Not sure where to stay in Aix-en-Provence? Stay in the centre, because no area is badly placed, and choose by how much night-time noise you can tolerate.
For the region beyond the city, start with the provence travel guide.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Walk from one end of the centre to the other | About twenty minutes |
| Central three-star hotel | $100 to $167 a night |
| Hostel dorm bed | $34 a night |
| Budget hotel at the top of the old town, off season | $73 – $84 a night |
| Hotel prices during the July opera festival | Double |
| Faubourgs to the Cours Mirabeau on foot | Ten to twenty minutes |
These figures come from Avygeo’s where-to-stay guide. Prices and hotel details can change, so check the source before you rely on them.
How Aix-en-Provence is laid out
Aix is a small city with a big student population. Avygeo says nearly forty thousand students live in a city of fewer than a hundred and fifty thousand people.
The centre is compact: the same guide puts the walk from one end to the other at twenty minutes, so distance matters less than sleep. In the evening the bars of the old town and of the streets running down to La Rotonde serve late, and the noise reaches the bedrooms.
That is why the choice comes down to noise and convenience. Avygeo covers four areas, and the sections below follow the same split:
- Old Aix, north of the Cours Mirabeau
- The Mazarin quarter, south of the Cours Mirabeau
- The Cours Mirabeau and the Rotonde
- The faubourgs and Cézanne’s studio, north and west of the old centre
Old Aix: markets and lanes for a first visit
Old Aix is the tangle of lanes north of the Cours Mirabeau, with little fountain squares, the Saint-Sauveur cathedral and its cloister. Avygeo adds that Provençal markets fill Place des Prêcheurs and Place Richelme almost every morning. EuroCheapo also notes a farmer’s market at nearby Place Richelme each morning.
Trainline’s hotel roundup points the same way: for a first timer, you’ll gravitate to Old Town. The trade-off is that the terraces run late and the streets are narrow, so ask for a courtyard room.
For hotels, Avygeo names Hotel des Augustins as a luxury pick and the Hôtel Paul, near the cathedral, as a budget option from $73 – $84 a night off season, as listed on its guide.
The Mazarin quarter: the quiet choice
The Mazarin quarter is a grid of wide streets laid out in the 17th century for the Aix nobility, five minutes from the Cours Mirabeau. Avygeo calls it the area to aim for if you want to be sure of sleeping well.
A rental-focused guide from Lodgis likewise describes the Mazarin district as one of the most prestigious areas of Aix. That fits what you will find: calm streets, antiques and few late-night options.
The downside is that nothing happens here at night, and you have to walk back up to the Cours to eat. Cheap rooms are also scarce. For examples, Avygeo lists:
- Hotel Cardinal, mid-range, an old house facing the Granet museum and described as the best value in the Mazarin
- Hotel des Quatre Dauphins, budget, called the cheapest way to sleep in this quarter
- La Maison d’Aix, a luxury guesthouse in a mansion of the quarter
The Cours Mirabeau and the Rotonde: easiest without a car
EuroCheapo describes La Rotonde as the centre of town, with the wide Cours Mirabeau springing from it as the main shopping and restaurant row. Avygeo calls this the handiest area, because shops, restaurants, bus stops and the shuttles for the TGV station and the airport all start here.
The cost is traffic and passers-by all day. A street-facing room is not advisable, so take a room at the back.
Avygeo’s examples in this area span every budget:
- Renaissance Aix-en-Provence Hotel, luxury, a contemporary four-star with pool and spa
- Hotel Saint-Christophe, mid-range, an Art Deco address with its brasserie
- Boutique Hôtel Cézanne, mid-range, with breakfast included
- Hôtel Le Concorde, budget, the lowest price for staying within walking range
The faubourgs and Cézanne’s studio: space and parking
Past the boulevards the city opens up. Avygeo says this is where you park a car without thinking about it and where the room is bigger for the same money. The downside is ten to twenty minutes on foot to reach the Cours Mirabeau, and nothing to do here in the evening.
Parking matters because the old centre is pedestrian, and Avygeo advises you to park before you enter the town. Its examples are Villa Gallici, a luxury mansion with cypress gardens a short walk from Cézanne’s studio, and the Aquabella Hotel & Spa, mid-range, under ten minutes’ walk from the Cours Mirabeau.
EuroCheapo places Cezanne’s last painting studio a mile north of the central tourist office. If the painter is why you are visiting, the cezanne aix-en-provence guide looks at his city in more detail.
Be careful with hotels right on the ring roads. EuroCheapo warns that hotels outside or along the highways circling central Aix may not be accessible by public transportation, while those it labels “Near Center” are still within walking distance of most attractions.
Which area suits you best?
Avygeo matches each type of traveller to an area:
- First visit: Old Aix, for the markets, the cathedral and the fountain squares
- Sleeping quietly: the Mazarin quarter, with wide, silent streets five minutes from the Cours Mirabeau
- Without a car: the Cours Mirabeau and the Rotonde, where the TGV station and airport shuttles leave from
- With family: the faubourgs, with bigger rooms, parking and Cézanne’s studio next door
- On a budget: the Hôtel Paul at the top of the old town
Timing affects cost as much as the area. Avygeo says a good central three-star runs $100 to $167 a night and a hostel dorm bed $34, but in July the opera festival fills the town and prices double.
If lavender fields are on your list, read when do lavender fields bloom in provence before you fix your dates.
Want to stay a little removed from the core? Trainline says La Torse feels a little removed, with riverside parks and the Saint-Pierre Cemetery, where Paul Cézanne’s grave is.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best area for a first visit?
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Old Aix suits most first visits. Avygeo recommends it for the markets, the cathedral and the fountain squares, and Trainline’s hotel roundup says first timers gravitate to Old Town.
Where should you stay for a quiet night?
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The Mazarin quarter is the quiet pick in Avygeo’s guide, which calls it the area to aim for if you want to be sure of sleeping. The faubourgs are also calm, though they are ten to twenty minutes on foot from the Cours Mirabeau.
Do you need a car to stay in Aix-en-Provence?
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Not if you stay near the Rotonde, where the TGV station and airport shuttles leave from, according to Avygeo. If you do drive, the same guide says the old centre is pedestrian, so park before you enter the town.
When are hotel prices highest?
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In July, when the opera festival fills the town and prices double, per Avygeo. Check live rates for your own dates, as the figures it gives can change.
