Aix en Provence, France — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
Marseille Provence Airport (MRS)
Tel: (04) 4214 1414.
Website: www.marseille.aeroport.fr
Marseille Provence Airport is located 25km (16 miles) southwest of Aix, in Marignane. The airport is the fourth airport in France for passenger traffic, with almost seven million passengers per year. The no-frills terminal, mp2, is located within easy walking distance from the existing International and Domestic terminals. It is the main Ryanair hub in France (www.mp2.aeroport.fr).
Airport facilities: There is a bank and several ATMs, as well as a post office. Cafes, restaurants and newsagents can be found in all terminals. Duty-free shopping is available in the International Terminal and in mp2. Other shops, including some selling regional produce, can also be found at the airport. Left-luggage facilities are available. There is a business center (tel: (04) 4214 2774) in Hall 4 of the Domestic Terminal, and several hotels nearby, with free shuttle service to the airport. Car hire is available from Ada, Avis, Budget, National/Citer, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt.
Transport to the city: A shuttle leaves for Aix-en-Provence daily every half hour 0530-2330, calling at the TGV Station en route (tel: (04) 4214 3127). The journey takes about 30 minutes. Taxis are available 24 hours a day and can be ordered in advance (tel: (04) 4214 2444; www.taxis-aeroport.com).
Getting There By Road
Motorways (autoroutes) bear the prefix 'A', national roads (routes nationales) 'N' and minor roads (routes départementales) are classed as 'D' roads. Traffic drives on the right and drivers must give way to the right, unless the route is marked with 'passage protégé' signs (a broad arrow, a yellow diamond or an 'X' on a triangular background) or if the driver is at a roundabout indicating 'Vous n'avez pas la priorité'. Tolls (péages) are enforced.
Speed limits are 130kph (81mph) on motorways (110kph (68mph) when raining), 110kph (68mph) on dual carriageways separated by a central reservation, 90kph (56mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. The minimum age for driving is 18 years. Seat belts must be worn by all passengers (front and rear). Children under 10 may not travel in the front seat.
A national driving license, the car's registration document and a red warning triangle must be carried at all times. All headlamp beams must be adjusted for right-side driving, by use of beam deflectors or by tilting the headlamp bulb-holder. The French police fine motorists on the spot for driving offenses. The maximum legal alcohol-to-blood ratio for driving is 0.05%.
EU nationals taking their own cars to France are strongly advised to obtain a Green Card, without which insurance cover is limited to the minimum legal cover in France. The Green Card tops this up to the level of cover provided by the car owner's domestic policy.
Autoroutes du Sud de la France - ASF (tel: (04) 9032 9005; www.asf.fr) is responsible for the southern France motorway network and produces free maps with information in English. The motorway network number (tel: (04) 9178 7878) provides information on traffic conditions and driving regulations in southeastern France. Information is also available from Autoroutel (tel: 0892 707 001). Traffic conditions are broadcast on Radio Trafic 107.7FM. Emergency telephones linked up to the police are located every 2km (1.2 miles) on each side of the motorway.
Automobile Club d'Aix-en-Provence et du Pays d'Aix (tel: (04) 4223 3373; www.autoclubaix.com) can provide further information on driving in Provence.
Emergency breakdown services
s: Garage Mavel (tel: (04) 4224 0580). If you need an ambulance, use the orange SOS phones which are situated every 2km (1.2 miles) on motorways and every 4km (2.5 miles) on dual carriageways and other major roads. Or dial 15 from a normal phone. You must also call the police (dial 17).
Routes to the city
Motorway A7 goes to the north, towards Lyon and Paris, and south towards Marseille. Motorways A54 and A9 go west towards Arles, Nîmes and Montpellier. The A8 goes east towards Nice.
Coach services
Aix-en-Provence coach station is located on the avenue de l'Europe (tel: 0891 024 025). RDT 13 (tel: (04) 4293 5900; www.rdt13.fr) operates coaches to most destinations in the département (county).
Getting There By Rail
Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (SNCF) (tel: 0892 353 535 or 3635 from within France; www.sncf.fr) is the national rail carrier. Generally, trains are on time but beware of strikes. As throughout France, train tickets must be validated prior to boarding.
Rail Services
The recent extension of the TGV line brought Aix within under 3 hours of Paris, from where services connect to Lille, Nantes, Rouen, Brussels and Geneva, as well as London with the Eurostar (tel: 08705 186 186 in the UK; www.eurostar.com) (journey time - 8 hours).
The Aix-en-Provence TGV station is about 13km (8 miles) west of the city. Shuttle buses (navettes) provide direct links to the city center. There are also other buses, taxis and easy access to the A8 motorway. The new and very modern station has shops, cafes and restaurants, and several car rental agencies.
There is also a train station in the city center, rue Gustave Desplaces, for local and national services.
Getting Around in Aix en Provence, France
Public Transport
Aix has a good bus network, with 23 routes serving the city center and suburbs (tel: (04) 4226 3728; www.aixenbus.com). Books of 10 tickets (carnet), day and weekly passes are available. Tickets are available from the tourist office and in kiosks throughout the city, and should be purchased before boarding.
Taxis
Taxis are plentiful in Aix, with several taxi ranks in the city. Otherwise, Taxi Radio Aixois (tel: (04) 4227 7111; www.taxisradioaixois.com) and Taxi Mirabeau (tel: (04) 4221 6161) are both reputable companies.
Driving in the City
Parking is always a problem in Aix-en-Provence, as many of the streets are narrow and the traffic is heavy. Kerb-side parking in and around town is regulated by meter and uniformed contractuels (traffic wardens) dispense PVs (fines) to motorists who overstay their slot. Parking garages (signalled by a large P sign) are usually the best bet, but they can be expensive. Another alternative is to leave your car at one of the two 'Parcs Relais' outside the city center and hop on a bus to Aix from there (journey time - about 10 minutes). Visit www.aixenbus.com for more information and a map.
Car Hire
Car hire companies in Aix include Avis, Gare TGV (tel: 0820 611 637) or 11 cours Gambetta (tel: 0820 611 638) (www.avis.fr), Europcar, 55 boulevard de la République (tel: 0825 896 976) or Gare TGV (tel: 0825 083 491) (www.europcar.fr), Hertz, Gare TGV (tel: (04) 4269 3110) or 43 avenue Victor Hugo (tel: (04) 4227 9132) (www.hertz.fr) and National/Citer, Gare TGV (tel: (04) 4269 0663; www.national.fr).
Bicycle Hire
Bicycles can be hired from several outlets in Aix, including Location de Vélos La Rotonde, 2 avenue des Belges (tel: (04) 4226 7892), Cycles Zammit, 27 rue Mignet (tel: (04) 4223 1953) and Aix'prit Vélo, 17 rue Constantin (tel: (04) 4221 2405; www.aixpritvelo.com).
