Arles is one of the southernmost ports on France's Rhone River, not far the Mediterranean Sea. The city is massive, but the Old Town area feels like its own little village and is quite walkable. When you book a cruise to France with Arles on the itinerary, you may wish you had a few extra days to spend in the city.
Once inside the heart of the city, it's easy (and we encourage you) to get lost in the plethora of winding cobblestone alleyways. You might even get a sense of deja vu. A number of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings feature scenes from Arles -- most notably, the Cafe Van Gogh from "Cafe Terrace at Night," which is nestled in a lively square among shops and other eateries.
Perhaps the city's most well-known feature, however, is its collection of some of the earliest Roman monuments. The arena, theater and cryptoporticus all date back to the 1st century BC The arena is still in use today.
The city is approximately a five-minute walk from the pier. On days when Arles' pier is overcrowded, riverboats dock at the nearby village of Tarascon and take a 20-minute shuttle ride to the city.
A number of river lines use Arles as either an embarkation or disembarkation point for their cruises, as the city is also within close proximity to Marseille (the nearest, major international airport).
