Family Hotels in Arles, Gateway to the Camargue

Families get a quiet garden base with a short walk to the Amphitheatre: air-conditioned family rooms, garden views, a work desk and room service for evenings when nobody wants to go out. The continental or à la carte breakfast helps with early starts, and free off-site parking keeps the car out of the old streets. There is no pool, so the garden and the town do the entertaining.

L'Arlatan offers families a rare combination in the old centre: a garden, a terrace and an outdoor pool, five minutes from the Amphitheatre. Family rooms, sofa beds and room service make evenings easy, and the restaurant covers lunch, dinner and high tea. The Baths of Constantine and the Roman Theatre are near, so sightseeing and swimming fit into one day. The garden is a calm place for the evening.

A family stay at Auberge des Plaines is about autonomy: a kitchenette for early dinners, a sofa bed for an extra child and a terrace with garden views for the evenings. Free parking and the Camargue 4.2 km away make car-based days easy, with flamingos and white horses on the list. The Roman centre is 8 km away, so days are planned by car rather than on foot.

Families who like to cycle will enjoy the free bike loan, which turns the flat ground around Arles into an easy plan. The rooftop terrace is a pleasant place for breakfast or an evening drink while children are still awake, and the Van Gogh museum is 500 metres away. Rooms are modern and simple, with a fan and a TV, and there is no pool, so the town supplies the entertainment.

This is a family choice for older children who enjoy a building with stories: patios for breakfast, a gallery on the ground floor and a historic centre outside. Family rooms are available, rooms are air-conditioned and the stairs are the only catch, since there is no elevator. Parking is public and nearby, so families without a car manage best, and the Roman sites are within walking distance.

Families can stay at Le Calendal, but the spa is reserved for adults, so the stay works best when parents take turns or when the children are old enough to explore the old town. The Théâtre antique and the Amphitheatre are next door, family rooms are available, and the restaurant serves simple light meals, with organic fruit juices and smoothies for the younger ones.

The Place du Forum gives families an open-air living room: cafés, a lively square and the Van Gogh trail at the door. The garden pool gives children a place to cool off between monuments, and the Amphitheatre and the Théâtre antique are an easy walk. Rooms in a family house are not huge, and the square can be noisy in the evening, so request a garden-side room.

A family stay in a house from the 12th and 15th centuries gives children a story: stone walls, Provençal decoration and the arenas 100 metres away. Family rooms and room service ease the logistics, and the terrace is a place to sit after sightseeing. There is no pool, and the parking is limited, so families without a car do best. The old stone walls are part of the character of the rooms.

Mireille works for families who want a garden hotel with a pool, away from the loud centre. Mornings start with breakfast in the shade, afternoons belong to the outdoor pool, and the Amphitheatre is a 15-minute walk for the cultural part of the day. Air-conditioned rooms and bathrobes make it comfortable, and the day trip to Les Baux-de-Provence, 23 km away, is straightforward by car.

A family stay at Mas de la Chapelle is about space: a 5-hectare park to run in, a pool and a tennis court for the afternoon, and bicycles to hire for rides towards town. Parents can book the private hot tub and hammam for two once the children are asleep, at an extra hourly cost. The station is 5 km away, so a car or a taxi is part of the plan.

Families get a central base that works without a car: the Amphitheatre is 200 metres away, the train station is 1 km away, and the patio gives children somewhere to sit after sightseeing. Rooms are air-conditioned and heated, family rooms are available, and the continental breakfast is served in the breakfast room or in your room. There is no pool, so day trips fill the gap.

A family stay in an old coaching inn gives children something to look at: stone, Provençal furnishing and a short walk to the Roman monuments. The three-minute distance to the main sites means short outings and quick returns for naps. Family rooms are available, though not every room has air conditioning, so July travellers should ask. There is no pool, so the town itself is the entertainment.

Families and friends who rent a few rooms together will like the layout: a pool, lawn chairs and a raised park outside, a table tennis table for rainy afternoons and a picnic area for lunches. Breakfast runs from 07:30 to 10:00, and the hotel bar closes at 20:00, so evenings are quiet. Arles is 2.7 km away, which is an easy drive or a bike ride.

