By Ferry
SNCM (61 bl. des Dames 08 25 88 80 88 Open M-Sa 8:30am-8pm. Office open M-F 8am-6pm, Sa 8:30am-noon and 2-5:30pm) Corsica Ferries (7 rue Beauvau 08 25 09 50 95 www.corsicaferries.com Open daily 8am-8pm. To Corsica: €32-65; Algeria €105-315; Sardinia €60-85)
By Taxi
Expensive, but if you must... Marseille Taxi (04 91 02 20 20). Taxi Blanc Bleu (04 94 51 50 00). 24 hr stands surroung the Gare St-Charles and Vieux Port. To Vieux Port from Gare St-Charles €20-30. To airport €40-55.
Getting Around
Public transport is easily navigable here, with only two metro lines, and two trams covering Belsunce and Vieux Port. Le Panier is only accessible by foot (which adds to the charm, we guess) but buses run along its perimeter. Bus passes can be bought for one journey (€1.50), three days (€10.50) or 7 days (€16). Solo passes can be bought on the buses, and are good for MetroTram or the bus for one hour after they are first validated. All public transport runs frequently Su-W 6am-11:30, Th-Sa 6am-1am. There are Le Vélo bike stands, but they only work with European bank cards, and require a €150 deposit on your credit card. If you do have a European bank card, though it’s a screaming deal at €1 an hour (under 30min free, like in Paris). Buses that you’ll care about leave from Gare St-Charles and from Castellene, as well as from Vieux Port. Around the Marina though, walking is your fastest and easiest option.
avignon
0490
Avignon is most famous (and rightfully so) as the historical home base for seven rebellious Popes who left Rome during the Babylonian Captivity. Those 39 years made Avignon a center for religion and politics in France, and its famous bridge provided one of the few passes of the river Rhône. A popular camping destination for French campers and historical buffs alike, the medieval alleys and architecture have still held up, making Avignon a city trapped in the 13th century. Its a totally doable daytrip to see everything and not leave feeling disappointed that you didn’t see more, while still wondering what was over that little bridge or around that stone turret. Come here and you’ll expect to hear tamborines and pipes in the background while you walk around, but it will actually just be the city’s vibant bars and cafes with the occasional annoyance of a tourist tram or school group.
ORIENTATION
The town of Avignon is surrounded by a giant wall, so there are only so many ways you can get lost in it. rue de la Republique, the main road from the train station, leads straight to the Palais des Papes, and divides the town into halves. Most of the cafes and restaurants are on the west side of the street, while the east side is generally comprised of hotels and private housing. Most of the shopping areas are clustered further down the main drag, or at Halles, the large shopping center in the middle of town. The Rhône river runs right by the city, and sports a very large island, the Ile de la Barthelasse. There is camping here for those on a budget, as well as a hostel. The entire town is very walkable, and it would almost be more of a hassle to figure out the public transport; Avignon is comprised of a tangle of one-way streets and alleyways that date back to the 1200s. While you may get lost easily, it’s always easy to look up and see the Palais des Papes and re-orient yourself.
ACCOMMODATIONS
HOTEL MIGNON
12 rue Joseph Vernet
HOTEL
04 90 82 17 30 www.hotel-mignon.com
Small and neat, Hotel Mignon lives up to its name. The centrally-located hotel’s wood floors and pristine carpeting make it look like a model home in a Home Depot advertisement. The closet-sized bathrooms appear to be barely able to fit a person, but amazingly pack in a personal sink, toilet and shower. Book well ahead of time in July.
From the main square, go down rue St. Agricole towards the pharmacy. Make your second right onto Joseph Vernet. Hotel on the left. Breakfast included. Singles €45-55; doubles €64-80; triples and quads €81-110.
CAMPING AUBERGE BAGATELLE
25 all Antoine Pinay- Ile de la Barthelasse
CAMPGROUND, HOSTEL
04 90 27 16 23 www.campingbagatelle.com
Over the river and through the woods, you can find cheap camping and hostelling less than 5min. from the town center. Auberge features an attached convenience store, as well as a free breakfast for basic double, quad or sextuple rooms. Both camping or hostel options have access to the establishment’s facilities, which include a soccer field, basketball court, and pool.
