We will be in France in May of 2021 (May 14 to May 30). The one piece of the itinerary I am having trouble with is getting from Mont-Saint-Michel to Avignon (we will spend the bulk of our time in Provence). From what I have researched so far, it looks like the fastest way to get there is to take a taxi to MSM Pontorson...then a regional train to Rennes. From Rennes we would then take a TGV train to Avignon. If anyone can give me any input on this I would appreciate it. I would prefer not to fly. I am also wondering if the train from Rennes to Avignon stops in Paris and if we would have to switch trains there. Thank you so much. Also...we will be flying home to the U.S. from Nice.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
4857 posts
Have you looked at the sncf website for train itineraries and times? I picked a random day in July of this year and see that there are several trains per day with one change. Thsee go to Paris and require a transfer not only to a different train, but to a different station. There appears to be one early morning direct train from Rennes to Avignon. But who knows at this point how things may look a year from now.
Posted by
Washington DC
27111 posts
Although it is manageable to change train stations in Paris as long as you aren't encumbered by a lot of luggage (I've done it), it's best to avoid that experience if you can. I'd try to find a routing that didn't require such a change. I have no idea whether you can get a realistic idea now of what rail itineraries may look like in May 2021. In normal times, I'd just look at the schedule for next month, but I fear that not all the usual trains may be running.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7299 posts
Given that you have chosen to visit two diagonally-opposite corners of France on one trip, a single train change is not unreasonable. Have you visited Europe by train before? It’s not as hard to do as you may think. Practicing with the SNCF website (I mean research without completing the purchase) is essential for a train trip.
Have you read our host’s free train tips, top left blue menu? There is no need to buy tickets through Rick, the SNCF/Oui website works well and prints bar-coded tickets.
It’s true that Avignon and Pontorson are exceptions to the usual rule that train stations are conveniently in the thick of local daily life.