Arles 2026: No Crit'Air Zone, Just Roman Ruins and Van Gogh
Arles, France · ZFE
Arles has no ZFE: no Crit'Air sticker, time window or ZFE fine applies. Park by the old town and walk to the Roman arena and Van Gogh sites; the Camargue lies south.
Can your car enter Arles?
Arles has no low-emission zone: the town is missing from the government’s list of ZFEs in force, so no Crit’Air sticker, time window or ZFE fine applies here. What it does have is a UNESCO-listed Roman arena still used for events, a Roman theatre, and the streets where Vincent van Gogh painted some of his best-known works in 1888-89. Park in a garage on the edge of the old town and walk, keeping the car for the flamingos and horses of the Camargue further south.
This page covers driving around Arles. For the emission classes and zone boundary, see the Arles ZFE details.
No Crit’Air here, park and walk the Roman city
A sticker is only worth ordering if your route continues into a real ZFE; on a Provence trip the nearest is central Marseille. In Arles, 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 (0.02% on a probationary licence).
When the car helps
Keep it for the Camargue, its flamingos, white horses and beaches, and the wider Provence (the Alpilles, Les Baux), driven from a central garage.
Sources
- Ministère de la Transition écologique, ZFE in force in France
- Service-Public, Crit’Air certificate
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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: 3PMSF on all four tyres, or snow chains / snow socks carried for two drive wheels; M+S alone no longer accepted (34 departments, signed communes only)
- Studded tyres: restricted
- Penalty: No sanction in force as of 17 Feb 2026 (penalty decree not yet published). Ignoring a B26 chain sign: 2nd-class fine, up to EUR 150. The obligation is enforceable only where B58/B59 signs are installed.
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.
Checked against national legislation, 30 Sep 2026 · Full France tyre law · Compare all countries
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Arles has no low-emission zone: it is not on the government's list of ZFEs in force, so no Crit'Air sticker, timetable or ZFE fine applies in the town. The nearest ZFE on a Provence trip is in central Marseille; if your route goes there, order the sticker from certificat-air.gouv.fr before you travel, as it arrives by post. 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 spares you 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.
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