Getting There By Rail
Societé Nationale de Chemins de Fer – SNCF (tel: (08) 9235 3535; website: www.sncf.fr ) is the national rail carrier. Avignon belongs to the regional network, Transports Express Régionaux – TER (tel: (08) 3635 3539; website: www.ter-sncf.com ), of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. The standard of service varies – some trains are excellent, while others, even in first class, are of poor quality. Generally, trains are punctual.
The high-speed train station, La Gare TGV, is located two to three miles to the south of the city centre and linked to central Avignon via shuttle buses, which stop in front of the post office. This service brings Paris within two hours and 40 minutes of Avignon. Some of the high-speed trains also travel on to Avignon’s Central Station, boulevard St Roch (tel: (04) 9027 8163). Facilities at both stations include left-luggage, a café, newsagent and ticket reservations service (tel: (08) 3635 3535). Bilingual signs and multi-lingual announcements ease the way for foreign visitors. As throughout France, train tickets must be validated prior to boarding.
Rail services: There are direct links to Paris (journey time – 2 hours 40 minutes) from where services connect to Lille, Nantes, Rouen, Brussels and Geneva. Eurostar (tel: (0)8705 186 186 (UK number), or +44 12336 17575 (from outside the UK); website: www.eurostar.com ) offers a direct London Waterloo-Avignon service every Saturday from 24 May to 18 October (journey time – 7 hours 15 minutes). To travel on any other day of the week within this period, passengers must use Eurostar Plus and the TGV service.
Transport to the city: A shuttle service operates from La Gare TGV to the city centre (journey time – 15 minutes), costing just ¬1 per person. The same journey by taxi will cost ¬10. Avignon Central Station is linked to all major bus routes. Both stations have taxi ranks.
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