Train, Avignon

There are 2 train stations in Avignon. If you arrive by TGV from Paris it is likely you will arrive at AvignonTGV station, this is a 10 minute bus ride to the centre of Avignon fare 1 euro 30. The best station to arrive is Avignon Centre, as its name suggests is central, TGVs arrive here as well as local TER s. If you are travelling from London in July, August and early September on a Saturday there is a direct Eurostar train to Avignon Centre.

For many tourists to Avignon, their point of arrival will be the gorgeously futuristic TGV (high speed rail) station on the outside of town, which is a glorious piece of design.

To avoid confusion, please bear in mind that local/regional services do NOT stop at this station - these depart from the Avignon Central railway station just opposite the post office and Porte de la Republique.

The easiest and cheapest way to get into the town centre is to catch the navette bus - this takes 10 minutes and buses run on average about twice and hour between about 06:00 and 23:00 (depending on the time of year). This is much cheaper than a taxi (just less than €2 at the time of writing in October 2011) and also has the advantage that you don't have to join what can be rather a long queue for taxis after a TGV train arrives. If needs be, you can then pick up a taxi from outside the railway station in the centre of town (since the navette terminus is immediately over the road from here).

Arles is a very nice small town near Avignon and it's very easy to get there from Avignon by train. There is discount price in weekend (shading area in their train time table, always available at station) . Going this way, I thought of Van Gogh when he walked a long the railway from Arles to Avignon (his painting about this is kept in Van Gogh Foundation Museum in Arles). Staff on train was very very friendly and helpful. I bought round trip ticket but found that I lost a ticket somewhere in Avignon, maybe in the station. I told the ticket checker and he called to station to see if anyone return my ticket there. When we arrived Arles, we didn't find it anyway and he let me go without ticket and said I still have to pay the way back because they didn't find my lost ticket. It costed only few euros as far as I remember but this made quite a good impression on me about train service and people here.

Getting there: Avignon is an easy 3-1/2-hour ride from Paris on the TGV, France's high-speed train. A full-fare, round-trip adult ticket from the capital costs about $140. There are also numerous train connections from other French cities.

From London there is a ryanair flight to Nimes. This is also a very beautiful city and only 60 Km from Avignon.

By train, car... or....??? :-)) Your choice.

There is no bus or shuttle service to the Town center and if you're thinking of hailing a cab, it would cost around 100-150 French francs. Avignon Airport is approximately 8KM away from the town center.... just in case you're wondering.

I got there by train from the city of Lyon, but Avignon also has train connections to many other French cities, Marseille, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Dijon and, of course, Paris are among them.