Avignon Transportation
Avignon's TGV train station. Photo by Michael.
Inside the ultra-modern TGV station. Photo by Phil Gyford.
Getting to Avignon
The nearest airport to Avignon is Aéroport Avignon-Caumont, located 8km (5 miles) southeast of Avignon. One of the fastest ways to get to Avignon from Paris is to take a 1-hour flight from Paris's Orly Airport to Aéroport Avignon-Caumont. Taxis from the airport to the center cost around €15.
Fortunately for travelers, Avignon has a shiny new TGV train station (Gare TGV). The zippy TGV ride from Paris takes only 2 hours 38 minutes. TGV trains also arrive frequently from Marseille, taking 70 minutes and costing about €15; from Arles, the trip takes 30 minutes and costs about €6. From the TGV station, a 10-minute shuttle bus (navette) takes you from the TGV station to Avignon's city center. There are no baggage checks in the TGV station, but there are at the central station.
All non-TGV trains arrive at the central train station (Avignon Centre). The high-speed Eurostar train now makes the full journey from London's Waterloo Station to Avignon, but only on Saturdays in the late summer months. The trip makes only one stop (in Ashford, Kent) and takes six hours. Tickets must be reserved at least two weeks in advance. For details, contact Rail Europe.
To drive to Avignon from Paris, take the A6 south to Lyon then the A7 south to Avignon. Once you arrive in Avignon, follow the Centre-ville signs and park either near the wall or in the parking structure just inside the walls. The charge is about €6 per full day. Better yet, ask your hotel for parking advice before you arrive.
Getting Around Avignon
The best place to rent a car in Avignon is the TGV train station. There are other car rental agencies near the central train station, but with less options and shorter hours. You can reserve a rental car in advance with our partner AutoEurope.
Two little tourist trains leave regularly from the Palace of Popes. One comes twice and hour and does a 30-minute town tour with audio commentary for €6. The schedule of the other depends on demand and no commentary is provided, but it chugs up to the top of the park for a scenic view high above the river (€2).
To explore the area by bicycle, go to Cycles Peugeot, 80 rue Guillaume-Puy (tel. 0490-86-32-49), which rents all sorts of bikes for around €16 to €19 per day. A deposit of €152 is required, in the form of cash or a credit-card imprint.
