Day trips from Avignon: Arles, Nîmes, Pont du Gard and the Luberon

Avignon is one of the easiest bases in Provence for day trips, because it combines a rail hub with the road network of the Luberon and the Rhône valley. The simplest rule is to split the options by transport. Roman cities such as Arles, Nîmes and Orange are short train rides, so you do not need a car. Landscapes and villages, such as the Luberon, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the Pont du Gard, need a car or a guided tour.

Pick two or three trips for a stay of four or five days, not five or six. The best days combine one town with one long lunch, and avoid the midday heat in summer. If you are still choosing a base, the Avignon travel guide explains the city, and where to stay in Avignon compares the areas. For a two-day plan of the city itself, see Avignon in 2 days. For the wider region, the Provence travel guide shows how the pieces fit.

Check timetables and opening hours on the official pages before you go, since they change by season. This guide gives approximate times to help you choose, not promises.

The regional trains run from Avignon Centre station, which sits by the old walls. Do not confuse it with Avignon TGV, which serves high-speed trains and is outside the city. Check the station name when you book a ticket. The TGV station is about 6 km out, and a short TER ride on the Carpentras line links it to Avignon Centre, so add that time if you start from there.

Arles is about 20 to 30 minutes away. It has a Roman arena and theater, a lively old town and a Saturday market, and it is linked to Van Gogh's years in Provence. It also opens the way to the Camargue wetlands. The Arles travel guide has a plan for the day. It works as a morning and afternoon trip, and many travelers add a night.

Nîmes is about 30 minutes away. Its Roman amphitheater is among the best preserved in the world, and the Maison Carrée is a small, elegant Roman temple. The center is walkable, with gardens and shops. See the Nîmes travel guide for more. Nîmes and Arles are on the same line, so some travelers combine them with a change.

Orange is about 15 to 20 minutes north. The Avignon tourist office also lists regional trains from Avignon Centre to Carpentras, Cavaillon and L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, which give you market towns on the edge of the Luberon without a car. Its Roman theater is a huge, well preserved stage that hosts summer performances, and the arch stands at the edge of the town. It is a smaller outing than Arles or Nîmes, and a good half day.

Regional train tickets are inexpensive and you can buy them at the station or on the operator's website. A rail pass does not save money on short trips. See the section below on rail passes. Check whether strikes affect services on the day, and keep your return time flexible.

The Pont du Gard is a Roman aqueduct that crosses a river valley, about 40 minutes from Avignon by car. Allow 2 to 3 hours for the walk, the views and the museum. The official site says the site is open to pedestrians and cyclists, that parking costs about 9 euros per car per day, and that the museum ticket is about 8 euros for adults; those prices were on the official page on 1 October 2026, and they can change. The same page lists regional bus lines 115 from Avignon and 121 from Nîmes, so a car is not the only way in, but check the timetable first. It is hot and exposed, so go early or late in summer, and bring water. Follow posted signs about swimming, because rules near the river can change.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the wine village north of Avignon, about 20 minutes by car. It produces powerful red wines in a landscape of stony vineyards, and many estates offer tastings by appointment. If you plan to taste, book a driver or a tour, or keep one person sober. Check opening hours, since many estates close at lunch and on Sundays.

The Luberon is a range of hills east of Avignon with hilltop villages, ochre cliffs and markets. It is about 45 to 60 minutes by car, and it takes a full day to do well. Buses are sparse, so a car or a tour is the practical choice. Our Luberon travel guide covers the villages and the market days. In July the lavender fields farther east bloom, but the larger fields are an hour or more away, so plan a longer day.

If you do not want to drive, a guided tour handles parking, timing and wine. If you want freedom, rent a car for one day, and book it in advance in summer. Compare options for your date, and read what is included.

Use this table to choose the trips that fit your time and your transport. Times are approximate and start from Avignon.

If you are building a longer trip, Aix-en-Provence pairs well with Avignon as a second base, about an hour away by car and linked by train.

Choose by what you want to see, not by distance. If you want Roman stone, take Nîmes or Arles. Nîmes has the amphitheater and the Maison Carrée close together, so it works as a compact half day with a long lunch. Arles has more layers, with the arena, the theater, the old town and the Van Gogh story, and it deserves a full day or an overnight. Orange is the quickest, and it fits a morning before a late lunch in Avignon.

If you want landscape, pick one of the car trips and leave the rest. The Pont du Gard fits a morning or an early evening, and it combines well with Nîmes or Uzès by car. Châteauneuf-du-Pape suits a lunch-and-taste afternoon. The Luberon needs a whole day, so do not pair it with anything else.

A good two-day pattern from Avignon is one train day and one car or tour day, with the second day starting early. A bad pattern is three towns in one day, since a market or a long lunch is what makes a village worth the trip.

Take a morning regional train from Avignon Centre, so you arrive by about 9:30am. Walk to the arena first, because the stone is cooler and the light is good, then wander the old town toward the theater. Have lunch away from the main squares. In the afternoon, add one museum or a walk along the river, then take a train back by early evening so you can eat in Avignon. The same shape works for Nîmes: the amphitheater early, the Maison Carrée mid-morning, gardens and lunch after, and a return before the evening commuter trains fill.

Check the timetable on the day before, since regional trains run less often on Sundays and holidays, and strikes are possible. Buy your return ticket on the day, and keep a margin of an hour so a missed train does not end the day.

The first mistake is leaving from the wrong station. Day trips by regional train leave from Avignon Centre, not the TGV station. The second is trying the Luberon by bus: services are sparse, and a day lost to a missed connection is common. The third is driving to the Pont du Gard at noon in August. The fourth is booking a wine tasting without a driver, and the fifth is planning a Sunday market trip without checking the day, since market days change by village.

For these day trips, no. Regional trains are short and cost little, so single tickets beat a pass. A pass or a point-to-point fare comparison matters for longer routes, such as Paris to Avignon and onward to the Riviera or Spain. See whether a Eurail pass is worth it before you buy one, and check the rules for reservations on TGV trains, which are required whatever ticket you hold.

If you do plan a longer rail loop, compare ticket types for each leg, and book high-speed trains early, since fares rise as seats sell. For regional trains, buy on the day. Our getting around Europe page covers the options.

July and August are very hot, with highs often above 30°C (86°F). Plan outdoor sights, such as the Pont du Gard and the Roman arenas, for the morning or late afternoon. Take water and a hat, and avoid driving at midday if you can. Spring and autumn are the best seasons for day trips, with mild weather and easier parking.

Markets run in many towns and villages on set weekdays, and a market morning is the best way to see a village at its liveliest. Check the day with the local tourist office rather than assuming, since schedules change. Plan lunch at a table, not on the road, since many small restaurants close in the afternoon.

Before you go, compare travel insurance for France, set up an eSIM for France, and check the EES explained page if you are new to Schengen entry rules.