Page 255 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Provence & The Côte d'Azur

TR A VEL INFORM A TION  253

Travelling in Cities

Apart from Marseille, which competes with Lyon for the title
of second city of France, the towns and cities of Provence are
small. The best way to get around is generally on foot, parking
in most towns is strictly regulated, and in the summer months
traffic can be very heavy. Marseille and Nice both have
excellent public transport systems that are efficient and easy
to use. Marseille and Nice also have bike rental schemes that
are similar to the Vélib in Paris.
Bicycles can be hired through the Le Vélo
scheme in Marseille
Metro
be bought from machines or
The fastest way to get around tram operators. A new tramway
Marseille is by Métro. The system to the airport from the city Cycling
has two lines, which meet at centre is due to open in 2018. Whether you bring your own
Gare St-Charles and Castellane bicycle or rent one, most of
stations. Métro 1 goes from the Provence’s towns are small
hospital La Fourragère in the Buses enough to cycle around.
east to La Rose in the northeast, Although bus routes between Marseille, Avignon and Aix-
passing through the Vieux Port towns in Provence can be en-Provence have introduced
on the way. Métro 2 runs roughly slow and inadequate, within the bike-sharing schemes. Ask at a
north to south, connecting the towns the service is usually good. tourist office for further details
shipping port with Notre-Dame- In Marseille an extensive bus and locations (see p245).
de-la-Garde and Ste-Marguerite. network covers all of the city.
Tickets can be bought from Long-distance buses and airport
Métro stations, on buses or shuttle buses leave from the gare Walking
r r
in tabacs. Trains run from routière (bus station) behind the outière (bus station) behind the outière Explore the towns on foot as
5am–10:30pm daily. main train station Gare St-Charles. much as you can. Apart from
There is a useful left-luggage Marseille and Nice the main
facility (consigne) at both stations. city-centre sights of Nîmes,
Trams Nice has a good network Avignon or Aix-en-Provence can
The Marseille tram network of city buses including night easily be seen in a walking tour.
consists of three lines, which buses. The Sunbus is a tourist
together link the centre to areas service that runs daily and has DIRECTORY
to the north, south, east and multiple stops throughout the
west of the city. The lines meet city. Tickets can be bought on Metro
at Noailles near Gare St-Charles. board buses or from tabacs.
The best tickets to buy are the Check the website of Lignes Métro (RTM) – Marseille
24-hour or 72-hour passes, d’Azur for timetables. ∑ rtm.fr
which give you unlimited travel Buses
on the metro, tram and bus.
In Nice some sections of the Taxis Ligne d’Azur
long-awaited tramway system There are taxi ranks on most ∑ lignedazur.com
are operational. The U-shaped main squares in towns and
Line 1 connects the northern cities. You can also telephone Taxis
and eastern neighbourhoods for taxis; enquire at the tourist Nice Taxi Riviera
to the centre of the city, passing office or your hotel for local Tel 08 91 03 93 92.
through Place Massena and the numbers. It is not usual practice
main railway station. Tickets can to hail a taxi in the street. Taxi Radio Marseille
Tel 04 91 02 20 20.
Cycling
Aix-en-Provence
∑ aixpritvelo.com
Avignon
∑ smoove-bike.com
Marseille
∑ levelo-mpm.fr
Nice
∑ velobleu.org
Marseille tram travelling along the Boulevard Longchamp