Provence and Nimes
 

I thought of staying in Nimes next summer as it looks like a convenient base for day trips to Arles and Aix en Provence. I will be relying on public transport. Is Nimes a nice place to stay? What are the must-sees in this area? thanks!

<BR>I am leaving in Oct. for Provence and hope to visit Nimes. We have hotelreservations at Arles and Aix. I will write when I get backAu revoir

Dear May: I stayed in Nimes for a week-end some years back and found it sn interesting place with Roman ruins. I had no transportation of my own--but I was able to walk to just about everything. My only (vaguely) negative comment would be that it is a rather commercial place with less charm than Avignon (my personal favorite). Have a nice visit. Joan

You've made an very good choice, I agree that Provence and the Cevennes are beautifull regions. <BR>Here's a list of what to visit in Nimes: <BR>1.La Maison carree (the square house), <BR>2.les arenes (arenas), <BR>3.Le temple de Diane (Diana's temple - not the Princess Di but the goddess of the hunt), <BR>4.le jardin de la Fontaine (near the temple de Diane), <BR>and you must see the Pont du Gard (a roman aquaduc/bridge across the Gard river, located half-way between Nimes and Avignon. I, too prefer Avignon however. <BR>If you get a chance to, visit Montpellier and Saint-Guilhem-le-desert, Aigues-Mortes (south-West),La grotte des Demoiselles (awsome caves), and Saint-Martin-de-Londres (slightly North-West). Arles is definitely worth the trip and so is Aix-en-provence. <BR>All this is making me homesick ! E-mail me if you have any more questions! Have a great trip !

Nîmes is a very nice place and has the advantage of being a relatively big town, which is better, as far as public transport is concerned. On the reverse side, it might seem a little too noisy if you are really looking for a quiet place. Arles is more "typical", and smaller. Anyway, if you plan to spend some time in the summer, you'll have plenty of time to do both.