3Squares and streets

Nîmes-Centre Station

Time on site: 5 min
Opening hours: Station open according to SNCF timetables: please check sncf-connect.com.
Accessibility: Assistance service for people with reduced mobility at the station (source: Wikipedia).
On these routes: A day in Nîmes, Level walk, no climbs

Welcome to Nîmes. You are at Nîmes-Centre station, at 1 boulevard Sergent-Triaire, in the south of the city. This is the starting point of our tours. Before you set off, turn around and look at the façade: about 100 metres long, it lines up 19 arches on two levels, in a neoclassical style inspired by the Roman arena. The large pediments crowning it date from 1947. The present station came into service in 1843; it replaced a first terminal opened in 1839, east of the city. Since the opening of Nîmes-Pont-du-Gard station in December 2019, it has been called Nîmes-Centre. Getting to the historic centre, the Écusson, is very simple: leave by the main façade and walk straight up avenue Feuchères. In a few minutes on foot, you reach the Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle, with the Pradier fountain and the spire of the church of Sainte-Perpétue. The Arena is just behind, and the Écusson begins there. Enjoy your visit.

Listen to the story

Narration from the app, synthetic voice.

History

The railway reached Nîmes on 15 July 1839, with a first terminal east of the city, opened by the Compagnie des mines de la Grand’Combe et des chemins de fer du Gard. The present station came into service in 1843, south of the city, facing what would become avenue Feuchères.

In 1947, the old canopy was demolished to electrify the line and large pediments were added to crown the façade. In 2013, a viaduct allowed trains coming from the Saint-Germain-des-Fossés line to enter the station without reversing. Since the opening of Nîmes-Pont-du-Gard on 15 December 2019, the station has been called Nîmes-Centre.

Art and architecture

The façade is monumental: about 100 metres long, 19 arches on two levels, in a neoclassical style inspired by the Roman arena. It is a direct nod to the city’s most famous monument, which you will discover at the end of avenue Feuchères.

Anecdotes

In 2024, the station handled 4,355,591 passengers. It is served by TGV inOui trains, Spanish AVE trains, Ouigo, Intercités, including night trains, and TER Occitanie regional trains, on the line from Tarascon to Sète-Ville.

What to look for

From the forecourt, look at the two levels of arches and the pediments added in 1947. Then turn towards the city: avenue Feuchères runs straight towards the esplanade, with the spire of Sainte-Perpétue as your focal point.

Practical

To reach the Écusson, leave by the main façade and walk up avenue Feuchères to the Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle, then the Arena: a few minutes’ walk, on a flat route. The station has a ticket office, ticket machines and an assistance service for people with reduced mobility.

For excursions, TER trains to Aigues-Mortes leave from this station. Check your times on sncf-connect.com.

Nearby

First stops on foot: avenue Feuchères, the esplanade and the Pradier fountain, the church of Sainte-Perpétue, then the Arena. South of the station, Jean Nouvel’s Nemausus building will interest lovers of contemporary architecture.

On site, look for: Count the arches on one level of the façade and check that there really are 19.

Test yourself

Which avenue leads from the station to the esplanade?

Avenue Feuchères (answer)
Avenue Jean-Jaurès
Boulevard Victor-Hugo

In which year did the present station come into service?

1843 (answer)
1900
1962

What inspired the style of the façade?

A Gothic cathedral
A medieval castle
The Roman arena (answer)

Sources

Information checked on 6 October 2026.