Where to park in Arras? The parking guide

Coming to Arras by car quickly raises a question: where to park? The town, with its historic centre and its great squares, nevertheless has a varied parking offer, between free relay car parks on the periphery, underground car parks in the heart of the city and on-street parking. To this is added a free shuttle, Ma Citadine, which links the relay car parks to the town centre. Here is a practical guide to parking in Arras according to your need, whether you are a passing visitor, an inhabitant or here for a few hours, with the main solutions and some useful pointers.

Parking in Arras, a user's guide

Arras offers a large number of parking spaces, spread between the town centre and its periphery. The town has in total several thousand spaces, of which a significant part is free, which leaves everyone the choice between convenience and economy. Parking is organised on the scale of the centre and its conurbation, the management of travel falling in part to the intercommunality: to understand the role of the community in the organisation of the territory, the urban community of Arras and its competencies sheds light on the way in which questions of mobility and planning are thought out on the scale of the conurbation. Concretely, to park in Arras, several strategies are possible: park for free on the periphery and reach the centre on foot or by shuttle, opt for an underground car park in the heart of the town, or find a space on the street in the regulated parking zones. Each solution has its advantages, according to the duration of the parking, the budget and the destination. Choosing one's mode of parking well allows one to avoid the stress of the search for a space and to enjoy one's visit or errands serenely. It is useful to bear in mind that the times, rates and rules of parking can change, and that it is better to check the up-to-date information before travelling. This guide gives the main pointers to find one's way among the different options offered by the town. Parking in Arras thus becomes simpler once one knows the solutions at one's disposal.

The free relay car parks

The most economical solution for parking in Arras consists of using the free relay car parks located on the periphery of the centre. The town has several of them, offering a large number of spaces a few minutes' walk from the historic heart. Among them figure the car park of the Citadel, one of the largest, as well as the car parks of the place de Marseille, the Crinchon, Cité Nature and the Esplanade. These car parks, free, allow one to leave one's car at no cost and to then reach the centre on foot, in about ten minutes, or by the free shuttle. They constitute an ideal solution for visitors who wish to spend the day in Arras without worrying about the cost of parking, as well as for inhabitants coming to the town centre. Parking in a relay car park presents a double advantage: economy, since the parking is free, and tranquillity, since one avoids the search for a space in the often occupied streets of the centre. These car parks are particularly useful on days of high attendance, like market days or during events. Located at a reasonable distance from the centre, they allow one to combine easy parking and discovery of the town on foot. To opt for a relay car park is thus to choose the simplest and most economical solution for parking in Arras, while enjoying a walk to the centre. This formula, encouraged by the town, also contributes to limiting car traffic in the heart of the city.

Ma Citadine, the free shuttle

To reach the town centre from the relay car parks, Arras offers Ma Citadine, an entirely free and electric shuttle. This service allows motorists to leave their car in a free relay car park and to reach the heart of the town without walking, aboard small electric vehicles respectful of the environment. The shuttle serves the relay car parks and the main points of the centre, facilitating the travel of visitors as well as inhabitants. Ma Citadine thus constitutes the ideal complement of the relay car parks: one parks for free on the periphery, then one reaches the centre for free by shuttle. This combined solution, free from end to end, is particularly advantageous for those who wish to avoid parking fees and traffic in the town centre. The electric character of the shuttle inscribes itself in an ecological approach, aiming to reduce the footprint of urban travel. Practical and comfortable, Ma Citadine facilitates access to the centre for all, including for people who prefer not to walk a long distance. It makes parking on the periphery even more attractive, by removing the constraint of the walk to the centre. To use Ma Citadine is thus to enjoy a free and ecological service, which transforms relay parking into a complete and comfortable solution. This shuttle illustrates the will of the town to facilitate access to the centre while limiting car traffic.

The underground car parks of the centre

For those who prefer to park as close as possible to their destination, Arras has underground car parks in the very heart of the town centre. The two main ones are the car park of the Grand'Place, located under the famous square, and the Centre Européen-Gare car park, near the station. These car parks, which each offer several hundred spaces, allow one to park under cover and a few steps from the shops, squares and monuments. Paying, they generally offer a first period of gratuity, then a pricing by the hourly bracket, as well as subscription formulas for regular users. The car park of the Grand'Place is ideally placed to visit the historic centre and to do one's shopping, while the Centre Européen-Gare car park is practical for travellers and those who frequent the station district. To park in an underground car park offers the comfort of proximity and shelter, at the price of paid parking. This solution suits particularly short parking and targeted visits, when one wishes to be as close as possible to one's destination. It is recommended to check the rates and times in force, which can change, before choosing this option. The underground car parks thus constitute a solution of comfort for parking in the heart of Arras, in complement to the free relay car parks of the periphery. They meet the needs of those who favour convenience and the immediate proximity of the centre.

