemenceau (see timetables at www.cg13.fr/cartreize/
lignes.php ) . Bus info: Tel. [phone].
From Arles Train Station to Avignon TGV Station: The direct SNCF bus is easier
than the train and leaves only from Arles' train station (8/day, 1 hour, €7, included with
railpass). You can also take the train from Arles to Avignon's Centre-Ville Station, then
catch the navette (shuttle bus) to the TGV station (2-block walk, see here .
From Arles by Bus to: Nîmes (bus #C30, 6/day, 1 hour, €1.50), Aix-en-Provence
(fasterthantrains,5/dayMon-Sat,2/daySun,1.5hours), St-Rémy-de-Provence (bus#54,
3/day Mon-Sat, none on Sun, 50 minutes; bus #59 also goes to St-Rémy via Les Baux
in summer—see below), Fontvieille (6/day, 10 minutes), Camargue/Stes-Maries-de-la-
Mer (bus #20, 6/day including Sun, 1 hour).
From Arles by Bus to Les Baux and St-Rémy: Bus #59 connects Arles to Les
Baux and St-Rémy (6/day daily July-Aug, Sat-Sun only in June and Sept; 35 minutes to
Les Baux, 50 minutes to St-Rémy, then runs between St-Rémy and Avignon as bus #57).
Bus #54 (see above) also goes to St-Rémy but not via Les Baux.
For other ways to reach Les Baux and St-Rémy, see here .
Avignon
Famousforitsnurseryrhyme,medievalbridge,andbroodingPalaceofthePopes,contem-
porary Avignon (ah-veen-yohn) bustles and prospers behind its mighty walls. During the
94years(1309-1403)thatAvignonstarredasthe FrancoVaticano (thetemporaryresiden-
ce of the popes) and hosted two antipopes, it grew from a quiet village into a thriving city.
With its large student population and fashionable shops, today's Avignon is an intriguing
blendofmedievalhistory,youthfulenergy,andurbansophistication.Streetperformersen-