Arles or Turin?

Arles is the only one of the two where a day at the sea is realistic. The Camargue coast at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, and the huge empty strands of Piémanson and Beauduc further along, are long, flat and sandy, with gentle water in summer. They are wild and have little shade, and you need a car, so they work as day trips rather than a beach vacation.

Turin has no coast at all. The Ligurian Riviera is a long journey there and back, and in summer locals settle for lakes such as Avigliana or Viverone. Anyone who wants to swim in the sea should plan separate days on the coast.

Turin is the far better place to eat. Piedmontese cooking runs from vitello tonnato and agnolotti del plin to bagna cauda and white truffles from the Langhe in autumn, with Barolo and Barbaresco on the wine lists. Vermouth and the aperitivo began here, and the historic cafés serve bicerin and gianduiotti. Porta Palazzo market adds cheap, good produce.

Arles has a distinct Camargue character: gardiane bull stew, red rice, tellines and saucisson d'Arles. Its Saturday market on the Boulevard des Lices is excellent. Beyond that, the choice of restaurants is narrow and many close in winter, so long lunches and market shopping are its strengths.

Both are strong, but Turin has more depth. The Museo Egizio alone is worth the trip, and around it are the Royal Palace, Palazzo Madama, the Savoy residences out to the Reggia di Venaria, the cinema museum inside the Mole and contemporary art at Rivoli.

Arles packs remarkable history into a small space: a Roman arena still in use, the antique theatre, the cryptoporticus, the Alyscamps and Saint-Trophime's Romanesque cloister, all UNESCO-listed and close together. The Rencontres photography festival and the Luma tower add a modern side. Two full days cover Arles, while Turin rewards a longer stay.

Turin has a real night out and Arles mostly does not. Evenings in Turin start with the aperitivo and then move to the wine and cocktail bars of the Quadrilatero Romano, the crowded pavements of San Salvario or the more alternative Vanchiglia. In summer, people gather along the Murazzi by the Po. The mood is sociable rather than wild.

In Arles, an evening usually means dinner and a last drink on the Place du Forum. Things only come alive during the Easter and September ferias, when bodegas open in the streets for a few late nights.

Turin has the bigger outdoors because the Alps are close enough to use. The Gran Paradiso, with its ibex and high trails, the Susa valley and the slopes around Sestriere offer hut-to-hut hiking, climbing and skiing. Nearer to town there are the Superga hills and the walled Mandria forest.

Arles offers something entirely different: the flat, watery Camargue, with flamingos in the étangs, white horses, black bulls and good birdwatching during the migrations. You explore it on horseback or by bike along the dykes. The Alpilles add gentler hill walking. Spring and autumn are the best seasons here, before the mosquitoes and the summer heat.

Both make excellent bases, and the real difference is the kind of day out. The trips from Arles are Roman and Provençal. The Papal Palace in Avignon and the Maison Carrée in Nîmes are short train rides away. The Pont du Gard, Les Baux and Saint-Rémy with the ruins of Glanum are close by road, and the walled town of Aigues-Mortes lies across the delta.

The trips from Turin are mostly to wine country and the mountains. The Langhe villages of Barolo, Barbaresco and La Morra and the truffle town of Alba are about an hour south. The Sacra di San Michele stands on its rock above the Susa valley, and Milan is an hour away by fast train. Getting around works the same way from both bases: trains handle the big towns, and a car makes the villages and hills far easier.

Turin is the easier city with children. The centre is flat and laid out on a grid, and its arcades shelter pushchairs from rain and sun. The glass lift up through the Mole, the car museum, the Egyptian mummies, the rack railway to Superga and space to run in Valentino park all fill a day without much planning.

Arles does well with older children who enjoy history and animals. They can climb the arena towers, explore the dark cryptoporticus, ride ponies at Camargue ranches and see the flamingos. The downsides are cobbled streets, summer mosquitoes and the fact that most outings need a car.

Both centres are easy on foot, but Turin works better once you go further. Its flat grid of arcades runs from Porta Nuova to the river, there is a driverless metro line out to Lingotto, and trams and buses cover the rest. You only need a car for the wine hills and the mountains.

Arles's sights are all within about fifteen minutes' walk of each other, and trains run to the big Provençal towns. Buses to the villages are infrequent, though, and the Camargue is only really practical by car or bike, which is why most visitors who stay several days hire one.

Turin offers far more choice. Via Roma's arcades hold the big fashion names and Via Garibaldi has mainstream shops. Food is the best souvenir: chocolate, pastries, truffles and Piedmontese wine. There are also antique dealers on Via Maria Vittoria and the Balon flea market on Saturdays.

Arles is about small finds and local crafts: Provençal printed cottons, santons, gardian shirts, Camargue salt from the Saturday market, and photography books from a town known for publishing. It has almost nothing in the way of fashion.

Turin works out somewhat cheaper day to day. An aperitivo can stand in for dinner, the trattorie and Porta Palazzo market are good value, public transport is inexpensive and you rarely need a car. Costs rise with fine dining, the truffle season and trade fairs.

Arles is reasonable by Provençal standards and cheaper than the Luberon villages. The extra cost is car hire, which most visitors need, and rooms become scarce and dearer in July and during the ferias.

Turin has a serious programme all year: opera and ballet at the Teatro Regio, the RAI National Symphony Orchestra, concerts in the Lingotto auditorium, jazz clubs, and drama at the Teatro Carignano, though the plays are in Italian.

Arles is mostly a summer stage, and an open-air one. Concerts are held in the Roman theatre and the arena, Les Suds brings world music for a week in July, and the ferias fill the streets with brass bands. Out of season, the serious performances are in Avignon, Nîmes or Marseille.

Neither has a bathing tradition, but Turin offers a little more. There is a wider choice of hotel and day spas, and the thermal waters of Acqui Terme and the Aosta valley are within a long day's reach. Calm comes easily too, with long café breaks under the arcades and slow afternoons in Valentino park.

Arles relaxes you mainly through its pace: siestas in the summer heat, shaded squares and evenings by the Rhône. For a restful stay, the best option is one of the converted mas in the Camargue or the Alpilles, with a pool.