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Avignon TGV TER Train to Avignon Central Station

Has anyone been to the Avignon TGV station since January this year? I read that the shuttle buses have been discontinued with the completion of the new TER Navette (also called Virgule or Comma) train from the TGV station to the central station. Very few websites have been updated to explain how to find it. The TGV website does confirm that there is a new TER train to central station but they don't say where to find the train. An individual posted on his web page a confirmation of this and that the new line connecting the train to the TGV rail line was just completed in January. Any other site I found which knows about the TER train gives old directions, that you have to leave the station, cross the street and go to the bus stop and then follow signs to the TER train but I believe this information is outdated based upon what the individual posted and his photos.

Does anyone know how to find the new TER Navette train at the Avignon TGV station?

Posted by
32521 posts

The Man in Seat 61 has good information at http://www.seat61.com/France.htm#London-to-Avignon-Marseille-by-train

a couple of paragraphs down from that mark is this:

Avignon TGV station is 3 miles from Avignon city centre & Avignon
Centre station. A new rail link from Avignon TGV station to Avignon
Centre station opened in December 2013 and shuttle trains now run
every 30-45 minutes, journey time 5 minutes, fare around €1.80. If
you'd rather travel to Avignon Centre, simply specify 'Avignon Centre'
when booking at www.loco2.com and it'll add the shuttle train for an
extra £1.50. Map of Avignon showing stations.

On the seat61 page the map in the last sentence is a link.

Posted by
2418 posts

I've taken the connection train between Avignon TGV and Avignon Central twice -- it usually comes on one of the relatively newer tracks that runs through the same station but closer to the platform side than the far side, I think it's like tracks 5 through 8, mostly 7 and 8 -- it looks to me like they ate away some of the foot traffic space to allow for an additional track.
There are two pedestrian underpasses, if I'm recalling correctly, to get from the ticketing/waiting area to the farther tracks (which are the lower-numbered tracks, again if I'm recalling correctly)
So, the important change is that you don't leave the train station to go across the street, you do stay in the station,
but you may have to make use of the pedestrian underpasses to get to the correct track.

Posted by
2418 posts

One added note about Avignon Centre station -- the RS guides say that there is bag storage at the station,
but that is no longer true. There is a small separate office 20 meters past the station's street-side entrance that is now labeled for lost and found, but the door has limited hours, and they will not store your bag. I think I could see the part of the signage that must have been covered over where the storage info used to be.

I ended up using the coat check at the Musee du Petit Palais next to the papal palace, and there are also some oversized lockable cabinets near the WC in the Musee Calvet -- but this might not work if you have luggage rather than just carry-on.

Posted by
829 posts

This is not what you asked but last summer we arrived on the TGV and got a taxi from there to our hotel in the old part of town. It cost about 20 euros. It was convenient, we were jet-lagged as this was our very first day and with 4 of us, it wasn't much more to take the taxi all the way from the TGV station than it would have been to do the short train ride and then a taxi.

I don't remember the transfer at the TGV station but I'm sure you'll find it without a problem.