Roman Provence
Orange, Avignon, the Pont du Gard, Nîmes and Arles: two thousand years of stone within an hour's drive of each other.
- 6 stops
- 131 km by road
- 2 h 19 min of driving
- 2 days
Distances and times are calculated on real roads (OpenStreetMap), with no stops and no traffic.
The route goes into the planner with its stops, split over days: move, remove or add stops, see the times and look for a place to stay. Or open the whole route in Google Maps.
Before you set off
A car for this route
Hire the car where you arrive, at the airport or in the first city, and check that it can be returned where the route ends.
- Car hire Hire a car in France and reach the places the trains do not. On Localrent
- Airport transfer A driver meets you at arrivals and takes you to your door in Orange, at a price fixed in advance. On Kiwitaxi
- eSIM for France Mobile data from the moment you land, with no roaming bill. Installed on your phone before you leave. On Airalo
These services are sold by our partners: you book and pay on their sites. Viaqui may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
About the route
The lower Rhône valley has the densest group of Roman monuments in France, most of them still standing to their full height. The route starts at the theatre of Orange, whose stage wall is intact, stops in Avignon for the palace of the popes and the broken bridge, then crosses to the three-tiered aqueduct over the Gardon. It ends with the temple of Nîmes, among the best preserved of the Roman world, and the amphitheatre of Arles, still in use.
The route has 6 stops in France, across 2 regions. From the first to the last there are 131 km by road, which is 2 h 19 min of driving with no stops. The numbers on the map and in the list are the same order; press a stop to see it on the map, or open its page for the description and the address.
The route is a suggestion, not a schedule: you can drive it the other way round, split it over more days or take only the stops on your way. Every stop is also on the attractions map of France, together with everything else there is to see around it.
How long does the route take?
The driving alone is 2 h 19 min. With the stops, it depends how long you stay at each. We suggest 2 days, a pace that leaves time to go inside, not only to drive past.
Is the distance by road?
Yes. The 131 km and the 2 h 19 min are calculated on real roads, not in a straight line, with OpenStreetMap data. They do not include stops, traffic or detours.
Do I pay at every stop?
No. Some of the stops are free to enter; where a ticket is sold, it shows on the page of the place. Opening hours are set by whoever runs each place, so check them before you leave.
Can I change the order?
Yes. The order here is the one that keeps the drive short, but the route works just as well backwards or in pieces.
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From the fortress above Koblenz upstream to Bingen, along the gorge where a castle stands on almost every bend.
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Bavaria: from Würzburg to Neuschwanstein
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