From the Pont d’Avignon, cross the Daladier bridge, and go down staircase on the right on other side. Turn left towards signs and walk into the campground. Reception is hidden kind of next to the convenience store. Camping and Auberge. Wi-Fi, breakfast, and linens included (unless camping). Camping €6 per night; 2 people, car, camp is €10 per night in winter, €15 per night in summer; €16 for a bed in a dorm.
SIGHTS
PALAIS DES PAPES
PALACE
04 90 27 50 00 www.avignon-tourisme.com
This giant Gothic palace was built at the height of the Catholic Church’s power, when Pope Clement V decided the Vatican was too cramped. The next 6 popes that followed him remained in Avignon during a period known as the Babylonian Captivity (for the record, it wasn’t in Babylon, and the popes weren’t held captive). Their Palais des Papes is a maze of small passageways that lead abruptly into huge painted chambers. Painted tiles and giant murals ornately decorate select areas, most notably the papal throne room.
Free audio tour with entrance. Nov-Feb €8.50; Mar-Sep €10.50. Includes entrance to Bridge. Open Nov-Feb 9:30am-5:45, Mar 1-14 9am-7pm, Mar 15-Jun 9am-7pm, Jul 9am-8pm, Aug 9am-9pm, Sep 1-15 9am-8pm, Sep 16- Nov 1 9am-7pm.
PONT D’AVIGNON
Port du Rhône
BRIDGE, HISTORIC SIGHT
04 90 27 51 16
Step aside Palin; the Pont d’Avignon is literally a bridge to nowhere. Stopping half-way across the river Rhône, this bridge is the brainchild of St. Benezet, a shephard who one day heard angels tell him to build a bridge to Avignon. When the townspeople laughed at him, he miraculously threw a large stone into the river, laying foundation for the first arch. No one laughed at him ever again. The bridge eventually collapsed due to flooding and poor construction, and was closed until the 20th century, when they decided to open it again as a museum. Free audio tour with entrance. Open Nov-Feb €4, Mar-Sep €4.50. Palais and Pont ticket‚ €11 Nov-Feb, €13 Mar-Sep. Nov-Feb 9:30am-5:45, Mar 1-14 9am-7pm, Mar 15-Jun 9am-7pm, Jul 9am-8pm, Aug 9am-9pm, Sep 1-15 9am-8pm, Sep 16- Nov 1 9am-7pm.
MUSÉE DU PETIT PALAIS
pl. du Palais des Papes
MUSEUM
04 90 86 44 58 www.petitpalais.com
The Musée du Petit Palais starts out slow, with your run of the mill exhibits of 13th-century paintings of saints on wooden boards. We recommend spending more time in the exhibits toward the back, which feature the works of Giotto and other quattrocento Italian artists, 14th century attempts at perspective, and the trials and tribulations of a burgeoning Renaissance. Also of note is the gory 14th-century equivalent of the Passion of the Christ, “The Calvary,” depicting a gold, sad, and bleeding Jesus that would make even Mel Gibson cringe.
Behind Palais des Papes at then end of the square. Info brochures on what you’re looking at scattered around the museum. €6, students €3. Open M 10am-1pm and 2-6pm, W-Su 10am-1pm and 2-6pm..
FOOD
RESTAURANT NANI
rue de la République
ITALIAN
04 90 82 60 90
Two story Avignonais restaurant specializes in assiettes, a pseudo calzone stuffed with meat, olives and tomatoes. Designed to resemble a small farmhouse, you’ll definitely rub elbows with the locals in this popular (read: packed like sardines) restaurant.
Corner of rue Théodore Aubanel and rue du Provôt. Express lunch with salade, coffee and grande assiette €9.60. Lunch menu for €14 gets you a choice of assiette, chocolate fondue and coffee. Dinner plates €7-15. Lunch M-Sa 11:30am-2:30pm, Dinner F-Sa 7-11pm.
&
nbsp; FRANÇOISE
6 rue du Général Léclerc
TRADITIONAL
04 32 76 24 77
A weird but trendy combo of cafeteria seating, baked goods and to-go sandwiches. Jams and jellies lure students and gouteurs (that’s snackers to you) in to chill out for an hour or more over a hot cup of coffee.
Free Wi-Fi. Credit card min. €10. Baked goods and sandwiches €1-5. Salads €4-9. Cafe €1.50 Open M-Sa 8:30am-7pm.
