How to get here:
By air: Ryanair operate low cost flights from Luton, East Midlands or Liverpool to Nimes (Garons); 40 mins transfer by car. Ryanair also operate a daily flight from Stanstead to Montpellier, 1 hr transfer by car. Easyjet have a daily low-cost flight from Gatwick to Marseilles; Bristol-Marseilles. PLEASE NOTE, many flights are seasonal and timetables can change. A car is essential: rental companies are available at Nimes, Marseilles and Montpellier Airports and also at Nimes Railway Station - Avis, Hertz and Europcar. By rail: A regular TGV service operates from Paris to Nimes (3 hrs).Eurostar from London to Nimes, via Lille or Paris, or direct London - Avignon once a week By road: From Paris you can join the A10/A71 crossing the Massif Central, then the A75 leaving the motorway at either junction 39, crossing the Cevennes mountains to Ales; a spectacular journey. Alternatively, take the A7/A( Austo route de Sud through Lyon to Junction 25 at Nimes (west). .
Things to do and see:
Unlike larger towns and coastal resorts of southern France, Anduze and Ales have retained their character and charm. In Ales there is a daily covered market and on Mondays an open air market spills out into the surrounding streets. There are free music shows every evening in summer months and many festivals throughout the year. In early May the local Feria turns Ales into a 4 day street party, with bull-fighting in the local arena and parades and dancing in the streets. The ever popular provencal market in Uzes on a Saturday morning is a must, with its pretty squares filled with artisans' stalls. Uzes and Vezenobres are just two of many medieval towns and villages in the Cevennes foothills. Stretching from the mountains and forests of the Cevennes to the salt marshes of the Camargue, the Gard offers a huge variety of attractions. Nimes boasts the only fully preserved Roman temple of the ancient world: the Maison Carree, and the city centre features a number of shops and attractions.
Things to do and see cont..:
The famous Roman arena is host to excellent live concerts and bullfights in the summer months but advance booking is essential. The Pont du Gard, just northeast of Nimes, is the largest surviving Roman aqueduct, while Aigues Mortes to the south is an almost perfectly preserved walled medieval town. For lovers of the great outdoors there are endless opportunities for cycling, hiking, pony trekking, fishing and canoeing. The nearest golf courses are Nimes Vacquerolles, a good 18 hole course, and Uzes, a pretty testing 9 hole course. There are miles of sandy beaches on the Mediterranean coast and countless vineyards to explore and enjoy with wonderful fauna and flora walking in the Cevennes. For the less energetic, there are scenic drives in the magnificent Cevennes - to Mont Aigoual, the Cirque de Navacelles and Gorges du tarn. With superb light and beautiful views, the area offers great opportunities for those who love photography and painting.
Other Activities:
kayaking: ice-skating: ten-pin bowling
