Camargue & Roman France

Experience the history and splendour of this unique area of France; Arles with its Roman arena will be your base for a tour filled with wonderful experiences, not least the Camargue with its famous white horses, bulls and countless species of birds.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Hotel with 4 nights breakfast and dinner
• Happy Hour between 5.30-6.30pm in resort with 25% Reduction on Beer
• Gala farewell dinner with ½ litre wine pp
• Tea & coffee after dinner
• 2 overnight hotels with breakfast
• Three included excursions to Avignon, Nimes and the CamargueDAY 1 Departure: A morning departure for Dover and our ferry to Calais. Travelling through France to our overnight hotel.

DAYS 2: arrive at destination.

DAYS 2-5 At leisure in Arles with three included excursions. A world heritage designated city with its extraordinarily well-preserved Roman monuments such as the wonderful Arena in the center of Arles, still used today for bullfights. Arles is a favourite tourist destination in Provence, you may be surprised to know that this was where Vincent Van Goch lived for many years, painted his famous Sunflowers and cut of his ear!!

Avignon: Known as the city of Popes due to the 7 popes that resided here, Avignon is an impressive city dominated by the old Papal walled city. The walls still stand in a complete loop and enclose the ancient town including the magnificent Palais des Papes, home of the medieval popes and the Cathedrale Notre Dame des Doms. Avignon is also the site of the famous song “Sur le pont d’Avignon”, although the song talks about dancing on the bridge when it actually took place under it!


Nimes: Another town rich in Roman history with its own arena dating back to the 1st Century AD, Nimes is worth a visit just to stroll around the old quarter and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. Nimes is also the start of the breathtaking 50km of aqueduct built by the Romans in 19AD to bring water to Nimes. The Pont du Gard is where it crosses the Gard and three tiers of arches span the river.


The Camargue: At the junction of the Petit Rhone, the Rhone and the Mediterranean, this area of marshland is truly wild. Wild bulls, the famous white Camargue horses and countless species of bird including flocks of pink flamingos inhabit the area and it has a wonderful wild feel. The town of Stes Maries de la Mer is a pretty coastal town with a long sandy beach and lots of seafront restaurants and cafes to enjoy. Boat trips regularly run into the Camargue lagoon.

DAY 6 Travel to overnight hotel: We depart for our overnight hotel with a leisurely drive through the majestic French countryside.

LAST DAY Travel home: After breakfast we depart for Calais and our ferry crossing to Dover arriving home during the evening.Mercure Arles Camargue

The Mercure Arles Camargue Hotel is located opposite the Musee de L’Arles Antique, very close to the city centre and an ideal base to explore the many monuments that have made Arles a world heritage site. The hotel has 80 bedrooms all of which have a TV, telephone, alarm clock, Wi-Fi access, hairdryer, air conditioning and tea and coffee making facilities. There is also a large garden and an outdoor swimming pool. Porterage and welcome drink included.