Nimes
A visit to the French Rome with , many Roman monuments to see. Pedestrianised streets with many bars and shops. Very friendly people in bars who will chat to you.
Thursday
Flight at 06:35 arriving at 10:10 local time to Marseille Vitrolleds airport a 2 hour 35 minute flight. Free shuttle bus from stance 5 to railway station – takes 5 minutes. Catch train at 11:33 from airport arriving Nimes at 12:36. Stay in Ibis Budget Gare for £35 with a cheap breakfast on offer. Staff in this Ibis very friendly and walkable from here to all city centre locations. Right next to train station so trips to Avignon and Arles possible.
Transport
Bike Hire at Velo Tango is possible for €3 a day. You need to know your IBAN number for your bank account to rent a bike. Never encountered this anywhere else. My online banking app gave me the IBAN number.
Bus travel is €1.60 for one trip or €12.30 for a carnet of 10 trips. A day pass is €3.30. Tickets can be bought from the driver. The main route is the T1 tram which is actually a bus. Takes you to shopping centre south of town, Nimes football ground and swimming and bus station for inter-city travel.
Bars
All these bars serve food and are in order of how good we found them.
Bar Le Victor Hugo, 36 Boulevard Victor Hugo, 30000 Nîmes – good lunches here and friendly customers
Bistro Maubert, 3 Rue Maubet, 30000 Nîmes, France – good music, friendly folk and food.
O’Flaherty’s, 21 Boulevard Amiral Courbet, 30000 Nîmes
La Buvette des Halles – in Les halles this bar has been there since 1975 and is full of locals. Great fresh seafood and other dishes.
Barrio Latino, 4, Rue Saint-Antoine, 30000 Nîmes
Instant T, 2 Rue Racine, 30900 Nîmes has 8 beer fonts and about 1000 beers. Very near to the Maison Carree Roman monument.
Les 3 brasseurs, 950 Ancienne Route de Générac, 30900 Nîmes, France. Wide range of beers brewed on site – great food too. On T1 tram route.
Restaurants
La Buena Onda , 14 Rue des Fourbisseurs, 30000 Nîmes. Argentinian restaurant
Hanoi, 1 Rue Saint-Charles, 30000 Nîmes – no menu du jour
Pizza di Roma. 8 Rue Vincent Faïta, 30000 Nîmes.
Les Trois Bonheurs, 5 Rue des Greffes, 30000 Nîmes – Vietnamese restaurant that was very cheap
Indian Restaurant area – 4 restaurants around 32 Rue Porte de France, 30900 Nîmes
Bistrot Le Republique, 3 Rue de la République, 30000 Nîmes
L’Harmonie, 29 Rue de la Madeleine, 30000 Nîmes – quite expensive
Things to see
There are lots of Roman things to see in the city and a little further away. You can buy a multi ticket for €17
the Maison Carrée – Europe’s best preserved Roman temple. Film show inside that was actually quite good
the Tour Magne – a Roman tower with views over the city
the amphitheatre -the best preserved amphitheatre in the world
Temple of Diana – derelict but interesting
The Roman Museum – next to the amphitheatre
Le Spot – art place with food
Shopping
Centre Commercial La Coupole de Nîmes, 22 Boulevard Gambetta, 30000 Nîmes
Centre commercial Carré Sud, 148 Rue Jean Lauret, 30900 Nîmes, France. Get a C34 or C33 bus from train station
Les Halles for market food
Map