kragwyz

We are spending 5 days in Provence at the tail end of our honeymoon in early/mid September. Our plan is to use Arles as a base (our first bullfight) and daytrip our way to select villages. First questions: better to rent a car or rely on train/bus to get us around? How much does a car rental cost in Arles and how easy is it to do so? <BR><BR>Next questions: We are going to split our time b/w 2 hotels in Arles - Hotel Grand Nord-Pinus and Hotel Jules Cesar. Any good or bad experiences?

swalter518

Arles is absolutely wonderful but a car is essential for daytrips out of the city. We were there a year ago this week and found Provence's small villages were basically inaccessible without a car.

Judy

Definitely you will want a car to get around. Check with AutoEurope for rental, very easy to deal with. We did stay at the Jules Cesar but its been a few years. It was a good location, very nice room, helpful staff and good restaurant.

cigalechanta

We stayed at the Nord Pinus which I called the North penis because of my poor French.They have their own garage which is great but don't book a room street side. It was very noisy. If you rent your car from the states, it's a lot cheaper.

maitaitom

&quot;which I called the North penis&quot;<BR><BR>Obviously, you were the one in the Members Only jacket. I hear Randy Johnson likes this hotel, also. Actually, my wife and I ate at the restaurant in the North P...I mean Nord Pinus, and the food was great.

giro

We rented a car from Avis. Reserved from the states and picked it up at the train station. Pretty convenient. We stayed at the Calendal which was great for us. I entered the Nord-Pinus, because of its historic character, to look around and was rudely told to leave the lobby as I wasnt a guest. So I'm pretty much prejudiced by the experience, as I am with bull fights...GO BULLS.

cigalechanta

I discovered the Calendal after booked in the NP. But I would stay there . We lunched one day on the terrace. Much less expensive and more relaxing than our hotel.

artlover

Whatever you do, DON'T rent a car from Hertz in France. We did and it was a nightmare. We've had good luck with Avis and I understand many people at Fodors have had good experiences with AutoEurope.

LVSue

MaitaiTom, LOL!

JoeG

kragwyz,<BR>We based in Arles for nine days last October. We stayed at Le Calendal which we thought was a great bargain. The Jules Cesar looked to be the grandest hotel in Arles. Plus it has a first rate restaurant. I thought the location of Nord Pinus was better, however. It is located within the walled part of the city on a small square adjacent to the Hotel Forum and the Van Gogh Cafe. <BR>You really need a car to make the most of your time. There is so much to see and so little time. We rented from Avis and had no problems whatsoever. Also I would recommend staying in one place rather than dividing your time between two hotels. You may still be able to find our trip report if you search for the thread &quot;Arles!Plane, Train, Auto.&quot;<BR>JoeG

kragwyz

Thanks for all of your input. After reviewing past discussion threads, I see that my questions are somewhat repetitive. Looks like a car is a definite plus and that our hotels should be fine. We wanted to stay in the same hotel throughout, but the Feria du Riz starting on Sept. 12 made a contiguous stay quite challenging. By the way, has anybody rented bicycles in Arles for a day and made their way out to the smaller towns nearby that way?

JoeG

kragwyz,<BR>Just a footnote, I happened to catch the movie &quot;RONIN&quot; with Robert De Niro last night (I think it was on TBS or TNT). There are some great scenes in the movie that were filmed in Arles including the arena. There is one scene that takes place in front of the Nord Pinus and Van Gogh Cafe. There is a great car chase sequence (ala French Connection, Bullitt) and many other French locations. The movie itself is probably just okay but we got a real kick out of seeing it.<BR>We never inquired about bike rentals but I'm sure they could arrange for this through your hotel.<BR>JoeG

mbiddle

We just returned from 5 days in Arles and found it a perfect town for our base in Provence. There's an extraordinary little 3-star hotel you may want to consider. My review is below. Then see our unhappy experience with the Nord Pinus following that! By the way, I second the other traveler's suggestion to pick one hotel and stay there - your trip will be a lot more relaxing and you'll save half a day if you don't have to pack up and switch.

A GEM of a hotel in Arles - Interhotel Mireille:
It's hard to imagine a more delightful, enchanting experience in Provence; this hotel exceeded all our expectations. A beautiful small facility, it is located not far from the center of Arles, just across the Bridge of Tranquility and within easy walking distance of most all of the major sights (including the best ice cream shop in Arles). From the moment we arrived, we were enveloped in the warm corals and golds typical of the region. From the table linens and large outdoor umbrellas on the pool terrace, to the canopy, drapes and bed linens in our spacious room, it was an exquisite visual treat. Mireille herself is a diminutive dynamo with an extraordinary attention to detail that seemed to us motivated much more by pride than profit. This pride was also evident in her small but dedicated group of staff, who went out of their way to provide warm, cheery, humorous, and attentive but not intrusive service. Each afternoon as we returned, we felt as if we were coming home and quickly fell into the habit of dining every night at the excellent restaurant there. Check out the prices on their website. From $97 a night, including a sumptuous breakfast, we found it to be an extraordinary value for a 3-star hotel and can't wait to return.

Hotel Nord Pinus:
A Very Unsettling Experience.

After all that we had read and heard about the Hotel Nord Pinus, we were looking forward to seeing it and were all the more surprised to have such an unpleasant experience there. We (two appropriately dressed middle aged American women) stopped in to pick up brochures and see the lobby for possible future trips. We first went to the woman at the reception desk to greet her and ask for brochures. Then as we walked into the lobby, she came out from behind the desk and shadowed our every step from about 6 feet away for the entire time we were there. No conversation, no offer of explanation, no offer of assistance -- just a menacing &quot;watchdog&quot; demeanor as we toured the lobby. If she thought we coveted the enlarged photographs on the wall taken by Karen Blixen and others, discretion on her part would have created a much better impression.

Although my friend and I had expected a fairly sophisticated d&eacute;cor (from reading reviews of the hotel), we found the style of Nord Pinus to be merely stark and drab -- and the antithesis of what we were looking for in the warmth of Provence. This is not a place that we would ever care to stay.

In comparison, on this same trip to Arles, we made a similar visit to both the Hotel Callendal and the Hotel Julius Cesar, where we received a totally different reception. Each hotel reflected the colors and warmth of Provence and the respective staffs could not have been more welcoming, more gracious, and more generous with information and suggestions. But the Interhotel Mirielle is still far and away our favorite!

helrot

So you didn't stay at the Hotel Nord Pinus? I'm just curious because my husband and I will be spending 4 days there in July - seemed quite nice to deal with.