LIVE BOLD
Remi and Arlo hugging on a stone wall in front of the Pont du Gard, its tiers of honey-colored arches stretching across a bright blue sky

France

How to Get to the Pont du Gard from Nîmes Without a Car (With Kids)

The best way to reach the Pont du Gard from Nîmes without a car is a direct €2 bus. Here's how it works, what to pack for a swim under the aqueduct, and how we'd plan the day with a 7- and 2-year-old.

Alissa ·

This post may contain affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The Pont du Gard was the day trip I was most excited about in the south of France. We were staying in Nîmes with our 7- and 2-year-old, we didn't have a car, and I'd been picturing the swim under the aqueduct for weeks. It turned out to be one of the best days of the whole trip.

Getting there without a car is easy and cheap once you know which route to take. We worked it out as we went, so this is the version I'd hand to a friend. The full story of the day is in our Nîmes post.

Take the bus, not the train

There's a train station called Nîmes Pont-du-Gard, and it's an easy mistake: that's the one we took. It's a high-speed station outside the city, and it isn't near the bridge. We got an Uber from there (about $50), and sorted out the bus for the ride home at the information desk, over gelato. The bus runs directly from the center of Nîmes for €2 a person, so it's the way I'd go both ways next time.

The bus is liO line 121, from the Gare Routière in Nîmes to the stop called Rond-Point Pont du Gard, about 45 minutes. The stop is a sign at the roundabout just before the parking lot gate, and it's about a 5-minute walk through the parking lot to the entrance. We paid the driver €2 each in cash; our 2-year-old rode free. Schedules change by season, so check the liO Occitanie website or app for your date. The day we went (late September) the afternoon buses back to Nîmes left at 1:15 and 3:53.

Whichever way you go, plan the day around the return bus. We caught the 3:53, which gave us plenty of time for the bridge, the river, and gelato near the entrance.

What it costs without a car

Walking in is free, and the bridge and the river are the main event. Parking is €9 a car, which you skip by taking the bus. We didn't go into the museum, so I can't speak to it, but it's there if you have a kid who's into how things were built, and the prices are on the Pont du Gard website. Our transport for the day was the train out, the Uber from the station, and €6 in bus fares home. Taking the bus both ways would have been about €12 for the three of us who pay.

Walking in and crossing the bridge

The walk from the roundabout is short, and we had our stroller, which was helpful on the way in and across the bridge. It was hot around noon, and the kids were ready for a break by the time we reached the water. The lower walkway runs alongside the first tier of arches, and it was cool and shady enough that everyone perked up. The scale doesn't fully register until you're standing underneath: three tiers of arches, nearly 50 meters high, fitted together without mortar and standing for almost two thousand years.

The walkway across the lower level of the Pont du Gard, the massive stone arches rising overhead with visitors walking along the path, green hills in the background
Crossing under the first tier, the shadiest spot we found all day.

Swimming under the aqueduct

On the far side of the bridge there's a rocky shore along the Gardon river. There's no official swimming area and no facilities besides a cafe near the road, so it's a bring-your-own-everything kind of spot. We left the stroller by a set of stairs and walked about 5 minutes across rocky ground to the water, set up our picnic, and changed under a towel by the river.

The water was breathtakingly cold, and Remi was straight in, because Remi is always straight in. After some convincing from Dani, I swam out to the bridge and back, about 150 to 200 meters, just to feel how enormous it is from directly underneath. Between the cold water and looking up at those arches, it was exhilarating, and one of my favorite moments of the trip. Arlo had no interest in the water. He was too busy with rocks, dirt, and his toy trucks (he's our land kid), and the riverbank gave both kids something to do.

The Pont du Gard rising above the clear green-blue Gardon river from the rocky shore, a tiny swimmer in the water near the base of the bridge and people walking across the lower tier
The view from the water's edge. You can spot a swimmer out near the base of the bridge.
Remi and Arlo posing together on a stone wall with the Pont du Gard's three tiers of arches stretching across the background
The Pont du Gard from a distance, all three tiers visible, with rocky outcrops and green trees framing the aqueduct and the river below

The kids in front of the aqueduct, and the full three-tier view from across the river.

What to bring for the river: towels, blankets for the rocks, snacks or a picnic, and goggles. There were big fish swimming in the reeds, and they're fun to watch. There's no changing room, so bring a towel big enough to change under.

How I'd plan the day next time

I'd start with the return bus time and work backwards. We arrived around noon and took the 3:53 home, which was enough for the bridge, the swim, a picnic, and every side path Remi could find. A half day works fine with a 7- and 2-year-old. A morning bus out would leave room for the museum or a longer stay at the river.

I saved the Pont du Gard for a day when we needed a break from monuments, because it combines Roman history with a river and rocks to climb. That mix is what keeps a historical site working for a 7- and 2-year-old, and it let all four of us relax. If you're planning the rest of your time in Nîmes, our post on the parks, playgrounds, and Tour Magne has more ideas. And if you've found a better way to get there, I'd love to hear it.

More from France