CSJ Guides to the Routes through France #4i:
Arles to Toulouse (2007) - updates

Vauvert (From Gerry May, May 2010)

At Vauvert (page 14) the hotel is Hotel Lys D'Or (formerly Hotel  l'Etape),  41 rue de la Republique, Vauvert Tel 04. 66 8820 65 email info@hotel-vauvert.com www.hotel-vauvert.com . Hotel under going extensive renovation, has 12 rooms, 10 singles/ double, 2 up to 4 per room. All ensuite.  Wifi freely provided as seems to be French custom.

Other Hotel de Louve is closed.

St Gilles du Gard: (rec'd October 2009)

la Pause du Pèlerin
8 Place de la République
30800 St Gilles
phone : 0033466271834 or 0033633045383.
we have 3 bedroom : 12 €/ person and 2 dorms : 8 €/ person
breakfast : 4 €
half board : 28 € on site
mail: lapausedupelerin@hotmail.fr

From Rodney Lynn, April 2009:

In Arles visit the Tourist office for additional information about the walk and pick up pamphlets which include a profile of the walk and a list of additional accommodation;

Accommodation in Vendargues -  The potter, Nicole Mentha (?), who has the only  shop in la Place des Ecoles-Laiques, has a gite which might be available (€40 per night) if the hotel is shut (as it was for us). It is also very convenient for the bus into Montpellier - check bus times on the schedule attached to the bus stop.

In Montpelier check the tram map to see from which stop to catch the number 25 bus to Grabels - the intersections of bus routes adn the tramways are clearly indicated on the map. Currently the connecting stop is Malbosc not Occitanie. Ask for the Grabels centre stop (closest to the church) rather than the end of the route for a more easy re-connection with the GR653;

Accommodation in Saint Gervais sur Mare - the CH - Anne Marie Dressayre is no longer operating. An alternative is La Bruyere 5 rue de la Marianne (04 67 23 97 91).

On the route into Noailhac there is one section where there are conflicting GR signs. At a fork in the path it is necessary to take the left hand branch on a tree stump on the left hand side of the path there is a straight ahead sign (difficult to spot because the stump is slumped over) while a few metres on the tree on the right hand side has a cross indicating not the correct path. This tree has slipped from the path above - the right hand fork. The sign needs to be ignored and not too much further on these is a new, reassuring straight ahead sign on the right.

In general, the 653 is well marked - it seems to have been re-routed so the directions in the guide are sometimes not correct, but the way-marking keeps one moving in the right direction. Parts of the forestry track on the Saint Gervais to Murat leg are being widened for a road and the markings are infrequent as well as the path being churned up by heavy vehicles, but it is possible to get through.

From Babette Gallard, February 2009: Pilgrim accommodation in Arles

Just thought we should let you know that Paul and I have finally found our home in Arles and will be there by the end of March.  We will be working flat-out to get the pilgrim accommodation ready for May, so perhaps you could let anyone planning to travel via that route, know that we are there.

8 rue des Vinatiers, 13200 Arles, Tel: 00 33 (0)4 90 93 75 78

8 beds, no reservation, donation

Accommodation and Facilities at Lodève. The new gite d'étape installed in the former tannery at Lodeve is now open and fully operational.

  

Contact details are:

Pierre Bléron, Gérant de La Mégisserie
00 33 (0)4 99 91 43 30 (répondeur) / 00 33 (0)6 74 58 56 03 (mobile)
www.lamegisserie.fr

Some comments received October 2008:

Saint-Gilles to Vauvert - this is one of the few lunch break towns. We got lost on the CSJ guide page 14 1st para. Never found the turn sharp R along a wooded valley-bottom. Last waymark before was round irrigation thing on ground. X in right direction and normal waymark straight ahead, so went straight. At next T no waymark any direction though we walked about 100 yards on each option. Finally started asking farm workers way to Vauvert and stopping passing cars, and eventually got there.

P14 11k to Gallargues.

Gallargues - if you stay at the excellent Lou Cigalou CH in Aigues-Vives, you need to call them. Don't call where the GR653 leaves the D363, but walk up the D363 about 1/2 km to the railroad tracks where there is a little unattended Gare with parking areas. Call from there and say you are at the Gare. The CSJ guide and the Miam Miam Dodo frequently use the road numbers, but there usually isn't a sign on the road giving the numbers, and the locals don't know the road numbers.

Leaving Gallargues - waymarks missing or misleading, but walk on the road on the left (south?) edge of the A9 towards the bridge, and under the bridge you will find the waymarks again, leading to Villetelle.
Leaving Villetelle, the waymarks don't correspond to any guidebook, don't take you past the Roman bridge, but instead head straight for the intersection of the A9 and D34, and from there follow the A9 on one side or the other to Vendargues.

Montpellier to Grabels. The CSJ 2004 updates suggested taking the 21 bus from Vendargues to Montpellier centre, and then the tram 1 line to the Euromedicine station, then the 24 bus to the end of the line in Grabels - direction Le Pradas. Don't go to the end of the line. About 5 minutes before, the road splits with sports stadium or something like that signed to the left, and the bus goes to the right. You want to get off there and walk up the road towards the stadium. You will cross a bridge over a river in a few hundred yards, and you turn left, back towards Montpellier. You will walk thru' a parking lot and a river side park with the river on your left. You will cross a little bridge that jogs to the right with a little stream under it. Cross and continue till you see a bridge crossing the river on your left. At that point you will see waymarks indicating that you turn right and go up over the hill. At that point you are back on the trail.

P21 recommendations
Hostellerie St. Benoit on GR on way out of town.

The 4km road walk along the river Hérault is incredible. Walk on the river side, and keep looking into the gorge, water spurting from the sides, wonderful.

P22. Accomodations. Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is a beautiful little village, and the climb out of town the next day is your first taste of a true mountain trail. We stayed at Hotel Rest. Guilhem de Orange at foot of village.

Joncels - CH Villa Issiates excellent accomodations and food - pilgrims welcome.

P28 accomodations: Le Bousquet - CH La Borio - nice - about 1/2 km beyond town away from trail. Owners English - American - give ride back to trail.

P30 Saint Gervais - we stayed in a low cost private gite - Mr. Michel Bros. We were the only ones there, and they shared their meal with us. They spoke English. His mother had made the wine.

P35 Accomodations Anglès - Gite La Guariguette - historic hotel now decorated with artistic flair - we were only ones there. Had our own huge well lighted room. Neighbor let us in. Owner prepared simple meal for us.

P37 Accomodations Boissezon - fine new public gite st. Jacques - we had our own room with double bed and shower. Cafe owner was host and found us a place to stay in Castres.

p49, 1st para. In mapping route in to Toulouse, 4km to Pechbusque, the instructions should say
"and turn L onto the chemin d'Etang."  As printed, it now says turn R.

 

The above comes come from Ralph Alcorn - to whom many thanks - who adds the following message:

"We just got back from walking about 200 miles on the Arles Route. I've put together quite a bit of information for planning a walk on that route - I think by far the most info that is available on any English language site. Anyway, I thought some of the English first language pilgrims who are planning that route would find our new web page very helpful, and you might consider putting a link to it on your Arles page: http://www.backpack45.com/camino2p4.html."