| Cours Mirabeau, which replaced the town's old southern fortifications, is the main thoroughfare of Aix, with the multi-fountained place Général-de-Gaulle, or La Rotonde, at its west end, the main point of arrival. The gare SNCF is on rue Gustavo-Desplace at the end of avenue Victor-Hugo, the avenue leading south from the square; the gare routière is on avenue de l'Europe, at the end of avenue des Belges (tel 04.42.91.26.80). The new TGV station is 10km to the southwest of Aix; regular shuttles connect the station with the gare routière (daily 4.45am–10.30pm; €3.60). Driving into Aix can be confusing: your best bet is to follow signs for the gare; taking avenue des Belges past the station will lead you to the tourist office in the centre of town – there is street parking on the ring road which hems in the old town. The tourist office is at 2 place Général-de-Gaulle (Mon–Sat 8.30am–7pm, Sun 8.30am–1pm & 2–6pm; tel 04.42.16.11.61, www.aixenprovencetourism.com), between avenue des Belges and avenue Victor-Hugo. From mid-June to the end of July (festival time) your chances of getting a hotel room are pretty slim unless you've reserved a couple of months in advance at least. Outside this time, there is a decent range of accommodation to choose from.
Pages in section ‘Arrival & Hotels’: Hotels, Hostels and campsites.
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