Nîmes by motorhome: a day between Roman monuments and gardens

In Nîmes, we stopped for a beer at a beer bar whose name I’ve forgotten. So that’s one address I won’t be much help with… For your visit, I can suggest something easier to find: a walking route linking the Arènes, Maison Carrée and Jardins de la Fontaine, without having to move your motorhome between them.

Here’s how I’d plan a motorhome stop in Nîmes: a day on foot, some background to the monuments and the practical details to sort out before you park. One day gives you an introduction to the city; allow another if you want several museum visits or a separate trip to the Pont du Gard.

To compare a car rental before or after this stop, this Trip.com section covers all of France.

Visiting Nîmes on foot: I would start with the Arena

The Arènes give you an immediate sense of the scale of Roman Nîmes. The amphitheatre was built at the end of the 1st century AD: its façade has two levels of arcades and its layout guided spectators to their seats. The passages, stairs, and galleries are just as much a part of the visit as the oval outline you see from outside. It’s a good opportunity to see how a public building functioned, with thousands of people to let in and out.

The amphitheatre still hosts performances, so sightseeing access can change around events. Check the official Arènes calendar before fixing your plans. During concerts or the feria, a tightly timed itinerary could bring you to a closed gate.

Just across, the Musée de la Romanité offers another angle on this history: archaeological objects, mosaics, and a presentation of the city before and during the Roman period. I’d allow time for it as a visit in its own right, rather than squeezing it between two other stops. If you only have one day and also want to climb the Tour Magne, choose what interests you the most; the combination of Arena, museum, and tower can quickly fill the schedule.

The Maison Carrée, a temple in the middle of the city

From the Arena, continue into the old centre towards the Maison Carrée. The buildings had different roles: the amphitheatre hosted spectacles, while this temple was devoted to the imperial cult. Erected in the early years of the 1st century, it occupied a place in the forum of Nemausus, Roman Nîmes. Its podium and Corinthian columns are therefore part of a deliberate public setting.

Take the time to walk around it. At the front, the columns create a vestibule; on the sides, they are attached to the walls rather than standing free. This difference is better understood outside than by trying to remember a collection of architectural terms. You need a ticket to go inside: the information about the Maison Carrée sets out the single-entry and combined monument tickets.

I’d then slow things down in the Écusson, the old town. A few streets around the squares, a break for a meal, then the continuation of the walk: you don’t need to turn every façade into a mandatory stop to enjoy Nîmes.

The Jardins de la Fontaine and the climb to the Tour Magne

The Jardins de la Fontaine extend the route into a different setting, with a climb towards the tower. They surround the ancient spring of Nîmes. The landscaped gardens and Roman remains belong to different eras: the grand staircase and the basins are not simply the remnants of a Roman park.

The monument called the Temple of Diana is part of the remains to look at on site. Its name has remained, but its function is still subject to hypotheses: the city explains that it belonged to the imperial sanctuary, although Diana was probably never worshipped there. Its presentation of the Temple of Diana helps distinguish the name of the monument from what is known about its history.

Above the gardens, the Tour Magne combines two stages of construction: an earlier Gallic tower enclosed within a Roman structure under Augustus. It served to assert the city’s presence as much as to monitor the surroundings. You climb from the gardens to reach it, with an internal staircase still to tackle if you go inside. In summer, I’d do this section early or in the late afternoon, away from the strongest sun.

Arriving in Nîmes by motorhome and exploring the centre on foot

I’d find somewhere suitable for the motorhome, then walk or use public transport. Underground car parks near the Arènes and Maison Carrée are mainly for cars. Being close to the sights doesn’t make them suitable for Édouard or a high van.

For the night, check whether motorhomes are accepted, the opening period, and the services you need. A car park provides parking; a motorhome service point adds facilities such as water and waste disposal; a campsite offers pitches and its own facilities. Choose the solution that suits your stay and how self-sufficient your vehicle is.

Our apps for travelling in a motorhome can help you plan your arrival and find recent parking reviews. Still, keep the signage and the dimensions of your vehicle in mind: a good rating doesn’t make a height barrier disappear.

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We drive to a place, stay long enough to get it wrong a few times, then write the guide we wish we'd had: parking, timing, what's worth the detour.

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Eating in Nîmes and choosing your visit budget

Look for brandade de morue at delicatessens and on the menus of Nîmes restaurants. The preparation mainly combines cod and oil; versions and accompaniments vary. You can make it a meal at a restaurant or buy some to take away, depending on how you want to spend your lunch break.

For your budget, distinguish between paid visits and the walk: seeing the facades of monuments, crossing the centre, and walking in the gardens does not require the same budget as entering the Arena, the museum, and the Tour Magne. Compare the price of separate tickets and a pass with your actual program. An interesting pass on paper is still too expensive if you only visit one monument.

Then add parking or overnight costs, transport, and your meals. If you sleep outside and take a bus to enter the city, add each person’s return fare to the cost of the pitch. It’s this total that will tell you what your stop really costs.

When to come to Nîmes?

For a route with so much walking, I would first look at spring or early autumn. In summer, keep water and a break out of the heat; in the heat, climbing to the tower feels very different from a level stroll. Use the forecast below to time the most exposed sections of the walk.

The map of monuments in Nîmes

These markers locate the main visits of the route, from the Arena area to the gardens and the Tour Magne.

Extending the road trip: Arles, Avignon, or Aigues-Mortes

If you continue east, our guide to Arles and its stop in Camargue and the guide to Avignon and the Alpilles area offer two different onward stops. Towards the Gard coastline, Aigues-Mortes and its ramparts completely change the scenery. These are road trip stops to organise separately, not three detours to fit into the same day in Nîmes.

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PS: when it comes to that bar’s name, the Romans did a better job preserving their buildings than I did my records.