Aix-en-Provence to Arles, Les Baux and Saint-Rémy review: the eight-and-a-half-hour day
My verdict: the most-booked of the three day trips through Arles, and the one I point most people to if they are sleeping in Aix. Eight and a half hours in a minibus of eight, a driver-guide who briefs you at each stop and then lets you go, three towns and two markets if you land on the right days. It rates 4.8 from 111 reviews. The criticism that recurs is that the towns are self-guided once you arrive, which is true and which the listing says. Nothing is included beyond the van and the guide: no lunch, no entry tickets, and not the amphitheatre.
What the day is like
You meet outside the tourist information centre in Aix and the van takes about 75 minutes to reach Saint-Rémy, where you get an hour and a half to yourself. On a Wednesday that is market morning, which is the best thing that can happen to this stop. Then Les Baux: a photo stop on the way in, then two hours of free time in the village. The Carrières de Lumières are down the road and optional, and their ticket is not part of the booking.
Arles comes last, with an hour and a half of free time. On a Saturday you will hit the end of the Saturday market on boulevard des Lices. Monument entries are not included, so if you want to go inside the amphitheatre you buy a ticket at the door. An hour and a half is enough for the arena (45 to 60 minutes inside) and a walk to the place du Forum, but not for the arena, the theatre and the cloister together; how long to visit explains why. Check the date against the feria calendar first, because on feria days the monument is closed to visitors and the tour will not tell you. The van takes about an hour back to Aix.
Lunch is on your own, wherever you are when you are hungry, and the guide will point you somewhere. Daryn from the United States says the best meal of his trip was in Les Baux on Remy’s recommendation, which matches what I hear from friends who have done it.
What works
- A driver-guide who briefs you before each stop, then lets you wander (Jonathan on Marion, and most of the 111 reviews say the same)
- Eight seats, so it is a van and not a coach
- Three towns with three atmospheres, as Leuba from Switzerland put it
- Wednesday market in Saint-Rémy, Saturday market in Arles
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Worth knowing
- Self-guided once you reach each town: Susan wanted more guidance and local information, and Danielle says the same thing more neutrally
- Nothing included beyond transport and the guide: no lunch, no entries, no Carrières
- A bit of walking, in Elina’s words; not for under-4s or for people with mobility impairments
- Minimum two passengers, so a solo traveller may be offered another date
- Value is the lowest of its three sub-scores at 4.6
What reviewers say
The guides carry this tour. Alexander from Iceland: “our guide could not have been more knowledgeable.” Karen from the United States found Remy fantastic, Daniel from Brazil had Romain, Carol had Emmanuel and calls it a relaxed trip with a good Van Gogh overview on the way. Jonathan describes the format exactly: Marion briefed them before each stop and then let them wander, and Les Baux looked to him as if it had been carved out of the side of a hill, which is roughly what happened.
The honest minus is in the same reviews. Danielle, who had Audrey and rated the day highly, still writes that “the tour is self guided once you get to each location”, and Susan “would have liked more guidance and local information”. Both are right. This is a driver-guide product: the guiding happens in the van and at the drop-off, not on a walk through the streets. If you want someone at your elbow in Arles, the Avignon day has a 75-minute guided walk and this one does not.
Use the briefing. The guide tells you where the van will be and when, then you have ninety minutes. In Arles I would go to the amphitheatre first and eat second, because the ticket desk queue is shortest at the start of the afternoon and the cafés on place du Forum are not going anywhere.
Who should book it, and who should not
Book it if you are staying in Aix, have one day for the Alpilles and Arles, and are happy to explore a town with a map and a time to be back. There is no direct train from Aix to Arles (you change at Marseille), which is the practical case for the van. Skip it if what you want is a guided walk through Arles; you would be better served by the express walk on a day when you come by train, or by the Avignon day if you can start from there. And skip it if your date is a feria day, because the arena will be shut and the town full of bodegas.
Other tours to consider
The Marseille departure runs the same three towns over a longer day. Arnaud’s Avignon day is the one with a guided walk in Arles and a picnic. The express walk is for people already in town.
From MarseilleFrom Marseille: Arles, Les Baux & Saint-Rémy Full-Day Tour
With picnicFrom Avignon: Arles, Les Baux de Provence & St Rémy
Quick & localArles: Express Walk with a Local
Frequently asked questions
Does the Aix day trip include the Arles amphitheatre ticket?
No. The booking covers the minibus and the driver-guide, nothing else. In Arles you have free time and buy a monument ticket at the door if you want to go in. Ticket types, passes and where to buy are on the tickets page. Free for under-18s.
Is the tour guided inside each town?
Not on foot. The guide briefs you in the van and at the drop-off, then you explore Saint-Rémy, Les Baux and Arles on your own. Several reviewers mention this, some as a plus (Carol calls it relaxed) and some as a minus (Susan wanted more guidance). For a guided walk in Arles look at the Avignon day trip or the walking tours.
How much time do you get in Arles?
About an hour and a half at the end of the day. That is enough for the amphitheatre and a coffee, or the Saturday market and a walk, not for the full set of Roman sites. How long to visit shows what fits in ninety minutes.