My first European train trip is coming up this fall and I am a bit intimidated about transferring trains to get to Paris from Arles. I’m looking for any advise to help make this a smooth trip as I am traveling with a friend who will look to me for guidance, and unfortunately I am not bilingual. The transfer times appear short as I am studying the route. Thank you so much for the opportunity to ask.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
7134 posts
It's not at all unusual to be a bit nervous about train travel, especially in a different country, if you haven't done it before. But fear not; it's not really difficult, and there are all kinds of resources available. The main one, IMO, is the Man in Seat 61. What he doesn't know about European train services isn't worth knowing. You might start with this: https://www.seat61.com/european-train-travel.htm
Followed by: https://www.seat61.com/France.htm
There's also a series of articles on trains on this site in the Travel Tips section:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains
And then there are ALL the videos on train travel on YouTube.
PS: being bilingual is definitely not a prerequisite.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6735 posts
Good advice above. There are some trains directly from Arles to Paris (Gare de Lyon), with no need to change. See the SNCF (French rail system) website for schedules and prices. It's a little clunky to use, but accurate. The station at Arles is small and quite manageable. The one in Paris is large, but all you have to do there is leave.
Posted by
Chicagoland
2118 posts
CJean has given you some good information.
Don't worry too much about language. The stations usually have signage in both French and English. Just remember to greet everyone with Bonjour before asking for help.
My biggest tip is to pack as light as possible. There are sometimes steps getting onto trains and anything larger than a carry-on size bag can be difficult to handle, especially when others are also trying to board,
Posted by
Paris
7848 posts
There are two daily direct trains from Paris to Arles: one around 7.15 AM and one around 5.15 PM. I recommend you take one of those, as some of the faster connections during the day involve two connections in Avignon TGV and Avignon Centre with lots of waiting.
Alternatively, you could budget for a car transfer from Avignon TGV to Arles. You'd save about 45 minutes of travel time, an Uber is about 70€ right now (it's not a very long drive).
Edited: you want to go the other way, there are also 2 trains/day from Arles to Paris (although 1 is very early in the morning), and while there is no Uber in Arles you have the option of arranging a taxi to take you to Avignon TGV.
Posted by
Long Beach, Ca, usa
3057 posts
Vikki,
Be sure you are making plans to leave from the correct station in Paris. You want the Gare de Lyon.
Posted by
Middletown, RI
1555 posts
Please note the OP asked about: "trains to get to Paris from Arles..." (emphasis added).
Posted by
Long Beach, Ca, usa
3057 posts
Oops!
Sorry. I misread the post.
Posted by
Paris
7848 posts
So did I! I edited my reply accordingly.
Posted by
Wengen
3789 posts
If you go to www.sncf-connect.com you will see the options. Most do indeed involve a connection, with connection times usually in the 20-30 minute range. For a Swiss like me that is atrociously long, but in France unfortunately often unavoidable. SNCF doesn't really do train schedules very well.
But anyway, pick a departure that suits you, and do not worry about transfers. Changing trains is a normal and expected feature of train travel. And in France you will get a lot of opportunity to reflect on how nice it would be if the transfers were shorter :-)