Traveling to
the Aix Center and the Marchutz School of Art
Summer and Fall 2010
Use the 'print this page' feature in the upper right corner of this page and take it
with you as you travel.
Arrival in Aix-en-Provence
You are expected to arrive between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. local time on:
Saturday, June 12 for Summer Students
Saturday, September 4 for Fall Students
We encourage you to fly into the Marseille-Provence airport (MRS) which is in
the town of Marignane, 25
minutes from Aix. You may fly through the Paris – Charles de Gaulle airport
(CDG) but you may be able to find cheaper fares by flying through other European
cities. If you will already be in Europe, you can travel to Aix-en-Provence by
high speed train (TGV) from Paris, and most other major European cities. On
arrival day, IAU staff will meet you at the Marseille-Provence airport or the
Aix-en-Provence TGV Train station, at times and places specified in the air and
train travel sections below.
Once you have booked your travel, please complete the
travel itinerary form
by May 1 for the summer term and July 15 for the fall semester.
You will have to log-in using the same e-mail and password as your online
application - if you did not complete an online application, please
contact the U.S. Office of Admissions
for instructions. This information will help us prepare for your arrival and
increase the likelihood of it going smoothly.
Air Travel
If you arrive between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. at the
Marseille Provence airport (MRS), IAU staff, clearly identified by the blue and
white IAU logo will be waiting for you after you leave the baggage claim area.
If you cannot find the IAU staff at the airport, please
pick up your luggage and go to the information booth on the ground floor of Hall
1 and ask the personnel to help locate IAU staff.
Academic Studies Abroad
(ASA) offers low student fares and is a convenient way to book your travel. You
can receive a quote from ASA by visiting www.iauairfare.com. Previous students have also used www.statravel.com
and www.studentuniverse.com to book their flights.
As you are booking flights, we recommend that you have at least an hour and a
half between connections. Any less and you risk missing your connecting flight.
Train Travel
You can take a train to Aix-en-Provence from Paris, and from most other major European
cities. If you plan to take the high speed train (TGV) after arriving at
Charles de Gaulle Airport, make sure you book your ticket departing from the
TGV Station at Charles de Gaulle Airport (Terminal 2) arriving at the Aix-en-Provence TGV station.
However, if you will already be in central Paris before coming to Aix, you should book your ticket departing
from the train station in Paris called: Paris Gare de Lyon.
Therefore, you will book your ticket departing from the Gare de Lyon in
Paris arriving at the Aix-en-Provence TGV station.
Plan to arrive at the Aix-en-Provence TGV station between noon and 7 PM on arrival
day. Be sure to stay awake on the train and detrain at Aix-en-Provence TGV (about a 3 hour ride from Paris);
otherwise, you may wind up in Marseille, Toulon or Nice (which are the usual
final destinations of trains from Paris)! Passengers have approximately
three minutes to board and detrain which is extremely difficult with heavy
luggage on a crowded train.
Trains in Europe have
very limited space for luggage so please pack light. You may be required to
carry your luggage up/down staircases as not all French buildings are
equipped with elevators.
When you arrive at the
TGV Aix-en-Provence station, as you exit the train, look for the sign at the bottom of the escalator “Point
de Rencontre.” There you will find an IAU staff member carrying the blue and
white IAU logo.
Make sure to carry with
you the Aix Center phone number in case you need to call us anytime during your
trip to advise us of unexpected delays! (See list of important phone numbers
below)
Call Rail Europe at
(800) 438-7245 and book both a 2nd class ticket and
reserve a seat. Ask for the 12-25 youth fare.
On Your Way
If your scheduled arrival time changes due to a flight or train delay or
cancellation, make sure to call the Aix Center using the number listed below. If
arriving between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on arrival day, call the alternate
number listed below.
Students arriving after 10:00 p.m. will need to find a hotel in Aix (please
see the lodging section below) and call the alternate number on
Sunday morning after 8:00 a.m. so we may arrange the meeting between you and
your host.
Lost Luggage
If your luggage does not make it with you, report this immediately to the
airline; give your host's address and phone number, which we urge to have
with you. If you do not have it, you can give the Center’s address: 2 bis,
rue du Bon Pasteur 13100 Aix-en-Provence. (Please note that there will be no
one at the Center on Sunday to receive your delayed luggage.)
