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By Bus in Provence

By Bus

A moderately good network of bus services—run by a perplexing number of independent bus companies (for best advice on schedules, consult the town tourist office or your hotel concierge)—links places not served, or poorly served, by train. If you plan to explore Provence by bus, Avignon, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, and Arles are good bases. Avignon is also the starting point for excursion-bus tours and boat trips down the Rhône. In most cases, you can buy bus tickets on the bus itself.

Aix-en-Provence: One block west of La Rotonde, the station (rue Lapierre) is crowded with many bus companies, which offer numerous regional connections, the farthest links being Orange, Nice, Marseille, Avignon, and Arles. Arles: The gare routière (av. Paulin Talabot) is adjacent to the train station. Five buses leave daily for Aix-en-Provence and Marseille (only two run on weekends); others travel daily to Avignon and Nîmes. Avignon: The bus station is right by the rail station on boulevard St-Roch; lines connect to nearby towns such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. Les Baux: Buses here head for Avignon or Arles. Nîmes: The bus station (rue Ste-Félicité) connects with Montpellier, Pont du Gard, and many other places. Marseille: The station (3 pl. Victor Hugo) is next to the train station and offers myriad connections to cities and small towns. St-Rémy-de-Provence is 40 minutes from Avignon by bus. Orange: The station is on cours Pourtoules, on the eastern edge of the city, and offers links to Avignon, Vaison-la-Romaine, and Marseille. Pont du Gard: This is a 40-minute ride from Nîmes; you are dropped off 1 km (½ mi) from the bridge at the Auberge Blanche. Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer: As the gateway to the Camargue region (in which there is little or no public transportation), buses head here from Arles, Nîmes, and Aigues-Mortes. For a complete list of bus Web sites for the region, log on to www.provence-jouques.com/fr/venir/venir15.html.