Travel to Aix en Provence
Flying to Aix en Provence
There are no direct flights to Aix en Provence. However, British Airways, Ryanair and easyJet provide flights to nearby Marseille from the UK.
Flight times
From London - 2 hours.
Travel 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, 90kph (56mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas unless otherwise indicated. The minimum driving age is 18 years.
You must carry a national driving licence (plus an international licence if you come from outside the EU), the car's registration and insurance documents, a high-visibility vest and a red warning triangle at all times. Adjust all headlamp beams 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 offences.
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.
VINCI Autoroutes (tel: 3605, in France; www.vinci-autoroutes.com) is responsible for the southern France motorway network and provides information on traffic conditions. Traffic conditions are broadcast on Radio VINCI 107.7FM.
Automobile Club d'Aix-en-Provence et du Pays d'Aix (tel: +33 4 4223 3373; www.autoclubaix.com) can provide further information on driving in Provence.
Emergency breakdown services
Garage Mavel (tel: +33 4 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
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.
Coaches
Aix-en-Provence coach station is located on the avenue de l Europe. RDT 13 (tel: +33 4 4293 5900; www.rdt13.fr) operates coaches to most destinations in the département (county). Eurolines (tel: +33 1 4186 2421; www.eurolines.fr) runs a direct coach service from Paris, with connections to other European cities.
Time to city
From Marseille - 30 minutes; Paris - 7 hours; Toulouse - 4 hours; Nice - 1 hour 50 minutes.
Travel by Rail
Services
High-speed TGV services connect Aix-en-Provence with Paris and Marseille. The Aix-en-Provence TGV station is about 16km (10 miles) west of the city. The modern station has shops, cafés and restaurants, and several car hire agencies. There is also a railway station in the city centre, rue Gustave Desplaces, for local and national services.
Operators
SNCF (tel: 3635, in France; www.sncf.com) operates rail services within France, including the TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon, which stops at Aix-en-Provence on its way to Marseille. If travelling from the UK, Eurostar (tel: +44 1233 617 575; www.eurostar.com) runs a direct service from London St Pancras to Marseille.
Journey times
From Nice - 3 hours; London - 7 hours; Paris - 3 hours.
Transfer
Shuttle buses (navettes) provide direct links from the TGV station to the city centre. There are also other buses, taxis and easy access to the A8 motorway.