If your luggage is lost or delayed, ask for an emergency toiletry kit and
for authorization to buy necessary items upon arrival at your final
destination, should your suitcase not reach you within 24 hours.
Other Arrivals and Lodging
For those students who fly into Marseille/Provence airport (MRS) or take the
train to the Aix-en-Provence TGV station on dates other than “arrival day” or
when IAU staff is not present at the airport or train station, you are
responsible for finding your own lodging and transportation to Aix-en-Provence.
Public shuttle buses, called “Navettes,” provide regular service between the
Marseille-Provence Airport, the Aix TGV station and the gare routière (bus
station) of Aix-en-Provence. They run frequently and are an easy way to travel.
The cost is about 8 euros from the airport to Aix, and about 4 euros from the
train station. You do not need a reservation and you pay for the ticket upon
boarding the bus.
It may be necessary for you to take a taxi from the Aix-en-Provence bus
station to the Institute at 2 bis rue du Bon Pasteur, or to your host family,
which will cost about 12-15 euros.
Taxis from the Marseille-Provence airport or the Gare TGV Aix to
Aix-en-Provence are another option and cost approximately 60 euros (airport) or
40 euros (train station).
The IAU Hip Pocket Guide has lodging information in Aix-en-Provence if you
arrive before arrival day. You may also do a search on the Internet for hotels
in Aix or contact one of the hotels listed in the lodging section below.
Departure from France
For your return to the U.S. once the semester is completed, you should plan
to leave your host's residence by noon on departure day, Saturday, July 24th for
summer term and Saturday, December 18th for fall semester.
Please do not plan on leaving the night before departure day as there are
activities until the last minute and you don’t want to miss them.
You may stay longer, provided you make your own housing arrangements.
Lodging in Aix-en-Provence (We do not recommend staying in Marseille)
Hôtel Paul
10, avenue Pasteur
13100 Aix en Provence
Tel : +33/4 42 23 23 89
www.aix-en-provence.com/hotelpaul |
Hôtel Cardinal
24, rue Cardinale
13100 Aix en Provence
Tél : +33/4 42 38 32 30
www.hotel-cardinal-aix.com |
Hôtel les Augustins
3, rue Masse
13100 Aix en Provence
Tel : +33/4 42 27 28 59
www.hotel-augustins.com |
Hôtel le Manoir
8, rue Entrecasteaux
13100 Aix-en-Provence
Tel : +33/4 42 26 27 20
www.hotelmanoir.com |
Hôtel Artea
4, boulevard de la République
13100 Aix en Provence
Tél. : +33/4 42 27 36 00
www.hotel-artea-aix-en-provence.com |
Hôtel Aquabella
2, rue des Etuves
13100 Aix-en-Provence
Tél : +33/4 42 99 15 00
www.aquabella.fr |
Hôtel des Quatre Dauphins
54 rue Roux Alphéran
13100 Aix-en-Provence
Tél. : +33/4 42 38 16 39
www.lesquatredauphins.fr |
Hôtel Saint Christophe
2 Avenue Victor Hugo
13100 Aix-En-Provence
Tél. : +33/4 42 26 01 24
www.hotel-saintchristophe.com |
BON VOYAGE!
We are here to help you, so do not hesitate to contact us with any questions
or concerns.
Jenn Spangenberg, Enrollment
Coordinator
Yamina Boudellal, Aix
Housing
Please take these phone numbers with you in your carry-on luggage. In case of
any flight delays/cancellations, be sure to contact IAU as soon as possible.
Important Phone Numbers
Aix Center’s number from North America: 011.33.4.42.23.02.82
Aix Center’s number from France: 04.42.23.02.82
Aix Center’s number from within Europe but outside of France:
00.33.4.42.23.02.82
Alternate number for arrival day from North America: 011.33.6.07.89.02.00
Alternate number for arrival day from France: 06.07.89.02.00
Alternate number for arrival day from within Europe but outside of France:
00.33.6.07.89.02.00
Aix Center Address for Arrival Day
2 Bis, Rue du Bon Pasteur
13100 Aix-en-Provence
France
