Driving in Arles — Crit'Air in Van Gogh's Roman City by the Camargue
Arles, France · ZFE
Arles — the atmospheric Provençal city on the Rhône, with superb Roman monuments (a great amphitheatre and theatre, a UNESCO ensemble), the landscapes and light that inspired Van Gogh during his year here, a renowned photography festival, and the gateway to the wild Camargue with its flamingos, horses and bulls — runs a Crit'Air ZFE (foreign cars included) with fines from around EUR 68 for cars. The compact old town is largely walkable. Park in a garage and walk; the Roman arena, the Van Gogh sites and the Camargue are the draws.
Can your car enter Arles?
Arles — the atmospheric Provençal city with superb Roman monuments (a UNESCO ensemble), the light that inspired Van Gogh, and the gateway to the wild Camargue — runs a Crit’Air ZFE (foreign cars included) with fines from around EUR 68 for cars.
This page covers driving around Arles. For the emission classes and zone boundary, see the Arles ZFE details.
Crit’Air, park and walk the Roman city
Order the Crit’Air sticker ahead (certificat-air.gouv.fr); without it the ZFE fine is from EUR 68. Park in a garage and walk the old town to the Roman Arènes, the theatre and the Van Gogh sites. France’s limits: 50 km/h urban, 0.05% alcohol.
When the car helps
Keep it for the Camargue — the flamingos, white horses and beaches — and the wider Provence (the Alpilles, Les Baux), driven from a central garage.
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Winter tyres in France — 2026–27 season
Winter tyres are required in France whenever conditions are wintry — 1 Nov - 31 Mar (mountain law, designated departments).
- Tread minimum: 1.6 mm — France sets no separate winter figure.
- Accepted marking: M+S or 3PMSF
- Studded tyres: restricted
- Penalty: Not published by the French authorities. Note: the obligation is only enforceable where the B58/B59 signs have actually been installed (Code de la route art. D. 314-8).
In French the rule is pneus hiver, and snow chains are chaînes à neige — that is the wording on signs, in hire-car paperwork and on any penalty notice.
Verified against national legislation, August 2026 · Full France tyre law · Compare all countries
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Arles's ZFE requires a Crit'Air windscreen sticker for all cars, including foreign-registered ones, with the most polluting classes restricted. Order it ahead from the official site (certificat-air.gouv.fr), as it arrives by post. Driving in the zone without a valid sticker risks a fine from around EUR 68 for cars. The compact, walkable old town means most visitors park on the edge and walk in.
Arles has a remarkable Roman heritage, a UNESCO World Heritage ensemble: a large, well-preserved amphitheatre (the Arènes, still used for events and bullfights), a Roman theatre, the cryptoporticus underground galleries, and Roman baths, reflecting its importance as a major city of Roman Gaul. These monuments are woven through the compact old town, best explored on foot, alongside the medieval Saint-Trophime church and cloister.
Vincent van Gogh spent a hugely productive year in Arles in 1888-89, painting some of his most famous works inspired by the city and the Provençal light, including the Café Terrace at Night, the Yellow House and the sunflowers. While the original paintings are in museums worldwide, you can follow a Van Gogh trail to the sites he painted, and the Fondation Van Gogh hosts exhibitions. His legacy is central to the city's appeal, explored on foot.
Use an underground garage near the centre or a car park on the edge of the old town, then walk in. The historic centre around the Roman arena, the squares and the Rhône is compact and largely walkable. Parking once and walking avoids the ZFE and the narrow streets. Keep the car for the Camargue and the wider Provence.
Not for the city — the compact old town is walkable. A car is genuinely useful for the Camargue, the wild wetland region just south with its flamingos, white horses, bulls and beaches (and the seaside town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer), and for the wider Provence — the Alpilles, the abbey of Montmajour, Les Baux — driven from a central garage rather than used in the ZFE-bound centre.
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