Arles or Como?

Arles gives you the better day by the water, because the Mediterranean is within reach across the Camargue. Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer has sand and dunes, and the wide, wild strands of Piémanson and Beauduc leave room to spread out, with shallow, gentle water. You need a car, though, and there is little shade.

Como offers swimming in the lake rather than the sea. You swim from lidos with lawns and pontoons, such as the one by Villa Olmo, or from small pebbly jetties in villages up the shore. Sand is scarce and the season is short.

The two are evenly matched, but the way you eat differs. In Arles the Saturday market on the Boulevard des Lices is the high point, and meals are long lunches on the squares: gardiane bull stew, Camargue rice, tellines and rosé from the Costières.

Como's day is built around evening aperitivo near the cathedral, then perch risotto, missoltini and polenta from the valleys. The best tables are often up the lake rather than on the lakefront terraces. Neither place offers much variety, and many Arles restaurants close for the winter.

Arles has far more to see. Its arena, antique theatre, cryptoporticus, Baths of Constantine and Alyscamps form a UNESCO-listed Roman group all within walking distance. Saint-Trophime's portal and cloister, the Roman barge in the Museum of Ancient Arles and Gehry's tower at Luma add to it, and the Rencontres festival makes photography part of the town's summer.

Como's sights are fine but few: the marble cathedral, the Romanesque churches of San Fedele and Sant'Abbondio, Terragni's Casa del Fascio, the Tempio Voltiano and the silk museum. One day covers them.

Both towns go to bed early. Arles has dinner and a drink on the Place du Forum, and Como has aperitivo, a few cocktail bars and a stroll on the lakefront. The real difference is the escape route. Arles comes alive during its Easter and September ferias, when bodegas fill the streets, but otherwise a big night means driving to Marseille or Montpellier. From Como, Milan is a short train ride away.

Como wins on scenery you can walk into. The funicular climbs to Brunate for ridge trails towards the Volta lighthouse, and the Via dei Monti Lariani and the Greenway del Lago link the villages. On the water you can kayak, sail or paddleboard, and cyclists ride up to the Madonna del Ghisallo.

Arles offers flat, open wetland instead of mountains. In the Camargue you can watch flamingos and waders, ride horses from the ranches or cycle the dykes around the Étang de Vaccarès. For hills, the Alpilles are a short drive away. Mosquitoes and the mistral can spoil the summer there.

Both are excellent bases, and the difference is how you travel. From Arles you head into Roman and papal Provence: Avignon and Nîmes are a short train ride away, while the Pont du Gard, Les Baux, Saint-Rémy and Aigues-Mortes are much easier with a car.

From Como the boat does much of the work, taking you to Bellagio, Varenna and the gardens of Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello. Trains reach Milan's Last Supper, Lugano and Bergamo's upper town without a car.

Neither town has attractions built for children, so the choice depends on their age. Arles suits older children who like animals and history: climbing the arena towers, exploring the cryptoporticus, pony rides on the ranches and flamingos near Saintes-Maries. The catch is the summer heat, mosquitoes, cobbled streets and the need for a car.

Como is gentler with small children. The boat rides, the funicular, paddling at a lido and the flat promenade by Villa Olmo are all easy to manage with a pushchair.

Como is the easier place to get around without a car. Its centre is flat and compact, the funicular reaches the hills, ferries call at every village on the lake, and trains run to Milan and Lugano. The drawbacks are slow boats to the far end of the lake and shore roads that clog in summer.

Arles is just as walkable at its core, with a free shuttle and a station close to the old town. Beyond the trains to the big cities, though, buses are infrequent, and the Camargue really calls for a car or a bike.

Como has the stronger reason to shop: silk. Scarves, ties and fabric come straight from the mills' outlets and specialist shops, and there is a short run of Italian boutiques on Via Vittorio Emanuele II, with Milan close by for more.

Arles is more about Provençal finds: printed cottons, santons, gardian shirts, Camargue salt from the Saturday market, and good bookshops full of photography books.

Arles is clearly kinder on the wallet. It costs about what any French provincial town does and is cheaper than the smart villages nearby. The car most visitors hire is the main extra cost.

On Como's lakefront you pay for the setting at both hotels and restaurants. Rooms back from the water, trattorias in the old town and spring or autumn dates bring costs down, and trains and ferries are cheap.

Both have modest programmes, but they are different in kind. Arles comes alive outdoors in summer, with concerts in the Roman theatre and arena, world music at Les Suds, and brass bands and the bloodless course camarguaise at the ferias. The rest of the year is thin.

Como has a proper opera house, the Teatro Sociale, with a season of opera, ballet and orchestral concerts. In summer there are open-air shows in its Arena and chamber music in churches and villas.

Como is the better choice for a restful stay. The grand villa hotels on the shore have real spas, and still water, terraced gardens and slow ferry crossings help you unwind.

Neither town has thermal baths. In Arles, relaxation comes from the pace: a siesta in the summer heat, a quiet evening by the Rhône, or a converted mas in the Alpilles with a pool.