NIGHTLIFE
WALL STREET
32 rue du Chapeau Rouge
BAR
06 61 07 11 62
Unlike Wall St., this youthful bar is justly popular with just about everyone. Students and jouers alike come on Friday for the stockmarket theme night, where the prices at the bar increase or decrease as randomly as the market itself every 100 seconds. Twice a night the market will “crash” and all prices are slashed by 50%. Prices are posted on their projector screen. Thursday is student night and Saturday is theme night, which changes weekly. Don’t let the threat of an economic bubble scare you away—the prices never rise more than €4.50 for pints and shots, and can drop as low as €2. And you thought i-banking was boring.
€2.50 shooters and €2.50 half pints, €4.50 pints. Does not include market night. Open M-Sa 6pm-1:30am.
LEVEL ONE
pl. Pie
BAR
For the dyed hair and grunge types, this dive bar is both the cheapest and most rough around the edges. Enjoy the 1970s American soundtrack featuring the likes of Janis Joplin and Hendrix while you shoot pool or play fooseball. The orange pleather booths are pretty groovy, unless someone more peirced than you are is sitting in it already.
Happy hours 5-8pm, half priced pints. €2 shooters. €4 pints. Group drinking with €18 giraffes and 10 vodka shooters for €18. Open daily 10am-1:30am.
ESSENTIALS
Practicalities
• TOURIST OFFICE: Offers maps, guidance, and a free pass that discounts Avignon sights by 20-50%. (41 cours Jean Juarès. Walk straight down the main drag from the train station. Its on your right after 200 m 04 32 74 32 74 www.avignon-tourisme.com Open Apr-Oct M-Sa 9am-6pm, Su 9am-5pm. Nov-Mar M-F 9am-5pm, Sa 9am-5pm, Su 10am-noon. Closed Dec 12-Jan 1)
• PETIT TRAIN: Lets be real, Avignon is a small city that’s easily walkable in a day, so the Petit Trains are mostly packed with, um, let’s just say those who are most susceptible to the annual flu. Takes you to all the major sights in Avignon. (Leaves from Palais des Papes every 20min Open daily 10am-8pm. €7, children €4)
• GLBT RESOURCES: Le CIDcafe. Loud and proud cafe with brochures to the popular GLBT clubs and bars, such as Le Cage and L’esclave, and a schedule of GLBT theme nights in Avignon (Pl. St Pierre 04 90 82 30 38 www.lecidcafe.com).
• LAUNDROMAT: La Blanchisseuse (24 rue Lanterne Open daily 7am-9pm.)
• INTERNET: You can find free internet almost anywhere in Avignon; look out for the green sticker on the entrance to cafes, laundry mats, and stores. Both Françoise or the Laundry mat occasionally have free (but patchy) internet.
• POST OFFICE: (Cours President Kennedy 04 90 27 54 10 Open M-F 8:30am-6pm, Sa 9am-4pm.)
Emergency!
• POLICE: Caserne de Salle. (Bld. St. Roch 04 90 16 81 00).
• PHARMACY: (11 rue St. Agricole 04 90 82 14 20 Open daily 9am-7:15pm.)
• HOSPITAL: Hôpital Timone. (264 rue St-Pierre Timone. 04 91 38 00 00).
aix-en-provence
0442
In Aix-en-Provence—the city of Paul Cézanne, Victor Vasarely, and Émile Zola—nearly every golden facade or cafe has had a brush with creative genius. In keeping with such a high-art history, Aix continues to boast a flourishing cultural scene with a world-renowned music festival held every July and over 40,000 students who provide the fuel during the year. When it comes to the vieille ville (old city), it may very well feel as if there are more restaurants and shops per capita than anywhere else in France. In the summertime, tourists come in droves to take advantage. There’s always the escape to nearby Mont Ste-Victoire, but no matter the crowds, Aix’s loveliness remains unspoiled.
ORIENTATION
You’re in Aix-en-Provence. So far so good. Now you need to find pl. de la Rotonde, a large, spritzing fountain and traffic circle that marks the entrance to the vieille-ville. This is your homebase and the hub for Aix’s public transportation. Thankfully, the tourist office is right next door, so you’ll probably pick up a map and render this orientation useless. But just in case, here’s the lowdown.