A family stay here runs on the pool and the garden. Children have somewhere to burn off energy after a morning among Roman stone, and parents get a terrace or balcony above the water in the room. The 1.3 km to the Amphitheatre is a bike ride rather than a stroll, which suits older children, and the activity list adds cooking classes and walking tours for rainy days. Pets are welcome, so the dog travels too.

This is a hotel where the children decide the evening plan: the heated indoor pool, the playground and the table tennis keep them busy long after the Roman sites close. Parents can use the fitness centre, and the covered garden is a cool place to sit in July. Staff can suggest Camargue trails 12 km away, which turns a pool hotel into a base for flamingo-spotting mornings.

A family here gets a central base: the Amphitheatre is 300 metres away, so children can go from breakfast to the Roman arena on foot and back for a rest. Family rooms are available, air conditioning helps in July, and the terrace and shared lounge give parents a place to sit once the little ones are in bed. The trade-off is parking, which is public and nearby, so pack accordingly.

Families can stay at Jules César, which accepts family rooms and pets, and the floral gardens and the seasonal heated pool give children room to move. The Cinq Mondes Spa suits the parents, with its hot tub, sauna and massage cabins. Room service helps on tired evenings, and the restaurant, Lou Marquès, is more suited to a grown-up dinner than a quick meal with small children.

Families get a rare mix here: a rooftop pool for the children and a location within an eight-minute walk of the Amphitheatre. Sofa beds and family rooms ease the space question, soundproofing helps young sleepers on busy nights, and breakfast serves local specialities alongside pastries. The rooftop is the evening plan, and the old centre is the daytime one, which keeps everyone moving without a car.

Families who choose Nord-Pinus choose the setting: the Place du Forum at the door, the Arènes and the Saint-Trophime cloister a short walk away, and rooms with family configurations. Room service helps on tired evenings, and the bar and terrace keep parents in the scene while children sleep. It is a hotel for town-based families rather than pool-based ones, and a quiet room is worth requesting.

For a family on the move, ibis Arles removes friction: free parking, a family room, a restaurant and a bar in the building, and a breakfast with baked pastries, fruit salad, yogurts and madeleines. The 04:00 light option helps when a flight or a long drive starts early, and the Amphitheatre is 1.4 km away. Evenings are quiet and functional rather than scenic.

This reads as a practical family base: parking at the door, a room with space for children, and a restaurant downstairs for the evenings when nobody wants to walk into town. Breakfast is a continental buffet with pancakes, pastries and fruit, which keeps small appetites happy. Les Alyscamps and the Roman Theatre are the nearest sights, and the old centre is a short drive or a longer walk away.

For a family with a car, Urban Style offers modern rooms, free parking and a restaurant that serves French cuisine at dinner, so evenings need no planning. The garden and the sun terrace give children somewhere to sit outside, bicycles can be rented, and the Alyscamps and the Roman Theatre are the nearest sights. Guests single out attentive staff and the breakfast, which helps on busy sightseeing mornings.

For a budget family trip by car, this is a no-fuss option: free parking, a family room, free WiFi and quick check-in and check-out. The Amphitheatre and the Antique Theatre are a 10-minute drive, and the garden gives children somewhere to run before bedtime. There is no pool, so plan meals in town, and expect a functional stay rather than a destination hotel.

Families who bring a car find an easy rhythm here: the heated outdoor pool in the morning, a drive into Arles for the Roman sites, then an afternoon in the tree-lined park. Family rooms and free parking keep logistics simple, and rooms with a private terrace give parents an evening spot. The centre is 5 km away, and the Alpilles park begins next door.

Families with a car will find a hotel built for ease: a year-round outdoor pool, a garden and a sun terrace, free parking and a minimarket for snacks. Family rooms have a minibar and air conditioning, and the breakfast offers a continental, American or full English option. The Amphitheatre is 6 km away, so sightseeing days start with a short drive. Pets are welcome too.