On-street parking and the zones

In complement to the car parks, Arras has on-street parking, in the streets of the centre and its surroundings. This parking is regulated, notably by a system of zones, in order to ensure the rotation of vehicles and to facilitate access to the shops. The parking zones of the centre, identified by colours, define the applicable rules: maximum duration, gratuity or payment, according to the sectors. This system aims to prevent spaces from being occupied too long by the same vehicles, to the detriment of visitors and the customers of the shops. On-street parking suits short stops, for a quick errand or a visit of a few hours, according to the rules of the zone concerned. It is important to read the signage well and to respect the authorised durations, on pain of penalty. The rules of on-street parking can change, and one should refer to the information displayed on site and to the official sources to know the modalities in force. This surface parking completes the offer of the car parks, by offering a solution of proximity for short stops. Well used, in respect of the rules, it allows one to park quickly as close as possible to one's destination. On-street parking is thus one of the solutions to know for parking in Arras, according to the duration and the sector. It simply demands being attentive to the local regulation, which organises the sharing of the public space.

Getting around Arras differently

Parking is not the only way to get around in Arras: the town also offers alternatives to the car, which can dispense with the search for a space. The bus network serves the centre and the conurbation, allowing one to reach Arras and to move about without a car: and the town is also easily accessible by train, the railway station of Arras constituting a practical gateway to reach the centre without a car, a few minutes on foot from the great squares. To this are added walking, particularly suited to the compact historic centre of Arras, and cycling, for whoever wishes to move about actively. Combining parking on the periphery and these modes of travel allows one to enjoy the town without the constraints of traffic and parking in the centre. For a visitor, leaving one's car in a relay car park and discovering Arras on foot or by shuttle is often the most pleasant solution. For an inhabitant, alternating car, bus, walking and cycling according to the journeys offers great flexibility. To think of one's mobility as a whole, and not only in terms of parking, allows one to move about more serenely in Arras. The town, with its compact centre and its transport offer, lends itself well to this combined approach. To get around differently is thus often the key to avoiding parking difficulties and enjoying the city fully.

Parking according to your profile

The best solution for parking in Arras depends largely on one's profile and one's need. The visitor who has come to spend the day will have every interest in using a free relay car park and the Ma Citadine shuttle, to reconcile economy and tranquillity. The one who comes for a quick errand or a short appointment can favour an underground car park of the centre or a space on the street, as close as possible to their destination. The inhabitant who goes regularly to the town centre can consider a subscription in an underground car park, or combine parking on the periphery and transport. People with reduced mobility have reserved spaces, to be spotted near the destinations. On market days or event days, when the attendance is high, the relay car parks and the shuttle often constitute the safest solution to avoid the saturation of the centre. To adapt one's mode of parking to one's profile and to the situation allows one to save time and to avoid inconvenience. It is always useful to inquire in advance, notably about the rates and times, which can vary. To park according to one's profile is thus to choose the most suitable solution among those the town offers. This personalised approach makes parking in Arras simpler and more serene, whatever the reason for the trip.

Reaching the centre and its monuments

Once parked, the essential thing is to be able to easily reach the centre and its riches. The heart of Arras, compact and pedestrian in places, lends itself well to discovery on foot, once the car is left in a car park. From the relay car parks, about ten minutes' walk or a shuttle trip suffice to reach the great squares and the monuments. From the underground car parks, one emerges directly in the heart of the town, a few steps from the must-see sites. To prepare one's visit and know what merits the detour, the must-see monuments of Arras offer an overview of the treasures of the town, from the belfry to the baroque squares. Parking is thus only the first step of a visit, the one that then allows one to set off to discover the heritage on foot. Choosing one's parking well, according to one's destination, facilitates access to the sites one wishes to visit. The centre of Arras, with its squares, its streets and its monuments, is ideally discovered on foot, once the question of the car is settled. To think of parking as the starting point of the visit allows one to approach the discovery of the town serenely. Reaching the centre and its monuments then becomes a pleasure, once the car is well parked and the mind freed from parking worries.