Public Transportation to Pont du Gard?
 

Has anybody taken the bus from Nimes to Pont du Gard?

I searched this forum and found information from 2004 about Bus #168 which leaves Nimes several times a day during the week, and drops you about 1/4 mile from the park entrance.

Is this still valid information? Is anyone aware of a website which lists the current bus schedules? I'll be travelling in October 2009.

Robyn :)>-

Here's the official Pont du Gard website. Click on the link at the right for Bus #168. I don't know if it's current, but I would expect it is:

http://www.pontdugard.fr/page.php?page=345&langue=GB

That is about right.

Pont du Gard site lists the buses serving the site, but seems not updated with the latest schedule:

http://www.pontdugard.fr/page.php?page=345&langue=GB

October is off-season. The bus runs with less frequency.

Yes, I took it a couple of years ago. It goes from Nimes main bus station and takes about 45 minutes. Very easy and convenient. The return bus times are posted on the bus stop at Pont du Gard.

Thanks, all, for your responses. I had already been to the Pont du Gard website, but the bus schedule is for the 2007/2008 season. I was really hoping to find a current schedule. The bus company is STD Gard, but I didn't have any luck doing a google search.

Can anyone else help me out?

Robyn :)>-

Good morning - I'm topping my thread in the hopes that one of our work-week Fodorites might know where I can find a current schedule for Bus #168, which includes travel for October 2009.

Have a good day.

Robyn :)>-

We missed the bus to Pont du Gard from Nimes (September 2008) but I saved the schedule for the 168 and here is the web site, phone/fax written on it:

www.stdgard.fr
04 66 29 27 29
04 66 29 11 87 (fax)

Hope that gets you to the most current info! Please let everyone know how that works out for future reference for us all!

Thank you, TDudette!!! The website is exactly what I was looking for. Unfortunately, it looks like the schedule for the #168 is only good through September 2nd, and we'll be there in October. But now that I have the website, I can just keep my eye on it and see if they update the schedules in September. Thanks again.

Robyn :)>-

No problem, Robyn. How does the most recent schedule compare to the earlier one???

BTW, the reason we missed the bus was because we were enjoying Nimes so very much. Don't know what your travel plans are but we thought Nimes would be a great place to make as a base if you prefer cities. It has an awesome arena and neat main square with quite intact Vieux Maison. Tourist Info spot neat Vieux Maison had excellent clerk who helped us with several bus schedules.

We're planning on travelling from Brussels by train, with a stop in Avignon for a few hours, then we'll head on to Nimes, which will be our base for 3-4 nights. From Nimes we would like to take the public bus to Pont du Gard one day, perhaps Uzès another day, and the train to Arles (and maybe bus to St. Remy) on the third day.

I'll be travelling with my husband and our male friend, and none of us want to drive while we're in Provence (we want to eat and drink wine). I know it's the best way for seeing the little villages, but this is our first trip to the area, and there are plenty of places to visit that we can access by public transportation. Having the bus schedules really helps with our planning. Thanks again.

Robyn :)>-

<i>a stop in Avignon for a few hours, then we'll head on to Nimes, which will be our base for 3-4 nights</i>

Just a thought but have you considered making Avignon your base and just visiting Nîmes?

There is a bus from line from Avignon to Uzès connecting through Pont du Gard. While Nîmes does have fascinating examples of Roman architecture, Avignon has better connections throughout Provence and I find central Avignon a bit more animated; offering more restaurants, shopping, cafés, and hotels than central Nîmes.

Have a great trip!

Oh, and one last thing, my hub and I prefer to not drive also but couldn't make the time frames "work" for Rousillon and Gardes so took a tour called Rendez-vous Provence (www.rendez-vous-provence.com). The driver, Yann, is French and also speaks English and Japanese. We fell in love with Arles and went there by train from Montpellier one time.

Again, enjoy, TDudette