Arles Hostels

Arles is a charming town in Provence that offers visitors everything from Roman ruins to the history of Van Gogh, all with great ice cream, good food, and a solid tourist infrastructure. Regardless of where you stay, it is possible to walk to many of the major sites, as well as to and from the railway station with its connections to Montpellier and other nearby towns. The best accommodation location is in the centre of town, as many attractions are within a few blocks of each other. Much of the centre of Arles is pedestrian-only, and many of the remaining streets are so narrow that many visitors likely wouldn’t want to attempt driving them. However, for visitors with cars, there are parking lots on the outskirts of town that are within easy walking distance of the centre.

Although your Arles hostel should be able to provide you with tourist information, there is a very helpful multilingual tourist information centre a few blocks from the main city square. Also in this area is a wonderful ice cream stand with dozens of unique flavours, and a tourist train that shuttles visitors from place to place on a fixed, posted schedule. The train has multilingual commentary, and is well worth the ticket price. The tourist information centre can offer a map of several different walking tours, including one that follows in the footsteps of the artist Vincent Van Gogh.

For visitors interested in authentic French food, Arles plays host to a weekly market full of fresh produce. Market vendors offer samples of fresh fruit and vegetables to passers-by, and this can be a great place for hostelers to pick up quality food at reasonable prices, while having an authentic experience.

Visitors interested in Roman history and ruins should put Arles at the top of their "places to see" list. Home to an amphitheatre, ruins of a Roman bath, and others, the history in the town is incredible.