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Arles

Boasting a beautifully-preserved historic centre, the city of Arles is home to one of Europe's best collections of Roman ruins - which have been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. Initially a Celtic city colonised by the Greeks, Arles became Roman after Julius Caesar distributed the land among some of his most faithful soldiers in 46 BC. This was the first golden age of the city, which then came to be known as "Little Rome in Gaul".

Having become a major religious centre during the early Christian period, the sought-after city was passed to the Kingdom of Burgundy in the 9th century. In 1032 it passed to the Holy Roman Empire, before becoming a part of France in 1481. Much of Arles city centre's street plan dates from about this time, as does a significant amount of the surviving architecture. Arles is still known as a major port on the Rhône, though nowadays visitors flock to the area to see the town's impressive Roman remains.

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4 results matching: Escorted Rail Tours to Arles

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Premium Rhône Cruise
Rail & Cruise
Free Cabin Upgrade
4.5 stars(58 reviews)
2024JunJulAug
2025JunJulAug
8 days from
£2,195 pp
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Free Cabin Upgrade
8 days from
£2,195
per person
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  • DestinationFrance
  • Starts / EndsSt Pancras International
  • AccommodationCruise
  • TransportRail, Cruise
Map and accommodation
Avignon, the Rhône & Provence
4.3 stars(105 reviews)
2024MayJunAugSepOct
7 days from
£1,745 pp
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7 days from
£1,745
per person
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  • DestinationFrance
  • Starts / EndsSt Pancras International
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
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Secrets of Provence
Barge Cruise
4.3 stars(33 reviews)
2024JunJulSep
7 days from
£2,695 pp
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7 days from
£2,695
per person
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  • DestinationFrance
  • Starts / EndsSt Pancras International
  • AccommodationCruise
  • TransportRail, Cruise
Map and accommodation
Our customers love our Arles tours
Provence and The Elegant Rhône
12 Sep 2023
G Franklin
5 stars
“Third time with GRJ but first time on a river cruise with them. Everything 5 star as you would expect from our English tour operator, backed up by the Austrian cruise ship on the French waterways! Superb dining on an International menu and the crew did manage to include a local Provencal menu on one lunchtime. We chose to fly to Lyon from Luton rather than train from London and appreciated a private minibus to transfer to the ship. Nice leisurely excursions each day and I really enjoyed the new Tour App., but would have liked our flight tickets more readily available rather than chasing for an emailed pdf the week before our flight. Thoroughly recommended.
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Avignon, the Rhône and Provence
14 Oct 2023
Ian Bainbridge
4 stars
“Great holiday excellent tour guide. Could have done with an extra day to make it more relaxing and allow one to visit places independently in the area. Hotel served an excellent breakfast. Room OK. Would have been nice to have had outside space to sit and relax.
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Provence and The Elegant Rhône
12 Sep 2023
Colin Fry
4 stars
“A very pleasant trip with excellent organisation and a friendly and helpful crew. Great Rail managers
Collected by Trustpilot
Secrets of Provence by Barge
12 Sep 2023
Madelaine Kerr
4 stars
“Wonderful holiday .Peaceful cruising-interesting outings good company and superb food and drink. Cabins on the small side but very comfortable Highly recommend
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Ancient activities

Among the many highlights celebrating Arles' rich history is the mighty Roman Arena, which would have seated about 20,000 people. It was partly converted into a castle in the Middle Ages but is still remarkably intact.

Van Gogh

The Dutch post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh lived in Arles in 1888-1889 and produced over 300 paintings and drawings during his time here. Today the Van Gogh Foundation is situated opposite the vast arena.

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