From pl. de la Rotonde, av. des Belges stretches downhill away from the old city and toward another traffic circle where it meets av. de L’Europe. The Gare Routière (bus station) is at this intersection, and the Auberge de Jeunesse is a 30min. walk straight along av. de l’Europe (or a 5min. bus ride on #4). Back at the fountain and your home-base (keep your eye on the ball), Cours Mirabeau is a tree-lined boulevard with numerous cafes. This is your promenading ground for essential services, food, and partying at all hours. Any left turn on Cours Mirabeau leads into the alleys of the old city with shops and restaurants galore. The best way to reach the heart of the old city, pl. de l’Hotel de Ville, is by using a map from the tourist office (sorry bud... those medieval streets are confusing.) Other awesome squares in the old city are pl. des Cardeurs to one side of pl. de l’Hotel de Ville and pl. Richelme just below it.
The remaining main street to know is av. Bonaparte, which exits from pl. de la Rotonde in the opposite direction of Cours Mirabeau. The next main street av. Bonaparte hits is the perpendicular Cours Sextius, which has nightlife hotspots. It forms one border of the old city. Moving in a circle around the old city from Cours Sextius, bld. Jean Jaurès/bld. Aristide Briand (same street, but the name changes), Cours Saint Louis/bld. Carnot and bld. du Roi René form the other borders. Now that you’re oriented, go eat a trianon cake at Patissier Riederer.
ACCOMMODATIONS
At Aix’s most affordable accommodations—the friendly youth hostel and leafy campgrounds—you’ll have to accept being at a slight remove from centre ville. Thankfully, the bus service is so excellent that you won’t feel the difference. The price jumps €20 or more as you approach the middle of town, but the hotels tend to be well situated on the periphery of the old city, and most offer amenities and Provençal charm. Staying in town might be pricey, but you’ll get to appreciate Aix from the heart.
AUBERGE DE JEUNESSE
3 av. Marcel Pagnol
YOUTH HOSTEL
04 42 20 15 99 www.auberge-jeunesse-aix.fr
Aix’s most affordable accommodation is a veritable institution that sleeps 140 people in long hallways of four-person dormitories. The uniform bunk beds are comfortable, and although the baths vary in quality—with the occasional absence of a mirror or toilet seat—the porcelain is spotless. Without a doubt, the hostel’s best feature is the casual restaurant and lounge, which gets going at 7:30pm. You can eat beautifully (€5), or grab a beer and listen to the music.
From pl. de la Rotonde or the Gare Routière, take bus #4 (dir: La Mayanelle) to the Vasarely stop, and the hostel gates are right there. Alternatively, walk away from the city center down av. de l’Europe. Pass through three traffic circles and follow well-marked signs. Breakfast included. Dinner €5. 4-bed dorms €19 with a HI card (€11). Open daily 7am-2:30pm and 4:30pm-1am. Breakfast 7-9am. Vacate rooms by 10am for cleaning.
HOTEL PAUL
10 av. Pasteur
HOTEL
04 42 23 23 90 [email protected]
A charming farmhouse converted into a no-frills hotel with simple rooms. In keeping with the homage to Cézanne in the lobby, there are dozens of flowers in the gorgeous garden. The rooms may not have A/C, and some lack showers, but they are equipped with fans, double beds, and miniature pastoral landscapes. Overall, the feel is lovely and the hotel is perfectly situated with respect to the centre ville. Reserve in advance and expect reception to be accommodating but strict about hotel rules.
From pl. de l’Hotel de Ville, walk straight uphill on rue Gastan de Saporta until it exits the old city and becomes av. Pasteur. Continue straight, and the hotel is on your right. 10min. by foot. Breakfast €5. Singles €46-56; doubles €47-57; triples €69. Reception opens at 7:15am.
CAMPING ARC-EN-CIEL
50 av. Malacrida
CAMPGROUND
04 42 26 14 28 www.campingarcenciel.com
The old legend is true: there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and it’s Camping Arc-en-Ciel. A gorgeous campground run by the the Carlier-Berger family since 1950, the 50 campsites are usually filled up with happy campers in vans and tents. Each site has electricity, running water, and free Wi-Fi in addition to shared goods like the public pool, ping-pong table, and TV lounge. The bridge over the green river flowing through the campground is straight out of Monet.
Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide Page 70