Nimes is a historic city in the Occitanie region of southern France, just west of Provence, famous for the extraordinarily well-preserved Roman arena and temple that still anchor its old town, and car rental here is straightforward whether you land at Nimes-Ales-Camargue-Cevennes Airport (FNI) just southwest of the city or arrive by train into the central station. Rental desks at the compact airport and near the city center are staffed by international and local operators, and pickup is quick given the airport's modest size compared with regional hubs like Montpellier or Marseille.
A car from Nimes puts a great deal of southern France within easy reach. The A9 autoroute, a tolled route running along the Mediterranean coast, connects Nimes east toward Montpellier and eventually Provence and the Cote d'Azur, and west toward Perpignan and the Spanish border, with toll plazas at regular intervals collecting fees by cash or card. Locally, the Pont du Gard, the towering Roman aqueduct bridge, sits roughly thirty minutes northeast, while the wild marshland of the Camargue and its flamingos lie about forty-five minutes to an hour south toward the coast.
Driving is on the right throughout France, and the roads around Nimes range from fast, well-maintained autoroute to narrower departmental routes winding through vineyard country and the limestone hills of the Gard. Provencal-style mistral winds can gust hard through this corridor, particularly in the colder months, so a firm grip on the wheel and caution on exposed stretches are worth keeping in mind. Fuel stations are frequent along the A9 and around the city, though smaller rural roads toward the Cevennes foothills thin out, so it's sensible to fill up before heading into the hillier backcountry north of the city on any Nimes-based road trip through Roman-heritage southern France. Many visitors pair a short stay in Nimes with day trips into Provence or west toward Carcassonne, both comfortably reachable in a single day from the city.