Vie Hachés: Parking in Aix — what it’s called, where to park in centre-ville, and long-stay near the stations

on

Bonjour, fellow park-and-pray drivers. First, vocab! In France a car park is usually un parking (masc.), also un parc de stationnement; underground = parking souterrain; and the beloved park-and-ride = parc-relais (P+R). You’re fluent already. Ish. 

Click here for a dynamic map with parking in Aix-Marseille-Provence.

Centre-ville public car parks (with typical 24h caps)

All accept contactless/CB; most give the first 30 min free unless noted.

  • Rotonde – Centre-Ville (huge, steps from Cours Mirabeau).
    Day pricing starts after two free ¼-hours; 24h cap €25. Details + vehicle height notes. (Aix en Provence - Office de Tourisme)

  • Mignet (by Mazarin/Cézanne cinemas).
    2×¼h free, then €2 first paid ¼h; 24h cap €25. EV recharge free for users. (MAMP Parkings)

  • Cardeurs (right under Place des Cardeurs restaurants; tiny, fills fast).
    No free 30 min; starts €2 first ¼h; 24h cap €25. (MAMP Parkings)

  • Bellegarde (near Palais de Justice/market).
    2×¼h free; 24h cap €20. (MAMP Parkings)

  • Carnot (under Centre de Congrès).
    2×¼h free; 24h cap €20. (MAMP Parkings)

  • Pasteur (close to CH Aix; good for upper old town).
    2×¼h free; 24h cap €20. (MAMP Parkings)

  • Méjanes (by the library/conservatory).
    2×¼h free; 24h cap €20. (MAMP Parkings)

  • Rambot – Arts & Métiers (east side, easy for quick errands).
    2×¼h free; 24h cap €20. (Aix en Provence - Office de Tourisme)

  • Signoret (small, near Bellegarde).
    2×¼h free; 24h cap €20. (MAMP Parkings)

Pro tip: Many garages show live space counts and have staff 24/7; height is usually 1.90 m except Rotonde level -1 which takes taller vehicles (check signs). (Aix en Provence - Office de Tourisme)

Park-and-Ride (P+R) to skip centre traffic

Handy periphery lots with included bus links to centre. Look for P+R signs.

  • Krypton, Brunet, Lt-Col. Jeanpierre, Malacrida, Plan d’Aillane, Route des Alpes, Arena — hours, capacity and line links listed by the local network; Arena P+R is free (others are low-cost; buy/use standard bus tickets on site). (Aixenbus)

Long-stay near the train stations

Aix TGV (Arbois plateau, 15–20 min from town)
Managed by EFFIA with several car parks:

  • P1 / P2 / P3 (closest to platforms). Regular parking with weekend web deals (e.g., 3 days ≈ €37). (Effia)

  • P13 (value lot; shuttle/bus links shown on site). Web forfaits from 7 days ≈ €48; 1 month ≈ €110. (Effia)

  • Snapshot of typical P13 day rate: ~€20.90/24h (guide reference). Always check EFFIA for live pricing. (Yespark)

Aix-Centre SNCF (downtown station)
Small open-air EFFIA lot (~135 spaces), monthly ~€200 noted by the Tourist Office; useful for multi-day stays when available. (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Tourisme)

How to choose (and avoid tears) — quick steps

  1. Coming for the market or a café on Cours Mirabeau?
    Use Rotonde (closest) or Bellegarde/Pasteur (often easier in/out). First 30 min can be free, except Cardeurs. (Aix en Provence - Office de Tourisme)

  2. Dinner in the old town?
    Cardeurs puts you right under the restaurants, but it’s tiny; otherwise Mignet is a 4–7 min stroll. (MAMP Parkings)

  3. Big SUV or roof box?
    Check height limits; Rotonde level -1 allows up to ~3 m (no campers). (Aix en Provence - Office de Tourisme)

  4. Budget + no stress?
    Park at a P+R (e.g., Krypton or Arena) and hop the bus to La Rotonde/Gare Routière. Arena is free; others are low-cost with normal bus fares. (Aixenbus)

  5. Train trip (1–7+ days)?
    At Aix TGV, compare P1–P3 (closest) vs P13 (cheaper long-stay). Book web forfaits ahead for best price. For the centre station, check EFFIA availability early. (Effia)

Nuts-and-bolts (paying, tickets, apps)

  • Payment: All city garages take CB/contactless at exit; staffed booths common. Some support Liber-t/telepeage. Keep your entry ticket safe—lost ticket = 24h charge. (MAMP Parkings)

  • Free minutes: Most SEMEPA garages give first 30 min free; Cardeurs does not. (MAMP Parkings)

  • Caps: Expect €20/24h at most, €25/24h at Mignet/Rotonde/Cardeurs. (MAMP Parkings)

  • Live info & works: The city parking mini-site posts live availability and notices. (parkings-semepa.fr)

Handy list (centre-ville)

(All run by SEMEPA; the city/Tourist Office pages mirror tariffs.) (parkings-semepa.fr)

Micro-vocabulary-tips for learners (add yours in comments!)

  • A1: “Où est le parking le plus proche, s’il vous plaît ?”

  • A2: “Est-ce que les deux premiers quarts d’heure sont gratuits ici ?”

  • B1: “Je pars deux jours — vous conseillez quel forfait pour la gare TGV ?”

  • B2: “La hauteur limitée à 1,90 m s’applique à tous les niveaux, ou seulement au -1 ?”

  • Advanced: “Entre P+R et souterrain, j’hésite: coût total vs. temps perdu—des retours d’expérience ?”

Your turn 👇

  • Locals & alumni: which garage do you actually use on market days (and why)?

  • Visitors: P+R success stories or horror stories—share so we can all learn and laugh.

  • Got a secret street with legal spaces after 19:00? Shhh… but also… tell us.

Location: Aix-en-Provence, France

Comments

Post a Comment