CSJ Guides to the Routes through France #4i:
Arles to Toulouse (2011) - update January 2012
INTRODUCTION
p6 Guides and maps New edition: Miam Miam Dodo Saint Jacques de Compostelle: La Voie d’Arles GR653 Edition 2012-13 Mireille Retail & Marie-Virginie Cambriels Les éditions du Vieux Crayon 2011 ISBN 978-2916446356.
p9 Accommodation It would be wise to add some 10% to 2010 prices.
THE ROUTE AND PLACES OF INTEREST
p14 Arles GE La Maison du Pèlerin et du Routard, place Pomme, 06 99 71 11 89 & 04 90 96 11 89, 14p, 25€.
p15 ROUTE Because of problems with landowners, the FFRP has modified 2 stretches of GR653:
line 18 About 100m after crossing the Petit Rhône, turn R down slope and go L at foot of embankment. Follow dirt track for some 300m until you meet D179; turn R and follow to the rail tracks. Continue as at top p16.
p16 ROUTE
line 8 of paragraph ‘13km to Gallargues-le-Montueux’. After crossing the 3 small roads you reach the greenhouses of the Mas des Abeilles: fork R on dirt track for 500m. Cross minor road and ahead on tarmac for 700m passing Doulouzargues. At busy D979 go R for 250m then fork L on dirt track for 750m. At canal turn R and in 200m L over canal and enter Codognan by route de Camargue. Cross N113 at lights and ahead on rue des Mas for 200m.
Turn L on rue de la Védière, cross fitness trail (picnic tables), and continue on D842 for 600m. Fork L on track which goes west, broadly parallel with railway for about 1.2km. On reaching D363, turn L and follow it south, ignoring D142 which goes off L. After 500m, at vines, turn R, cross wooden bridge and KSO through industrial estate. Rejoin guidebook 3 lines from bottom of page. This section is about 1.5km longer than the route it replaces.
p22 Montpellier PBB Roger & Michèle Baudin 04 67 47 87 47 & 06 16 02 30 64, ½p 20€, off GR at Pignan but will collect from Mosson tram station.
p24 La Boissière CH/G La Radassière 04 67 66 60 91 & 06 79 46 68 76, 20€.
p24 Aniane CH Les Esterelles 04 64 57 47 59 & 06 22 57 17 81, 60€.
p25 Saint-Jean-de-Fos CH Le Mas des Elfes 04 67 57 98 10, 55€.
p26 Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert delete GE Le Logis des Pénitents.
p29 Usclas-du-Bosc G Gîte l'Étape 06 80 72 15 76 & 04 67 44 48 80, 4p, 16€, 1km from village.
p32 Saint-Christaud CH TH la Grange de Garac is now HversC (Halte vers Compostelle, see p.9), 25€‡, meal 12€.
p34 Mècle GE (Les Amoureux du Chemin) is now HversC, ½p 26€.
p35 Saint-Gervais-sur-Mare delete GE M.Bras and CH Mme Dressayre.
p37 Murat-sur-Vèbre L’Etape des Menhirs also 06 70 72 99 27, 15€, ½p 27€.
p41 Anglès GE La Gariguette is now HversC,
p42 Boissezon GE Le Saint-Jacques is now HversC; try mairie phone first.
p46 Dourgne CH TH Loroc ½p 25€‡, 40€ 2 pilgrims.
p49 Labastide d'Anjou HR Le Grilladou 04 68 60 11 63, 39€, 2.5km east on D6113.
p54 Baziège PG now 05 34 66 30 09.
p57 Renneville G Refuge Viola 2000 05 61 81 22 18 & 06 07 85 94 60, 14p, 15€, ½p 25€. CH Le Souleilla 05 62 71 14 94, ½p 65€.
p60 Toulouse AP Maison diocésaine du Christ-Roi closed for repairs 2011. PG La Halte des Jacobins, 9 rue Lakanal, 06 82 56 53 54, 4p, 20€, ½p 28€.
Thanks to Michael Gaches, January 2012